Summer with the Soldier

by Amy Lamont

  What the heck? I had no clue who was standing up on my deck, but my entire body sure seemed to recognize him. Every nerve ending felt stimulated and sensitized to the point of almost pain. Without even realizing it, I took a step forward.

  “Is that a friend of yours?”

  The voice at my side brought me back to my senses. I turned to look at Will, blinking as if that would clear the daze I’d fallen into.

  “What?”

  “The guy that just walked in. Is he a friend? Boyfriend?”

  I stared up at him for several long seconds, zero clue as to what he was talking about. Then his words hit me.

  Geez, I was standing next to Will Canter and some random guy was stealing my attention. What the heck was wrong with me?

  I shook my head, more to shake off the fog that seemed to have invaded my mind. “Sorry. No, no boyfriend.”

  “Then who is that?” He lifted his chin toward the back of the house.

  I turned my gaze back to the deck where the crowd had started to disperse. “I have no—”

  I broke off abruptly when I saw Katelyn practically hanging off the newcomer. Something clicked in my brain, but before I could put it all together, the stranger turned his head so I could see him full on.

  “Logan!” The word flew from my lips. “Oh my God, it’s Logan!”

  Before I made the decision to do it, my feet carried me forward.

  “Sorry,” I called over my shoulder. “My best friend’s brother. He’s been deployed for over a year.”

  Without waiting for an answer, I bounded over the sand toward the back deck. Logan’s back was to me by the time I made it to him. I tapped him on the shoulder.

  Logan whirled around and snatched my wrist in a tight grip. I gasped as pain shot up my arm.

  “Logan!” Katelyn cried out.

  “Easy buddy.” Hunter’s hand came down on Logan’s shoulder and in an instant he let go of me.

  “Jesus, Jade, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

  I stared up into his face and my reaction to him erased rational thought. My whole body responded to him. It was as if I could feel the blood rushing through my veins. My heartbeat sped up and all I could do was stare.

  “Jade, did I hurt you?” Logan reached out and ran light fingers over the spot where he’d grabbed me. My gaze dropped and followed the path of his fingers up and down my wrist.

  I blinked. It was as if the nerve endings in my hand had a direct line to my lady bits. Every part of me tingled.

  “Jade?” Katelyn’s worried tone brought me to my senses.

  I shook my head. Holy crap, this was Logan, for goodness sake. What was wrong with me?

  “Sorry. No, you didn’t hurt me.” I turned my eyes up to his and my heart almost broke.

  No wonder I didn’t recognize him right away. He didn’t look like the same man who had joined the Army seven years ago. Gone was the mischievous twinkle in his eyes and the prankster grin that always played over his lips.

  In their place, a cold emptiness. His cheeks were gaunt, cheekbones standing out prominently and giving him a rough, edgy look I’d never seen on him before. His mouth was a slash, his lips tilted in a smile that seemed almost cold. His body had gotten harder, leaner, more muscular. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say he was filling out a T-shirt quite nicely these days.

  But it was hard to dwell on that when faced with the changes wrought by three deployments in seven years. An ache twisted my heart. Logan and I had always been alike. He’d always been up for fun, and if nothing presented itself, he created the fun.

  “Are you sure?” Logan asked.

  Finally I saw some flicker of emotion in his blue, blue eyes. Worry and something else. A tiny whisper of the Logan I grew up with.

  And I knew in that instant that the best thing I could do for Logan was remind him of who he used to be, and who he still was to us.

  I pulled in a shuddering breath through my nose and pushed aside any worry or sadness over the changes in him. He needed us to be the same for him.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine, Logan. Geez, do you think you have some kind of super human strength?”

  He rewarded me with a grin. Not the same grin as before, but I’d take it.

  I propped a hand on my hip. “Am I ever getting a hug? Or is manhandling the way you say hello these days?”

  I regretted the reminder of what just happened the instant the words left my mouth. The grin dropped from his face and the cold seeped back in.

  No, no, no. I wouldn’t have it.

