CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Hey, what are you up to?
I hit “send” on the text message and sat back nervously, waiting for Logan to respond. I’d made a little headway with him last night when he’d admitted he was jealous, but it was time to kick this thing into high gear. I had sat up this morning since six, guzzling a pot of coffee-which didn’t help with my jitters- and plotting how best to get Logan to drop the whole “employer/employee” bullshit.
My phone dinged, and I picked it up quickly, scrolling to my messages.
Not much, how about you?
I inhaled sharply, then typed Thinking about you before I could talk myself out of it. I held my breath, anxiously waiting. What if he pulled back into his shell and I once again had thrown dignity to the wind? Why am I the one pursuing this so hard when there are clearly two of us in this? My phone dinged again and my heart stopped. I held the phone to my chest, too nervous to check the screen. I held it there for a minute before quickly glancing at the screen through slitted eyes.
Oh yeah? Good thoughts, I hope.
I exhaled hard, relieved, then grinned broadly like an idiot. I pondered my next text, not wanting to overstep the thin line we were treading.
Oh yeah. Good thoughts. I frowned and backspaced.
Yeah. Mostly thoughts about your lips, I retyped, hitting send immediately again.
It was a bold move, but I was hoping for a big pay off. I waited more than five minutes for a response, alternating between chugging my coffee and biting my fingernails down to the cuticles. The ellipsis that indicated that he was typing appeared, then disappeared. He typed something again thirty seconds later, then backspaced again. I threw my phone down on the couch and stood up, pacing between my living room and kitchen. I heard another “ding” and ran from the kitchen to the couch, scooping up my phone lightning fast.
Oh really? And what exactly are my lips doing in these thoughts of yours?
I tapped my phone against my chin, thinking. I’d never been particularly good at sexy talk- just typing these naughty words left me a little embarrassed. I was getting self-conscious and I didn’t want to sound stupid. I threw caution to the wind, however, and said the first thing that popped into my mind.
They’re kissing their way down my neck again, the way they did last night.
This time I only had to wait half a minute for a response.
They did enjoy being there. I don’t think they’d mind being in other places either. Actually, they might even prefer being in other places.
My eyebrows shot up, and I typed my response quickly.
Where else would they like to explore?
Hm. Probably your collarbone. Interesting choice, but effective. My fingers traced my collarbone absently as I typed back.
Well, I do enjoy that. It’s a very sensitive area.
And then they’d make their way downward- but not too far down. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.
I squirmed in my seat, fanning my cheeks as I grew hotter. Logan’s lips going downward on my body was the hottest thing I’d ever thought of.
Oh? I typed, lost for words.
Oh yes. Then they’d make their way down to your breasts. Do you think you’d like that?
I could be into that…
Would you like my tongue to join the party? My tongue has been begging to worship your breasts. Good lord. The pressure intensified in my lower half, aching for relief. Logan knew exactly how to turn me on. I wished I could see his reactions to see if he was as affected as I was.
Yes. I wasn’t feeling particularly eloquent at this point. What else?
Well, my fingers would have to get involved at this point. Where do you want my fingers to go? Anywhere other than your nipples?
Maybe they could travel down a little lower, see what kind of tension they could relieve.
Have a good day, Jamie ;)
I did a double-take, and scrolled down to see if there was anything else in the message. Nothing. What the ever loving fuck?
What do you mean, have a nice day?
I waited for a response, and when none came after five minutes, I realized what he had done. He had turned the tables and gotten revenge for the night before when I’d left him in the lurch. I groaned and tossed my head back.
Well played, Logan Mays. I grabbed my cell phone and rushed to my bedroom. Time to relieve a little tension.
***
I laid in bed all blissed out after relieving myself of tension… three times. I rolled around, luxuriating in the softness of my comforter and the high I was on from so much masturbation. I thought about going back for a fourth time, but my lady parts were kind of sore. Maybe I’d just read something mindless instead.
Flopping back down onto my stomach, I reached for a magazine that I kept in my bedside table. The cover article claimed to know the Ten Best Ways to Blow His Mind by Blowing His… Hm. Like I needed research on that. I tossed the magazine aside after tip number two- Whip Him into Shape Using an Egg Beater!
