by Janie Marie
“Okay, Logan.” She didn’t really see how things could change; they couldn’t change, but she wanted this to last a while longer.
“We’re going to keep dating,” he told her. She didn’t reply, and he kept speaking. “I’m going to show them that I’m here now. They won’t touch you then.”
“Maybe if they see we’re friends,” she said, still wanting to protect her heart even though she wanted everything he was offering.
He was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Do you really have a problem with dating me? Have you heard about me at school or something?”
She could swear there was a hint of sadness in his voice, but she dismissed it. Logan Grimm wouldn’t be sad over a girl not wanting to date him. Because if she wasn’t in his ‘girlfriend’ category, then she didn’t matter enough. With those thoughts, she made a final attempt to keep her heart safe. “I don’t like you that way, Logan.”
His body heated up, but his voice was cool. “Because Trevor is the boy you dream about. I get it, Kylie. It’s fine. I told you what I want between us, a good fuck—many. When we’re done, when you’re safe and ready to fall into my cousin’s arms, I’ll be fine fucking the next girl to catch my eye.”
Her heart bled from each cut he just delivered.
“That doesn’t mean my intention to keep you safe isn’t genuine,” he added, but his tone wasn’t gentle. It was bitter.
She felt numb. “Let me think about it, okay?”
He didn’t say anything, so she went on.
“I’m tired, my head is hurting, and it’s getting late. I just want to sleep.” Leaning back, she looked up at his face.
He wasn’t looking at her, just staring at the tabletop with no distinguishable expression on his handsome face.
“Logan,” she whispered, and feeling a mixture of bravery, longing, and appreciation, she reached out to hold the opposite side of his face, leaned forward, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for caring. For everything.”
Those dark eyes looked down at her, keeping her from pulling back just yet. She wanted to scream at him to not be a jackass and to just genuinely give them a chance, that she wanted to be his, not a forgettable fuck. She wanted to slap his gorgeous face, then kiss him and tell him that Trevor was nowhere near her mind, that it was him she’d dreamed about all week. Then she wanted to slap herself because all of this was asking for trouble.
So she simply let herself have these extra seconds of warmth—of everything Logan.
“I’ll take you home, Kylie.”
She nodded as he turned away and slid out of the booth. Her lip trembled, and she started to slide out, too.
“Step into her punches,” he said with his back to her. “Step into her punch, and she’ll be forced to back up. An amateur isn’t going to know what to do if they don’t have room to swing. If she takes you down, you hold on to her as tight as you can and keep your chin tucked so she doesn’t choke you out. Hang on and tire her out. Never just lie there for it, Kylie. Never give up.”
When she didn’t respond, he shook his head and walked away.
“She doesn’t use her hands,” she whispered, watching him push the door open.
“Who is he?” Lorelei asked, standing with her back toward Kylie as she entered her room. She was staring out the window, where a view of the driveway was.
“His name is Logan,” she said, feeling a stabbing pain with just the uttering of his name.
“I don’t believe what Kevin said about you two,” said Lorelei. “You’ve been locked in this house all week. No one is interested in you. No one cares about you.”
“Logan does,” she said without thinking.
Lorelei spun around, surprise clear on her face. “And how long has he cared?”
“Since Monday.” Kylie didn’t know what she was doing. She had practically refused Logan, and now she was telling Lorelei there was something to it.
“Monday?”
Nodding, she went with it. There was no point trying to take it back. She was in trouble regardless. “Logan is Trevor’s cousin. We met then.”
Lorelei gave her a patronizing smile. “I didn’t think you could work so fast. I’m sure your father would be proud to hear his only daughter whored herself out to the first boy to come along.”
“I haven’t whored myself out.” She wanted to cry because that was exactly what Logan expected of her.
Lorelei chuckled, staring at her like she was a puny insect. “Do you really think any boy could truly love you? Once he gets in your pants, he’ll toss you out his door.”
