A tall, thin, bald man in a chef’s jacket stood behind the kitchen island in front of a state-of-the- art range. The island was set beautifully with several bottles of wine, glasses, and dishes. On the counter on either side of the cooktop were ingredients I assumed that would make up our dinner. The chef turned around and his face lit up when he saw Logan.
“Logan, my boy. How wonderful to see you,” he said as he made his way over to us and warmly embraced Logan.
“Easton, long time. How are you?”
“Too long and I’m fantastic.” He turned his attention to me. “This must be the special lady.”
“Easton, this is the very special Lip Smacker.”
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Apparently, Logan had enough time after leaving me earlier to make plans and let this dude know how special I was to him.
Taking my hand, Chef Easton kissed the back of it. “So wonderful to meet you, Lip. Welcome to my kitchen. I can see why my friend Logan is smitten with you. Beautiful woman with an equally beautiful heart and soul.”
Chef held my hand through the entire compliment. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Logan’s jaw was clenched. His pretty blue eyes had a green tint of jealousy as his laser focus stayed on his smooth talking friend. I had to admit, I was flattered by Logan’s protective nature. Excluding my father and grandfather, no man had ever cared that much about me.
After several seconds, Logan had had enough of his touchy-feely friend touching and feeling me. Logan gave Chef Easton a friendly slap on the back, causing him to cough and drop my hand.
“So, old buddy, whatcha got planned for us tonight?” Logan said, his grip tightening on Easton’s shoulder as he guided the chef toward the cooktop.
I was so excited to watch a classically trained chef prepare a meal right in front of my eyes that I sat my purse down on one of the stools at the island and climbed into my seat. Logan and Easton looked at me with weird expressions on their faces. I immediately panicked. Had I done something wrong? Was something on my face, hanging from my face, or crawling on my face?
“Lip, get over here,” Logan directed.
“Is everything okay?” I waved my hand around, inconspicuously wiping my face.
“Easton is going to teach us how to make pasta e fagioli.”
My brows furrowed. “This is a cooking class?”
“A cooking lesson,” Easton said. “Cooking class sounds so pedestrian.”
While Easton set up the ingredients and tools for our lesson, I motioned for Logan to join me on my side of the island.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Nothing, really.” I hesitated for several seconds.
Me cooking on a first date was tantamount to me eating spaghetti or any saucy dish on a first date.
“Logan, this is so great, but I don’t cook.”
“What do you mean you don’t cook? You own a bakery.”
“Aha! Bakery is the key word. Baking is very different from cooking. Cooking takes a certain finesse. Finesse I do not possess.”
“I thought you’d love this. I thought it would be the perfect first date. I thought—”
Before he said another word, I got up on my tiptoes and gave him a peck on the lips.
“It is the perfect first date, because I’m with you, and you were being thoughtful wanting to do something I would enjoy. It’s not your fault that you were wa-a-a-y off base.”
“Well, this is a great start to the evening. I don’t know how to cook either, so we’ll learn together.”
My face automatically scrunched. “There’s one more little thing I failed to mention.”
“You’re allergic to Italian food? You’re a man?”
“Oh no, nothing like that.”
“Then hit me with it.”
“I don’t know how to cook because I…hate cooking.”
Logan’s hands flew into the air in frustration.
Looking over at Easton, he said, “Hey, E, change of plans. You’re going to cook for us while we watch and drink wine.”
Placing his hand on my lower back, Logan escorted me back to my seat. After pouring us both a glass of wine, he sat down, wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled me in closer to his side.
“I thought the two of us cooking together would be sexy as hell,” Logan whispered in my ear, sending shivers from the top of my head to the tip of my toes.
I turned toward him so the tips of our noses touched. “I’m sure anything involving you would be sexy as hell, Mr. Heath. Personally, I think baking is much more sensual, what with the whipping, the creams, and not to mention the silky buttery frosting.”
Logan’s eyes closed as he sucked in a sharp breath. My hand slid up his thigh, discovering how excited the topic of baking made him. Pushing my knees together, I wiggled in my seat. I wanted to touch him so badly I ached. As if it had a mind of its own, my hand inched its way to the promised land. I was just about to make the curve when Logan’s hand grabbed mine, stopping me in my tracks.