  “Give me a break, Logan.” I lurched forward and jumped at him. He had no choice but to open his arms. “You need to learn how to take a joke, Soldier.”

  His arms closed around me and held me tight. I wrapped my arms around his neck and wanted to hold on forever.

  “I’m so happy you’re home,” I whispered in his ear. “Is it for good?”

  “Afraid not, Sweet Pea.”

  I shivered. The old nickname whispered in my ear with that deep, gravel voice gave me chills. My body continued to react in ways never before elicited by Logan. My nipples perked up and pressed into his chest. My heart beat in double time. I fought to keep my breathing from getting erratic.

  What the hell? I could not respond like this to my best friend’s big brother.

  I eased myself back from him, bracing my hands on his chest. “How long do we get to keep you?”

  He grinned and my breath left me. For a sweet instant, pure old Logan returned. And that grin, that look of his that invited you in to enjoy the joke with him, set in the soldier’s face, almost brought me to my knees.

  “I get two weeks R&R before I have to go back to my unit.” His eyes darkened and the grin dimmed.

  Shit, shit, shit. I didn’t want to know what happened to him that made him look like that at just the mention of his unit.

  I shoved down whatever weird feelings had surfaced and painted over it all with sheer determination. Katelyn was my best friend and as such, her brother got my loyalty. Besides that, Logan had always treated me and Paige and Emma with the same mixture of affection and exasperation he’d treated his little sister. The Logan I knew and loved for as long as I could remember had been replaced by this blank faced soldier and I did not like it. Not one little bit.

  From here on out I was making it my mission to find my Logan. I knew he was there, somewhere underneath the world-weary, war-hardened soldier.

  I sidled up to him and linked my arm through his. I offered him a grin that was pure invitation. “We can get into a lot of trouble in two weeks.”

  He stared down at me for long moments before I saw a crack in the mask. A little of the old Logan mischief turned up a corner of his mouth. “Same old Jade, I see.”

  “You know. I’ve been hearing that a lot tonight.” I wrinkled my nose at him and offered him my pouty-faced head tilt. “I'm beginning to think it’s not meant as a compliment.”

  His tipped up lips turned into a flat-out grin. “I'm pretty sure you’re wrong. I’m betting it was meant as nothing but praise.”

  His eyes filled with warmth as they traced my upturned face. I swallowed. Hard. Then reminded myself—again—that this man was my best friend’s brother. He didn’t need the girl he thought of as another little sister making googly eyes at him.

  I shook my head and batted my eyelashes at him. “Of course, you’re right. What was I thinking? I'm fabulous.”

  He laughed, a deep, rich chuckle that made me feel like I’d just won the lottery and an Academy Award.

  “You are pretty fabulous, Jade Roberts.”

  Chapter 3

  I spent the next thirty minutes glued to Logan’s side. I threw this party every year to give my friends a good time. From what I could see, nobody needed to have a good time as much as Logan Murphy.

  We started at the bar.

  “Sex on the Beach is the drink of the night,” I informed him.

  He shook his head, the remnants of the grin he’d g
raced me with still teasing his lips. “Of course it is.”

  "Not your thing?"

  His response was a sardonic glance and a single raised eyebrow.

  I laughed. “Okay, tough guy. What’s your poison? Whiskey, tequila, gin?”

  I swear the tough guy soldier standing next to me rolled his eyes. I controlled the desire to do my happy dance.

  He shook his head at me and turned to the bartender.

  “You have beer back there?”

  In a second, the bartender plunked a bottle of beer in front of Logan, condensation frosting the sides.

  “Thanks, man.” Logan picked up the bottle and stared at it just a little too long before bringing it to his mouth, tipping his head and taking a long pull.

  I watched, fascinated by the sight of his throat working up and down, tendons standing out. Dear Lord, what had this man been doing since I'd seen him last? Even his throat looked strong and hard.

  “God, that’s good.” Logan stared at the bottle in his hand a little more.

  “Geez, Logan, if that bottle was a woman, I’d be telling you to get a room already.”

