by Kait Gamble
Jackie grabbed a condom from the bedside table and slid down his body to come face to face with his cock. Proud and erect, it was more than ready for her. Jackie gave the tip a sucking kiss before rolling the condom down over him.
Swinging her leg over his hips, she mounted him, sliding him deep into her.
Slowly, she began to rock up and down. She watched with satisfaction when his jaw hung slack as the sensations washed over him. Jackie knew exactly what he was feeling because the same thing was coursing through her.
Reaching behind her, Jackie cupped his balls, rolling them gently in her hand as she rode him, knowing he loved it when she did it.
“You’re playing dirty.”
“I’m winning.” She chuckled, but gasped when he jerked upward suddenly, sending a spike of pleasure straight through her.
Obviously he wasn’t about to give in so easily.
He closed his hands around her hips as he ground himself against her, inside her. He matched her rocking with thrusts that precisely hit a spot deep inside that caused her thighs to tremble.
Jackie wasn’t going to let him win so she doubled her efforts, changing her rhythm to combine into a grinding bounce that only spurred Logan on.
It took mere moments for the swell of pleasure to build and crest. Jackie cried out his name as her orgasm hit her. She was dimly aware of his shout somewhere in the distance, but she knew he had come at the same time.
She slowed her rocking, enjoying the aftershocks her movement created.
“I think that was a draw,” he grumbled, dragging her down to kiss her languidly. “I think we need to do it again just to be sure.”
“Later.” She laughed and slipped off him to lay cradled against his side. “Preferably once we can move again.” When he turned to his side to face her with a hopeful grin on his face she shook her head. “After the wedding.”
“Okay, okay.” He relented. “It’s going to be torture to get through the day. You know that, right?”
Of course, wasn’t she going to suffer the same thing? “I’m sure we’ll both survive.”
He mumbled something that sounded negative, but he wound his arms around her. “This feels good, doesn’t it? It feels right.”
It did. “Yes.”
His laughed rumbled through them both. “I’m glad you think so too.” Logan lifted his gaze to look her in the eyes. “I want things to work out for us, this time.”
“So do I.” They still had so much to talk about. But they had time. Their relationship had shifted into something more, and she wanted to believe that it would all come together. “We should think about getting ready.”
“Thinking about it is about all I’m capable of at the moment.”
Laughing, she clambered off the bed. “I’m serious. We’re in the wedding. We can’t let them down.”
He let out a gusty sigh and followed suit. “I’ll get the shower started.”
She smiled just as she got a text alert on her phone. “It’s probably Caroline reminding me of the time. I’ll meet you in there.”
Logan gave her a peck. “I’m coming to find you if you’re not in there in five minutes.”
Nodding, she tapped her screen and read. “It might take a bit longer, she needs to talk to me about something urgently. She’s on her way here now.”
Logan rolled his eyes. “She’s such a drama queen.”
“Just let me talk to her. She probably just needs to get out some last-minute jitters.”
He grazed her lips with his. “I’m kidding. It’s a big step she’s about to make. Take your time.”
Glad he understood, she smiled. “See you in there.”
He winked and disappeared into the bathroom.
Jackie grabbed a robe and slung it around herself moments before there was a soft knock on the door.
She opened it a crack to find Caroline, paler than usual, on the other side.
“What’s wrong?” Jackie grabbed her friend’s arm and dragged her inside. “Are you stressed about the wedding again?”
She shook her head as she walked into the room and looked around. Her eyes widened at the sight of the massage table and the disarray of the bed. “What the hell have you two— You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to know. Is Logan here?”
Jackie nodded her head toward the bathroom. “He’s in the shower.”
Caroline relaxed a tiny bit, but tensed again immediately when she looked Jackie directly in the eyes. “I have something to tell you and you’re not going to like it.”
“What is it?”
She linked arms with Jackie and dragged her out to the balcony. She stared out into the distant water for a long moment.
Jackie’s heart lurched the moment her friend had said she had something important to tell her. Now it was galloping in her chest as she waited. “Caroline. You’re freaking me out.”
Turning her gaze back to Jackie, Caroline took a deep breath. “Charles told me that Logan came to him about a day ago with some concerns about you wanting advice on how to break things off.”
Her heart froze. Jackie had to forcibly inhale and exhale a couple of times to jump start her lungs. “He must be mistaken.”
“I’m sorry, Jackie. Charles said there was no way to misconstrue what was going on. He came down to breakfast, which was out of the ordinary and what brought up the conversation in the first place. He cornered Charles trying to figure out what to do about you. How to make it clear that it was just…sex between you two.”
The world dropped out from under Jackie. She gripped the railing as she tried to make sense of everything Caroline said.
After all the things that had happened between them. All the things they’d both said… Charles had to have gotten things wrong. Or Caroline had it all turned around. She never like Logan to begin with…
And now she was rationalizing.
She needed a moment to get her head together. If he was just using her why would he say all those things? Did he get his kicks out of hurting her? Was she just going to let him do it again?
