Another loud roar of thunder shook the car, and more lightning forked against the sky. She couldn’t help her flinch or the white-knuckle grip on the dashboard in response.
“Relax, sweetheart, we’re perfectly safe in the car.” Logan’s deep voice in her ear, his hot breath against her neck as he leaned across and nibbled her earlobe, while he slowly uncurled her fingers from their death grip on the dash, worked its magic. “I’ve got you, little dove. Trust me.”
It hit her then with a jolt almost as powerful as the thunder rolling across the Scottish countryside. She did trust him, and she relaxed into his embrace as he smiled at her. The interior of the car filled with warmth, but even if it hadn’t her rising internal temperature would have chased away the tremors on her damp skin. This close to him in the confines of his car, there was no escaping his overwhelming presence, his raw masculinity, coupled with that hint of danger that drew her like a moth to the flame. His damp hair glistened, and a drop of rainwater fell off the end and ran along his nose, down to the full lips, which she couldn’t wait to taste again. He licked that drop away, and she bit back a moan.
“Jesus, woman, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, I’ll take you right here and now, and fuck who might see us.”
She gasped, and those lips of his kicked up into a sinful smile, exposing even white teeth. His chiseled jaw already sported the first evidence of stubble, and she clenched her thighs together to relieve the ache in her nether regions. She remembered what that stubble felt like all too well, and it had been over a month since they’d last had sex.
“What, my little sweet dove? No protest.” His voice dropped further to that deep, dark, sexy as all out growl, and she shook her head.
“No, just I don’t think we could, even if we wanted to, not with me in this dress.”
Logan’s deep sensual chuckle rolled over her, pulling her further into his spell, as he ran the knuckles of his hand over the swell of her breasts. Her breaths grew shallow, and he murmured something under his breath that she couldn’t hear over the sound of her blood rushing in her ears.
“I look forward to peeling you out those layers once we get to our tower.”
That piqued her interest, as he put the car into drive and started to move down the long drive and out of the forest the castle was in.
“Tower, as in a real tower, like this castle?” she asked.
Logan glanced at her, deftly avoided a pothole, and smiled.
“Better than that, this one is medieval and retains many of its original charms. Don’t worry, I arranged for all our clothes, etc. to be sent on ahead.” He glanced her way again, and the heat in his expression took her breath away. “Not that you’ll need many clothes once we’re there. In fact, keeping you naked the entire time has definite appeal.” He winked at her, and sexually charged silence fell between them. Really, what could she say to that?
Logan glanced her way occasionally, and when she didn’t say anything, flicked the cd player on. Mellow jazz music filled the space, and Hannah sighed and relaxed into the plush heated seating.
“That okay? Or you can choose something else.”
Hannah smiled at the complex man she was now married to and shook her head.
“No, this is perfect. I just hadn’t had you pegged for a jazz man,” she said. Her gaze lingered on the tats on his arms, and Logan gave a short laugh.
“Let me guess, you had me pegged as heavy rock metal?”
“Guilty as charged, I’m sorry.” She bit her lip, and Logan’s gaze snared on that movement, before he turned his attention back to the winding country roads. “I, of all people, should know not to judge people by appearances.”
Logan shifted up a gear, as they hit a straight stretch of road, and frowned.
“Meaning?”
“Oh, nothing.” Hannah attempted a nonchalant shrug, and the man next to her growled. A proper, deep animalistic growl, which made her clit tingle in need and forced a gasp from her.
“Really, girl. Do we have to start our honeymoon with a punishment?” She jerked, and she knew her mouth had fallen open at his statement, while her insides did the merry God-yes-please-dance. “As much as I enjoy turning your ass red, I had other plans, but if you insist on being naughty, I guess it’s just as well I packed my favorite paddle.”
He fixed her with a stern glance before the road took his attention, and Hannah barely resisted the urge to fan herself.
“A paddle?” Her question came out as a cross between a squeak and moan. How attractive, not. Logan merely shrugged, and she forced the next few words out past the sudden lump in her throat. “Are you into all of that then? I mean the whole spanking thing is hot, but…” She couldn’t bring herself to continue, all too aware how little she really knew about him.
“Not really. I dabble, that’s all. Like you say it’s hot in the bedroom. I’m rather a dab hand at ropes, if that’s something you’d like to try, but I don’t need it, if that’s what you’re asking of me. It just adds some spice, that’s all, if my partner is into some kinky fun, shall we say.”
The unspoken question hung between them, and Hannah swallowed hard at the wickedly sexy images that immediately bombarded her brain.
“Ropes sound fun,” she finally said, and Logan’s hand tightened on the steering wheel.
“Good to know, little dove, but I still need an answer as to what you meant by your original comment of not judging people by their appearances. There’s a story there, and as we have a good hour’s drive ahead of us yet, I want to hear it. Spill, or so help, me, I’ll pull over in the next layby, bend you over the hood of my car, and spank that butt of yours until you do tell me.”
Hannah shifted on her seat and shook her head.
“You wouldn’t dare…”
Another of those dark looks and she had her answer as surely as the verbal confirmation he gave,
“Try me, Hannah.”
