by Reus, Katie
He could be intense and serious but he also knew not to take himself so seriously. He was such a breath of fresh air and fun even in the bedroom. He was wonderful everywhere. What she saw with him was what she got. No lies, no pretenses. Just Logan.
Without warning, he slid another finger inside her just as he started flicking his tongue harder against her sensitive bundle of nerves.
Oh yeah, that’s it. He’d learned her body so damn well, so damn fast. “Logan.” His name tore from her throat.
That seemed to spur him on so she said his name again. And again. Every time she did, he gave her exactly what she needed. Harder and faster.
She was so close to coming, but she tightened her fingers against his head. “I’m close… I want you in me.” Did she ever.
Growling against her, he quickly drew back, but only for a moment to grab a condom. In seconds he sheathed himself before stretching out on top of her, all raw power.
She trailed her fingers over his hard shoulders and biceps, relearning the feel of him after a month of having only her fantasies. He might not be hers forever, but he was hers right now and she was going to enjoy the hell out of him. Out of them. They fit so well together, especially like this. There was so much damn chemistry it rattled her.
He looked down at her with such intensity, as if he wanted to say something more, but instead he nudged her slick entrance with his thick erection.
She rolled her hips up to meet him just as he thrust forward. Letting her head fall back, she sucked in a breath as he thrust harder.
That was exactly the spot.
He kissed and teased along her neck, nibbling as he drove into her, the dichotomy of the featherlight kisses and his hard thrusts making her crazy.
“Come for me,” he growled, even as he reached between their bodies and rubbed her clit.
She was already so close to release that when he stroked her it unleashed the tide of building pleasure.
Her climax punched through her as she wrapped her body around his, digging her fingers into his back and meeting him stroke for stroke.
He growled something against her neck that she couldn’t understand but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except pleasure right now. Hers and Logan’s.
As she found release, he kept moving inside her and she could tell the moment before he was going to come.
“Grace,” he rasped out right before all his muscles tightened, his body trembling against hers.
She reached down to grab his ass, clutching him hard as he found his own release in long, hard strokes. Her own orgasm kept going until she finally collapsed against the rug, her heart still a wild beat.
Breathing hard, he caged her in with his forearms, looking down at her with a mix of satisfaction and something raw and hungry in his expression. “We should have been doing this for weeks,” he murmured before nipping her bottom lip.
“Maybe,” she whispered teasingly, laughing lightly at her absurdity.
He bit her bottom lip between his teeth. “No maybe. And we are so not done,” he said as he eased out of her. He quickly disposed of the condom then scooped her up from the rug. “We’re going to find a bed right now.”
Satisfied and lethargic, she curled into him. The crackling warmth from the electric fireplace was romantic, especially since it was right next to the cute little tree he’d put up, but a bed sounded pretty damn good right about now.
She forced herself not to think of the future, of what this meant for them, of anything other than his rock-hard body against hers and the time they were getting to spend together. After the last week, they deserved to simply enjoy themselves.
She would have to face reality soon enough.
Chapter 16
Feeling refreshed despite the lingering ball of tension at the base of her spine, Grace stepped out of the bedroom and was greeted with the smell of…was that bacon? Oh, yes, Merry Christmas-ish indeed. And now she would forgive Logan for making her wake up alone.
This was definitely the weirdest Christmas Eve she’d ever had—being in hiding was just plain surreal—but bacon and hopefully sex again soon was a good way to start it. And she really hoped coffee was already made too. It was chilly so she’d tugged on some thick socks and one of Logan’s sweaters. It hung to mid-thigh and she loved his smell surrounding her.
She grinned as she stepped into the kitchen. “You look good in an apron.”
He grinned right back and slid a couple pieces of bacon onto a paper-towel-covered plate. “And you look good in my sweater.” He stepped away from the stove for a moment to brush his lips over hers. Almost immediately he deepened the kiss and she leaned into it, pressing her body up against his. He only pulled back as grease popped loudly. “Get coffee and sit. I’ll serve you. And Merry Christmas Eve.”
“The same to you too.” She really wished she’d brought his present now. “You know, I could get used to you cooking all the time. It’s incredibly hot.”
“Good thing I like to cook.”
“Seriously?” She poured a mug of coffee, inhaling the rich scent.
“Yeah, my dad did most of the cooking and I guess I just picked that up from him. He loves cooking for my mom. Which is good, because she sucks at it.”
His parents really were the cutest and had been together forever, it seemed. A little pang hit her in the chest as she wondered what that would be like, to be with someone that long. To have an actual partner in everything. To have Logan as her partner. “I might hold on to you if you keep this up,” she murmured before taking a sip of the hot brew. Her words were teasing, but she wasn’t kidding. She wanted to keep him for always.
“If I’d known that the way to your heart was that easy, I’d have started cooking for you a long time ago.” He surprised her by moving up behind her and leaning down to kiss her neck quickly before stepping back to the stove.
More warmth spread through her as she sat at the center island. She wasn’t used to such casual affection like this. Even with her ex, things had never been so relaxed and easy as they were with Logan. And Kevin had never once cooked for her. Commented on how much she ate, sure, but cooked? No.
