“No, why? It’s not like it’s me who needs to impress him, is it? He’s seen me all slutted up before anyway.”
I opened the door and found Logan leaning against the wall scrolling through his phone. He looked up and smiled and I swore my heart stopped beating for a moment. “Come on in.”
“Hey, I’m Faith.” She held her hand out to him as I fumbled with the zipper on my suitcase.
“I remember you from the night Grace and I met.” He smiled again and shook her hand. “And I do believe I owe you a thank-you meal for talking your sister into coming to find me.”
She shrugged. “Sometimes she’s too stubborn for her own good. She just needed a little push. Besides, she was unbearable the past few months.”
I shot her a dirty look and wheeled my suitcase to the door. “Pick you up for dinner?”
She nodded, and I blew her a kiss. Logan waved and we were off again to wherever he wanted to go. As long as I was with him, I didn’t care.
“I see you brought your suitcase?” he commented as we walked.
“Should I not have? I just figured it would be easier for me to have all my clothes in one place.”
“No, I love that you brought it. That you want to be in my house, in my bed. I never want to let you out my sight.” He leaned in and kissed me.
“There you go again, saying all the right things.” I sighed and laced my fingers into his. “What are we doing today?”
“I thought breakfast and then movies in bed all day until dinner with your sister. Unless you’d rather do something else?”
“That sounds perfect.” It really did. I couldn't imagine a more perfect day.
We got bagels and orange juice at a little deli by his apartment. He grilled me about my sisters.
“So where are you in the line?” He licked a glob of cream cheese off his thumb.
“Third. Hope is the oldest, then Faith, then me, and Charity is the baby.”
“Do you see them a lot?”
“Faith I see every day, we live together. Hope I see as often as I can, she lives in the suburbs with her husband and my nephew. Charity is in England at Oxford, so we see her about once a year.”
“Oxford, huh?”
“She got all the brains in the family.” I laughed.
“Were you all close growing up?” He took a sip of his juice.
“Very. My poor dad was constantly outnumbered in the house.”
“I’m sure he loved every minute of it.”
“He did.”
I changed the subject to him. “Do you have any siblings?”
“One sister. Leah. She lives in Paris right now.”
“Paris? Do you see her a lot?”
“A few times a year. She’s in charge of the European branch of the company for now.”
“For now?” I arched a brow.
“She’s going on maternity leave in a few months.” He smiled.
“Is this the first grandchild in the family?” I blurted out.
The barest shadow flickered over his face. “No, not the first.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Are your parents in New York, too?” I asked with a little too much enthusiasm. I wanted to erase the weirdness from before.
“Yeah, they live a few blocks from me.”
He clearly did not enjoy talking about his family, I decided to let the subject drop for the time being. No need to spoil a good day.
“Tell me more about you. What do you want out of life? Where do you see yourself in ten years?”
“Is this a job interview?” I grinned as I swallowed a bite of bagel.
“I guess it could be. The job is my girlfriend, and so far you are our only applicant.”
I laughed. “I want happiness and love. A house full of laughter and children, and a man who loves me to grow old with.”
“You don’t ask for a lot do you?” He watched me intently.
“Only the world, and I’ll accept nothing less.” I stared right back.
“How many kids are we talking here?”
“I don’t know, a few. I have a thing for babies. The way they smell is heavenly.” I sighed, thinking about the way Grayson smelled after a bath.
“So less than five?” he questioned.
I coughed out a laugh. “Yes, way less than five. I’m thinking two or three.”
“I think I could work with that.”
“Does that mean I get the job?” I smiled seductively.
“Oh, Kitten, I have way more questions. I think we need to take this interview back to the apartment. The next portion will require a lot less clothing.”
I OPENED MY DOOR, EXPECTING the delivery guy, but found Smith instead. I scowled and let him in.
“I see you didn’t bother listening when I told you not to drop by?”
“When do I ever listen? Where is she?” He looked around my apartment.
“Logan?” Grace wandered out. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had someone coming over.” She looked embarrassed.
“He didn’t know I was coming. I’m Smith.” He held a hand out to her.
She smiled faintly and walked toward him. “Grace.” She shook his hand and then came to stand next to me.
“Smith is my best friend, and he apparently has a listening problem.”
Her smile widened. “Oh. It’s so nice to meet you. So, you’d be the one who could tell me all he embarrassing stories about Logan then?”
“You bet your ass I am.” He grinned and sat down in one of the overstuffed leather chairs in the living room.
“By all means, stay a while,” I said sarcastically.
“Logan, be nice,” Grace chided. “So, how long have you boys known each other.” She sat on the couch and curled her legs up under her body.
“Since grade school,” Smith answered.
“I guess you really do have all the juicy details then.”
“And then some.” He winked at me, clearly enjoying himself.
“Smith,” I warned.
“Hey, I’m not here to start any trouble. I just wanted to get a look at the woman who’s finally tamed you.” He held up his hands in defeat.
“Tamed you?” Grace arched a brow at me.
