by Piper Rayne
“I’m proud of you. It takes a real man to know when he’s wrong.” Craig clasps me on the shoulder and laughs.
We walk out of Pump It Up. “Who the hell told you that? A woman, I assume?”
“Yep, and it’s the best advice I’ve ever gotten.”
We walk toward the house and I recommit to giving Nikki her space, even if I want to go to battle with her over her fear of letting someone in.
Chapter Seventeen
“What can really go wrong?”
Nikki
Six o’clock rolls around and Logan comes downstairs from his bedroom, freshly showered and smelling amazing.
“Hey, I thought I’d be ready before you.” He stops at the front table and puts his wallet and keys into his pocket.
I turn on my heel to head toward the door. “You look too good to go to a retirement center. Especially since you’re teaching self-defense.”
He makes me look shameful in my leggings and sweatshirt. Grandma Ethel will surely have something to say about my attire in front of her friends.
“I’m wearing workout clothes.” He looks down at himself as if he forgot what he was wearing.
“Yes, but your hair is styled and you smell good.”
He smirks. “So what you’re really saying is that you think I’m hot?” Before I can manage a rebuttal, he puts up his finger. “And that I smell good.”
I roll my eyes playfully because he caught me. “Let’s go.” I open the front door and we step off the porch.
“I can drive us,” he says, pulling out his keys.
“I said I’d drive.” I unlock my car.
“Well, I’d like to drive. I need to try to figure out where things are, and I haven’t ventured into Lake Starlight yet.” He presses on his key fob and the taillights of the truck he’s renting flash.
I lock my car. “Fine, but I know what you’re doing.”
He opens the passenger door for me. “And that would be?”
“You think you’re the man, so you have to drive. Like if I drive you, that somehow makes you less manly.” I slide into his truck and put on my seat belt. He stands outside and doesn’t close the door.
“You’re right.” He shuts the door and rounds the back of the truck.
My jaw is still hanging open when he slides into his seat. “You actually admit it?”
He turns the key in the ignition while his gaze remains on me. “I know it might be chauvinistic, but it’s just my belief. It doesn’t mean I think I’m the better driver. I just feel like it’s my job as your husband to drive you.”
“You don’t believe women are bad drivers?” That would be a deal breaker.
He laughs and puts the truck in gear. “No. Not at all.”
I blow out a breath and ignore the small part of me that likes him wanting to drive me around. Ever since I can remember, I’ve taken care of myself. My mom is great and did more than what she needed to when I was growing up, but since moving out of her house, I’ve taken things on myself. I’m not like my sisters or stepsisters, who usually call one of our brothers when we need something heavy lifted or need something hung at the house. It’s nice to have someone take care of me for once, even if it is just driving.
“So do you have a game plan?” I ask as we leave Sunrise Bay and head toward Lake Starlight.
He laughs. “I looked up some stuff and Craig gave me some tips. But I’m gonna be honest, I can’t very well flip one of them over my shoulder to demonstrate. I’m not sure I’m equipped to do this class.”
I bite my lip. How the hell does anyone teach a bunch of elderly people self-defense? “Surely you have something like pinch this and that and the person will go down.”
He glances at me. “Ethel and Dori could probably beat the shit out of me in a dark alley.”
“Only because you wouldn’t fight back.”
He shrugs. “True, but the two of them together are scary. They’d scare any criminal.”
I laugh because he’s right. There are times I want to scream at Ethel to stop talking about her late husband and the sex they had. She’s very open, which is great, but I don’t want to picture it.
“Probably. Take a right here, then you’ll see the entrance.” I touch his thigh without thinking. His strong leg muscle flexes and I think better of it and remove my hand. “Thank you for doing this, by the way.”
“It’s not a problem. Ethel and Dori have been nothing but nice to me since I got here.”
A mile down the road, he turns into the long driveway of Northern Lights Retirement Center.
He parks the truck as I glance at the building. “I’ll just apologize now for whatever happens in there.”