  He laughed and turned to lean back against the bar. “Let’s just say I’ve learned to appreciate some of life’s simpler pleasures lately.”

  My heart squeezed in my chest, and I was hit once again with the knowledge of all the luxuries that were handed to me. All the things Logan had been missing out on during his deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

  “Okay, give me the list. Ice cold beer, check. What else have you been missing?”

  He eyed me for a second before he turned to look at the crowd on the beach. “Let’s see. Top three would have to be bacon cheeseburgers, my mom’s lasagna, and...” he lifted his bottle and gestured to the whole party with a flick of his wrist, “hanging out like this with friends and family.”

  Pleasure flowed over me in waves. I’d given him one of his top three wishes without even trying. I couldn’t have planned things better if I’d known he was coming home.

  “Ha! I really am fabulous. I’m like a genie. You’ve got friends and family.” I waved my hand to indicate the party full of people we grew up with. “And I’m sure your mom already has two pans of lasagna in the oven if she knows you’re coming home.” I tilted my head toward him, raising my eyebrows in question. He responded with a nod. “So, your lasagna is as good as done. And if I’m not mistaken...” I beckoned to a waiter across the tent and the young man immediately changed directions to head our way. “Wish number three is about to be granted.”

  The waiter arrived. Instead of grabbing an hors d’oeuvre from his tray, I stole the entire tray.

  “A little hungry, Jade?”

  I looked up into Logan’s smirk. “No. I’m granting your third wish.”

  I snatched a mini burger from the tray and held it up to his mouth. Logan shook his head, but bit into the burger gamely.

  And his eyes promptly fell closed, a groan rumbling from down deep.

  Holy crap. I think I just had an orgasm. Logan Murphy sporting a hard body unlike anything I’ve seen before with his head thrown back and that sound—oh my God, that sound—coming from him. My toes curled against the warm sand and heat unfurled in my belly, sending tendrils of lust through my body.

  I pulled my eyes from him and searched frantically around, desperate for anything to get my mind off sexy times with Logan.

  And my own wish was immediately granted. I clashed eyes with Katelyn. My best friend. Logan’s little sister. She wore worry in the downward curve of her mouth and the crinkle between her brows.

  It took me a second to realize she wasn’t worried about me putting the moves on her brother. No, she was just worried about her brother. She’d seen what I saw—a different, harder, world-weary Logan so unlike the boy he’d been before.

  I sucked in a breath and managed to wink at her. I wanted to put her mind at ease. And dragging her brother to the sand and riding him like a pony? Probably not something that would ease her mind.

  “That was the best thing I ever put in my mouth.”

  I closed my eyes tightly and pursed my lips. I will not think about other things I want to put in Logan Murphy’s mouth.

  I popped my eyes open and turned back to him. I offered him a teasing smile. And if my jaw clenched a little hard to keep the rest of my churning emotions at bay, well, nobody else had to know that.

  “Told you,” I said while I tried to figure out a plan to distance myself from him pronto. “Did Katelyn know you were coming?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, she and Hunter wanted to meet me at the airport this morning.”

  “Wait? Like, today?”

  “Yeah, but I figured I’d need some time to decompress after all those hours on the plane. I got a hotel room and grabbed a shower and a nap.”

  I added picturing Logan wet and naked in the shower and Logan naked amid rumpled sheets to the list of things I wouldn’t allow myself to think about.

  “So you came right here?” I asked.

  “Of course. You think I’d miss one of your summer kick off parties if I could help it?”

  And suddenly I was thrilled I was the same old Jade. No twinges, no regrets. Just happy to be able to offer Logan a little slice of home and fun and normalcy.

  I didn’t say all that to him. “Of course not. My parties are almost as fabulous as I am.”

  He chuckled. “You’re not kidding. I think I might’ve even seen a few famous faces running around here.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I can’t take credit for that. That’s all Paige. She hooked up with the lead singer of Sliding Violet and he brought all his band mates with him tonight.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, I remembered I’d pretty much flat left Will when I ran to greet Logan. Yikes! Who runs away from a gorgeous rock god? I might have my girl card revoked.

