by Amy Lamont
I laughed. “Yeah, cause hanging out at my parents’ fully staffed beach house in the Hamptons all by my lonesome would have been a real hardship.”
She grinned and stole another hug. “You know what I mean.”
I did know what she meant. She was Emma. She liked to look after all of us.
Her eyes cut to Logan and I knew I was right. She’d caught more between us earlier.
“Jade, this isn’t...it’s not about the bet, is it?”
If anyone else had asked that question, I’d have been hurt. But I knew Emma’s concern came out of love. For me and for Logan. Not to mention Katelyn. Using Logan to win our bet would be a mess on so many levels.
I glanced over at Logan shaking hands with Nate. Again his strong profile left me a little breathless. I turned back to Emma. “It’s not about the bet, Emma. I promise.”
She studied me and then grinned. “Good. In that case,” she wiggled her eyebrows, “have fun.”
I laughed and gave her a playful shove toward the front door.
“Nate,” I called, “can you come collect your wayward girlfriend. She’s turning into a mother hen.”
Nate’s corporate smile, the one that he gave everyone but that never quite reached his eyes, softened as he moved to Emma’s side. “Causing trouble again, are you?”
“Me? Trouble?” She leaned into his side and batted her lashes at him. “Never!”
He shook his head and kissed her temple. I did an internal happy dance. I didn’t care what anyone said. I took full credit for these two being together.
After Emma and Nate left, I stood and waved until the last car disappeared from the long driveway. I shut the door and leaned against it. Of course my eyes went immediately to Logan.
He stood in the doorway between the entry and the dining room, his gaze traveling over the rooms.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
He turned to me and nodded. “I just forget sometimes...”
I tilted my head to the side. “Forget what?”
“Your family.” He waved a hand around, encompassing both rooms. “Everything they have.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
His gaze came to me and he grinned, affection and something else shining from his eyes. “Only you would say whatever about all this.”
I shrugged. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t nice having money. But my parents and I were happy before we had the money. Even when we could afford bigger houses and better cars, my parents always made sure I knew what was most important—family, real friends who liked you for who you were rather than what you had, and sharing what we could with those people.
“I’m not done caffeinating yet.” I charged toward the kitchen, intent on more coffee and more importantly, postponing any conversations with Logan about last night. At least for a little while longer.
Logan followed me into the kitchen. “An IV would be quicker.”
I offered him a grin over my shoulder and held up an empty mug. “Refill?”
“Sure.”
I busied myself with getting us coffee. “Want to take it out on the deck?”
He nodded and I headed over to the sliders. On the deck, I plopped onto one of the oversized lounge chairs with a sigh of pleasure. I laid my head back on the blue and white striped cushion and allowed my eyes to drift closed, cradling my coffee cup on my stomach.
Rustling from beside me let me know Logan was taking up residence on the chair next to mine. I pushed the knowledge out my head and concentrated on the warm sunshine skimming over my skin, the ocean breeze teasing the ends of my hair, and the briny air filling my senses.
I inhaled deeply and held it as if I could hold summer inside myself.
“We’re going to have to talk about last night at some point, you know.”
His voice washed over me, even warmer and more appealing than the summer scented, sunshine-filled day. I exhaled slowly.
“Jade? Are you just going to lie there and ignore me?” His voice held amusement. He knew I had the patience of a gnat. The odds of me holding out more than a minute were slim to none.
I huffed out a breath and twisted to look at him. “Do we have to discuss it?”
He grinned and I couldn’t help but notice how hot he looked stretched out on his lounge chair. His long body and broad shoulders filled every inch of space. He had one hand behind his head and the other holding his mug. I ran my gaze over his arms, left bare by the dark t-shirt stretched across his chest. I could see veins standing out along sinewy muscle. My mouth went dry and I raised my eyes to his, only to find him looking at me with a hot desire that promised to burn me quicker than the sun ever could.
I swallowed hard and turned on my side to face him. His eyes dropped from mine and I could feel his gaze like a caress as it skimmed my body, stopping on the hard points of my breasts jutting through my T-shirt for several long beats before drifting lower. Slowly he dragged his gaze back up, devouring me inch by inch.
Every bit of my skin sizzled from just him looking at me, and all I could think about was having his hands on me again, his mouth on me again.
I put my coffee on the side table and slid off my chair. In two steps I closed the distance between us and took his mug from his fingers. I dropped it next to mine and before he could say a word, I swung a leg over him, straddling him. I buried my knees in the chair on either side of his hips and leaned down until the tips of my breasts just barely brushed his chest and my lips hovered over his.
“Talking’s overrated.” I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I shifted forward so my hot center rubbed over his long, hard erection at the same moment our mouths met.
He didn’t let me control the kiss for long. Just as his eyes devoured me moments ago, his mouth did it now. He nipped my bottom lip until I opened to him. His tongue plunged inside, tasting and exploring. I held tight to his shoulders and bucked my hips against him. He groaned into my mouth and sat up straight, bringing me fully onto his lap, never ending the kiss.
Logan’s hands slipped around my back and under the hem of my shirt. At the touch of his hands against my bare skin, I jolted.
