by Lane Hart
But I would rather be single than be with that asshole. Hell, I would rather be a nun if it meant getting out from underneath his thumb once and for all.
Over the next few days, I plan to figure out my options and try to come up with a plan of escape.
Chapter Ten
Logan
“Brayden Campbell,” I repeat slowly to the clerk at the Oasis hotel, not because she doesn’t speak English but because she’s trying to play dumb. “She was a guest here just a few days ago. What did you do with her luggage when you cleaned her room?”
The woman types on the keyboard in front of the computer screen and then says, “We have it listed here that she checked out on Wednesday, but there’s no note of any belongings. She must have taken them with her.”
“No, she didn’t,” I reply through clenched teeth. “She was in jail, so all her things have to still be here.”
“Miss Campbell rented a block of rooms with several other guests who checked out on the same day. Perhaps you should check with one of them,” the lady replies with a fake smile.
“Her friends couldn’t find her room key,” I reply since that’s what they apparently told Sadie.
“Sorry, but I don’t know what else to tell you.”
This is such bullshit. I know some maid cleaned the room and then kept Brayden’s belongings for herself which pisses me off. Hasn’t the girl been through enough?
“I’ll leave you my card with my number on it in case her items magically appear,” I tell the clerk as I pull out one of the business cards from my wallet and slap it down on the counter.
I hate having to go back to the hotel and tell Brayden that I failed her. She already expected her things to be gone, but I wanted to swoop in and save the day by finding them for her. Guess I’ll be going shopping to get her what she needs instead. And I’ll need to shop for myself as well since I only packed one change of clothes. That means I don’t have any boardshorts for the beach and that Brayden is wearing my clean boxer briefs. I debated putting on the ones I wore yesterday; but since they were in the dry cleaning bag I left outside the door last night, I had to free ball it.
Big fucking mistake.
I don’t usually go around commando, so I wasn’t aware of the flop factor or how, when I get even semi-hard, it’s pretty fucking noticeable. And since just being in the same room as Brayden this morning or even wandering around town thinking about her gets me hard, having nothing to hold my cock down is definitely a problem.
Don’t even get me started on how awkward it is when I get back to the villa, and Brayden greets me with a hug. I need some boxer briefs STAT.
“Hey,” I say as I keep my hips back and pull away from her embrace faster than I would’ve liked to. And I hate that she’s so excited I’m back when I have bad news for her. “I wasn’t able to find your things,” I tell her. “The clerk said there’s no note about anything being left in the room.”
“Not surprised,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders, not looking all that disappointed, thankfully.
“If you want to write me a list of your sizes, then I’ll go out and buy whatever you need.”
“Right now, how about you see if the beach shop across the street has any sunglasses and swimsuits and come right back. That’s all I need today if we’re just gonna sunbathe on the beach.”
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“Yes,” she answers. “I’m tired of being cooped up in here; and you’re right, it’s a beautiful day out. No need to waste it on shopping.”
“Okay,” I agree. “Let me go grab a few things from the beach shop, then we’ll head out.”
“Hurry,” she says as if I would take my time.
I hustle across the street to the store that I immediately recognize sells swimsuits. The problem? They’re all teeny, tiny ones that don’t look like they’ll cover even the smallest breasts, and Brayden’s are not small. While she didn’t give me her sizes for a swimsuit, I don’t see any bikinis that will cover all of her skin. Then I realize that I don’t want to cover up her skin. Sure, other guys will be checking her out, and it’ll be agonizing torture to walk around the beach with her in one of the skimpy suits, but it’ll be worth it. What do I care if men check her out? She’s a beautiful woman with an amazing body, even if I do think she needs several more meals to replace what was starved out of her. Guys can look all they want, but I don’t think Brayden would even think twice about going off with some random guy on the beach after what she’s been through. As long as she’s by my side, heads can turn clear off their shoulders checking her out for all I care.
Still, I’m not sure how comfortable Brayden would be wearing a tiny black bikini like the one I have my eye one. So, I scoop it up along with a black one-piece I manage to find, to let her have the final decision on what she wants to wear. Then, I grab some sunscreen because I’m pretty damn pale, even if she’s not, some flipflops for both of us, and a pair of navy blue boardshorts for myself. At the register, I place the items on the counter and grab two pairs of dark sunglasses; then I’m all set.
Chapter Eleven
Brayden
I’m not sure if it’s the warm weather or what; but when Logan comes back to the villa, his cheeks are rosy red.
“Hope these are okay,” he says as he hands me the clear plastic bag.
With my eyebrows raised curiously as to what he picked out, I fold my legs underneath me on the sofa and dig in. First, I find his shorts and our sunglasses and shoes. Then, I pull out the two swimsuits still on hangers.
“Wow,” I mutter as I take in the string bikini.
Clearing his throat, Logan says, “I hope I got the size right.”
I check each of the tags and tell him, “The sizes are great. Which do you think I should wear to the beach?” I ask, assuming the conservative one-piece will be his choice.
