Monroe, Marla - Long, Lonely Nights [The Protectors 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Marla Monroe

  The workday loomed ahead of her. She needed to talk to Logan as soon as possible. What would she say though? I really enjoyed last night. Why didn’t you stay with me? She swallowed the last of her coffee and rinsed the cup out in the sink. The clock showed it to be a quarter till eight. She was going to be late. She grabbed her purse and satchel and locked the kitchen door behind her.

  Jenna met her in the office with a cup of coffee and a worried look on her face.

  “Are you okay? You’re never late.”

  “I’m fine. I over slept is all.” Tina didn’t want to talk about Logan right then, maybe later over lunch.

  “You’ve got something on your mind.” Jenna grinned. “Or is that someone? Is there something I should know about?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it now. We’ll talk over lunch.” Tina shooed Jenna out of the office and settled down to work.

  Yet her thoughts still sifted through the night before and what she might have done or said that would have made Logan leave. She hadn’t held back when he began pounding into her. When he spanked her she’d nearly come right then. She needed the fast hard sex sometimes, and he had given it to her. Was that why he had left? Because she had let herself go? Shame brought heat to her face.

  It didn’t matter now. What was done was done. She would go see him as soon as she got off work and talk to him. She wasn’t going to allow time to pass by and make things worse. He needed to know how she felt about him. She wanted to tell him how good he had made her feel. Just the thought of what he had done to her soon had her panties wet with her juices. A little shiver ran down her spine. No, she was definitely going to talk it out with him after work.

  Jenna met her at the corner deli at a little before one. They each ordered grilled chicken salads. The little deli held six bar stools around the counter and six tables with four chairs each. There were only two empty tables when Tina and Jenna sat down. The noise wasn’t unbearable, but it would cover their conversation to anyone sitting close by. Unless they were trying to hear, that is.

  “So, tell me everything,” Jenna demanded.

  “There really isn’t anything to tell. He came over to warn me not to sit on the balcony while Logan and Morgan were there. I hadn’t thought about them seeing me.” She blushed at the thought.

  “You were on the balcony in your night gown again?” Jenna laughed. “Isn’t that how you got into this mess in the first place?”

  “Oh, shut up.”

  “So, he came over…”

  “Well, one thing led to another, and we had sex.” Tina took a bite from her salad.

  “You’re not getting out of it that easily. Details.” Jenna sipped her Diet Coke.

  “I’m not going into details here,” Tina said with a smile.

  “So, did you get some early morning nookie, too?”

  “No. He didn’t stay last night. That has me worried.”

  Jenna frowned. “What did he say?”

  “I fell asleep and this morning when I woke up, he was gone. He hadn’t slept in the bed with me either.” Tina toyed with her fork.

  “That is odd. Maybe he didn’t want to assume it was okay for him to stay the night.”

  “I guess that’s possible,” Tina hoped that was the reason, but something inside her said it wasn’t.

  “Why else might he have not stayed?”

  “I’m trying to think of a reason, too. I mean maybe it’s because I’m not the type of woman he wants. Maybe I’m good enough for sex, but not good enough for a relationship.” Tina cringed at the thought.

  “Nonsense. I know that isn’t the reason. If anything, he would think he isn’t the right man for you,” Jenna said.

  “Maybe you’re right. Maybe he thinks I want someone quieter. You know, someone different because of my stalker.”

  “You, quiet? I can’t see you as being the quiet type.” Jenna frowned. “At least you didn’t use to be. I’m hoping the old you is back now that all that is over with.”

  “I’m back and ready for life again. And I want Logan to be in it,” Tina said.

  “Are you in love with him, Tina?”

  “I don’t know. I know I’m in lust with him. I enjoy being around him, and he turns me on like no one ever has before.”

  “Be careful. He’s a little rough around the edges and strikes me as a love them and leave them type of guy.” She held up her hand. “Nothing wrong with that. Just don’t let it blind side you later, is all I’m saying.”

  “I know. I’ve already had that talk with myself. I just want to enjoy it while it lasts. He’s a wonderful lover.”

  “Okay, enough of that. I don’t have anyone right now,” she laughed.

  “That is next on the agenda, too, finding you someone who will treat you right.”

  They grinned and concentrated on eating their salads and getting back to work. Tina was convinced she would settle everything once she got home from work. Everything would work out fine.

  * * * *

  “What in the hell is wrong with you today?” Riley asked when Logan threw down the wrench he was using on his truck.

  “Nothing. Damn thing slipped.”

  Logan had decided to change the oil in his truck and replace the air filter and hoses as well. Anything to keep his mind off of Tina and last night. Fuck! What was he going to do about her?

  “Right.” Riley picked up the wrench and handed it back to Logan. “So where did you disappear to last night?”

  “What are you talking about?” Logan asked without looking up.

  “You were sitting outside, and then when your neighbor stood up, you left.”

  “You saw her?” Logan’s head shot up from under the hood hitting it in the process. “Shit.”

  Riley smothered a laugh, but couldn’t hide his grin. Logan growled at him.

  “Couldn’t help but see her sitting out there. Morgan don’t know what he missed.” Riley jumped back when Logan swiped the wrench at him.