I looked out the window, bored, and hummed a little. I had a burst of inspiration, pulled out my laptop, and opened the file that held my novel. I wrote and wrote, letting the words flow from me freely without any writer’s block getting me down. Maybe it was just all the oxytocin from my orgasms, but I was on a roll.
I shut the laptop lid after about four hours and ten thousand words. I don’t know exactly why I had been so mentally blocked beforehand, but I had a feeling it had to do with the stress of constantly worrying about Derek. I felt a rush of gratitude and affection for Logan- okay, that was definitely the oxytocin this time. I should do something to repay him. Not that the gratitude was irrational- he was a major part of me no longer having to look over my shoulder for Derek.
I groaned at the thought of Derek, and rolled over and out of bed, stretching my stiff joints. I really had to stop typing in bed- it was killer on my wrists. I poured myself a glass of wine in the kitchen and patted Luke, who was snoozing silently in a pool of sunshine on the living room floor. I grabbed a couple of candles and lit them on the edge of the bathtub, then drew myself a bath with extra bubbles.
I undressed and sank into the bath, sighing contentedly. Sipping my wine and staring at the ceiling, I thought about what to do to repay Logan. My mind wandered into erotic territory very quickly, thinking of several different sexual acts and what Logan would look like completely naked. The wine was going to my head, getting me all worked up again. I downed the wine and set the empty glass on the floor. My fingers drifted lower and lower down my body until they found their destination. I bit my lip and my head fell back against the tile as I worked myself, coming quickly. I stayed in the tub, limp, until the last of the bubbles had popped. When the water was only lukewarm, I got up, wrapped my towel around me, and got ready for work.
I walked to work with a skip in my step and a smile on my face. I patted Bear on the arm happily, who smiled at me and clapped me in a hug. I breezed through the front door and glanced around. Logan was standing behind the bar, holding a clipboard and doing inventory on liquor bottles. He caught me looking at him and his eyes softened. I winked at him and flounced my way into the office to check up on my makeup and smooth away flyaways from my braided hair.
Logan knocked gently on the door, then looked to the left and to the right to make sure no one was coming, then shut the door. “Hey,” he said softly. “You look amazing.” Yeah, that’s probably the four orgasms I gave myself after sexting you. I smirked and didn’t say anything.
“You’re here early,” he said, moving closer to me.
“Yeah, I was getting antsy just hanging around the house and figured I’d come in and read beforehand.” I held up the novel I’d pulled out of my bag and flopped into the large cushy office chair behind the desk.
Logan moved closer still, plucked the book from my hands, and set it down on the desk. He was so close now that I could smell his aftershave, could see tiny razor bumps where he’d shaven this mornin
g.
“Tsk,” I clicked softly, reaching out to touch them. Logan caught my hand and turned it over, kissing the pad of my palm. I bit my lower lip and watched as he placed delicate kisses on the inside of my wrist, never breaking eye contact with me. I’m not positive that I wasn’t drooling at this point. I pulled my hand from his grasp and pulled his neck down so we were face-to-face. I closed my eyes and went in for it. Once, twice, I brushed my lips against his.
Logan compliantly molded his lips to mine as I grew bolder, parting my lips and deepening the kiss. He took control from me, his tongue darting into my mouth and making me groan. I gripped his neck tightly as he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me out of the chair and onto his hips. He set me down on the edge of the desk and leaned into me, pulling my hips flush into his. I had to lean my head back to see his face. His eyes were glazed over with lust, mirroring my own.
I tilted my head to the side, and he kissed his way from my earlobe to the curve of my neck. I moaned loudly, then clapped my hand to my mouth and looked behind me to make sure the office door was shut. It was, and it was locked as well. Logan continued kissing my neck, moving downwards towards my sensitive collarbone. I had never known how erotic it was to have a man suckle on my collarbone, but I was a quick learner. Pleasure shot through me with every nibble and lick, and I gripped the back of his head to keep him there. He looked up at me through his thick black eyelashes and placed another kiss squarely in the center of my chest. He pulled my shirt off, leaving me in just a bra.
