A Sweet Life-kindle

by Andre, Bella

  Harry nodded. A twinkle of amusement lit brown eyes. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Chandler looked from one to the other and shook her head in disgust. “The two of you are acting ridiculous,” she said. “You’re both speaking as if I’m not in the room, and I resent it.”

  “Go get dressed,” Logan ordered. His eyes narrowed at her current attire.

  “But I want to explain—”

  “You have exactly two minutes to get some clothes on. Any time after that I will consider an invitation to dress you myself.”

  Her mouth fell open. Then quickly shut at his expression. She turned and left the room, cursing her meekness as she tugged on the black jeans she had worn the night before, and the gold silk blouse. She used mouthwash, splashed some water on her face, ran her fingers through her long wild waves, and was back out the door with seconds to spare. When she re-entered the living room, Logan firmly took her hand and pulled her out the door, barely giving her time to call her goodbye to Harry.

  She settled herself in the seat and fastened her seat belt. “Do you know where my car is parked?”

  “We’re not going to pick up your car.” He threw the car into gear and pulled away from the curb. “I’m taking you to my house.”

  She digested the statement, then nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. We need to talk. One of the most important parts of a relationship is communication, and we need to make sure our signals won’t get crossed again."

  Logan didn’t answer. She tried to say something else, then thought better of it. She couldn’t seem to judge his mood, and didn’t want to set off his temper. She decided to wait until they reached his house. After hours of no sleep, she’d finally admitted her problem. Logan was right. She was afraid to trust, and at the first sign of trouble she thought of ways to retreat. She owed him an apology, and then hopefully they could find equal ground. She wasn’t ready to give up yet. On him, or their contract.

  She leaned back and watched him through heavy-lidded eyes, intrigued by his appearance. He wore faded old Levis that clung to his muscular thighs, a white t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. With his dark hair blowing in the wind, the easy way he threw the car into gear, and the hard, sensual lines of his face, he looked less like an executive and more like he should ride a Harley Davidson and charm young girls out of their clothes. She hid a smile at the thought.

  He finally swung up to the house and got out of the car. In silence, he escorted her inside, turning to shut the door behind him and lock it. Once again, the click of the latch made shivers run down her spine.

  She pushed away her silly thoughts and faced him. “I think last night proved that ultimatums do not work in a relationship. When you told me to be home by a certain hour, I felt threatened, so I tried to do something to reassert my independence. But my plan backfired, and only ended up getting us confused and dragged poor Harry into our mess. I think this whole episode showed we’re having problems facing our emotions.”

  She stopped for a moment to judge his reaction. He shrugged out of his leather jacket and stood before her in his t-shirt and jeans, hands on hips. The thin cotton material stretched lovingly over his muscular chest. He seemed to be listening to what she said, even though he had an oddly determined expression on his face. Knowing she had a bad habit of chattering when she was nervous, she paced the room and tried to find the right words.

  “Perhaps this is a sign for us to slow things down. Trust and communication are the basics for a successful relationship. Maybe we need to get to know each other a little better. Maybe we should get used to the idea of compromise.”

  She pushed back her heavy mane of hair and sighed. “I admit my fault in this, and I’m sure you’re sorry for the way you communicated your concerns and barged into Harry’s apartment. Maybe we can turn this episode into something of a learning experience. What do you think?”

  He reminded her of a warrior. He stood by the door. Legs braced apart. Thumbs hooked in his pocket as he waited. Dark hair mussed. Eyes narrowed. An unreadable expression on his face that made her more nervous than a testosterone-fueled temper tantrum. Waves of energy and tension emanated from his figure and pulled her to him in a way she recognized all too well. She fought the physical attraction that raged between them and awaited his response.

  “Are you finished?”

  “Yes. I’ve told you how I feel. Now, I think you should explain your feelings and maybe we can work something out that would be agreeable to both of us.”