“And what do you care?”
“Excuse me?”
Kylie straightened her back and fixed her own unloving smile across her lips. “I’m done with you two treating me like dirt. I’ve never done anything you haven’t asked of me. And you let your slut of a daughter use me for batting practice.”
Lorelei’s mouth fell open, but she quickly closed it. “You know why—”
Kylie cut her off, “I won’t turn you in for what you’ve done to me. I’m fine with letting God judge you when your body grows old and rots!”
“You will stop this at once, Kylie.” Lorelei stepped forward, raising her hand to slap her, but Kylie moved forward, just like Logan told her.
It worked! Lorelei was caught off guard, and she moved back.
“You won’t touch me again,” Kylie hissed, trying to put as much venom in her voice as possible. Her sadness had made her almost deranged, but she was embracing it. “Logan knows what you’ve done,” she added, feeling braver by the second.
“What does he know?” Lorelei challenged her. “Hm? I’ve never—”
Her head throbbed, but she poked Lorelei’s chest, hard, stopping her from saying anything else. “The only reason he isn’t in here telling you to back off is because I won’t let him. But if you, or Maura, so much as spit on me, I’ll tell him to call the police, and I’ll tell him he can do whatever he wants to you while he waits for them to arrive.”
“How dare you threaten me? You know why—”
“Get out of my room before I yell for Kevin.” Kylie let her lips quirk up before she added, “I’m sure those wrinkles I’m starting to see will make it difficult to find another new husband with a hefty bank account. Especially after a divorce from someone so important breaks news.”
“You bitch!” It was Maura’s voice, though, not Lorelei’s.
Kylie whirled around, ducking down when Maura took a swing at her.
The movement hurt, but she wasn’t going to get hit again. She turned, preparing to protect herself, but Lorelei stepped between them, grabbing Maura before she could lunge.
“Stop, Maura.” Lorelei gave Kylie a dark look. “Your sister has found herself a bodyguard.”
Kylie huffed, feeling like she might breathe out smoke. She was filled with adrenaline, and she was itching for a fight like she used to, ignoring the injuries hidden under her clothes.
“Who?” Maura asked, laughing as if the idea of Kylie having someone was ridiculous.
“Logan Grimm.” Kylie gave her the cruelest smile she could. “Trevor’s older cousin. He’s hotter and he likes me.”
“How?” Maura asked.
Lorelei covered her daughter’s mouth. “Come along, Maura. Kylie wishes to have the evening to herself.” Lorelei’s expression gave nothing away as she dragged Maura to the door.
“Oh, and, Maura,” said Kylie, smiling the sweetest smile she could produce as she marched up to them. “Trevor only asked you out because your mom asked him to.”
Maura’s mouth fell open.
“Good night.” She shoved them out of her room, slamming her door in their faces. Kylie turned around with a smile spread across her lips. She felt happy, but her fight was dying. She clutched the center of her chest with one hand as her body slumped forward.
“Ow,” she whispered, hobbling toward her bed, finally reaching it after several painful steps. “I can’t believe I just did that.” She was
afraid and knew she had probably just done the stupidest thing in her life, but Logan’s smile suddenly formed in her mind and she couldn’t help but grin through her pain. “I guess I’m dating Logan Grimm after all.”
Nine
ADDICTED ON THE FIRST TRY
Lifting her shaking, sweating hand, Kylie knocked three times. It felt as though her stomach was being tied in knots and then cut apart with a jagged knife. A completely nauseous feeling, really. Her oatmeal from the early morning hours was seriously at risk of being sprayed all over the door in front of her.
There was no going back though. She was here, staring at the bedroom door that was slowly being pulled open.
The door creaked and came to a stop as it revealed Logan Grimm. Her stomach clenched and her body began to tremble upon seeing him.
Logan hadn’t even noticed her yet. He was looking down at his phone with a slight frown on his face.
