by Lila Kane
“Elise—”
“I don’t want you to think I’m scared or something and then try to come back. I’m just worried because he won’t tell me what’s going on and because I’m stuck out here all alone—well, at least it feels like it—and I want to go home.”
Isaac didn’t respond for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was cautious. “It’s better if you stay there.”
“Better for who? I was safe at home, and—”
“They knew where you were, okay? Elise, try to understand that Logan is just trying to keep you safe. I agree with what he’s doing. It’s only because he cares about you.”
“It’s because he cares about you,” I shot back. “He’s doing this for you because it’s his job.”
When Isaac sighed, I felt a twinge of guilt. Okay, so that wasn’t the only reason and I knew it. I’d seen the fear in Logan’s eyes before he’d yelled at me. I’d felt how hard he’d clung to me last night before he fell asleep. He cared.
But he was being an ass about it.
“Don’t go home,” Isaac said. “Not yet. Please.”
“I want to leave tomorrow.”
“Then give it a day. A whole day. Call me tomorrow afternoon and if you still want to leave, then we can try to figure something out.”
I grumbled a reply, but mostly it was just to show him how reluctant I was to give in.
“I’ll take that as a reluctant yes,” Isaac said with a chuckle.
“Fine.”
“Good. Relax tonight. Drink some wine, read a magazine or a book. Do something for yourself and then start over again tomorrow. You’ll feel better. I promise.”
I agreed—mostly just to make him feel better—and ended the call. I shouldn’t have bothered him, but I knew Isaac would put this all into perspective. Either that or he’d feel so bad for me he’d figure out a way to get me home.
I debated going downstairs for some wine, but I really didn’t want to run into Logan. I’d made a mistake. I thought maybe we could get through this together, but emotions were getting in the way. Now I knew what he’d been talking about when he said he didn’t want to get distracted from his job. He’d lost focus and overreacted. And while part of me understood, the other part realized now why business and pleasure rarely mixed.
To keep us both sane, I stayed in my room and kept myself busy painting my nails and reading a book. Tomorrow things would look different—and if not, then I could go home.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was driving me insane. Weren’t women supposed to want to talk? Then why had Elise holed up in her room the entire night last night and left me thinking the worst?
I’d talked with Isaac before dinner and got into a few things I never thought I’d discuss with him. And just when I thought I had my head on straight, Elise locked herself in her room and didn’t come out.
Fuck. This couldn’t keep going on.
Just when I was ready to go bang on her door, she appeared in the kitchen. She wore jeans that were tight enough to be a second skin and had my mouth nearly dropping open when she leaned into the refrigerator, sticking that perfect ass in my direction.
I gritted my teeth. Was she at least going to say hello?
Elise turned around with orange juice in her hand a flashed an indifferent smile. “Good morning.”
“Elise.”
She reached up to a cupboard, trying to grab a carafe. Her fingertips graze the side of it, and when she looked like she might jump up on the counter to get it, I stepped up next to her and grabbed it.
She took it from my hand and nodded. “Thanks.”
When she opened the orange juice, I tried again.
“Elise.”
“Hmm?”
“Will you look at me?”
She reached into the refrigerator again. “I’m listening.”
“Damn it—will you stop a minute!”
She turned around, eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare yell at me like that again.”
“I didn’t mean to yell, but I need you to listen.”
“I would have listened before if you’d even tried talking to me before screaming at me how wrong I was to leave the bed when I couldn’t sleep. I swear, you—”
“Come with me.”
She blinked. “What?”
I walked to her, held out my hand, and waited. For a moment, I thought she might turn her back on me. But she finally stuck her hand in mine. I pulled her to the back door, feeling her hesitation as I unlocked it.
“Logan, wait.” She balked. “What are you doing?”
“Do you trust me?”
Her eyes met mine, steady and sure. “Yes.”
I kissed her hand and opened the door. She kept her hand in mine as I led her across the deck and down the steps to the beach. The morning was warm, barely any wind, and the sky a brilliant blue.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“For a walk.”
“Wait.”
But I didn’t stop. I needed to show her I could listen to what she wanted, too. That I wasn’t so preoccupied with protecting her that I couldn’t show her how much I cared.
“Logan—please stop.”
I turned to her in the sand, trying to read the expression on her face. Afraid to release her hand because she might not let me take it again.
“What are we doing?” she asked. “Isn’t this dangerous?”
“I’m paying attention. I’m making sure you’re safe. But I also want this time with you. You’re right, you can’t stay trapped in the house this whole time.”
“But…” Her face softened and she involuntarily leaned toward me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. Just stay close.”
She squeezed my hand and did as I asked. She tossed her shoes back toward the house and pulled me closer to the water. “Let’s get wet.”
I smiled at the carefree laughter in her voice, the glee on her face. Maybe this was all she’d needed. A moment of freedom. Time together as regular people. A couple.