He turns off the ignition and slides out of the truck. I open my door and join him where he was coming to let me out. “What can really go wrong?”
I raise my eyebrows at him and shake my head. “Remember that when we’re leaving and you’re so distraught, I’m the one driving home.”
He swings his arm around my shoulders to pull me closer. “Never gonna happen.”
Oh, how innocent he is now.
We walk into the lobby and I can already hear someone bossing someone else around in the main room.
The program director, Leann, approaches us. “When your grandma told me about this, I was skeptical, but…” Her gaze greedily swallows up Logan. “I think it will be good for them and they’ll trust someone like you. They’ve spent the afternoon watching your last fight.”
Could she at least try to hide her attraction to Logan? I remind myself I have nothing to be jealous of—I’m not even invested in this marriage. But Leann doesn’t know that.
“That was amazing when you got him pinned,” she says.
Logan smiles. “Good to know someone thinks I’m talented. This one sat there filing her nails.” Logan points his thumb at me.
“Oh, we saw a glimpse of you and Molly. I have no idea how you just sat there uninterested,” Leann says.
“It’s not really my thing.” I hook my arm through Logan’s because he may not really be my man, but hell if I’m gonna stand here while some woman who thinks he is flirts with him.
He glances at my arm and smirks. “She’s lying. It turns her on. She was all over me that night.”
I stare at him with my most bored expression. Although he has a memory of that portion of the night and I don’t, I’m embarrassed just thinking about how I might’ve been when we had sex.
Leann is quiet for a moment, then she smiles at me. “Anyway, let’s get you in there.”
We follow her to the room for big events. There’s a mat on the ground in front of the residents. Some are in wheelchairs and others are sitting in chairs with canes hanging off the back of them.
“Shh, everyone, my granddaughter is here.” Ethel stands and walks over to us. “And her husband, Logan Stone.”
The room cheers for Logan but not for me. Whatever. Let’s see what they think of him after he breaks someone’s hip.
Logan waves as if he just entered the ring and I say hello.
“I’m so excited. Leann put out the mats. Do you want me to go first?” Ethel asks.
Logan looks at me. “How about I just use Nikki to demonstrate?”
“What?” My mouth drops open. I thought I’d be a spectator.
Ethel looks me up and down. “Isn’t that why you’re dressed like that?”
I shake my head. “Why would I need to dress up to come here?”
Ethel touches my neckline. “A necklace would have at least made you look a little nicer.”
“A necklace with my yoga pants and sweatshirt? I’ll remember that next time.” I look at her. “What about your leisure suit?”
She straightens the elastic waistband of the zip-up pink jacket that matches her pants. “I match. And my hair is done.”
“So is mine.”
She touches my ponytail. “It’s pulled up.”
I glance at Logan. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
I strip off my sweatshirt and drop it on a table, then I walk to the mat and take off my shoes. “Flip me around,” I tell Logan.
“That’s what she said,” a man says, and everyone laughs.
Ethel goes back and sits down. I love the woman, but sometimes I understand the phrase “drive you to drink.”
“What does your T-shirt say?” Midge, who Ethel’s brought around a few times, lowers her glasses and leans forward.
I straighten my shirt. “It says, ‘Don’t mind me, I’m here for the tea.’”
“You drink tea?” Midge asks. “Which kind? I only drink herbal. Once my daughter-in-law sent me this tea box with all these flavors, and I had one before bed. I was up all night.”
“Oh no, tea means gossip.”
Midge’s forehead crinkles and she pushes up her black-rimmed glasses.
“What did she say?” the old man to her right says. “I was distracted while I was reading her shirt.”
My head swivels to Logan and he bites his lip from laughing so hard.
“Shouldn’t my husband stick up for me?” I whisper, although I’m not sure I had to for them not to hear me.
“She said she likes tea and gossip,” Midge says.
“No. Tea means gossip,” I correct, but Midge doesn’t hear me.