God. How could such a simple touch make me feel so much? I nipped his bottom lip and pulled back slightly so I could look at him. His eyes flashed with emotion. The skin over his cheeks was tight and tinged with red. His mouth made me think things I shouldn’t be thinking about my best friend’s big brother.
“What are we doing, Logan?” I whispered, not wanting to lose the intimacy between us. I leaned my forehead against his.
“Now you want to talk?” His voice was so incredulous, I couldn’t suppress a giggle.
“Well, I guess since the horse is out of the barn…” I leaned back, trusting him to support me in his arms, and tugged at the hem of my shirt. Before he could say a word, I whipped it over my head so I sat in his lap wearing nothing but a lacy pink bra.
“Jade!” Logan shot up in the lounge, his feet planting on the deck on either side of the chair. I threw my arms around his neck to keep from spilling onto the ground.
I needn’t have worried. His strong arms wrapped around me and he pulled me in tight and close. I turned my head up to see the expression on his face.
He’d gone full on soldier on me. His face was blank, his eyes alert as they swept the beach and areas around the house.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked softly.
He maneuvered me closer, his shoulders curling around me as if he was trying to provide me cover. “I don’t want anyone to see you.”
The gruffness of his voice, the emotion it betrayed, coupled with the uber-protective vibe coming off him in waves made me smile. “You don’t have to worry, Logan. The beach is empty. Nobody’s going to see anything.”
“You can’t be sure.”
I shrugged. The beach house was completely private. It was the last house on the street and the next property down had its own private beach. There was little reason for people to wander
down this way. But even if they did, sitting on Logan’s lap in my bra, I was as covered as I’d been in my bikini yesterday. And he definitely hadn’t objected to my wearing that.
A muscle ticked in his jaw and I fought the sigh that wanted to escape me. Here I thought I’d been giving him a sexy show, but instead I’d ruined the mood.
“Why don’t we go back inside?” I asked, my voice small.
Logan’s only answer was to lean down and scoop up my T-shirt before he slid his hands under my ass and stood. I don’t know how he managed to get us from sitting in the lounge chair to the back door while keeping me tucked close in his arms, but it happened before I even registered his movement. I locked my legs around his waist, and held on tight while he maneuvered me inside.
He sat me down on the marble island that ran down the center of the kitchen. A quick glance at his face showed he was still in hyper-alert mode. My stomach did a flip flop at the thought, loving every bit of this new protective side of Logan Murphy. Especially being on the receiving end of his care.
But even while I enjoyed it, part of my brain told me this wasn’t normal behavior. Logan’s protectiveness, his desire to get me inside and away from prying eyes as quickly as he did, and his inability to slide right back into teasing playfulness clued me in that more was going on with Logan than met the eye. I was reminded of why I made the offer for him to stay in the first place, and it had nothing to do with seducing him on the deck of my parents’ beach house.
I don’t know if he intended to leave me sitting on the kitchen island or not, but I made it clear I didn’t want him moving away from me. I kept all my limbs wrapped around him, arms wound around his neck and my legs hooked over his hips and crossed behind him at the ankles.
“You okay?” I kept my voice steady, normal.
He nodded even as his gaze slid quickly over the kitchen and family room, almost as if he feared an attack from some unknown, unseen assailant at any moment. The thought made a light bulb go off for me. Of course Logan would be hyper vigilant. It’s probably what kept him alive and in one piece for the last seven months while he was deployed. It would be stranger if he were able to drop it the second he stepped foot on American soil.
I hugged him tight, and his arms squeezed me back distractedly.
“Hey,” I called. I waited until his attention was firmly on me. “We’re good. We’re safe.”
He took one more glance around the rooms before the tension in his shoulders eased a little. He looked back down at me and nodded. “Sorry. Habit, I guess.”
I squeezed again before pulling back so I could look at him fully. “It’s a good habit if it’s kept you safe and sound and able to come home to us.”
The tiny beginning of a smile tipped the corner of his lips and I could feel more tension seeping from his muscles. I helped the process along by shifting my hands to his neck and kneading the tight tendons I found there.
His eyes dropped closed and he let out a groan and I knew I had him. I’d managed to get him to relax. For now.
Too bad the next thought that jumped in my mind made me tense up. I’d been about to have my way with Logan out on the deck if he’d have let me, and we still hadn’t discussed the very unsafe sex we’d had last night.
I huffed out a breath and dropped my forehead to his shoulder. What had gotten into me? I was always safety girl. I kept my own stash of condoms so nothing like last night would ever, ever happen.
Logan pressed a kiss to my temple and his hands caressed my back, smoothing up and down. Nerves jumped under my skin and I fought down my sudden surge of hormones. We had to hash out some things before we gave into our feelings again.
“You okay?” His question was a whisper at my temple.
I nodded without lifting my head from his shoulder. “I’m good, Soldier. But I think maybe you were right. We need to talk.”
Chapter 10
Logan eased back from me and I lifted my head. He scrutinized my features, and I’m sure he didn’t miss a thing. My need to flirt and tease and seduce had left the building. More serious concerns had my stomach churning.