“I’ve not been a relationship kind of man in the past. Let’s just leave it at that for now.”
“I’ll take that as my cue to leave then. Grace, it was wonderful to meet you. I do hope that we can all get together before you leave.” He brushed a chaste kiss to her cheek.
“We’ll be here for a couple more days. I’m sure I’ll see you again before I we go home.” Grace smiled.
“We?” Smith arched a brow.
“My sister Faith came with me.”
“Sister, huh? And I take it she’s gorgeous like you, right?” He waggled his eyebrows.
Grace laughed.
“All right, Romeo, you were leaving, weren’t you?” I pushed Smith toward the door.
“See you later Grace.” He blew a kiss.
“I’ll just be a minute,” I said as I stepped into the hall with him. “What the hell?” I glared at him.
“Sorry, I was curious about her.” He shrugged.
“I don’t want to scare her away. She freaked out when she saw my toothbrush stash for overnight guests. I didn’t need you to remind her about all the sex I had before she came along.”
“You were kind of a man whore.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black right there. You are more promiscuous than me by far. Now get the hell out of here and don’t come over unless you’re invited.” I gave him a little shove to get him moving.
“Logan.”
“What?” I glowered at him.
“She seems like the real deal, and I’m glad to see you happy for once. Now, don't screw this one up, okay?”
I waited until he was on the elevator before going back in. Grace was still on the couch, looking out the window with a dazed expression on her face.
“Sorry about him,” I said a
pologetically.
“He seems great. Why didn’t you want him to meet me?” She frowned slightly.
“It’s not that at all, Kitten.” I sat down next to her, pulling her against me. “I just wasn’t ready for the real world to crash in on us yet. I’m enjoying our cocoon right now.”
She nodded. “I don’t want to go back to Chicago. I really don’t want to leave this apartment.”
“So don't leave.” I kissed her.
“You know I have to.” She gave me a reproachful look.
“Do you?” I nibbled her earlobe.
“Yes. I do. We talked about this last night. I’m not moving here. I have my whole life in Chicago.”
“I’m not in Chicago,” I said gently.
“Yeah, I could say the same to you about New York. Why don’t you move to Chicago then?” She laughed, throwing her hands up in the air.
I thought for a moment. It wasn't the worst idea I’d heard. I could rent an office space for six months, see how this all played out. Business could be done anywhere, and Chicago was a big city with a decent international airport.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” She tapped my nose.
“Moving to Chicago. I’ll talk to my real estate guy tomorrow and see about looking for an apartment in the city, and an office to lease for a bit,” I mused.
“What?” Her voice got all high pitched and squeaky. “I was kidding, trying to show you how absurd it was to ask me to move here after two nights together.”
“I don’t think it’s crazy at all. In fact, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Now, I won’t be able to be there all the time. Just like living here, I have to travel quite a bit. But, if you wanted, you could come along on some of the trips.”
She got up from the couch and paced in front of me. “This is crazy.” Her breathing was ragged.
“Stop. Sit down for a minute and tell me why you are freaked out about this.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her onto my lap.
“We’ve known each other for like a second. There’s no rush, right? We don't need to relocate for the other person. I want to try dating, we can see each other when we can.”
I thought for a moment. “No.”
“No?” Her brows shot up.
“Yep. Not going to happen. I’ve been without you for three months because I was stupid enough to let you walk away. Not happening again. I’m coming, and that’s all there is to it.”
She looked like she might protest again, so I sealed my mouth on hers, stealing her words.
When I finally pulled away, she looked up at me. “Are you always this bossy?”
“Always. So, you better get used to it.” Part of me worried that I was coming on too strong, but I couldn’t make myself stop. When it came to Grace, I had no scruples. I would do whatever it took to keep her.
“Are you really serious about this?” She chewed her fingernail absently.
“I’m always serious. Answer me this, could you be happy not living in the same city? Now that we’re together, could you go back to being apart?”
“No. I wasn’t happy before.”
“I thought I was happy, but I was wrong. I’ve always had my rules, kept things simple. You changed all that, Kitten.”
“I changed it?” She looked at me with those big brown eyes.
“Of course you did. Up until you, all I wanted was no strings attached. Now, I want strings, I want the whole damn ball of string. Don’t overthink; just go with your gut.” I kissed her again.
“You’re crazy, but okay. Move to Chicago.” She laughed.
“It’s cute that you think I needed your permission,” I said before hauling her over my shoulder and into my bed.
“I always get my way, Kitten,” I whispered before crushing my mouth down on hers.
LOGAN AND I WERE ON our way to pick up Faith for dinner. He had elected to take a limo so we had more space. His hand was currently snaking its way up my skirt.
“Logan,” I hissed.
“What? He can't see anything up there.” He kissed my neck.
“Good lord, you are like a horny teenager. We literally just had sex before we left.”
“Doesn’t mean I don't want you again already.” His hand continued its exploration under my skirt.