After yesterday, she wanted to believe that their relationship had changed, she even thought that what they had this time around might have been stronger than before.
Jackie pushed off the railing and stomped back inside.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you think? I’m going to ask him about it.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Jackie slowed a little. Was it? Probably not, especially not before something as huge and public as her friend’s wedding.
“I don’t want to sound like a selfish bitch, but I’d rather not have one of my bridesmaids strangling a groomsman as they walk down the aisle.”
“That could happen whether or not I talk to him.”
“Do you think you can hold off on both until after the ceremony?”
They would talk about things after the wedding. She’d make sure of it. Jackie knocked on the bathroom door, unwilling to open it and see him. “Logan? I’m going to head back to my suite and get ready. I’ll see you at the wedding.”
The water stopped immediately and he opened the door, dripping wet with a towel haphazardly slung around his hips.
She hated that he looked so enticing.
“Is everything all right?”
Nodding, she choked back the questions. The bile.
“Hey.” He stepped out as he secured the towel around himself. “What’s the matter?”
When he would have touched her, Jackie lurched backward. “I just have to go.”
He held her gaze for a moment before it darted to Caroline and back. “Caroline. Can you excuse us for a minute?”
She shook her head reflexively. “We’re on a tight schedule.”
Logan’s expression shuttered. “Right. I guess I’ll see you at the ceremony.”
He grasped Jackie’s hand as she turned, drawing her gaze up to meet his. “Jackie…”
She pulled her hand fro
m his. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
Logan watched the door close behind the two women, completely confused over what had just happened. Jackie seemed to have completely shut him out in the span of a conversation with Caroline.
What the hell had the woman said to cause such a reaction?
Stomach in knots, he dried himself off hurriedly. There was still a couple of hours left until the wedding and he hadn’t planned anything more than getting dressed and turning up. Jackie’s regimen was sure to be a bit more complicated than that.
That would hardly stress her out as much as she appeared to be. Did Caroline bring bad news? Had someone shown up and that’s what concerned her? Had someone said something?
He fought the overwhelming urge to dash down the hall after her and find out just what was going on.
Instead he walked out onto the balcony and dropped onto the lounger, uncaring of his nude state. All he wanted to know was what was going through Jackie’s mind. He had no clue how it worked, and worst of all, Caroline seemed to know exactly what to say to get Jackie to do whatever she wanted.
What was going on?
It had to be something Caroline had done or said. Jackie had been pale and fighting back tears. Of course she would be upset. She was about to be in a wedding and that last thing she would want to do was look terrible and draw more attention to herself. That didn’t stop him from wanting to wipe that pain away, however.
Once again, he would give her the chance to come to him. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could continue to do so. His nature was to meet obstacles head on. He knew Jackie didn’t like confrontation and had turned avoidance into an art form. It was just so hard to sit by and let things hurt her if there was a possibility he could help.
But Jackie was a grown woman and she knew what was best for herself.
Even if he thought he knew better.
Tiring of all the pointless speculation, he got up and dove into the pool. Maybe he would be able to burn off the anxiety.
* * * *
For the next hour, he stayed in the water swimming laps and thinking things over. He knew he had to get ready, but Logan could barely bring himself to care how he looked. The people he was going to be paraded in front of had no bearing on him. He didn’t know anyone beside Jackie and the bride and groom. And besides Jackie, he didn’t give a damn about what anyone thought about him.
For her sake, he slowed down and took some care in his appearance. If they were to be walking down the aisle together, he wanted to make an effort for Jackie.
Logan took a little time to primp, not that it was something he knew much about. He had the tux, the shoes, a search through the bathroom yielded some hair products. He used a bit of wax to tame his hair and stared at himself. Not much of a difference, but he looked good, if he did say so himself.
He got to the lobby to meet up with the groomsmen with nearly fifty minutes to spare.
Charles was already there, a little wide-eyed and pale, but happy. Several groomsmen were also waiting, all resplendent in their tuxes.
“Hey.” Logan clapped the man on the shoulder. “Feeling good?”
“Like I’m about to vomit, but that’s to be expected, right?”
Logan laughed. “Sure, why not? We stood in for you two when you missed the rehearsal yesterday.”
“Thanks for that.” Charles swallowed audibly. “I was surprised to hear you and Jackie did that together.”
“Why is that?”
“Because of what you said the other day at breakfast. The last thing I thought you’d want to do was something like that with a woman you didn’t want to lead on.”
A ball of ice formed in Logan’s gut. “You didn’t happen to mention that conversation to Caroline, did you?”
“Shouldn’t I have?” He took one look at Logan and sighed. “Sorry. I guess I wasn’t thinking. With everything going on… I screwed something up, didn’t I?”
Logan barely heard the man. Of course, Caroline would have heard that and gone straight to Jackie with it. No wonder she was in such a hurry to get out of there.
Logan dragged his hands through his hair. “Where are the women getting ready?”