“Logan,” I breathed.
“Easton, what’s the ETA on dinner?”
“Not much longer. Are you hungry?”
Never taking his eyes off me, Logan replied, “Starving.”
After Chef Easton served Logan and I the meal, he disappeared, leaving us to enjoy it, and each other.
“I’M SORRY TONIGHT DIDN’T turn out as planned,” Logan said, taking a sip of wine.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m the one who threw a wrench into it. Besides, it may not have turned out like you planned, but it’s been an incredible first date.”
“It has been a pretty awesome night.”
He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I could taste the spices of the food, the wine, and Logan. In this moment I had so many wonderful feelings swirling around inside of my body that I wanted to cry. I wasn’t sure if it was premature or not, but I had this overwhelming sense that I needed to tell Logan about John.
I hadn’t been with anyone since my relationship with the bastard. I was secure in the fact that I had control of the post-traumatic stress disorder I experienced after we broke up. I didn’t flinch when Logan touched me and I didn’t have the paralyzing fear of making him mad. In fact, arguing with Logan was kind of a turn on. It made me feel strong and alive.
I wasn’t as confident when it came to my reaction to having sex. I loved all the kissing and touching Logan and I had done. I wanted him like I’d never wanted anyone in my life. But being with him was uncharted waters for me. And if this night continued moving forward in the direction I hoped, I owed him the truth about my past.
With my gaze down, I twisted the cloth napkin in my lap and tentatively said, “Logan, I have something I need to tell you.”
Taking my chin between his thumb and index finger, Logan tilted my gaze up to his. “Don’t be nervous. You can say anything to me.”
“I hope after you hear it, you’ll still feel this night has been awesome.”
He placed his hand over my nervous ones. “Lip, nothing will change my mind about you or this night.”
I gave him a weak smile. “You sure know the right things to say.”
“I mean what I say.”
I inhaled a deep cleansing breath. “On the way to Seabrook you questioned me about all the men who had been in my life. The body count is pretty low.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
The look in his eyes told me he wasn’t giving me a line. He truly meant those words.
“I’ve dated off and on over the years, but I’ve only had one relationship that lasted a significant amount of time. Soon after my parent’s death I met John. I was hurting, lost, and lonely. He paid attention to me. Things were good for a while.”
Sensing the story was about to take a turn for the worse, Logan’s shoulders stiffened.
“Life tossed a few curveballs at John and…um…he handled them by taking it out on me.”
Logan’s jaw cl
enched, causing the veins in his neck to pop out.
“I’ll spare you the gory details. Let’s just say I forgot who I was during that time. But with the love and support of my grandparents and counseling, I was able to find Lip again.”
“Thank God.” His fingers curled around my hand.
“My counselor at the time said that women in abusive relationships experience degrees of post-traumatic stress syndrome. Which I did and worked through most of it.”
“Fuck, Lip, if I’ve made you feel the slightest bit—”
“Oh God, No! Logan, being with you has been some of the best times I’ve had. It’s just that I haven’t had sex since John. I just don’t know how I’ll react, because the situation hasn’t presented itself until now. I wouldn’t be telling you any of this, except that I really want to be with you.”
Not saying a word, Logan stood and extended his hand to me. I followed his lead, slipping my hand into his. Wrapping his arm around my waist, Logan pulled me against his chest.
With his forehead touching mine, Logan, whispered, “I’m so sorry that fucking bastard hurt you. If he ever crosses my path, I’ll wring his Goddamn neck. Lip, I want you more than anything else. But you set the pace. I’m not going anywhere.”
With tears streaming down my cheeks, I said, “Thank you.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance.”
“Do you believe in soul mates?”
“I never gave it much thought until a week ago,” he said.
I looked into his sultry blue eyes. “I knew there was something about you, Mr. Heath, that stood out from the rest of the herd.”
“Lip, I didn’t realize I was looking for you until I walked into the bakery.”
My knees buckled, but Logan caught me before I hit the ground.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned.
“I do believe you made me swoon.”