Logan places his hand on my bicep and pulls me back. “You can’t blame the man.”
Logan ogles my chest, and I narrow my eyes. He laughs and tears off his sweatshirt. His T-shirt is one of his own—Logan “The Pit Bull” Stone. It’s faded as if he’s worn it a million times and, damn, he looks sexy in it.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Logan Stone.” He gives a small wave. “I’m a professional MMA fighter.”
“We saw you earlier. Enjoy those women with the signs now because your body doesn’t stay fit forever,” the man who was talking to Midge says.
Midge smacks him over the head. “He’s a married man.”
“Married to who?” the man asks.
“Nikki. Ethel’s granddaughter.” She points at me.
“The one who drinks tea?” he asks, and I sigh, my head falling back.
“Tea means…” I wave it off. “Forget it.”
“Isaac and Midge, be quiet and let the poor man show you how to defend yourself,” Leann, the activities director, scolds them.
Isaac stands with the aid of his cane. “You want to know how I defend myself?” He pulls out the top of his cane to show a knife. A sizable one that looks shiny and sharp.
Logan instinctively moves back and throws an arm around my waist like a mom does in a car when she brakes too fast.
“We’re not young like you.” The man looks to a few men for confirmation and they all nod, holding up their canes.
I better warn Ethel and Dori to cool it with the sarcasm around here.
“Oh boy, I’m not sure you’re allowed to have those in here.” Leann steps forward.
Isaac puts the knife back, holding the cane to his body.
“This is what I do.” A woman digs her hand into her bra, revealing a can of mace. She holds it out in front of her with her finger on the nozzle.
“Oh, that’s great,” I say, inching forward to get her finger off the canister, but she presses it.
Logan tackles me to the floor, covering his body with mine.
“OOOUUCCCHHHH!” the woman screams, and Leann rushes over.
I glimpse over Logan’s shoulder and see the poor woman has sprayed herself in the eyes.
“I’ll be back. Come on, Olive, we’ll get the eye cleaner, and I’ll call 911.” Leann leaves us.
Logan’s still on top of me. The weight of his body feels too nice. Our eyes lock and heat funnels straight between my thighs.
“Thank you,” I say a little breathlessly.
“I think she likes more than tea,” Isaac says.
Logan laughs, rises flawlessly from the floor, and offers me his hand. Man, he makes it hard not to sleep with him.
“Flip her on her back again,” a woman who I think is Dori yells.
“Ready?” Logan asks, getting into position. “I won’t hurt you.”
“Okay.”
He grabs my arm, tugging me into his body, then he swipes my legs out from under me. This time he’s got me on my stomach with my arms spread above my head.
“I like that position. What’s it called? Doggie-style, right?” Isaac asks.
“Such dirty minds,” Midge says with disapproval in her tone.
“That’s not what you said last night,” he says, and Midge’s glasses fog up.
Logan helps me back up and I raise my eyebrows.
“Was I right?” I whisper.
He laughs again. “This is the most fun I’ve had since I got here.”
I tilt my head. “Why’s that?”
“Because I get to fling you around. There’s only one bad part.”
“Do I even want to know?”
“We’re fully clothed.”
I’m certain there’s no hiding my flushed face.
Damn it if I don’t feel exactly the same. And that’s a problem.
Chapter Eighteen
“Admit it to yourself at least, if you won’t to me.”
Logan
The minute I tell Nikki it’s the best night of my visit, she shuts down. I show a few moves to the seniors, but in truth, they’re probably better with their knives and mace. One woman said she carries a stun gun. By the time we’re all served ice cream as if this is a Boy Scout meeting, a small part of me thinks I should put up a sign in the community to warn would-be criminals about them.
We’re seated around a few tables, and I’m with the guy named Isaac and another guy named Earl. All they seem to care about is whether the boobs on the women who hold up the signs in the ring are real.
“I honestly don’t know,” I answer again, my gaze straying over to Nikki, who’s still trying to explain to Midge that tea isn’t actual tea. She should give up that fight now.
