by Mae Martini
Still holding her gaze, she saw his eyes get watery. She was trying to hold it together but a tear escaped her eye. She looked down at their hands.
He squeezed her hand again. He needed her eyes on his.
She brought them back up.
“I’m so sorry, Melanie.”
More tears escaped her eyes and she sniffled.
“I’m ashamed of the way I treated you. I was wrong.” He paused. “I panicked. I thought I’d lose joint custody of Heath when things went down. The next morning, I realized I over reacted. I called you and texted you. I knew you were angry with me so I gave you a few days to cool off. I just never thought…” His breath caught and he looked down. “I never thought you were going to leave town.”
She squeezed his hand, to offer him comfort. He picked his head back up. She could see the pain in his eyes.
“I didn’t know what to do? I was hurt, I was angry. I just didn’t know what to do. Add in what I witnessed beforehand, I was scared too.” She recalled to mind witnessing the cold blooded killing of Michael’s long time friend and bodyguard at the hands of Michael.
He nodded his head and released her hand as the waiter came by and stirred the sangria, then poured the rest of it in their glasses.
“Another pitcher?” he asked.
Logan looked to Melanie.
“No, thank you,” she shook her head.
“No, thank you,” he said to the waiter and the waiter nodded, smiled and moved away, taking the empty pitcher with him.
Logan felt his phone vibrate. He took it out. Read the text and smiled. He looked up to her.
“Richie. He and Kara took Heath to dinner then brought him back to their room to play video games. Says he’s gonna sleep in their room tonight.” Logan loved how Richie was trying to help him work things out with Melanie. Logan’s hotel room would be unoccupied when he returned and maybe Melanie would go back with him and spend the night. He hoped she would.
She smiled up at him and the waiter came back before anything more was said. Damn it, Logan thought.
“Can I get you anything else?”
Logan looked to Melanie who shook her head no.
“No, thank you. Just the check.”
The waiter had it all ready. He placed it face down and said “Whenever you’re ready.”
Logan whipped out his wallet and handed him a credit card.
On the ride from the tapas bar, they made small talk again.
Melanie pulled up to Logan’s hotel, just on the other side of the circle, away from the valet, and put it in park.
He watched her as she studied the steering wheel.
She found it hard to breathe. What if this was closure for him. Would she ever see him again? Her palms got sweaty and she felt her eyes fill with water.
“I, uh….up until tonight, I thought I’d never see you again,” Logan said.
She turned to him and sadly smiled as she swiped the tear away from her left eye.
He watched her and just as the tear in the right eye emerged, he gently swiped it with a finger. He placed his hand on her cheek and brought up his other hand and placed it on her other cheek and came in close. He hesitated slightly, watching her, then he kissed her and when his lips touched hers she closed her eyes and savored his touch.
His kiss began cautiously but when he tasted her lips again, he couldn’t help himself. He pried her lips open with his and snaked his tongue into her mouth seeking her tongue. He moved his hands down to her arms and swiftly brought them around her.
She threw her arms around him, holding on and never wanting to let go.
“Don’t go. Stay with me tonight?” he asked her against her mouth.
She wanted to but was hesitant. What if it led to nowhere? She didn’t know if she could just walk away in the morning and never see him again, but on the other hand, if she was never to see him again, maybe one more night with him is what she’d need to hold on to what could have been, she reasoned, because she knew in her heart, she would never get over him.
He felt her hesitate and thought she was going to say no, so he did what his brother recommended once before. He groveled.
“Please, Mel. Please stay with me? We don’t have to do anything. I just need to hold you. I haven’t been right for two months, now.”
“Okay,” she said as she nodded her head.
Logan let out a breath. “Yeah?” he was so relieved.
Once she parked the car and got out, he was by her side, holding her hand all the way up to his room.
Inside the room, they both felt a little awkward.
Logan took a deep breath and told himself not to think too much. To let things flow naturally.
“Do you want something to drink? There’s soda, diet soda, water, beer or wine,” he said as he looked through the mini fridge.
“Water?” she asked, just as he knew she would and was bringing it out as she asked. They both smiled.
He handed it to her and she twisted off the cap and sipped as she looked around the room.
It was a nice clean room with modern furniture. She walked into the bathroom and when she came out she was smiling as she saw Logan watching her.
“It’s nice.” She said still smiling.
Logan couldn’t give a damn about the room. He took three long strides over to her and wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him. Some of the water from the bottle sloshed out and he took the bottle from her hand and set it down on the bureau. He brought his lips down to hers and kissed her. It wasn’t even soft leading to hard and deep. It was straight hard and deep with tongue.
Melanie melted into him, rubbing herself on him. She felt his erection and gasped when he rocked it into her. She felt that familiar heat course throughout her body.
“Logan.” She whispered his name as she brought her hands to his chest and started to unbutton his shirt.