On that thought she decided not to think about her ex at all today. He didn’t deserve space in her head. Not after everything she’d shared with Logan. Because Logan was one of a kind.
“Where did you even get bacon?”
“My brother got someone on the security team to do a delivery about an hour ago. Just a few more basic things we might need over the next week, and this makes it easy to stay put.”
“Is that safe? Him bringing stuff by, I mean?”
“It should be. I’m not friends with the guy who dropped everything off. No one after me should be watching him for any reason. Wyatt paid him extra to do this so I don’t feel too bad that he’s running errands.”
The tension that had started to build eased at his words. “Okay, then. If you’re not worried, then I’m not either.” Well, not too much, because she couldn’t help some fear. There was someone out there who wanted to hurt one or both of them.
“I hope you’re hungry, because I cooked a lot of bacon.”
“Those are the sexiest words you’ve ever said to me.”
He laughed, the rich sound rolling over her as he put a few pieces onto a plate and slid it in front of her. “I would ask if you want some fresh fruit, but I know what you’re going to say.”
She grinned. She really did have the palate of a twelve-year-old, something she knew she needed to change a little bit. But stuff like bacon was so good. Broccoli? Not so much. “If you’ve got blueberries, I could eat some.”
He glanced over his shoulder at her, lifting an eyebrow. “Fruit? Really? Have the pod people finally taken over?”
“Ha, ha. I’m trying to be more adult.”
“You’re in luck then, because we’ve got some. And after breakfast I’ve got something to give you.”
“You gave me plenty last night.” Boy, did he ever. More t
han once, and she was walking on cloud nine now because of it.
He snickered as he slid the sizzling pan off the burner onto a cold one. “Not like that. I got you a Christmas present, and I know it’s only Christmas Eve, but…” He shrugged. “I want to give it to you now.”
“I didn’t bring my gift for you.” It was still at home in her bedroom, wrapped up. She just hadn’t thought to bring it because things had been so rushed.
“I don’t care about that. I just want to give yours to you.”
She smiled at him and took a bite of bacon. “Then I will graciously accept your gift.”
He ended up making a couple pancakes for them as well, and she had to smile. He really was great in the kitchen. And there was something about eating home-cooked food instead of takeout that she really liked. But truly, the fact that Logan was the one cooking for her was incredibly sweet, and she was trying to wrap her mind around the fact that this could be something real. Not just sex.
After they finished breakfast, she washed the dishes—even though he tried to take over. She figured it was only fair since he’d cooked breakfast. But before she’d even finished drying their plates he was dragging her to the living room. Sure enough a little box was sitting prettily underneath the tree. For a moment her throat tightened with emotion that he’d thought to bring this.
He tugged her down in front of the tree and fireplace and set it into her lap. “Open it.”
She looked at the small rectangular box wrapped perfectly with silver-and-green wrapping paper and topped with a bundle of curling silver ribbon. It was very clearly professionally wrapped. “It’s so pretty I almost don’t want to open it.”
“Are you one of those people who unwrap presents slowly?”
“Of course. And I usually save the wrapping paper.” She worked in the public school system and was thrifty by nature; she recycled anything she could.
“I guess that’s where we definitely differ.”
She slid her fingernail under the tape on the back of the gift. “Somehow I’m not surprised. I bet you and your brother were tiny terrors when you were little on Christmas Day.”
“We definitely were. It was a massacre of shredded wrapping paper and bags all over our living room floor.”
Her heart skipped a beat as she slid the wrapping paper off and looked at the red box inside. It was definitely a jewelry box because she recognized the local jeweler’s name etched in gold on the top. “What is this?” she whispered.
He simply grinned.
When she opened it, her eyes widened at the sight of the beautiful, glittering diamond and topaz tennis bracelet. “Logan, this is incredible. It’s beautiful. And…” It was waaaaay too much. She’d seen this once when they’d been out on a Sunday doing brunch and window shopping, and mentioned how beautiful it was. Not in a million years had she ever thought he would get her something like this. Ever.
“I can read that look in your eyes. Don’t say it’s too much. Nothing is too much for you.” Without waiting for a response, he slid it out of the box and clasped it around her wrist.
She stared at it, then at him. “Thank you,” she said quietly. It still was too much but it was gorgeous and she loved it. Still… “I’m almost afraid to wear it. It’s so pretty.” And the truth was, she was afraid to accept all of this goodness, all this wonderfulness from Logan. She’d always thought that if something seemed too good to be true, then it very likely was. Which was bullshit where he was concerned. She knew that. But…it was hard to remind herself of that, to actually believe it. And right now she was swimming in too many emotions. This gift clearly meant something. He wouldn’t buy her something like this unless he was serious.
“The clasp is sturdy. Trust me. I had them check it and everything.”
“You’re wonderful and this is the best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten. Thank you.” She leaned forward and cupped his cheeks, pressing her mouth to his in a soft exploration.