“Either,” Logan says right away as he stands in front of me. Then, he slips his hands in the front of his pants pockets and says, “I mean, I think the two-piece would look great on you…”
“You want me to wear the string bikini out on the beach, in public?” I ask for clarification.
“Sure, why not?” he asks with his forehead bunched like he’s not sure what the problem is.
And there’s not one. It’s just that, my ex would never let me walk outside in the bikini. In fact, he never would have bought it for me. If he had to choose, it would be the one-piece and only the one-piece as my choice.
“I think I’ll wear the bikini,” I tell Logan. “It’s the first one I’ve ever owned.” Once or twice I’ve borrowed a bikini from Sadie when I would go swimming at her house during high school summers, but I knew I was pushing my luck even to do that.
“Seriously?” Logan asks, and I nod as I hold it up with a smile. “Why haven’t you ever bought one?”
“Doesn’t matter,” I say before I get to my feet, feeling so much stronger and more like myself today. “Let’s change and get out there,” I tell him.
“Sure,” he agrees. “You want the bathroom first?”
“Yeah, I’ll be right back,” I tell him before I take my suit up the stairs. In the bathroom, I run my fingers through my hair and quickly change, glad to see that the size is a great fit. Looking in the mirror, I’m a little caught off guard at how little material is covering my private parts. I mean, I’m not insecure with my body, but the swimsuit is much less than my usual underwear.
And, I like it. I feel…sexy.
I can’t help but wonder if Logan will like it too. I shouldn’t want him to be attracted to me, but I do. It’s idiotic and playing with fire, I know, but I can’t seem to stop thinking of being with Logan. While we only just officially met yesterday, it feels like we’ve been through a lot together in such a short time. From what I know about him, he’s so different from the man I’ve gotten accustomed to over the last five years in really good ways. Logan Davenport is an all-around sweet, caring man who will bend over backward to help others,
even if it means causing himself some discomfort. He’s the ideal boyfriend, and knowing I’ll never get to spend my life with someone like him makes me sad. It’s why I want to make the most of the next few days that we get to spend together. Not that I would ever lead him on. If Logan were to make a move, I would make sure he knows up front that a few fun days together here is all that I can offer.
…
Logan
My palms are sweating as I pace back and forth in the living room and kitchen waiting for Brayden to try on her swimsuit. Why am I nervous? I’m not sure. Maybe because once she’s wearing so few clothes, it’ll be impossible for me to hide my interest in her.
She may not give a rat’s ass about me; and if she doesn’t, then that’s perfectly fine. What’s most worrisome is that she will want me and that once I know that, I won’t be able to resist her any longer.
I’ve always been a hardworking son of a bitch. Even when my father was my boss, I put in long days at the office and pulled my weight because I didn’t want to coast by on his coattails. The same goes tenfold now that I’m at a new firm and having to earn my keep in a brand new specialization. I took a huge chance when I decided to go from boring patent law to criminal justice, so I’ve been trying to catch up with all the other attorneys in the firm who have been doing it for years.
Never in a million years did I imagine that I would come to Mexico to bail my boss’s daughter out of trouble and want to pursue something more with her. Something like that could easily get me fired and shunned by every other law firm that matters. The old Logan wouldn’t have batted an eye at an attractive woman if it meant jeopardizing his career, which makes me a little nervous about who I’ve become. I don’t like this gnawing urge I have for Brayden, but I can’t seem to shake it no matter how hard I try.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts and the anticipation of getting to see Brayden in a bikini.
It’s my sister.
“Hey, Page,” I answer.
“Hey, Logie,” she replies, her voice sounding better, clearer than it did yesterday which is great. “Are you on the way to the airport?”
“Airport?” I repeat as if it’s a preposterous notion. “Why would I be…oh,” I say when understanding dawns. “I forgot I hadn’t told you that we’re staying a few extra days.”
“You are?” she asks.
“Yeah. Guess Brayden didn’t mention that last night when you called.”
“Nope. Why are you staying? You hate the heat and crowded places.”
“Well, um, Brayden didn’t really get to enjoy her vacation, and it’s been years since I had one, so I thought what the heck.”
“I’m sorry, I think I have the wrong number,” Page mutters, making me smile. “I was trying to reach my stick-in-the-mud, all-work-and-no-play brother, Logan Davenport.”
“I know, I know,” I say. “It’s unusual for me to take a few days off, but I am helping out the boss, so he sort of owes me one.”
“Righhht,” Page drawls sarcastically. “Tell me you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking, Logan.”
“Well, I don’t know what you’re thinking, so how would I know if you’re thinking what I’m thinking?” I tease.
“She’s your boss’s daughter!” Page shouts into the phone so loudly that I have to pull it away from my ear.
“Lower your voice before you lose it again,” I warn her.
“Logan,” she starts.
“Page?”
“She’s…she’s too young for you, and you’ll be in big trouble, mister.”
“Did I tell you that you were making a mistake when you slept with your client?” I remind her. “No, I didn’t. But I was there to bail your ass out of trouble when you did it.”
“That was different,” Page says. “I fell in love with Jax, and it’s a stupid State Bar rule.”