He didn’t stop her. He wouldn’t stop her. He was relieved she wanted him. When his shirt was undone, she moved the two sides away and roamed her hands all over the hard planes of his chest.
He sucked in a breath when her hands lightly stroked his nipples and he brought his hands to the hem of her shirt and lifted it up. She complied by lifting her arms up and he tossed the shirt. He paused to look at her breasts in a black satin demi bra then brought his eyes down to her flat stomach. “Beautiful. Melanie, you are so fucking breathtaking,” he said as his hands began to work her jeans.
He wasn’t going to get anywhere with the jeans until he removed her boots. He picked her up and brought her to the bed. He sat her down at the edge and kneeled in front of her. He looked at her then he picked up her left foot. He unzipped the boot and quickly removed it. Then he repeated the process with her right foot. He stood her up and brought down her jeans.
Once her jeans were removed, still kneeling, he brought his arms around her waist and put his cheek on her stomach. He stayed that way just holding her while she stroked his head.
Logan’s senses were on overload and he couldn’t be more overjoyed. He caressed her belly, moving his hand to her waist then her hip, reveling in the softness of her. He smelled her unique, sweet woman scent and he began to lick her belly button. The taste of her was exquisite.
As he continued to lick her belly, he moved a hand into her panties and caressed her mound. He pressed a finger firmly on her clit and as she let out a moan, he dipped that finger inside her, feeling her wetness. He groaned as he removed that finger, then he brought it to his mouth and sucked it.
“Oh, you taste so sweet. I need that. I need you,” he said to her. He brought his hands to her hips and began to move her panties down her legs. She stepped out of them and he flung them somewhere. He brought his fingers to her lips and opened her up. He stared at her sex and he grew harder with anticipation. With his tongue he took a long, slow swipe of her pussy from her opening to her clit.
She let out a moan as her legs faltered.
He pushed her down on the bed and rose
up. Looking down at her and without taking his eyes off her eyes, he brought his hands to her thighs and gently brought her down to the end of the bed and spread her legs.
Once again he knelt down before her and brought his mouth down on her and began to lick and suck her pussy. He sucked her lips one at a time as he moaned.
“Spread your lips for me, Melanie.” He watched as her fingers with long lavender nails parted her folds and was rewarded as her clit made an appearance from its hood. It was swollen and he couldn’t wait to have it in his mouth.
At the same time he bit down on it, he shoved two fingers up inside her, massaging her magic spot.
Melanie bucked off the bed.
He felt her shudder against his mouth as her moans quickened and grew louder and higher pitched. As he rode out her orgasm with her, he moved his mouth to her opening and sucked her sweetness. Yeah, he missed her so damned much.
When her trembles subsided, he rose up and mounted her.
“Condom?” she asked him.
“I haven’t been with anyone since you, Melanie. You?”
“No one.”
He entered her in one swift move and stood still, reveling in the feel of her warmth. He was so afraid he would never feel her again.
He took her mouth with his as he began to move in and out of her with slow purposeful thrusts. He placed a hand on her thigh and caressed it whiling moving it up and out and he felt himself sink in deeper. He continued the wonderful assault all the while lip locked with her. He moved a hand up to caress her breast, tweaking her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
She felt an energy zip from there to her clit and she had spasmed as he sucked in her sweet, whimper.
Melanie was close, so close to having another body shattering orgasm and as soon as he placed a finger at her clit and swirled around as he pumped inside her, she began to go over the edge.
He broke the kiss to look into her eyes she kept open for him as she came and that calmness that he’d missed for the past two months came crashing into him.
She involuntarily squeezed his cock with her pussy muscles and he lost it. He thrust another two times and groaned loudly in contrast to her soft sexy moans as he came hard.
She held him tight, as he shuddered, while looking into his eyes.
When they stilled, he took her lips again in a deep emotional kiss.
Logan slowly pulled out of her and moved off of her. He lay next to her on his back and he threw an arm around her as he pulled her into the crook of his arm. They were both still breathing heavy.
“I love you, Logan.” She took a chance and held her breath. If he didn’t say it back, oh well. At least he knew how she felt.
He waited so long to hear those words from her. “I love you too, Melanie.”
She let out the breath and rose up to look into his eyes. “You do?”
“Melanie, I‘ve loved you since the first time you allowed me to see your eyes while you were coming. There’s a calmness in you that pulls me in.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He sighed. “I don’t know. It was too soon. I didn’t want to scare you off.”
She smiled at him and brought her lips down to his.
They kissed and caressed each other until they worked up their sexual desires again, which didn’t take long given they climaxed not ten minutes before.
Morning came around too fast for Logan. He woke up first and watched her sleep. He twirled a strand of her hair on his finger. It felt so soft and silky. Things would be good between them, he thought. He was sure she’d move back to Texas and they’d be together again.
Chapter 41
After a morning round of lovemaking, Logan walked Melanie out to her car. He gave her a ticket for that day’s events and asked her if she could be packed, to come back to Texas with him, after the rodeo.
