“The woman running the project, Cassandra, thinks it would be a good idea to start a work program at the center. The idea is that we would set up a workshop and have veterans do what you’ve basically been doing for the past two years. She wants you to run the shop since you’re a veteran and it’s worked for you.”
“I don’t know that it worked. Alex was the driving force behind me getting better.” Cole played his hand as the conversation continued around them.
“Do you think you would have ever met Alex if you hadn’t been working in your dad’s shop? Would you have been strong enough to help her?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think I’m in any position to help others though.”
Ryan threw down his cards. “Who better to help them get through their shit than someone who understands what they’re going through. None of us were really able to pull you out of what you were going through. Sean dragged you out of bed and got you out of the house, but you did the rest on your own. That’s what these guys need is someone to help guide them through their shit.”
The other guys grunted their agreement and I could see we were getting through to Cole. We didn’t push too hard and changed to other topics, hoping that what we said sank in.
“Vira tells me that Cece is moving out of town next week. Didn’t say where she was going, but said that Cece felt she needed to get out of town so she could move on,” Sean said as he played a hand.
I grunted. I already knew all this. “What’s your point?”
Everyone at the table stilled. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. I looked up from my cards to see all the guys glaring at me. I furrowed my brows trying to figure out why they all looked so pissed at me.
“What?”
“You really are a dumbass,” Ryan said.
“I’m the dumbass? She practically destroyed our company. What do you want me to do?”
He shook his head and Jack groaned. “You have so much to learn.”
“You have something to say, Jack?”
“Yeah. You’re fucking stupid. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you love this woman right?”
“I…yeah, I love her, but the things she did…I can’t forgive them.”
“You can’t or you won’t?”
Drew, never one to get involved in matters of the heart, piped up, shocking the hell out of me. “She gave up a career to clear your name. Yeah, it was the right thing to do, but she wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t love you. She condemned herself to a life of being a waitress so that she could save your company.”
“A company she put in jeopardy,” I interjected.
“She’s making crap money working as a waitress, moving to another town so that she can move on. She could have screwed you over, stayed in her cozy, good-paying job, but she didn’t. She gave it all up for you. If that ain’t the love of a good woman, I don’t know what is.”
I didn’t know what to say. Good woman was not the term I would have used to describe Cece. She used to be a good woman, but now she seemed to be the devil incarnate.
“I don’t get it. Where does this sudden adoration for Cece come from? A few weeks ago she was a bitch and now you guys are shoving me at her.”
Sebastian was the one to speak up. “I’m not saying she’s perfect. I would have paddled her ass weeks ago, but we all make mistakes. We’re all human. She did everything possible to rectify what she did.”
Then Ryan said something that totally baffled me. “You know I’m not her biggest fan after what she did, but I’ve never seen you happier than you were with her. I’d hate for you to miss out on something because you feel you need to be mad at her. I’m not gonna think less of you if you want to be with her. Don’t hold back because you feel you have to.”
“Why would I feel I have to? This has nothing to do with what I feel I have to do. I don’t trust her and I’m not asking her to wait around until I decide if I can.”
“Bullshit,” Cole said. “You’re holding back because she made a fool out of you and you don’t want to risk it happening again. You already know if you can trust her. She already proved what she was willing to do for you. Now you just have to open your eyes and see it for what it is.”
I had nothing to say to that. Probably because it was true. I didn’t want to be made a fool again, but if I didn’t take the chance, I would probably be alone the rest of my life. Cece was a once in a lifetime match for me. I didn’t think I’d ever meet someone as good as her. Someone who fit with me the way she did.
“Shit. When is she leaving, Sean?”
“Don’t know for sure. Vira said in a week, so I figure you got a few days to come up with a way to convince her to stay. You know you can’t just walk in and ask her to stay. It won’t work. Go big or go home.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Cecelia
Vira wasn’t speaking to me. She was pissed at me for deciding to leave this town. I knew she understood why I was leaving and she knew I needed this, but she really didn’t want me to go. I couldn’t blame her. I didn’t want to go. I was only leaving because she was the only thing holding me here and I needed more than that in my life. I wanted to be happy with my job and live where people didn’t know every negative thing about my life.
I had already packed up most of my room in anticipation for my trip. I had closed my eyes and pointed at a map and that’s how I decided where I was going. I was headed to Kearney, Nebraska. Yeah, it wouldn’t have been my first choice, either, but I figured my finger pointed me there for a reason. There were a couple of nice restaurants that I could hopefully find some work at and Sylvia said she would give me a reference even though I had only worked at Maggie’s a few weeks.
I was completely shocked by the apartment prices. I found a cute little one bedroom for $545 a month, which would be good for the money I would be making. I put my deposit down on it the other day and I could move in on Saturday. I wasn’t planning on leaving until Saturday, hoping that Vira and I could have one more fun night together.