“The rule is there for a reason, because it places a conflict of interest on the client’s case,” I argue. “So, what you did is a helluva lot worse than whatever you think I’m thinking.”
“I don’t know Brayden very well, but the fact that she got herself thrown into jail in Cancun doesn’t bode well for her character.”
“First of all, the police here all get off on bribes, taking money from tourists, so that wasn’t on her,” I declare even though I don’t know the full details on what happened to Brayden. “And secondly, I’m a grown man who can take care of himself, so I don’t really need my little sister’s opinion on what I do while I’m on my first vacation in years.”
“I know you’re a grown man, but I don’t want you to get hurt,” Page contends.
“Don’t worry, I won’t,” I assure her. “Worry about yourself and Xavier and my niece. What was the name that you decided on for her again?”
“Macy,” Page answers with a sigh, which I know means she’s dropping the issue, at least for the moment.
“Macy Malone. I like it,” I tell her honestly. “Now, go worry about something else, and I’ll give you a call when I’m back in the states.”
“Okay,” she huffs. “Be careful, Logie.”
“I will. Bye,” I say before I end the call with a shake of my head.
The bathroom door opens upstairs, and I look up to see Brayden coming down the stairs…in my t-shirt.
“Bathroom’s all yours,” she says when she’s standing in front of me, the black fabric of her bikini showing through the white cotton. Guess I’ll have to wait a little longer to see the whole shebang. Probably for the best since I don’t need my dick getting all excited again.
“Be right back,” I say before I grab the boardshorts and jog up the steps.
Chapter Twelve
Brayden
Logan coming down the stairs shirtless should come with a warning. The man may be a lawyer who sits at a desk all day, but damn if he doesn’t still find the time to work out.
“How do you stay in such great shape?” I ask him as he shoves his phone and wallet into the pockets of his boardshorts.
“Ah, I try to go down to my apartment’s gym when I get home from work each night to lift a little and run on the treadmill. That’s the only time I really have to go, but at least it’s empty,” he says with a shrug. “I probably need to hit it a little harder after working for ten hours,” Logan adds with a grin. “I’m surprised my ass hasn’t turned into a pancake yet.” He glances over his shoulder at his ass as if to make sure it’s not flat.
“Your bottom is just fine,” I tell him since I’ve gotten a few glimpses of it through his slacks.
“Uh, thanks,” he replies, sounding almost embarrassed by my compliment. “Ready to go?”
“Sure.” I accept the sunglasses he hands me, and then we walk out the sliding glass door toward the beach. There’s a long row of white umbrellas with pairs of matching lounge chairs underneath them, so we grab the first two that we come to.
“Come on. Let’s get in the water,” I tell Logan as I lift my shirt over my head. “You want to use your shirt to cover up your phone and wallet?” I ask him as I hold the tee out in offering.
Seeing Logan’s reaction to me in the bathing suit is incredibly satisfying. His wide, blue eyes trail all the way down to my knees and then back up again, getting stuck at my breasts for several silent seconds. He licks his lips before he finally takes the shirt from me.
“Does this look okay?” I ask, fishing for compliments as I adjust the strings around my neck because I’m a girl and we need to hear something nice every now and then. It would be great to hear something other than how slutty I dress for once too.
“It’s, um, it’s nice,” he replies while finally averting his eyes and removing the two items from his pockets.
“Just nice?” I ask, not letting him off the hook that easily.
“Yeah, I mean, if you’re comfortable and won’t get cold…”
“It’s about ninety-five degrees out already, so I think I’ll stay warm enough,” I reply with a smile.
“What’s that?” I ask
Logan looks around us and then finally lets his gaze land on mine again. “Oh, it’s just that every man on the beach is going to look at you and think about pulling those strings to make the small pieces of fabric disappear.”
He said every man. Does that mean that he’s thinking about doing the same thing?
“Well, it’s a good thing that you’re here with me to make sure that my strings stay intact, right?” I ask.
“Yeah, it is,” he agrees with a grin. “Just stay close. I don’t want you wandering around alone out here.”
“Of course,” I reply since there’s no way I plan to leave Logan’s side for the next few days. “Let’s go check out the water,” I suggest, lowering the sunglasses from the top of my head to cover my eyes, but unable to hide my smile when I notice Logan reaching down to try and adjust the bulge in his shorts. It’s pretty flattering to see the proof of his attraction to me since he didn’t even remember me from the New Year's Eve party when I was certainly checking him out.
While I may be attracted to Logan and want to run my hands over every inch of his incredible body, I won’t be the one to make the first move. He works for my father and seems like a man who always puts his career first. If that weren’t the case, he would have a wife by now, and I don’t think he brought a date to the party. I’m sure he’s seeing someone, though, right? How could a man as smart, sweet, and hot as him still be single? That’s another reason why I won’t lay a hand on him, because I don’t know if he has someone waiting back home. The fact that his dick twitched for me doesn’t mean that he’ll do anything about it.
Then there’s the possessive asshole who is waiting at home for me and would make Logan’s life a living hell if he found out he ever touched me, even innocently like last night when he carried me, helping me out when my legs refused to cooperate.