  Suddenly his mouth curved into a lazy smile and displayed a set of perfectly straight, white teeth. A purely devilish smile that promised retribution, and promised it slowly. Her stomach twisted in response to the predatory look on his face. With ease he closed the distance between them. His hands reached out to settle on her shoulders, then he ran his palms down her arms in a caress. His voice poured over her like warm, sticky molasses.

  “Chandler, in a couple of hours everything will be clear. You’ll know me in every way imaginable, and I’ll know you. There will be no more communication problems, no more games, and no more lies. I’m taking you to bed, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”

  In one swift movement his hands glided down to grasp her hips. He leaned down and swung her up and over his shoulder, one hand easily holding down her legs to keep her from kicking. For an instant Chandler could have sworn she misunderstood him, until she found herself upside down, being carried confidently up the spiral staircase.

  “You can’t do this!” She fought for breath as her stomach bounced against his shoulder. “Logan, men don’t treat women like this anymore. It’s, it’s primitive!”

  The rumble of his low chuckle drifted to her ears. “Things were a hell of a lot simpler then, sweetheart. I wanted you to trust me, but I only ended up giving you enough space so you could re-build your defenses. By tomorrow, you won’t have any doubts left.”

  She caught a flash of cream-colored carpeting, the sound of a door being flung open and closed, the scent of musk and lemon permeating the air. “Put me down!” she shrieked. “I refuse to be treated in this heavy-handed manner.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The world shifted as she was dumped into the middle of a four-poster bed. She sank into the luxurious mattress and tried to regain her balance. Inching her way to the edge, she tried to make a jump for freedom when a gentle push at her shoulders reversed her direction and caused her to fall back again. This time there was no chance of getting back up.

  Logan pinned her under him, his hard muscles pressed against every curve of her body. Her chest heaved and her breasts strained against her silk blouse. His fingers interlaced with hers and held them beside her head. His eyes burned like charcoal embers.

  She stuck out her chin with pure stubbornness. “I won’t let you make love to me because you have some twisted motivation to make me surrender.”

  His lips curved into a sensual smile. “I’m going to make love to you because I’ve never wanted another woman like this before in my life. You invade my thoughts and haunt my dreams. I need you to fill a hole inside of me I didn’t know existed before I met you. Those are my motivations, Chandler.”

  Sexual energy crackled between them like a burst of summer lightning. She closed her eyes. Dear God, she ached for him desperately, ached to believe his words. But the fear was still there. The fear he’d deceive her and break her heart. Confusion and desire and anger twisted inside of her, and when she opened her eyes, she let him see it all. “Don’t lie to me.” Her voice shook. “Damn you, Logan, don’t you lie to me.”

  His grip gentled. “I won’t.” He lowered his mouth so his breath mingled with hers. “I swear I’ll never hurt you. Let me make love to you and show how my body could never lie.”

  His mouth closed over hers. He let his tongue plunder its dark, silken depths and possess her completely. Fire ignited in his blood as his tongue tangled with hers, tasting her, giving in to her, demanding a response until her
body thrust against his. Her body trembled under his weight. He rubbed his mouth back and forth over hers. The dark stubble on his jaw and chin rasped against her sensitive lips. She shuddered. His hands untangled from hers to stroke downward, and he felt the tips of her breasts push against the material of her blouse, and the unconscious invitation of her hips lifting against his.

  With a low groan, he tore his mouth from hers and eased the buttons of her blouse open. He unclasped the delicate lace of her bra so her upper body was bared to his hungry gaze. His eyes feasted on her nakedness, and she loved the contrast of his tanned hands against her white skin, the way her breasts thrust and begged to be touched. He dragged his palms over her belly and stopped at the edge of her jeans, caressing the dip of her belly button, then flicked the button open with one deft motion.

  Chandler gripped his shoulders and whispered his name in urgency. She tugged at the edge of his t-shirt with jerky, desperate movements and heard the low rumbling of laughter from him. Then he pulled briefly away to pull it over his head and toss the material to the floor. He was gloriously naked to the waist, and her eyes adored the muscled planes of his chest. Lovingly, she ran her hands over his skin and enjoyed the crisp feel of his hair beneath her palms.