Kylie couldn’t help but admire him in the moment. It was ridiculous for someone to be so attractive, but he was more than that. Logan Grimm was drop dead sexy.
“Hood?” he said, sounding surprised to see her standing outside his bedroom door on a Sunday afternoon.
It was a bold move on her part to just let herself into his apartment, but she couldn’t exactly go knock on the front door now. “Hey,” she whispered, feeling stupid because she had probably been standing there gawking at him. He was probably used to that look from her by now anyway. “I wanted to talk to you, if that’s okay?”
That signature smirk formed on his tempting lips as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked her up and down. The look made her squirm in place. No one had ever looked at her the way he did. It wasn’t romantic, at all. After all, she was simply a girl he wanted to get in his bed. But in a strange way, she couldn’t help but feel flattered that he put her in such an intimate category with himself. No one had put her in that category, not until Logan Grimm had set eyes on her.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again.” He slid his phone into his pocket. “Figured you were running away. Are you okay?” His eyes lost that lustful gleam and scanned her full length.
Looking away from his intense scrutiny, she played with the hem of her hoodie. “I didn’t think you would either,” she mumbled, realizing how crazy this all was. It still surprised her that she was going to go through with this. “Are you busy? I can come back—or maybe you’ve changed your mind. Or you’re mad. Oh my God, I’m so stupid . . . You were playing with me!” Tears instantly threatened to fall. All her bravery, all her confidence was being yanked right out of her shaking hands while full-blown panic set in. Thoughts of his possible lies spun out of control in her head, along with the possibilities of him only messing with her the whole time.
All she could think was run. And unable to look at his confused face any longer, she quickly turned to leave.
But seeing that Logan was apparently descended from a god, he was too fast for her. He snagged a hold of her sleeve, letting out a low chuckle, and kept her still while she struggled to free herself. “Hood,” he said, sounding as if he was trying to soothe a small child. Obviously, he was ready to laugh and make her realize just how stupid she was to ever have believed he was genuine in his concern for her.
It only threw her further down the pit of embarrassment. She was going to be a laughing stock.
“Look at me, Hood.”
The seriousness in his tone caused her to stop fighting him and lift her head. His dark eyes were fixed on her face, studying her carefully.
“I’m sorry I came,” she said, trying not to sound so pathetic, but she was embarrassed and had never felt more stupid than she did in that moment.
“Why?”
“Because I realize now you didn’t mean anything you said before,” she said, almost yelling as a traitorous tear escaped.
He frowned and reached out to rub her tear away. It wasn’t like her books where she melted or felt sparks from a guy’s touch. No, his thumb was a bit rough against her smooth skin, and his caress was more like an upset parent wiping away dirt from a child’s face.
“How did you jump to that conclusion when I only asked if you were okay?” he asked, baffled.
She wanted to retort with some proof supporting her reaction, but she stayed quiet.
“I wasn’t lying about anything yesterday.” He searched her face. “Did you change your mind about us dating?” He seemed a little shocked, but his surprise vanished as he looked over her shoulder.
She felt someone watching them, and she shook a tiny bit because only one person should be in his apartment. Trevor. God, she’d completely forgotten about him. “I did.” She swallowed nervously, prepared for him to start laughing and to toss her out.
“Good.” He kept staring over her shoulder, then he smirked. “I hope you’re not a screamer.” Her eyes went wide as he grabbed her hoodie near her tummy and tugged gently. “Because it looks like we’re going to have an audience.” With that, Logan winked at Trevor and pulled her inside his room.
“Wha—“
He slammed the door and shoved her against it, pressing his hand over her mouth. It hurt a little because of her bruise, and thankfully, he lessened the pressure.
Still, she instinctively began to shove at his chest. A pointless effort on her part; he wasn’t going anywhere unless he wanted to.
“Shh . . .” His mouth was by her ear now. The stubble from his cheek tickled her in a pleasant way.