I hadn’t seen or spoken to Logan in the past week, so I took that as a sign that he really wasn’t interested in picking things back up with me. I mean, I had told him to move on, but if he really wanted me, he would have come back around. I left a message for my mom, letting her know that I was moving to Nebraska, but she didn’t even respond to my message. My brother, sister, and I haven’t been close in years, so I doubted they’d care that I was moving. Really, I only have myself to blame. It does sadden me though that the friends I had made here have all abandoned me. Granted, they were Logan’s friends, but still it reminded me of how little I was wanted around here.
I worked as many shifts as I could at the diner this week to set aside money for my trip. I was only taking what I could fit in my car because renting a truck would be too expensive and I wouldn’t have anyone to help me unload.
By the time Friday came around, I was emotionally exhausted. Part of me just wanted to move today and get it over with. This long, drawn out week was just making it more difficult to say goodbye to Vira. Still, I got dressed up in the same outfit I wore the night I first saw Logan. Call me sentimental, but I wanted to feel like he was there with me tonight.
Vira and I left for the club around nine and I tried to be in a good mood, but my heart wasn’t in it. I was moping around and I couldn’t even get into dancing. I wasn’t trying to be a Debbie downer, but I couldn’t choose to be happy the night before I left the one place I truly felt at home.
She dragged me out on the dance floor for song after song and I eventually loosened up enough that I didn’t look like I was there against my will. Vira was obviously looking for her next hookup, as she continued to glance around the dance floor searching for someone.
“Vira, I think I’m ready to go. You stay and have some fun and find a hot guy to take home.”
“What? No, you’re just starting to loosen up. Please, just stay for one more song.”
Her pouty face had me agreeing to on
e more song, but I was a little confused when the song Cecelia played in a disco club. I gave Vira a strange look and she just shrugged her shoulders and started dancing. I looked around at the confused faces of the other dancers and watched as most of them walked off the dance floor towards the bar.
It was then I saw Logan as he stalked out onto the dance floor, his eyes burning into me. He reminded me of a panther stalking his prey as he strode up to me and wrapped me in his arms. He started swinging me around the dance floor, his body moving swiftly and lightly, but his gaze stayed trained on my face. I was momentarily stunned at what was happening, but quickly joined him, finding my rhythm with the song.
I could barely hear his voice over the music, but I realized instantly that he had a beautiful voice and as I leaned my head against his shoulder, I relished in the timber of his voice so close to my ear. He pulled me tighter against him, bringing tears to my eyes. I swear this man brought me to my knees. I didn’t know what exactly he was saying by showing up here tonight, but I knew he was trying to tell me something. I didn’t want to hope that he was asking me to stay because it would break my heart if that wasn’t it.
When the song finished, he pulled back slightly and looked me in the eyes. There was a glimmer of danger in his eyes. Danger that said I shouldn’t fuck with him right now. He pulled me off the dance floor, his body vibrating with an intensity that I didn’t quite understand. His hand gripped mine as if he were afraid I would take off at any moment. He took me to the private boxes upstairs that were reserved for VIP guests. He shut the door and stalked over to me, pushing me backwards towards the couch.
He fingered the strap on my halter as he spoke to me for the first time tonight. “Here’s how this is going to go. We’re going to leave this club and you’re coming back to my place. We’ve been dancing around each other long enough and it’s time to stop that. Your stuff is already back at my place and you and I are going to live together and make this work.”
“What? No…That’s not..”
“That wasn’t a question. This is going to happen. We aren’t going to give ourselves another reason to fail. We’re sticking together this time and we’re gonna work shit out instead working against each other. I love you and I am telling you that you’re staying here.”
I stared at him with a gaping mouth. Logan had never been quite so demanding before.
“Say it.” I didn’t say anything right away. He pushed against me, his erection pressed against my clit. He leaned in and kissed my jaw up to my ear. “Say. It. Tell me that you’re staying. No more running. Tell me you’re mine.”
“I’m staying. I won’t run.” I panted as he thrust himself against my body.
He crushed his mouth to mine with such force that I toppled backwards onto the couch. He landed on top of me and ran his hands up my thigh and straight to my shorts. He tore at the buttons and ripped them down my legs. Before I knew it, he was sheathed inside me, pounding me into the couch. My legs wrapped around him as I pulled him deeper into me. It had been too long since we’d been together and I needed him like I needed air.
“Oh, God, Logan. Don’t stop.”
I clung to his back and then worked my hands up to his hair, pulling his face to mine for another kiss. We didn’t do gentle when we were together. Everything between us was explosive and this time was no different. He thrust into me until I was left boneless on the couch with him panting above me as we both came down from our highs.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen here. I was going to take you back to my place, but I saw you in this outfit and I just had to fuck you.”
“I’m glad you didn’t wait. I needed that.”
He pulled off me and hauled me to my feet, then handed me my shorts. “Get dressed. We’re going home and I’m going to fuck you properly.”