“You worried about Katelyn?” he asked.
I nodded. “That and some other things.”
He slid his hands to my hips and his eyes dipped down. He groaned and leaned over to grab my shirt from where he’d dropped it on the counter next to me. “If we’re going to have a serious conversation, I think it would help if you had a few more clothes on.”
I couldn’t help the grin that grew at his words. We might have to talk instead of doing what I’d rather do, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the fact he liked looking at me. And judging by the impressive bulge that had been pressed against me ever since I climbed into his lap, he liked looking at me a lot.
My grin stayed firmly in place as he bunched the shirt up and pulled it over my head. I helped by sticking my arms in the short sleeves. He eased the shirt down over my breasts. My grin might have slipped a bit as his knuckles accidently skimmed my nipples.
I peered up at him and narrowed my eyes. The corners of his lips curved a bit more and humor danced behind his eyes.
“You're not helping, Logan Murphy!”
He chuckled and smoothed the shirt down until I was completely covered. Only after I was completely covered, his hands kept smoothing, sliding over my midsection and hips.
“Logan!” I slapped my hands over his, putting an end to the titillating motions guaranteed to have me stripping that shirt right back off if he kept it up.
“Oops. Sorry.” But his unrepentant grin said something else entirely.
I shook my head and moved my hands to rest on his chest. He stepped in closer between my spread legs and kept his hands on my hips.
“Are we going to talk here?” I asked.
He tipped his head to the side as if giving the question some deep thought before he nodded. “Yup.”
I shook my head again, pursing my lips in mock annoyance. “Fine.”
But that was the last word I spoke. Silence grew between us as I worried my bottom lip with my teeth. How the heck did I kick this conversation off?
He gave me a gentle shake. “Jade? You want to talk about last night?”
I nodded, still not using my words.
He leaned in closer and stared into my eyes. “Do you regret what happened between us last night?”
I immediately shook my head. While I had my concerns and reservations about how smart it was for us to hook up, I’d be lying if I said I’d take it back if I could. Last night was amazing.
“Me neither,” he said.
My breath left me in a whoosh as relief I hadn’t anticipated flooded through me. I didn’t realize it, but part of the reason I’d wanted to avoid this conversation was because I didn’t want to hear that Logan was sorry last night happened.
“Are you worried about Katelyn?” Logan asked.
I nodded. “Definitely. You?”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure why. I don’t think she’d exactly hate hearing that her best friend was with her brother.”
“But you know Katie. If we told her we hooked up, she’d have our wedding planned so fast our heads would spin.” I watched as an odd expression flickered over his face right before his blank soldier look slammed into place. Nerves tumbled head over heels in my stomach and my anxiety levels skyrocketed.
“See!” My voice went up two octaves on that word. I wish I knew if it was because I was offended he’d think I was hearing wedding bells after we spent only one night together, or totally disappointed that he reacted so badly to the idea of us getting married. “Even just the word wedding and you’re freaking out. You can drop the blank face soldier. I wasn’t planning on rushing you to the altar after one night.”
I know my hurt feelings came through in my voice. His face immediately softened, the tightness leaving his lips and his jaw unclenching.
He lifted a hand to tuck a strand of hair back behind my ear before dropping it back to
my hip. “It’s not that, Sweet Pea. I just…I don’t know. I have four more months of deployment ahead of me. And somewhere in there I need to decide if I want to re-up my enlistment. I know I’m not a prize. I don’t have much to offer anyone at the moment.”
My heart ached. Did he really believe that or was he just trying to let me down easy? But if it was something he really believed, he needed to be disabused of the notion immediately.
“You’re nuts, Logan. Do you think it’s your service to your country that’s a turnoff? Or maybe the business you’ve been building with your best friend even though you’ve been overseas for most of the last couple years? Or maybe it’s how protective you are or the way you’d do anything to help someone you care about?”
His face softened with each word I spoke and warmth unfurled in my chest. My job was done. No matter how things were left between us, he had to know he had so much to offer. Anybody would be lucky to have him.
And if someone deep inside me jumped up and down with hand raised calling out “pick me, pick me,” well, she’d just have to learn to live with disappointment.
I refocused on Logan. “I guess I can understand that your head might not be exactly in a place to deal with any major commitments right now. And I know we both would hate to disappoint Katelyn or...I don't know...I’d hate it if things ever got weird between us. No matter what else happens, you know I’ve always cared about you.”
I bit my lip when I realized I was about to finish that thought off with “like a brother.” ‘Cause eww. So gross. I definitely did not have a trace of sisterly feelings toward Logan. I don’t know what changed the way I felt about him the second I saw him walk out on the deck yesterday, but it did. Irrevocably.
He smiled and some of the old Logan flashed in his eyes. “I feel the same way. You’ve always been special to me and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.” He cupped my jaw and ran his thumb over my bottom lip, freeing it from the punishment of my teeth. “No matter what.”
“Good. So where does that leave us?” I waved a hand back and forth between our chests. “I mean, we’ll be here alone together for the next couple of days while you unwind.”