“They’ve ensconced themselves in Caroline’s room.”
“Where is it? What number?”
Charles checked his watch and shook his head. “They’re probably on their way now.”
He wasn’t about to give in that easily. “Which way are they coming from?”
The coordinator chose that moment to appear. Her chirpy attitude immediately cut Logan to the quick. She quickly got Charles out of the way and arranged the men in a neat little line as she reminded everyone of the routine they were about to exercise.
Logan let himself get pushed into line, taking solace in the fact that Jackie would soon be next to him and he could at least try to explain himself.
Instead, as the music started and the couples in front of him started to walk down onto the beach, he found himself standing next to a petite redhead he vaguely remembered seeing at the meals and the rehearsal.
“Where’s Jackie?”
“There’s been a change of plans.” She linked her arm firmly through his and put a bright smile on her face.
As much as he wanted to drag her back and find Jackie, he knew she wouldn’t appreciate him throwing everything off just to find her. So Logan gritted his teeth and carried on.
He stood silently at the altar, watching as Jackie made her way down the aisle on the arm of one of the dickheads who had commented on how hot she was that morning at breakfast. Logan bet he’d jumped at the chance of walking with Jackie.
Watching them like a hawk, Logan stared at Jackie. She outshone the bride in the delicate peach-colored dress. They might have all looked like the same doll with varying hair colors the way Caroline had them lined up in identical dresses, with their hair in loose buns, but Jackie definitely stood out from the others. He wanted to brush his hand on the skin exposed at her nape, knowing how soft and smooth it would be. Her eyes were a bit pink and had a haunted quality to them, and her skin was a bit pale. Even the expertly applied makeup couldn’t hide that. Still, she was easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
She refused to turn her gaze toward him as she approached with the forced smile on her lips. Jackie looked everywhere but at him. She joined the others to stand stiffly in the line.
As all eyes turned to watch Caroline, Logan’s attention stayed riveted to Jackie. He needed to set things straight between them. Get everything out in the open.
The ceremony went smoothly, at least as far as he could tell. He was just glad he didn’t have to do anything more than stand there, because all he could do was stare at Jackie and try to will her to meet his gaze. As if a simple look could fix everything.
She refused to. There were a few moments when he had been sure she was about to burst into tears. Jackie would exert her superhuman control over her emotions and rein it in to look serene again. Though he could see from the turmoil in her eyes that she was anything but.
The rest of the formalities were agonizing to get through. Whoever invented a receiving line needed to be shot. Then there were the photos. So. Many. Photos. To be so close to Jackie and yet have her pretend like he wasn’t even there was aggravating. Trying to keep his expression placid instead of as if he was about to kill someone wasn’t easy.
The longer he had to endure the treatment the angrier he became. His temper wasn’t going to hold out for much longer.
They went from photos directly to the reception. And finally a chance to talk to Jackie.
He sat at the table ignoring the redhead’s attempts at chitchat. He took note when both Jackie and Caroline had disappeared, that wasn’t really surprising. But when Caroline reappeared alone, alarms bells pealed in his mind.
Logan walked straight over to Caroline. “Where’s Jackie?”
She glared at him and waved him away dismissively. “What do you care?”
/> “You have no idea what you did, Caroline.” Because he wanted to shake her, he took a half step back. “I know you hate me and think I’m beneath her, but did you really have to ruin our relationship again?”
She jabbed him in the chest. “You did that yourself last time. Why do you think I didn’t want her getting involved with you again? It took her forever to get back on her feet after her last round with you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You took off on Jackie, you asshole!” she snarled. “You just walked out on her and left her there—alone!”
Logan dragged her aside, away from eyes that were beginning to turn their way. “Is that what she told you? That I walked out on her?”
Caroline stepped out of his grip to jab an accusing finger at him. “Everyone knows what you did to her. Why do you think everyone points and stares at her? She’s the fallen Pennington. The poor little rich girl who had abandoned her life for a man who didn’t want her. The tale is all but legendary.”
Logan felt as though his head was going to explode. Clenching and unclenching his hands in his hair, he struggled to understand what he was being told. “What?”
Caroline narrowed her gaze at him. “As if you don’t know. And now you’re about to do the same thing once more. I’m not letting you hurt my friend again.”
He fought to calm his breathing, his voice. “Will you just explain what you’re talking about? What everyone, apparently, has been talking about?”
She glared at him as if he was an idiot. “They love to talk about the fact that Jackie dropped everything to be with some poor boy. She told her parents off and walked out of their lives, only he wasn’t man enough to be there for her. You weren’t man enough to be there for her. Or maybe you realized that what you wanted wasn’t her, but her money. And without that, she wasn’t worth your time.”
Logan felt as though he had been kicked in the gut by a horse. That was what everyone was whispering about? Insane rumors and speculation about what had happened to Jackie when they were younger? What Caroline had said turned his stomach until he was sure he was going to be sick. Was that what Jackie thought of him? What she thought he did?