  He dragged her upward to press her breasts against his chest, and his hands caressed the waves of her hair at her nape. He kissed her with open-mouthed abandonment, and a low moan rose from her chest.

  “Feel how much I want you.” He guided her hands to the thick ridge of his arousal. “No more games. No more lies. Just you and me, baby. Give yourself to me and I’ll show you more pleasure than you’ve ever known.”

  She reached the turning point and dove over the cliff. “Yes.”

  Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. He stripped off her blouse and bra and lowered his mouth to one peak, his tongue making teasing patterns around her nipples. Her nails bit into his shoulders. Carefully, he tugged at the hard crest with his teeth, and then his lips opened and he took her breast into his mouth fully.

  He suckled the hard nub. Fire streamed through her blood, and a whimper rose to her lips. She thrust her fingers into his hair and held him closer. He moved to the other breast and repeated the motions, taking his time, driving her higher.

  “Logan, please.” She arched upward to get closer to the sweet torture.

  “Please, what?” He rubbed his lips over one crest. “Please this, Logan?” His tongue licked gently, flicking over the hard nub over and over. “Or please this, Logan?” He took her breast fully in his mouth, suckling, while his hand stroked the skin of her belly. She cried his name.

  “Or maybe it was please do this, Logan?” His hands eased down and lowered the zipper of her jeans. The rasping sound cut through the air. His fingers slipped into the opening. “You’re so wet for me. So ready.” His breath hissed between his teeth.

  Chandler was slowly going out of her mind. Liquid heat coursed through her body and pounded between her thighs. She melted into a trembling mass of nerves and responded to every touch, every kiss, every look from him. She reared up and tried to release the buckle of his jeans. Her trembling fingers refused to cooperate. “Help me get these off. You’re torturing me.”

  “I’m torturing myself.” He groaned. “And to think I had intentions of slowly seducing you. Lady, I’ve never had such a problem trying to control myself before.”

  “The man of steel?” She stroked him through the material of his jeans and felt his hard strength. “I don’t believe it.”

  “I’ll make you pay for that remark.”

  With a low mutter of impatience, he tugged her jeans and black lace panties off with one swoop, tossing them to the floor to join the pile of clothes. He got up from the bed and stripped off the rest of his clothes, standing before her naked.

  Chandler sucked in her breath at the raw power of the man, his lean strength and grace evident in his carriage and quiet dignity. His arms and legs were corded with muscles, his stomach flat, his chest and shoulders broad. “You’re beautiful,” she whispered.

  He joined her on the bed and stretched over her. “And you’re exquisite,” he whispered back. “Your body fits with mine like we were made for each other.” His lips played with hers, slipping his tongue inside her mouth to taste her sweetness. He ran his hand ran down her thigh, then back up. His knee eased her legs wipe apart, opening her for his touch. His fingers slipped inside and parted her swollen flesh. She gasped into his mouth and her nails dug into his upper arms.

  His thumb plucked at her clit as he guided one finger inside. She sank her teeth into his shoulder, and the gentleness fled, his movements becoming more demanding. “Logan!” The rippling tension tightened, and her body screamed for release just beyond reach.

  “Hang on, baby.”

  The sound of a wrapper. Then he loomed over her, parting her thighs even wider, and settled between them. “God, Chandler, you’re so ready for me I can’t wait anymore.”

  “Please, I need you now, I need you…”

  He paused at the barrier. Her slick dampness made a path for him. “Open your eyes.”

  She obeyed, staring into twin burning embers of smoky steel, his face tight with tension.

  “I want to see your face when I make you mine.”

  She shuddered as much from his words as from the slow movement of his body as he filled her, inch by inch. She gripped his shoulders hard, her eyes widening, her breath driven out of her lungs by the sheer size of him possessing her. Her body clenched around him in a tight fist. He buried himself deep inside of her. Then paused.

  “Hold on, sweetheart. This is going to be a wild ride.”