Even though she was still scared of getting her heart broken, she was in this thing with him. She was giving them a chance. She wanted to see if they had a chance at something real, and he’d been so damn honest with her right from the start. He’d told her what he wanted from her and she was going to put her heart on the line with him.
Almost instantly, he deepened the kiss and she leaned into it, shifting forward until she straddled him, his covered erection rubbing against her core.
“Damn it,” he muttered as he pulled back from her. “I’ve got to grab condoms out of the truck. We ran out last night.”
She groaned too, not wanting to be separated from him, not wanting to wait a second longer, but she slid off him. “Well hurry up and grab them. When you get back you can fuck me while I’m in nothing but this bracelet.” She lifted her wrist and jangled it slightly.
His eyes heated immediately as he jumped to his feet and adjusted himself. “I’ll be fast.”
As he hurried toward the foyer, she turned the fireplace off because it was getting too hot—Logan made her hot enough, thank you very much.
As Grace stretched out on the pile of blankets, she debated if she should strip now or let him undress her. Hmmm… She jolted upright, all her muscles tensing as she heard gunshots.
Pop. Pop.
Heart in her throat, she jumped to her feet. Logan!
She raced for the front of the house, stumbling in the foyer when she heard it again. Pop. Pop. Oh God, Logan!
Before she could move, the door flew open and Logan barreled through, a weapon in hand as he slammed the door and locked it. “We’ve gotta go.” He raced down the hallway, grabbing her by the hand. “Shoes and pants on now,” he ordered as he grabbed a backpack from the closet, then grabbed his own shoes.
Fear spurred her into action. Moving quickly, she tugged on a pair of yoga pants and hurriedly slid on her sneakers.
“Only one shooter that I can tell. He’s slashed my tires and he’s jammed the electronics because I can’t get a call out.” Logan’s words were clipped as they hurried back down the hall.
The window in one of the front rooms exploded. She bit back a scream as he motioned toward the living room. Her legs were moving but she felt as if she was operating on autopilot.
“We’re heading out the back door. We can disappear into the underbrush. We’re taking a chance but it’s better than being sitting ducks in here when I don’t know what kind of weapons he has.”
She simply nodded, shoving back the raw fear bubbling up inside her. Whatever Logan thought was best she was going to go with. She wasn’t trained for any of this, but she could certainly follow instructions. And run.
Her heart beat wildly in her chest as he slid his pistol out and carefully opened the back door.
Another gunshot sounded from somewhere near the front. She winced, sweat building at the base of her spine.
Logan, who seemed insanely calm about all this, held his hand up and pointed which direction they should go. He stepped out first, then, when it was clear, ordered her to go ahead of him so he could watch her back.
Throat tight, she did as he said, racing across the small backyard to a wide-open stretch of rocks and gravel beyond it. Since they’d walked the path around the property yesterday, she was somewhat familiar with the area but she hoped Logan knew where they were going.
Gravel shot up around them. She let out a scream.
“Keep running!” Logan shouted as he paused and turned, returned fire.
Her entire body shook at the blast of the gunfire. It was so much louder and scarier than in the movies, and absolutely terrifying. But she kept going, knowing that getting to cover was the only way to survive this.
Her legs strained as she raced for the entrance to the walking path. As she sucked in air, she vowed to take up running after this. Or to at least exercise more.
Pop. Pop. Logan shot again.
“I bought us a few minutes,” Logan said as he moved up behind her onto the rocky pathway.
T
hey were surrounded by overgrown trees and foliage, thankfully giving them some concealment.
“Where are we going?” she whispered, avoiding the urge to turn around.
Logan had her back so she knew he would keep them safe. And if he fell… No way. She wouldn’t think like that. They had to get away. Both of them.
“There’s a neighborhood about two miles from here. We can make it on foot as long as we keep distance between us and the shooter. Once we get to the end of one of these walking paths, it connects to a main road. From there, we’ll be able to make it to the neighborhood.”
She nodded instead of responding verbally in an attempt to conserve energy as they continued sprinting over the underbrush. A branch slapped her in the face but she ignored it. Her lungs burned as she jumped over a protruding rock. She didn’t care. Her brain was telling her to run, run, run. Then hide.
And stay alive.
She had so many questions, like how the hell had someone found them?
But now was definitely not the time to ask. They just needed to get to safety. She’d left all her stuff back there and she knew he’d left most of his so she hoped he had extra ammo in his backpack. “Can you see him?” She jumped over another rock, her breathing harsh.
“Nope. Take a left up here,” he said quietly as they reached a fork in the dusty path.
She didn’t pause, simply veered left and continued running. They had enough concealment right now but she was terrified he would catch up with them.
Her breath sawed in and out, the brown and green foliage flying past her in a blur. She felt as if she was in a tunnel, the worst videogame ever, as her sneakers pounded against the rocky path. Her muscles ached and she couldn’t stop trembling but no way in hell was she stopping.
“We might have lost him,” Logan murmured as they continued running. “But keep going.”
She sure hoped so.
A shot rent the air and she stumbled.
Logan caught her by the shoulder. “He’s blindly shooting,” he said before she could panic.
She looked over her shoulder at him and he held a finger to his lips.