  “Hey, man. Just kidding. What is it with you?”

  “She is. I don’t know what in the hell I’m going to do about her.” Logan wiped his hands on a shop rag.

  “I thought so. You went over there last night, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah. I planned on telling her to stay off her balcony while you and Morgan were here, but things got out of hand.”

  “Out of hand how?” Riley asked.

  “I kissed her,” Riley said.

  “And one thing led to another…” Riley prompted.

  “Yeah.”

  “So what’s the big deal? You’ve already had sex with her before.”

  “This time I treated her like a whore. She’s not going to want to see me again after last night.”

  “What do you mean? Did you pay her?” Riley asked.

  “Hell no!” Logan bit out.

  “Well then, how did you treat her like a whore?”

  “I was rough with her.” Logan ran a dirty hand through his hair. “Hell, I spanked her.”

  Riley laughed. “Did she like it?”

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t even thinking at the time. I was just…”

  “What did she say afterwards?”

  Logan shrugged. “Not a lot. Then she fell asleep.”

  “If she fell asleep, I don’t think you hurt her. She’d have been all over your ass if you had hurt her, Logan.”

  Logan swallowed and huffed out a breath. Maybe Riley was right. She’d said it had felt good, but she hadn’t said much more than that. When he found her asleep, he panicked and figured he’d screwed up. She had already been gone when he’d gotten up this morning, so he couldn’t check on her. He would go over and check on her as soon as she got home. If she wanted to bitch at him then fine. He more than deserved it.

  Something niggled at the back of his mind. What if she had liked it? What if she could handle his dark side, even if only a little bit? The idea lifted his spirits some. Then he remembered what she had been through with the attacks. How
could he treat her so roughly after that? She deserved to be treated like a queen with soft hands and gentle touches.

  “Talk to her. Be honest with her. If she isn’t interested, fine, but you’re not going to know if you don’t talk to her,” Riley advised.

  “I thought I could leave her alone. Just let her live her life and stay away from her, but I can’t do it. Last night proved that. I lost it when I saw her sitting outside in her gown.”

  “You’re in love with her, man. Nothing you can do about it but accept it.”

  “Say you’re right, and she says she likes a little rough sex. What happens when she figures out that I’m rough all the way through? I’m not some refined man who dresses nice and goes to parties.”

  “You’ve known her ever since you moved in. Does she dress up and go to parties?” Riley asked.

  “No, but she’s been holed up in her house ever since the attack, so who knows what she’s really like? Now that she doesn’t have anything to be frightened of, she might turn out to be that kind of woman.” Logan picked up the oil wrench and a screwdriver and wiped them off with the shop rag.

  “Yeah, I guess she might at that, but you’re not going to know unless you talk to her.” Riley handed Logan another screwdriver.

  “Okay. I’ll talk to her when she gets in from work. I guess it can’t hurt anything. She’s probably pissed at me regardless because I didn’t stay afterwards. It’s not the first time I’ve left after sex.”

  Riley held up his hands palms out. “Hey, don’t look at me. I always stay over for some of that morning lovin’.”

  “Asshole.”

  Logan finished gathering up trash and putting away his tools while Riley wiped down the sides of the truck where they had left greasy prints while working on it. They both needed showers. Riley opted to ride over to his hotel room to take one.

  “Remember, you won’t know unless you try.” Riley started the bike and rode off.

  Logan snorted at that. He was going to need a lot of luck talking with Tina. He wasn’t sure how he would approach her, but he knew he needed to let her settle in first. Women didn’t like to be jumped on when they first got home from work. He looked at his watch. It was nearly four in the afternoon. He would take a shower then chill out with a beer and see what was on TV.

  He knew her usual routine now. From the time she got home to when she settled in for the night. Sometimes she would fix a glass of wine while she cooked, and sometimes she would eat take out and sit and read.

  He could imagine sitting on the couch next to her giving her a foot rub while she read. Maybe graduate to a shoulder massage that would lead into something more. He could almost smell her arousal as he thought about how she made those little mewing sounds when she came. He liked knowing that he had given them to her. Liked knowing he was responsible for her climaxes.

  Who am I trying to fool here? She isn’t going to want someone like me – rough around the edges. Even if she does it won’t last long. Just until the novelty of fucking someone like me wears off.

  Logan shook his head and headed for the shower. She would be home in a little over an hour, and he’d find out for certain where he stood with her.

  * * * *

  Tina glanced at her watch for the twentieth time in the last thirty minutes. Still twenty minutes left. She wasn’t getting anything done watching the clock. She was acting like a schoolgirl getting ready for her first date. Sheesh. She was over thirty years old, and this wasn’t even a date. No, but it might be the rest of your life. Yeah, right. What can you offer someone like Logan anyway?

  He had lived an exciting life. Gone places and seen things. She had never been much of anywhere outside of Texas. He was sexually experienced, and she was a novice compared to him. What could he want in a virtual sexual virgin? Tina shook her head. This was ridiculous. She would go talk to him and then she’d know one way or the other if they could try out a relationship.