Ignoring him and the giddiness that threatened to consume her, she tried to talk. But with his hand firmly in place, ‘What are you doing?’ came out sounding like an erotic moan.
Those dark eyes connected with hers, and he leaned back a bit. Everywhere else, though, stayed pressed against her, she realized, and she liked it even with the pain it added to her injuries.
He was so firm, and he smelled nice. Like soap and man. Logan-y.
My man-boy!
“That sounded sexy as hell,” he whispered, smirking at her terrified look. “Do it again.”
“Whmmm?” Again, she sounded like a dirty slut, and it only made him grin wider.
“He’s listening.” He lowered his mouth back to her ear. “Trevor,” he clarified. “I can tell he’s still out there.”
She tried to push him away. Even if this was the plan, she didn’t know if she could go through with it now. So much panic was still present. He always brought out so many confusing emotions she wasn’t used to.
As if he could hear her thought process, Logan shook his head, pressing his whole body against hers to the point it really hurt. “We’re doing this. Do you trust me?”
She didn’t know, so she looked at him, letting herself become mesmerized by the dark depths of his brown eyes as he waited for her to respond. Something was there, not just darkness—not just his arrogance. She couldn’t figure it out, but it was the reason she was here—the reason she was following him into the unknown.
So, stepping over the chains that had restrained her for so long, she nodded.
The most genuine smile she’d seen him wear yet spread across his lips. It was stunning, and her knees wobbled.
“Let’s put on a show then,” he said, looking a lot more excited than she expected. “I’m going to make you moan for real now.”
She tried to shake him off. She needed to scream for him to stop. She wasn’t ready for it yet!
“Shh.” His breath tickled her ear, and her heart hammered away in her chest as his lips moved against her earlobe. “Don’t panic. I know you’re not ready to fuck. Just trust me.”
She relaxed against the door, tired of fighting him and relieved that she wouldn’t be losing her virginity in the next ten minutes. They had a lot to talk about. He needed to hear everything, and she needed to apologize for pushing him away yesterday.
“There we go,” he whispered, pulling his hand from her mouth and then sliding it along her jaw, rubbing his thumb across her tender cheek as his lips moved from her ear do
wn to her neck.
Oh, wow.
“Just relax,” he murmured.
Now she was trembling for an entirely different reason. A new sensation began flitting around in her stomach, making intimate parts of her body tingle. He wasn’t really doing anything yet—just brushing his lips down her neck and breathing in deeply.
This was the closest she’d been to a boy, and this guy put others to shame.
“You smell good,” he murmured as he reached the side of her neck.
An embarrassing noise sounded in the back of her throat when his lips pressed a kiss to the base of her neck. She tilted her head to the side, wanting him to do it again.
His lips turned up against her skin before he placed another kiss to the same spot. It shot an ache right to the pit of her stomach, and she struggled to remain standing.
With her eyes closed, she didn’t see him reaching up to push her hood back, and upon feeling it slip over the top of her head, she panicked again. The hoodie was her security—her shield—and him taking it away was like a bucket of icy water, yanking her out of the sweet delirium he managed to suck her into.
“It’s okay,” he said, gripping her jaw. His other hand took hers as she reached to pull her hood back in place. “You don’t need to hide from me.” He kissed her neck before gently sucking the same spot.
“Oh,” she moaned, shutting her eyes and forgetting her hood and fear altogether.
“There it is.” He nipped the tender spot, making her jerk, before he licked his bite.
“Oh my God,” she moaned louder.
His chest made a sort of rumble as he gripped the back of her neck. The hand that held her wrist brought it to his side, and her fingers quickly splayed out over his waist, itching to touch him.
“Feel me,” he commanded before leaving a trail of heated kisses all along her neck, occasionally sucking and nipping her skin.
She nearly squealed at his offer to feel him up, but she merely groaned in satisfaction at both the feel of his firm body and the assault he was still leaving along her neck.