I had to admit. I liked this side of Logan. He was no nonsense and I found I liked knowing he wasn’t giving me a chance to run, to think things over. He was telling me exactly what he wanted, which cut out all the guesswork and didn’t leave room for misinterpretation. There was one more thing I needed to do though if I was going to move forward with Logan. I had to tell him the whole truth.
“Logan, I need to tell you something first.”
“It can wait, sweetheart. I need to get you home and in my bed.” He started to turn, but I pulled on his hand, stopping him where he was.
“This won’t wait. You might not want me after I tell you this.” I could see the flash in his eyes that said he didn’t want to know, but I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t tell him. “Your company wasn’t the only thing I fucked with.”
His jaw clenched and I saw his throat working as he swallowed. “Okay. What else did you do?”
“I flooded your house, I used you to get free coffee, I had Sawyer and Calloway target you, and I fucked those two guys to get back at you.” It all flew out of my mouth so fast that I wasn’t sure he understood me, but then he stood and started pacing the room. When he didn’t say anything, I gathered my clothes and quickly dressed, sure that he was going to tell me to get the fuck away from him.
“How did you flood my house?”
“I found your spare key and I snuck into your house and turned on the water. The drain stopper was in one side and you had left your plate in the other side, so I just had to turn on the water. I was in and out in under five minutes.”
“And Sawyer and Calloway? I wasn’t aware you knew them.”
“Vira knows Sawyer. He’s always had a thing for her, so she used him. Please, don’t bring her into this though. This is all on me.”
“I don’t get it. If you were the one they were doing it for, why did they attack you when they tried arresting me?”
I shrugged. “At that point, I had already asked Vira to call them off, so I don’t know what was going on. I assumed they just really had it out for you and no longer cared about me.”
“When did you decide you were done fucking with me?”
“The night I slept with the two guys. After you left, it finally dawned on me that you really cared and wanted to help me. I felt like complete shit for how I acted, but it was too late then. I decided that I couldn’t keep torturing you without hurting myself. You had become too important to me.”
He crowded in close to me, wrapping one arm around my waist and his other hand trailed around my neck, squeezing lightly. “And those fuckheads, were they as good as me?”
“They did the job, but not even two guys could come close to what you do to me.”
He gripped my ass, squeezing tightly and pulling me up against him. “No more games. You’re mine now and I won’t tolerate that kind of shit anymore. We work out our problems together from now on. Understood?”
I nodded and he swooped in giving me a hard kiss. “Remind me to never fuck with you again.”
A small smile played across my lips. “You can fuck with me anytime you want, just expect a little revenge. I’ll keep it in the bedroom though.”
He swatted my ass and dragged me out the door and took me to his house. I didn’t say a word, but my eyes didn’t leave him as he drove me home. Home. He was taking me to his house where I would now live with him. He did want me. I felt a small piece of my former confident self reappearing and urging me to make myself known.
When he pulled into the garage, I got out and met him in front of the car, but I didn’t give him an opportunity to drag me inside. I grabbed his cock through his pants and gave him a kiss that had him throwing me on top of his precious car. He ground himself against me, but I shoved him away to undo his pants. I couldn’t wait any longer to have him inside me again.
He was inside me moments later. I didn’t remember my shorts being taken off or even my boots, but there he was inside me, making me come all over him. At some point, he picked me up off the car and carried me into the house, setting me on the counter in the kitchen, fucking me hard.
He pulled out suddenly and stepped back. “On your knees.”
“Damn, woman. Don’t rip my balls off.”
I moaned around his cock, eliciting a hiss from him. I found the spot behind his balls and pressed down, feeling him thrust wildly into my mouth once more before coming down the back of my throat.
“Holy fuck!”
I swallowed everything and stood, staring at him through my eyelashes. In a flash, he threw me over his shoulder and took me upstairs. We spent the night fucking like rabbits and only fell asleep as morning was dawning.
In the light of the morning, doubt started to creep in. I wondered if he would change his mind and decide he didn’t want to keep me around. It’s not like I could offer that much financially anymore and he might get tired of that.
“You think too much, sweetheart. Go back to sleep. It’s still early.”
“I don’t think I can sleep anymore.”
“What’s on your mind, babe?”
“I’m just wondering if you’ll truly be happy with me. I mean, I’m a waitress now. I don’t have a lot I can offer you. We both know I’m not going to get a better job anytime soon.”
“Do you really think I’m with you because of your job? I couldn’t care less about where you work as long as you’re in my bed at night.”
“I just don’t want you to be ashamed of me. I mean, when we get together with people, you’re successful and you own a company. I’m a liar that destroyed my own career and now waits on tables.”
“Babe, your job doesn’t make you who you are. You are still just as wild and just as tempting as you were when we first met. Our chemistry is still off the charts. Your job didn’t change that. I love that sassy attitude that you have and I love that you’re confident. Don’t let that die just because you made a few mistakes. You owned up to them, held your head up high, and moved on. That’s sexy as hell.”
Logan (For The Love Of A Good Woman Book 3) Page 22