Logan fumbled with the back clasp of the bra, then resorted to tugging it in frustration when it didn’t open. He pulled at it roughly and it ripped open. My breasts sprung free and his eyes lit up. Logan growled, lowering his head to bite at my nipple. I cried out at the sudden burst of arousal that shot straight from my nipple to my vagina, and Logan gripped me tighter. His arousal was insistently straining at his fly, begging for me to unzip and release it. I ground my hips into his, and Logan moaned, dropping his head onto my chest. He picked up his head and tugged me to the edge of the desk. My legs fell open, and Logan knelt in front of me. He placed sweet kisses along the inside of my thigh. He pulled my shorts off, looking intently at my soaked panties. He murmured his approval, then pulled them off too, never taking his eyes off the prize.
I squirmed a little, growing a little self-conscious the longer he stared, but he grasped my hip firmly with one hand as he used his fingers to torture me. He circled the clit once, twice, three times and moved away from it, tracing the lines of my vulva with his fingertips before finally plunging a finger into me.
“Fuck, Jamie, you’re so wet.” Logan kissed my thigh harder. “You’re so wet for me.”
I ground my hips around his finger in response, and he placed another finger there, pushing it deeper and filling me up. He moved his mouth all the way up my thigh and kissed me softly right above his fingers, directly on my clit. I fell all the way back onto the desk so that I was lying completely flat. Logan pulled himself up to sit in the chair and give himself better access to my sweet spot. His fingers worked their way in and out of me as he licked and sucked at my clit, driving me crazy. I was approaching a precipice, begging him not to stop while threading my fingers through his hair.
“Oh fuck, Logan, please, I’m so close,” I whimpered, and he sucked harder, his fingers pumping in and out. I felt it building up, the white-hot heat of it, and I fell apart with a cry around his fingers and his magical mouth. I mumbled incoherently and stared up at Logan with glazed-over eyes. In that moment, I would’ve done anything he asked of me.
Logan stood up and discreetly wiped the back of his mouth, smiling smugly. I reached out with my foot and traced the outline of his hard-on, and it swelled even further. Logan braced himself above where I was still lying on the desk and kissed me deeply. I tasted myself on his lips and felt the stirrings of arousal again. I’ve never been one for multiple orgasms, but if anyone could do it for me, I had a feeling it was Logan Mays.
I sat up, pushing on his chest so he was standing. “My turn to repay you,” I said wickedly, hopping off the desk and crouching in front of his zipper. I looked admiringly at the impressive bulge there.
Logan grabbed my shoulders and stopped me. “What do you mean, repay me?” He looked down at me tenderly, pulling me back up. “This isn’t a tit for tat deal, I didn’t do that in expectation of repayment.” He kissed me again, then withdrew to look into my face.
I rolled my eyes. “I know, but it’s only fair. Knowing you didn’t expect repayment makes me want to do it even more. Plus you helped me with the restraining order stuff, and I’m feeling particularly grateful today.”
Logan moved away from me, removing his hands from my shoulders, and I teetered slightly at the loss of his support. I grabbed the edge of the desk to steady myself. “As appealing as that sounds, I really don’t want a gratitude blowjob,” Logan said sarcastically.
“Logan, I didn’t mean it like-”
“We went a little too far today, and we need to take a step back. I’m sorry, I’m your boss and the one who took advantage. This isn’t going to go anywhere and it’s unfair to you to pretend it’s going to.”
Stung, I stared at him. “Wow, you’re great at pillow talk,” I said, moving forward to grab his hand. I sighed. “I didn’t mean to imply I felt obligated to return the favor. I really didn’t.” Logan moved towards the door before I could grab his hand.
“Jamie, it’s just as well. We really need to stop fooling around. I have to focus on getting this business out of the gutter and it’s not a good look for the owner to be fucking a bartender a week after he met her,” Logan said, unlocking the door. My jaw dropped.