Earl leans in. “Come on. We won’t tell Nikki or Ethel. Look at you, you’re telling me you’ve never had sex with one of them?” He looks at Isaac. “I don’t believe this guy.”
I shake my head, scooping my chocolate ice cream out of the dish. I’m not getting into it with these two. “How about we change topics?”
“Okay, how many women do you get on a weekly basis?” Isaac asks. “Do you believe in reincarnation? Because I’d like to come back as you.”
I laugh and finish off my ice cream, leaning back in the chair. “I’m a married man.” I hold up my hand, showing off the ring I bought for myself so we can continue this charade.
So many times, I’ve wanted to tell Nikki the truth that I couldn’t care less about our deal and I’m here to see where this goes. But she’s made it clear that she can’t handle, or doesn’t want to handle, anything to do with her heart.
When I pinned her, I felt her rapid heartbeat and the way she sighed when my weight was over her. The slight movement she made underneath me like maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing if we did this when we weren’t in front of a group of elderly people watching our every move. I want to confront her, but she’s still far from ready. Every time I think we’ve made progress, she retreats.
“Fine, you can come back by yourself some other day and tell us the real story.” Isaac winks.
I laugh. “I’m serious. I’m not the type to sleep around.”
Isaac winks again. “Sure, you aren’t.”
“I hope you’re telling the truth because if I were you, I wouldn’t want Ethel or Dori on my back for anything I did. They’re scary, especially as a team.” Earl scoops his ice cream, looking at the women in question.
Isaac waves. “Don’t listen to him, he likes Dori. If he could stay awake long enough, maybe they could get it on.” Isaac laughs at his own joke.
“I have narcolepsy, okay? It’s beyond my control.”
Isaac rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”
“Midge is blin
d once you take her glasses off and that’s the only reason she sleeps with you,” Earl hammers back.
I stand to excuse myself before I have any more visuals thrust into my head that will keep me up tonight. “It’s been a pleasure, guys. I’m sure I’ll be back.”
“I’m sure you will. Ethel’s always swindling her grandkids to come in and do something with us,” Earl says and waves.
Isaac crooks his finger for me to get closer. “Get me some pictures next time and I’ll pay you ten dollars.”
I pat him on the shoulder. “You’re a funny man, Isaac.”
I disregard his question and leave to go join my wife. Taking a chair, I turn it around and straddle it next to Nikki. She glances at me, smiles, and looks at her table.
“Are you ready to go?” she asks.
“No rush. Whenever.”
She finishes her ice cream quickly as though she wants to go. “Thanks, Grandma and Dori. Hope you enjoyed Logan.”
“Not as much as you’re going to.” Midge lowers her glasses and checks me out. “I wish I had a quarter to bounce off that butt.”
“Midge!” Nikki squeaks and her eyes widen.
“I might be old and wrinkly, but I’m still a woman.” She pushes her glasses back up.
I smile tentatively.
“You’ve scared the poor boy,” Dori says. “Go, you two. Have fun at home. Be watchful of Sheriff Miller, no erratic driving.” She waves her finger.
Nikki pushes at my side. “We need to go.”
“Bye, everyone.” I wave and they all wave back, saying their goodbyes.
Once we’re outside, Nikki stops touching me, as though we’re strangers again, and my body runs cold.
“They’re good people, just a little odd, that’s all.” I open the door of the truck and she climbs in.
“Thanks again,” she says, and I shut the door, rounding the truck.
My annoyance is getting the better of me. I really don’t want to have an outburst with her, but I’m done with this standoffish side of her every time we grow closer.
I pull out of the parking lot, out to the main road of Lake Starlight. We pass the infamous resort, Glacier Point, the small-town shops, then we’re on the highway back to Sunrise Bay. Lake Starlight is nice and maybe I’m not impartial, but I like that Sunrise Bay doesn’t have parking in the square, you have to park outside of it. It’s safer for the kids and families.