I could barely wrap my mind around the word. I’d worked for Isaac long enough to believe some of the worst things about the world. I’d seen some of the worst in the world, and I had to continually remind myself that there were good things out there. Things that were still worthwhile.
Like love.
The thought hit me so hard, I stopped right on the damp sand, pulling Elise to a halt.
She glanced over, looking alarmed. “Are you okay?”
Was I? It wasn’t every day you had a realization like that. One that completely changed everything you’d known up to this point.
“I’m…” I frowned, trying to find the words to say to her. Or deciding if I should say anything at all. I cared about Elise more than I’d ever cared about anyone. “I’m okay. Yes.”
She smiled hesitantly. “Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m happy to be here with you.”
“Happy?” She angled her head, testing out the word.
Elise was happy all the time, but it certainly wasn’t a word I used to describe myself often. I had contented moments and even moments where I felt almost peaceful. But happy? That was foreign to me.
“Yes. I’m happy.”
She stepped up to me, and I was even happier to see that none of her frustration from yesterday seemed to be lingering on her face. “What changed since yesterday?”
“I talked to your brother.”
“Talked to him? About what?”
“About you.”
Her mouth opened and then closed. “Wait…what do you mean?”
“I told him how I felt. I told him that my feelings were getting involved, and that’s why I reacted so badly last night.”
She stepped back from me, her feet sinking into the sand. “Wait…you talked to him about us?”
“I did.” And if I was honest, I’d been anxious as hell. Isaac could be an intimidating man and he cared more about Elise than anythin
g else in the world besides Gia. “I needed to.”
“But…”
“It was the only thing I could think to do. To explain to someone what was going on and get a new perspective. But more than that…” I started to reach for her but decided against it. “I wanted him to know. I didn’t want that to get between us. No matter what happens with us, I wanted Isaac’s blessing.”
#
I stared at my feet on the sand. I’d pressed my heels in, making a half-moon shape, and then moved over slightly to do it over again. The deliberate motion calmed my racing heart.
Part of me was elated, the other part confused. “What did you tell him exactly?”
Logan gave a gruff laugh that sounded almost amused. “I told him I’d pissed you off and he threatened to come back here and kick my ass. So, I told him more, explained to him how terrified I’d been when I couldn’t find you this morning, and then went on to let him know that I’d felt something for you for a while now. And that those emotions had gotten in the way and made it hard for me to see your side of things.”
That must have been what Isaac was talking about when he’d said he’d talked to Logan. He must have given Logan advice or explained to him that I needed space. And then he’d convinced me to stay another night so Logan would have a chance to explain.
Holy hell—my brother was playing matchmaker. With his best friend and his sister!
“I wish you would have told me you were going to tell him about…us. You and me. I mean—” What was I supposed to call it? Was there really an us? I had no idea what we were, just knew that I still ached to be near him and my heart was drawn to his.
“Us.” Logan stepped forward and took my hand. I let him. “I want there to be an us. It’s killing me that you don’t want to be around me. I overreacted and I feel like shit because of it. But you have to understand my side.”
“Tell me your side,” I said. “Instead of yelling at me, look me in the eyes and explain your side. So I understand why. So I understand you.”
“I’ve never cared about anyone like I care about you. It terrified me to think about caring for you even more and then maybe, one day, not ever being able to have you. But I let myself do it. I thought I was making you happy—”
“You were.”
“And I thought I was making myself happy. No, I was making myself happy. But I was also fighting it because I knew how much I could lose.”
My heart went out to him. God, I knew how he felt. I’d never really opened myself up to Logan before either because I thought it wouldn’t work. Or I thought Isaac would get in a way. There were dozens of other excuses.
“So when I woke up yesterday and you were gone, I panicked. And it was even worse when I couldn’t find you. I didn’t know what had happened and suddenly it was too much. I did realize how much I had to lose and I scared the shit out of me. I reacted the way I did because I was terrified.” He squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Okay.” I breathed in and out, loving the smell of the ocean air and the freedom of being outside. “I understand. And I’m sorry for shutting you out. This is a lot for me, too.”
“I can back off if that’s what you need.”
I smiled at him. “That’s the exact opposite of what I need.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him hard, putting everything I had into it. My hands ran down his arms and then back up, and I could feel his body responding to mine. But he didn’t indulge. Instead, he pulled back.
“Do you need more time?” he asked, glancing around.
“Outside?”
He nodded.
“It’s probably better if we go back, right?”
He touched my cheek, delivering the bad news in the sweetest way he could. “Yes. I’d feel better. And once we get inside we’ll have more time to talk.”
More time to make up, is what I had in mind. But I only nodded. “I’m listening to you. Whatever you think is best.”
Without a word, he turned us back in the direction of the beach house, keeping my hand in his.
“How long do you think we have to stay here?” I asked.
His eyes were vigilant, scanning the homes, the water, the trees. “That’s something we should talk about. I have a few things to tell you about the men who are after you.”