  He moved. The sexual tension escalated to a rapid rhythm as he slowly withdrew all the way and then drove back inside, again and again. Her body arched upward, and she held on hard as the pace quickened, faster and faster. His name broke from her lips as she rode a wild wave of desire that filled her up inside to a point where she felt her body about to explode. And still he continued, driving in and out of her wet, clinging heat, her body welcoming him, embracing him, holding him until the orgasm hit hard, and she was suddenly pitched into a world of glittering pleasure. Her soul broke out of her body and soared high above as she exploded into a million pieces of pleasure and flew beneath the stars.

  She heard Logan’s fierce cry, felt his body shudder, and her arms clasped around him tighter and held him close. As she drifted back downwards in a shimmer of foggy pleasure, she whispered the words that refused to be caged any longer.

  “Logan, I love you. I love you.”

  Chapter 11

  Chandler opened her eyes and the full force of the sun struck her face as it streamed through the open windows. Her gaze settled on the figure next to her. Amidst a tangle of luxurious white sheets she followed the line of a muscular calf and thigh, dusted with dark hair, up to a broad chest that rose and fell with each breath, to the slope of an arrogant jaw, hard cheekbones, and fierce black brows. One arm was anchored firmly across her waist, holding her close. She watched him for a few moments, enjoying the sensual lines of his face, the masculine power he radiated even in sleep, the relaxed pose of his lips. The thought of the pleasure those lips bestowed made a faint blush rise to her cheeks, even as her breath quickened at the enticing thought.

  After many hours spent learning every intimate secret about each other, they'd finally fallen into an exhausted sleep. She had thought it would be impossible for her body to crave anymore, but just the thought of his mouth on her sensitive flesh had the power to make her stir once again.

  Maybe he'd created a monster.

  “Keep looking at me like that, lady, and you’re going to get into a hell of a lot of trouble.”

  Startled, her gaze flew back to his face. An amused glint sparked in gun-metal eyes, and his mouth curved in a hint of a smile. Her blush deepened. “I thought you were asleep.”

  He rolled over and reached up to push away the heavy waves of hair from her face. “How could
I sleep when I felt your hungry stare on my poor, defenseless body?”

  She closed her eyes in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I know it’s crazy, when we spent practically all morning…well, together. I thought it would be impossible to keep wanting you, and I’m sure there’s only a certain number of times a man can, well, can—oh!”

  His mouth covered hers and stopped the flow of words. His tongue dove in and out of her mouth as he leaned over and pressed his body into hers. His erection pulsed against her thigh. When he finally pulled away, she gasped for breath.

  “Don’t look so surprised,” he said teasingly. “I made plans to be strong and give you time to recover. If I’d known you were having the same thoughts, I would have woken you up hours ago.”

  Chandler laughed and ran her fingers through his dark hair. “You’ve turned me into a nympho. I was supposed to teach a yoga class this morning. Olivia will probably be wondering where I am.”

  He trailed tiny kisses down her neck. “Hmmm, I have hours of paperwork I’m supposed to catch up on today. But I have a feeling it’ll have to wait until Monday.”

  “That’s two days away. Surely you’ll be able to get into the office by tomorrow.”

  He chuckled. “A day and a half. We kept ourselves occupied all morning. It’s now officially afternoon.” Her breath caught as he bit her earlobe gently, and his tongue explored the delicate shell of her ear. “I have plans for us the entire weekend. Work is not involved.”

  “What? A business tycoon who refuses to work on the weekend?” She laughed as his teeth punished her. “What could possibly be more important than the Weatherall contract?”

  “Our contract. We haven’t had our three month review yet.” He blew in her ear. Her body shot up in an unconscious, erotic reaction that he watched with interest. “I’m now ready to give you my full attention.”

  His mouth closed over one breast and drew the tip between his lips. She gasped. “We have a lot of financial figures to analyze,” he said. Her nails scraped down his muscled back. “We should go over each case one by one in order to track the full benefit of the program.” He eased her legs apart, his fingers playing gently, bringing forth the warm liquid response.