“No thanks,” her murmured response made him laugh, and she reluctantly opened up.
“It’s just, I wasn’t exactly popular in school.”
Logan sighed.
“Is anyone, really? I suppose some folks are, but they seem few and far between.”
Hannah nodded and looked him over.
“I bet you were.”
Logan’s self-deprecating laughter filled the space between them.
“Hardly, I was a late developer, shall we say. Rick was always taller than me, so yeah, I guess he was the popular one. I was his little runt of a brother, the butt of the school jokes, because I’m the older twin by five minutes.” He shook his head and growled again. “I caught up of course and yeah, still not popular. Folks were afraid of me most of the time, especially once I joined Rick in the boxing ring, but this isn’t about me. You were telling me your story.”
Hannah knew a dismissal when she heard one but even that little glimpse into his childhood made her feel closer to him. Logan wasn’t a man to share confidences, and that he had told her this much, meant far too much to her.
Remember, none of this is real.
Surely, if she repeated that mantra in her head often enough it would eventually take root and squash those little insistent seeds of hope that refused to go away. Like weeds they came back time and time again, no matter how hard she tried to pull them out. This wedding was a means to an end, that’s all.
Logan put on his indicators, and to her horror started to pull into a layby and slowed down.
“What are you doing?” She grimaced at the high-pitched tone of her voice, but, surely, he wouldn’t.
“I told you what would happen if you didn’t talk so…”
“Jesus, fine, I’ll tell you. Please, just drive.”
Logan crawled along for a few meters, before he accelerated, and indicating right, joined the A-road again.
“You weren’t popular, because…” he prompted.
“Well, we moved a lot for starters. It’s hard always being the new girl, especially when you have
to wear a secondhand uniform that doesn’t fit properly. Forget when people find out who your mum is. I used to hate her coming to parents’ evening. She always smelled of booze, and she was an embarrassment, you know.”
She risked a glance at his closed off profile, and he nodded just once.
“I can’t say I know. My mum always tried her best for us. It was more us who turned into an embarrassment for her, or rather a constant worry. We both got into trouble a lot, when we were younger.” He shrugged, but the white-knuckled grip he had on the steering wheel told its own story. Hannah thought it wisest not to probe that hornets’ nest too much, and carried on with her own sorry tale of woe.
“Well, thing got even worse when I hit puberty. Unlike you, I was an early starter, and these girls started growing when I was nine. It was a nightmare. No girl wants to be the first, especially when they wouldn’t freaking stop.”
She glanced his way again, and predictably his lips had curved into a lazy grin. She thumped his arm, and he laughed.
“Sorry, I guess I get that, but I love your girls as you put it. You have a spectacular figure, Hannah. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”
While his words filled her with a warm glow she shook her head.
“Thank you, I think, but that doesn’t ring true when you’re surrounded by prepubescent boys, trust me. It was a nightmare, especially when I grew hips and thighs and all the rest of it. Not only was I the poor one, now I was the fat chick with two left feet, too. Everyone else got taller, and I stayed small and round. Still, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and all that. I very quickly learned to ignore them all and just concentrate on my studies. So now, they could add teacher’s pet to the insults they’d hurl my way, but the prom was the worst.”
She pulled a much-needed breath into her lungs, and as though he knew she needed the reassurance Logan reached across and squeezed her hand.
“Go, on what happened? Though, remembering our prom I can guess. Teenage boys are bastards at the best of times, and teen girls.” He withdrew his hand and gave an exaggerated shudder, which made Hannah giggle.
“Yeah, that. I had the hugest crush on that boy, and he actually asked me to dance at the prom. I was so excited, of course, I got even clumsier than I normally am, and let’s just say I ended up flat on my ass. Everyone was laughing, and pointing, and if that wasn’t enough, I found out he’d only done it on dare. To see whether he could get into my knickers.”
“Fucking wanker.” Logan’s murmured swearing made her laugh again.
“Yeah, I can see that now, but back then it stung. I guess I should be grateful that my embarrassing dance moves saved me from that ultimate horror. They planned to film it all, had it all set up, you see. Such a blasted cliché. Anyway, that’s my tale of woe. It took me a long time to feel comfortable in my own body after that, but I got there eventually. I’ll never be a model stick-insect type men seem to like, but I’ll do, I guess.”
The slap to her thigh came out of nowhere, and she jumped.
“What was that for?”
“That was for doubting yourself. I heard that wobble in your voice, and just so we’re clear.” His voice dropped an octave, and Hannah’s stomach fell to her boots along with it, because really, that was just so damn sexy. “I and countless other men appreciate a woman with curves. Personally speaking, I love something to hold onto when I fuck. Doesn’t mean I’m not attracted to thin girls. All shapes and sizes are beautiful in their own ways, but it’s what’s inside a person that counts.”
Hannah was tempted to argue that, but his attention was taken up by joining the Motorway, and visibility was horrendous due the weather conditions, so she kept quiet. While Logan was an excellent driver, he didn’t need the distractions. Besides, the steady movement of the car soon had her fighting a yawn. She hadn’t exactly slept well the night before—too nervous about her imminent nuptials—so the lack of sleep was catching up with her now.