“Okay, got it,” I snapped. “But this is the last time. I’m not playing this back and forth thing you’re doing anymore. You have made it abundantly clear that you want out, so I am out.” I pushed my way past him and into the bar, putting on an apron and plastering a fake smile onto my face.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Two weeks had passed since Logan had pinned me up against his office desk, then rejected me. It had been a long two weeks of avoiding each other, and honestly, it had been exhausting. Logan had, of course, been the consummate professional, and I had kept to my word about not flirting or attempting anything. A girl could take only so much rejection, after all. Luckily, Bender’s had been getting steadily busier with each passing day, so it was easier to pretend the reason we weren’t talking was because we were too busy to.
I didn’t have time to think about Logan today, though. This morning I was meeting Kelsey at the courthouse for the restraining order hearing. Hannah was coming with me, as she was testifying on my behalf. I had all my documents ready, all the photographs I’d taken of bruises he’d given me, all the threatening text messages, the voicemail, and my own written testimony. I steeled myself, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach. Today I would have to see Derek for the first time in about nine months, but with any luck, it would be the last time I’d ever have to see him.
Kelsey was standing at the top of the steps when I got to the courthouse, and she hugged me warmly when she saw me. “You ready?” she asked.
I squared my shoulders and gathered all the courage I possessed. “As I’ll ever be, I guess.” We walked together through the large wooden doors of the courthouse and into courtroom six. I hoped this would be painless and easy. I had read up on everything that would happen, and between what I’d read and what Kelsey had prepared me with, I was pretty well-prepared. I would have to present all my evidence to the judge, who would then hear testimony from both me and Derek. Hannah was going to testify about everything she’d witnessed, including the night a couple of weeks ago when he’d left me a threatening voicemail.
I walked down the aisle of the courtroom to sit at one of the two big tables in front of the judge’s stand. Kelsey sat beside me, and Hannah sat behind us. Everything started feeling surreal, like I was in a dream. The lights were too bright, everything w
as too sharp, and my heart started racing a little bit. I felt the panic coming on, and I pinched my wrist to get myself to calm down. I am a strong woman. My heart rate slowly returned to normal as I calmed down.
At the sound of the door opening, Hannah and I looked back. Dylan and Logan walked down the aisle and sat themselves beside Hannah. Logan leaned forward and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, to which I smiled gratefully, and Dylan gave me a thumbs up and mouthed “You’ve got this!” I nodded and nervously turned back to the judge’s stand, which was still empty.
I felt, rather than saw, the moment Derek and his lawyer entered the courtroom. Logan tensed up behind me, and Kelsey rubbed my arm supportively and murmured, “Just don’t look until you have to. Don’t let him intimidate you.” I stared resolutely ahead, determined not to give Derek any opportunity to bully me. I was nervous about the judge believing Derek when he’d inevitably call me a liar. Derek could be very charming when he wanted to be, and he had a sinister way of masking just how ugly he really was.
The judge walked into the court room and we all rose, then sat when the bailiff told us to. The judge looked down at our file, then called me to the witness stand. I looked nervously over at Kelsey, who shot me a smile and nodded. I walked to the stand, keeping my eyes on the judge. I didn’t want to look over at Derek and lose my nerve.
The judge looked down at me with a kind smile. “Take your time.” I nodded gratefully.
“Now, tell me why you need a restraining order.”
I looked over at my friends, all sitting here in this courtroom to support me, and I took a deep breath. “Derek and I dated for about a year and a half. It started out good, but soon became abusive. He forced me to drop friendships, he controlled what I wore, and he hit me when I got out of line. I finally got up the courage to leave him, and he has been sending me harassing text messages and phone calls that make me feel unsafe.”
I looked up at Derek, who looked bored. He kept looking at his watch and smirking at me. His indifference made anger boil up in me. I decided to speak about the one thing that I had thought I would take to the grave. I took another deep breath and took the plunge. I told everyone that Derek had raped me on two separate occasions when I’d defied him. Hannah’s eyes welled with tears and Dylan’s went soft and sympathetic. Logan’s body was tense with barely bridled rage. I pressed on, wiping away a tear as I finished my testimony.
Summer Bender Page 12