“I think you can wait until after dinner, I don’t really want Faith strolling into a car that smells like sex.” I gave him a stern look and removed his hand.
“Oh fine. I’ll be a good boy. But you better reward me for my restraint later.” He tipped my lips up to his.
“I promise I will.”
We pulled up to the hotel Faith and I were staying at and she was waiting by the curb, looking like she just stepped off of a runway.
She slid in on the other side and gave me a knowing look when she saw Logan’s hand on my thigh.
“So, Logan. What the hell was up with you letting my sister be sad for three months when you could have just called her?”
“Faith!” I shot her a dirty look.
“No, it’s fine. I like that she’s protective. Grace and I have already discussed this, so let’s just leave it as things that are meant to be happen for a reason.”
I looked up at him and was relieved to see a smile on his face. Faith could be really direct, which wasn’t always a good thing. “Be nice,” I mouthed to her. She nodded.
“What have you two been up to?”
“We’ve been discussing my move to Chicago.” He gave my thigh a light squeeze.
“You’re moving to Chicago?” Faith’s jaw dropped.
“Yes, for the time being, it’s more important for me to be with Grace than it is for me to live in New York.”
“Wow, so you’re pretty serious, then?” Faith arched a brow.
“As serious as we can be in this short of time,” he responded.
“Okay, enough with the Spanish Inquisition.” I held up my hand when she opened her mouth to say more.
“Fine.” She smiled benignly. “Where are we going for dinner?”
“A little place my friend runs. You’ll love it,” Logan answered.
We lapsed into sort of an awkward silence. “What did you do today?” I asked her.
“Went to a bar, met a guy, the usual.” She flashed her million watt smile.
“Anyone special?”
“We’ll see.”
My brows rose. This was not like her at all. Her normal response was no. “Tell me about him,” I prodded.
“Nothing much to tell yet.”
“Stop evading.”
“I’m not evading. It could be a complicated situation, that’s all.”
“You like him.” It wasn't a question. I knew my sister well enough to know what she wasn’t saying.
“I didn’t say that.” A ghost of a smile on her lips.
“You didn't not say it, either.” I grinned.
“You should have invited him along tonight.” Logan jumped into the conversation.
“No, I’m not inviting him along on a double date with my sister and the dude she’s screwing. Not enough alcohol in the world for that.”
I shot her a dirty look, but it melted when I saw the smile on Logan’s face.
“You really don’t pull any punches do you?” He shook his head.
“I don’t see the point in not saying what I feel.” She shrugged.
The limo stopped and Logan got out first and helped me and then Faith out onto the wet sidewalk.
He took my hand and we walked up the street a bit and bypassed a mile long line as we walked into the restaurant.
“I guess this place is popular?” I looked at the line and the tables crammed with people.
“Yeah, Aaron has done a great job.” He kissed my palm before snaking his arm around my waist.
We were led to the back of the restaurant and into the kitchen, where a table was set for us off to the side.
“We’re eating in the kitchen?” Faith arched a brow.
“Have you
not heard of a chef’s table? It’s typically in the kitchen,” Logan responded and pulled my chair out for me, dropping a quick kiss on my shoulder. “If you ladies will excuse me for a moment, I saw someone I need to have a word with.”
When we were alone Faith let out a breath. “Holy mother of God, Grace! He is so much hotter in a suit than he was this morning. Is he serious about moving?”
I stifled a giggle. “He really is something in a suit.” I bit my lip thinking about what he would look like when I peeled it off of him. “Yes, he’s serious. I think he might be crazy, but at this point I want to see him as much as I can.”
“With good reason.” She smiled slyly. “How’s the sex compared to the first night?”
“Amazing isn’t a strong enough word. He is what I’ve been missing my whole life. I’m not even kidding.”
“This makes me happy.”
“What? That I’m getting good sex on the regular from now on?”
“No,” she laughed. “You smiling this much. And seeing the way he looks at you. This makes me happy. I want you to be good, and you weren't before and for sure not after your night with him. You will be now.”
“Tell me more about your mystery guy.”
“Nope. I’m not going to think about him until at least tomorrow. Speaking of which, are you leaving with me tomorrow night?”
“Probably not. I may stay an extra few days to help Logan get packed up or whatever it is he needs to do. Why are you being so evasive about this?”
“I figured as much.” She grinned. “I promise I'm not being evasive. I just don't know what to make of him. He’s not what I wanted in my head. He’s as messed up as I am. He’s not a Logan, that’s for sure. He’s always gone, and he’s, I don't know, he’s fucking gorgeous. And I want him, even though I know it’s stupid to want him.”
“The heart wants what it wants,” I said softly.
“This has nothing to do with my heart, and everything to do with my hormones. Maybe I just need to go back there tonight and get him out of my system.” She ran a hand through her hair and blew out a breath.
“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to see him again before you leave tomorrow.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said noncommittally.
Logan came back in a moment later with Smith by his side.
“Sorry to crash the party, mind if I join you?” He smiled broadly.
Never Let Me Go: Part 1 Page 6