  What if he didn’t want a relationship? He might only want a quick fuck now and then. Could she handle that? Tina rubbed her face with both hands. Face it. You’re in love with him, and you’ll take any crumb he throws your way. Tina checked her watch again. Only ten more minutes.

  “You’re watching the clock, aren’t you,” Jenna said as she walked in the office.

  “I’m about to hyperventilate here.”

  “Calm down. Everything will be fine. He’s crazy about you. He proved that when he kept you safe from that lowlife stalker.” Jenna sat on the edge of the desk.

  “I hope you’re right. I mean saving people is what he did for a living when he was in the army. It just comes naturally to him to protect, you know? It doesn’t mean he really likes me.”

  “Believe me. The man is serious about you.”

  Tina took a deep breath and nodded. “I guess I’m about to go see.”

  “Don’t jump out of your car and go right over there,” Jenna said.

  “Why not?” She asked.

  “Because, you want to be relaxed when you talk to him. If you go over there like you are now, you aren’t going to be able to make a bit of sense. Take a shower or a bath, and put on something comfortable. Then go over there and tell him how you feel about him.” Jenna stood up. “And remember to tell him how much you love the sex. It feeds their ego.” She winked at Tina.

  “I don’t know if I’ll live through taking a bath or not. I’m so nervous now, I’m about to shake out of my shoes.”

  “Trust me. You will feel a lot better after a nice relaxing bath. He isn’t going anywhere. He lives there.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Tina looked at her watch and sighed in relief. Time to go.

  She hugged Jenna then grabbed her bag and satchel out of her desk drawer. The drive home took forever with traffic conspiring against her. It was after five thirty when she finally made it home. She couldn’t stop her eyes from wandering over to Logan’s house. His truck was there, good. She snapped her attention back to her house and concentrated on unlocking the door and getting inside without making a fool of herself.

  She was halfway up the stairs before she realized she hadn’t put down her purse or satchel. She backtracked and dropped her purse off in the kitchen on the bar and her work satchel in the office. Then she hurried up the stairs and nearly fell when she caught her heel on the edge of a stair. She hadn’t remembered to take off her shoes either. She was a wreck. Perhaps a bath was a good idea after all.

  Twenty minutes later, Tina pulled the stopper from the tub with her toes and stood up. She grabbed a towel and began drying off. She pulled on her robe and walked into the bedroom to figure out what to put on when the doorbell rang. Frowning, she wondered who it could be. Surly Jenna hadn’t come over knowing she was going to confront Logan. She slipped into her house shoes and hurried down the stairs. She reached the door in the kitchen as the doorbell rang again. Tina unlocked the door and opened it without looking to see who it was.

  Logan stood on the other side of the door looking good enough to eat, except for the scowl on his face.

  “You didn’t check to see who it was. Haven’t you learned anything?” he growled.

  “I-I was on my way to come see you,” she stuttered.

  “Like that?” He asked.

  Tina looked down at herself and blushed. “Well, I was going to put on some clothes.”

  Logan walked into the kitchen and closed the door, locking it behind him.

  “Why were you coming to see me?” He asked.

  “We need to talk.” Tina held her robe tightly closed feeling suddenly shy around him.

  “I agree.” He took her elbow and guided her into the living room. “Sit down.”

  “I owe you an apology for leaving you like I did last night,” he said.

  “Why did you leave? I looked for you next to me when I woke up.”

  “I’m sorry. I watched you sleep for the longest time wishing I could curl up around you.” Logan ran a hand through his hair. “Thing is, I was emb
arrassed about how I’d treated you. I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping with you.”

  “What do you mean how you treated me? I’ve never come so hard in my life.” Tina squirmed on the couch.

  “Tina, I’m a rough man. I,” he paced away from the couch, but didn’t turn around. “I like sex a little rough.”

  Tina closed her eyes and sighed. She could handle this. If that was all that had him worried, they would be fine.

  “So do I.”

  Logan turned around and stared at her. “I don’t think you understand. I’m not talking about a little slap and tickle. I’m talking about hard core sex.”

  “I know. I like rough sex. I’ve never been satisfied with plain vanilla sex. Until the stalker turned up, I spent a lot of time at some of the rougher clubs because I couldn’t find what I needed to get me off in normal sex.” There, she’s said it. She had told him about her sordid past.

  “I’ll turn that bottom red if I ever catch you going to any of those places again,” Logan growled. His face held a stern look.

  Tina was wet just from his ultimatum. The idea of him spanking her turned her on. Maybe it hadn’t mattered to him that she was so vocal during sex, demanding what she wanted. Maybe they had a chance.

  “If I can’t get what I need any other way…” she let it trail off watching for Logan’s reaction.

  “You don’t need to go anywhere. I can give you what you need,” he said.

  “I don’t know if you can handle me or not, Logan. I’m headstrong and demanding.”

  “I’m really good with meting out punishment for headstrong, demanding women.”

  “So you think you can handle me?” she asked.

  Logan smiled a lethal looking smile and grabbed her by the hair. He used it to pull her to her feet. Then he grabbed her by the nape of her neck and pulled her into his arms.

  “I know I can handle you. Can you take what I dish out?”

  “I can take anything you throw at me.” Tina pushed against him.