“Logan, I’m not moving back there.”
“Why? I thought we made up.”
“Logan, I can’t be moving back and forth every time we have a fight. If I move there and we have a fight, I’ll have nowhere to go.”
Logan sighed. “Melanie, we’re going to have fights. Every healthy relationship has them. I promise you I won’t ask you to leave again. I learned my lesson. I didn’t think you were going to leave Texas the last time.”
“I don’t know. I need time to think about it.”
“Okay,” he said, nodding his head and sounding disappointed. “I’m willing to work on a long distance relationship. Will you?”
She nodded her head.
“Okay, good.” Long distance was better than nothing at that point. “We’re going out to dinner after the rodeo before we head back to Texas. Will you come out with us?”
“Yes. I’d love to.”
“I’d like to meet your parents before that.”
Melanie smiled. “Yeah?” Melanie was pleasantly surprised.
“Yeah. Would it be okay to bring Heath over too?”
“Of course. I’d really like that, Logan.” She smiled up at him. “I wish you didn’t have to leave.”
“You can come with me.”
She frowned.
“I won’t put extra pressure on you, Mel. When you’re ready, you’ll come.”
She nodded her head.
He kissed her and then she got in the car and drove away.
“Woohoo! Go, Logan!” Melanie screamed from her seat.
Heath turned around from the chutes down below and smiled up at her.
She glanced down and caught him and smiled and waved at him.
Logan had come out of the chute on one of the rankest broncs in the event. He flopped, he spurred, and he bounced. The crowd was on their feet.
Melanie winced when she saw his neck snap back.
At the eight second buzzer, Logan tried to get off but his hand was stuck on his equipment. After another couple of seconds and with the help of the pick-up men he managed to break free as one of them scooped him up and deposited him to the ground.
Logan’s spurring technique and control landed him an 88.5.
He looked to Heath then to Melanie with a big grin on his face as he took his hat off his head and waved it in the air and pumped his fist.
Melanie’s parents were delighted with meeting the man that they knew held their daughter’s heart.
He walked in with Melanie and Heath.
The boys wore their cowboy hats and rodeo belt buckles. Logan held a large bouquet of flowers for Melanie’s mother and Heath also held flowers and Melanie thought they too, were for her mom but when they got inside, Heath handed them to her. Melanie was touched. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.
He blushed but was grinning nonetheless.
Her parents especially liked how Logan interacted with his son. It was telling. He was a good man.
They got a kick out of Heath. His tough cowboy persona was the cutest thing while also being very polite and well mannered. It had been a long time since her parents had a young one in the house.
They were sitting in the living room watching the Cowboys, Redskins football game. Heath was a big Dallas fan.
Her father got up, went to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer. He walked over to Logan and handed him one.
“Come on, let’s go outside and have a drink.”
Melanie looked from her father to Logan.
Logan got up without looking at Melanie and followed her father out.
Melanie didn’t realize it but the whole time they were outside, she was biting her nails. She got up and rummaged through her purse for a nail file.
When Logan and her father came back into the room, Logan went right over to her and wrapped his arms around her.
“You ready to go, baby? Brett and Richie are at the restaurant already.”
“Okay.”
“Mr. & Mrs. Catalano, are you sure you can’t join us for dinner?”
“Thank you, no. You kids go have a good time.
They had a nice, ro
und table, Italian dinner with lots of pasta, eggplant parmesan, sausage and peppers, and plenty of good wine, after the rodeo.
Logan won the purse for his event and his girl was by his side. He was feeling good but as the dinner wound down, he became quiet.
Melanie and Kara caught up with each other. Brett was warm and friendly. Richie was his funny, charming self and Heath was excited about the rodeo and answered all of Melanie’s questions on things she didn’t know about the rodeo, and all its events.
Melanie was going to miss them all when they left. She did want to go with Logan but she needed to think with her head and not her heart.
Back at the hotel, Melanie and Logan stood by her car hugging each other in silence. She said goodbye to everyone else a few moments earlier and they left the two of them alone.
“So, what’d you and my dad talk about outside, earlier?”
Logan smiled. “Darlin’, are you afraid he told me some embarrassing things about you?”
“No, not at all. I was wondering if he gave you the third degree. He’s a retired detective.”
“Yeah, he told me and yeah, he gave me the third degree.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’d be disappointed if he didn’t watch out for his little girl.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I wish you were coming with me,” he said by her ear.
“Me too.”
He kissed her long and slow. He said he wouldn’t pressure her. He was grateful she still wanted him. He never in his wildest dreams thought he would ever be with her again.
“I love you.”
“I love you,” she replied.
Logan couldn’t get enough of hearing those words from her.
Chapter 42
Epilogue
4 months later……
Melanie removed her plush, warm robe and Logan took in a breath as he always did when seeing her naked. Even her goose bumps were adorable.