  I let my gaze roam the party until it landed on Will. He stood in a group with another band member and several women. Guess he wasn’t pining.

  “Why am I not surprised Paige found herself a rock star?” Logan's question pulled me back to him. “The only thing I’m surprised about is that you didn’t think of it before she did.”

  “Well, she saw him first, so she had dibs,” I joked and patted his arm. “Don’t worry. There are still three other unattached band members and the night’s still young.”

  His mouth tightened, the movement so slight I might have missed it if I wasn’t so hyper aware of him. He hid it quickly, flashing me a smile. “I hope I’m not keeping you.”

  I hated how much I hated the idea of leaving him. I didn’t tell him that, though. “Are you kidding me? I can flirt with rock stars any old time.” I batted my eyelashes at him.

  This time I teased a real laugh from him. “Good to know. But I probably should go spend some time with Katelyn and Hunter.”

  “Oh my God, I didn’t think when I pulled you away that you hadn’t had a chance to say a proper hello to everyone yet. And here I am hogging you.”

  His smile warmed me, melting my insides more than just a little. “That’s okay. I didn’t realize it until I walked out onto the deck, but I think I needed a little time to brace myself before plunging into party mode. Going from the desert in Afghanistan to a beach house on Long Island...” He shook his head and inhaled deeply. “I might’ve been suffering from a little mental whiplash.”

  My heart squeezed. Logan had always been my male counterpart—happy-go-lucky, always up for a good time, ready to party, the more the merrier attitude. The idea that he’d need even a second to prepare himself for a party full of his friends made my heart hurt for him.

  I reached over and snagged his hand, squeezing it and holding on tight. “Hey, before I lose you to everyone waiting to say hello to you, I just want you to know how happy I am to see you safe and sound and in one piece.”

  His large, warm hand squeezed mine back. “Thanks, Jade.”

  And then, to banish the serious look in his eyes, I coul
dn’t help but tease. “And I have to tell you, the one piece you came back in is mighty fine.” I dropped his hand and used both hands to squeeze his muscular biceps. “I don’t remember you having this kind of luggage before you left.”

  He threw his head back and laughed and then grabbed me up in a hug. “Thank you for being exactly what I needed, Jade.”

  My heart stuttered before starting again double time. But I refused to read too much into his words. Logan didn’t need his little sister’s flaky best friend putting the moves on him and making things more difficult. I’d just have to be happy with the fact I’d been able to pull a little of the old Logan out of him.

  “My pleasure,” I whispered in his ear, hugging him tight for a second before letting him go. “You better go see your sister before she disowns you.”

  He looked over to the spot where the dance floor met the beach. Katelyn stood swaying a little in Hunter’s arms with her face tipped up to his, her expression telling the tale of her love. A grimace flattened Logan’s mouth.

  “Oh, I forgot. You did know Hunter and Katelyn...” I let that trail off, not wanting to be the one to fill in too many details if he hadn’t been informed of Katelyn and Hunter’s new couple status.

  His eyes closed as if he were in pain before he looked at me ruefully.

  “I’ve been told.” His dry, pained tone made me giggle.

  “Not real thrilled that your BFF is hooked up with your baby sister?”

  “Oh, God. They told me, but it was easier to ignore when I was in Afghanistan with many, many, many miles between us. Now I just have to figure out how to talk to them without knocking my best friend’s teeth down his throat.”

  I laughed, but I heard the slight edge to his voice. “You don’t want Hunter and Kate together?”

  He shook his head. “It’s not so much that. Just...I’ve known Hunter since we were horny teenagers. I’ve heard how he talked about women. Hell, I’ve seen how he’s treated them. A little hard to know all that I know and feel okay about him putting his hands on my sister.”

  He tunneled a hand through his short-cropped, dark hair.

  Seeing his concern, I rushed to put his mind at ease. Logan had enough on his plate. The one thing I knew he didn’t have to worry about was Katelyn and Hunter.