Perhaps she could just close her eyes a little…
****
Logan smiled to himself when he looked across at his far too quiet, and it would seem fast asleep companion. She would be no doubt mortified knowing that he was watching her sleep. Had she been any other woman he would also have been pretty pissed that she found his company so lacking that she dozed, off, but this wasn’t just any woman.
She was his wife.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel as the full meaning of that one word sunk in. While their ceremony hadn’t been a religious one—neither one of them were believers—he had still pledged himself to her, promised to love, cherish, and be faithful until death did them part and all that crap—and he would do his best to keep to those vows for as long as this marriage had to last. It’s the least he could do, considering that she’d agreed to marry him for the sake of Rhia. He knew he wouldn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of gaining permanent custody of his niece, not with the judge most likely to be appointed for the hearing being an old-fashioned coot, who was a firm believer in old family values.
His wide platinum wedding band caught his eye, and he smiled again, when he recalled Hannah’s surprise at the matching wedding rings. She had the cutest frown when she mulled something over, and he was fast becoming addicted to see it appear. That and the way her whole being lit up when she was happy. A man could lose himself in that happiness, crave it even.
Logan frowned at the direction his thoughts were taking, but it was only natural to care for one’s wife, right? He wasn’t a completely heartless bastard, after all, and it would make life decidedly uncomfortable if they didn’t at least rub along.
While he’d known how compatible they were sexually, this pleasant rapport they’d established between each other was a welcome, if unexpected, surprise. Unlike most of the women of his acquaintance, Hannah seemed to be exactly who she said she was, a trait she shared with her sister, and George.
It had been one of the main reasons why he’d asked George to be his best man. The straightforward, no-nonsense builder had been surprised at being asked, but as Logan had pointed out, he couldn’t exactly ask his twin.
He’d been best man at Rick’s wedding, was godfather to Rhia, and he’d always assumed Rick would one day do the same for him. Bile churned in his gut, and he changed to the fast lane and put his foot down. This self-examining one’s feelings wasn’t doing him any good. The sooner he got them to their tower, the sooner he could lose himself in his wife’s soft body and forget the rest of this fucked up world existed for a while.
By the time they finally reached Peebles, Hannah stirred. The blush that crept into her cheeks when she realized she’d dozed off lightened his mood considerably.
“Back with me, I see. We’re nearly there now. Look up there.” He gestured up the hill toward Neidpath Castle. Overlooking the river Tweed from its vantage point up high, the ancient, L-plan rubble-built tower house would have made the perfect wedding venue, had it not been hired out to a film crew for the summer. Hannah gasped when he told her as much.
“As they haven’t started yet, however, I managed to snare us this tower. Coming up right about now.”
Sure enough, the tall building rose in front of them. Even with the incessant rain still pouring down, it made an idyllic setting.
“Wow, that really does look ancient.” Hannah’s breathless observation made him grin.
“I’m assured it’s most comfortable inside while maintaining its original charms. Let me just go and get it opened up. Everything ought to be ready and set up for us by now.” He reached across her into the glove box to pull out the set of keys he’d procured ahead of time, jogged across the rain-soaked stone steps, and breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened effortlessly. Blessed warmth greeted him, and he could hear the crackle of the open fires.
Good, they’d followed his instructions then. Leaving the door ajar, he jogged back to the car, and yanked open the passenger door.
“Ready to make a run for
it, little dove?” he asked. The incredulous way she looked him up and down, and then gestured at the rain, which was coming down much faster now, made him smirk. “It’s only water, and I promise I’ll warm you up once we get in there.”
He swiped his rain-soaked hair out of his face with one hand and held his free hand out for her to take. When she did, he pulled her out of the car, and the heavens truly opened.
They were soaked through to the skin by the time they made it up the stairs. Rather than bitching about it, Hannah was laughing when he swung back round to look at her. Jesus, she was beautiful. Head raised into the deluge, arms outstretched, she looked like a virginal offering to the gods, and he took a moment to simply drink in her. The expertly applied make up had been washed away by the rain, her hair hung in bedraggled ringlets around her face, and the sinful wedding dress had been rendered transparent. Mud splatters marred the train and skirt, not that Hannah seemed to care, because she twirled around a few times, before she faced him with a huge grin.
“Are we going in or—yikes, Logan, put me down, I’m too heavy … mph.”
Logan shut up her protests by the very expedient method of kissing her, while he carried his new bride over the threshold. A firm kick ensured the door shut behind them, and with a few more steps, he blindly crossed the boot room and set her down next to the enormous stone sink. Only then did he break the kiss, and smiled at her.
“We need to get out of these wet clothes, wife.”
With that he stepped back and unbuttoned his waistcoat. His shirt was next, and both items of clothing ended up on the stone floor with a sodden splat. He kicked his shoes and socks off and having pulled off his trousers and boxers they, too, ended up in soggy pile on the floor, next to Hannah’s high heels, which appeared to be the only item of clothing she’d divested herself of so far.
Auctioned to the Bad Boy CEO Page 11