I tried to stay calm. I knew there were things he was keeping from me, but I had no idea how serious they were. If he was willing to talk, I had to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’d just dropped a pretty big bomb on me and I saw his side of things from a new perspective.
More than ever, I trusted Logan. By the time we reached the beach house, my thoughts were jumbled again, and I hated to turn a nice morning into something frustrating, so I shoved those thoughts aside for now.
First, I needed to focus on Logan. Then we could talk and figure out our next steps.
Once we were inside, I waited for him to lock the door, and then reached out to place my hands on his chest. “Do you need to check the house?”
“I should.”
“Good. I’m going to shower and wash the sand off of me. I think…” I gave him a coy smile. “You should meet me there.”
I felt his cock harden against me and grinned.
“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”
He swatted my ass as I turned, and I yelped, laughing all the way upstairs to the shower.
CHAPTER NINE
I’d let her leave the house partly because I knew she needed it and partly because it was my way of showing her that I was listening. That I wanted what was best for her, not just to do my job. I didn’t know the moment when it had become more about making Elise feel right and safe and less about doing my duty.
But it had. It had passed that so fast and so far, I was still reeling. I had feelings for Elise that weren’t going to go away. And since I couldn’t go back—didn’t want to go back—I was forging ahead. Elise was part of my life now and it wasn’t just my job to protect her, it was my job to make sure she was happy and taken care of.
Once I made sure the house and the surrounding area was clear, I walked back inside, locked the door, and released a breath. I wasn’t worried about being found here, at the beach house, anymore. I was worried what would happen when we went back to the city.
Unfortunately, that was what I needed to talk to Elise about.
I heard the water running upstairs and my cock twitched. Damn it. I hated to ruin her day. All I wanted was for Elise to be peaceful. Relaxed. I didn’t want her to have to deal with this shit. But it was there regardless. After she was safe, after those bastards were in prison, then I’d figure out the rest.
Some way for us to spend time together without this kind of stress.
But before I told her the news…
With my dick tenting my jeans, I hiked up the stairs and walked to the bathroom. I saw her silhouette behind the glass of the shower door. Fuck. I’d never seen a woman more beautiful than Elise. Never knew I could lose my heart so quickly and so completely.
But I had. She’d stolen every rational thought and replaced it with all of her. I was consumed and there was no going back.
“Logan?” she asked, turning.
Hell. Even the sound of her voice turned me on.
“It’s me,” I said. I toed off my shoes, yanked off my jeans, and finished getting undressed in a rush.
All I wanted was to feel Elise’s body against mine. To lose myself in her for a short while before we had to return to reality.
I stepped inside the shower, and the heat in her gaze seared my entire body. She took in my chest, my arms, my dick. Every part of me. And looked like she was going to pounce.
I beat her to it.
I jerked Elise into my arms and captured her mouth at the same time. She was slippery with warm water, and her mouth was wet and soft. She groaned, and I almost came.
“Fuck. Elise,” I growled. “I need you right now.”
She pressed her breasts aga
inst me in response, her whole body pliant and ready for me. I skimmed one hand down her slippery waist and pressed it against her center. Then I pushed two fingers inside of her, felt her hands squeeze on my shoulders, and tried to slow down.
But she felt too good, and I was already so close to exploding, I couldn’t wait.
I gripped her leg and hiked it up, trying to gain a more direct entrance. Elise was only too willing to oblige, hooking her leg around my waist and leaning against the shower wall.
“You know you’re it for me, right?” I asked, voice hushed.
Water on her lashes, she looked up with wide eyes. Eyes that betrayed every emotion. “I feel the same way.”
With those words swirling in my mind, encasing my heart, I drove into her. She clenched tight around me, squeezing me so fucking hard, I couldn’t stop myself. I felt like an animal, thrusting into her over and over again and hearing her flesh slap against the tiles of the shower.
“Logan,” she breathed, head angling back. “Yes. Keep going. Give me everything.”
I could already feel it coming. The explosion. I could feel every part of me tensing, building toward that release. Knowing it was with the one person I couldn’t live without.
“I need you with me,” I said. “Come with me.”
I dropped one hand between us, massaging her clit with my thumb. Her body jerked at first contact, and the moan that escaped fueled me. I wouldn’t let go until she was with me. All the way.
“Come for me, baby.”
With the other hand, I squeezed her breast, twisting the nipple until it formed a hard peak.
“Oh, God.” Elise’s breath hitched. She dropped her forehead to my shoulder. “I can’t—I—”
I felt it in her. The orgasm. And finally, finally, I let myself go. I held her tight against me as us were both swept away. I poured into her, so hard and fast, I could barely stand. We both held each other up until the last wave of pleasure rolled over us.
“Logan,” she murmured, breathing heavy.
I pushed wet strands of hair from her cheek. “I’m still here.”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her eyes locked on mine and I swore I knew what was coming. What she wanted to say. It was the same thing I kept thinking. I love you.