Placing his lips on mine, Logan ran his tongue along my bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth. My breath caught in my throat causing my mouth to open. His tongue slipped inside and teased mine. The kiss was slow, deep, and methodical. I thought the top of my head was going to blow off. My body was an explosion of sensations.
Logan’s hands slid under my ass. Lifting me, he placed me on the countertop.
“Touch me,” I said against his lips.
Without hesitation, Logan gathered the material of my long dress in his hands, inching upward until my thighs were exposed. His hands disappeared underneath my dress. Taking hold of my hips, Logan slid me to the edge, causing my legs to spread open and wrap around him. The feel of his hands traveling up and down my outer thighs had me so wet, it was almost unbearable. I wanted Logan to shove me against the wall and do whatever he wanted to do with my body.
Tearing his lips from mine, he panted, “We need to get out of here.”
I nodded my response.
“Your place?” he asked.
I nodded my response. Apparently, while in the throes of passion I become a mute.
Hanging his head, Logan, placed his hands flat on the countertop on either side of me as he got control of himself. After a few seconds he took a step back, slipped my dress back down, and gently helped me off the counter. I enjoyed every exquisite second of sliding down his body. When my feet first touched the ground I was a bit shaky, but recovered quickly. Logan took my hand and pulled me toward the door.
“What about our bill?” I said, grabbing my purse on the way out.
“I already paid.”
We continued out onto the sidewalk and power walked all the way to his car. Good thing I’d worn my low-heeled sandals.
Once inside Logan’s car he turned to me. “Are you sure about this, Lip?”
“You’re talking about sex, right?”
The corners of his mouth curled into a devilish smile. “Yeah.”
“I’m sure.”
“Remember, you set the pace.”
“I will,” I said.
A huge part of me had been ready for this moment since my freshman year in high school when this sweet boy had helped me with my locker. Of course, I didn’t voice that out loud. In my head I couldn’t decide if it sounded sweet and cute or sad and pathetic. In situations like those I’ve learned it’s best to play it safe and not say everything that’s going on in my head.
Once at my place we wasted no time. Logan and I flew up the stairs and into my bedroom. He slipped his hands on either side of my face and stared into my eyes. God, I loved this move. It was possessive, but the look in his eyes was awe and lust-an intoxicating combination.
“Lip, we’re still good to move forward?”
“Logan, I feel sufficiently wooed by you. Now I really need to be sufficiently fucked by you.”
“That’s my girl. Shit!”
“What?!”
“With making plans for tonight in a short amount of time, I forgot the condoms.”
“Condoms with an s? You’re mighty confident. Don’t worry. I’m on the pill.”
Then the frantic and frenzy atmosphere slowed down. Logan’s hands slipped down my neck to my shoulders. Taking the straps of my dress with him, he moved down my arms. I slipped out of the straps and let the dress pool at my feet. For the first time in years I stood in front of a man in only my bra and panties.
Logan stared, taking in my body. Dropping to his knees, his hands gripped my hips as he brought me closer to him. He inhaled my scent before placing gentle kisses over my stomach. My knees were weak, so I sunk my fingers into his dark hair in order to keep upright. I wanted this moment to go on forever. Logan’s hands moved down to my ass and under my panties. The heat between my legs was an inferno. I needed him to touch me there. I needed to feel the friction. But Logan had other ideas.
He massaged my ass as he looked up at me. I leaned down, placing my lips against his. My hips began to move. He was driving me crazy and we had just started.
“Logan, I need you inside me.”
A wicked little smile crossed his face as his hands gripped the hem of my panties and slid them down my legs. Feeling my own wetness on my skin only turned me on more.
“Not yet,” he whispered against my blazing skin. “I want to take my time and explore every inch of you.”
His mouth covered my nipple hidden beneath the lace of my bra while his hands made their way up my back to unhook it. Taking the lace between his teeth, Logan pulled my bra off, leaving me completely exposed. The desire radiating from his body made me feel sexy and beautiful.
“Fuck, Lip,” he said between licks of my nipples.
“Logan, you’re making me insane. I can’t take much more.”
With that, he slowly sucked on my tit just before pulling away. Within seconds he had peeled off his shirt and pants. I was finally seeing the whole package and it took my breath away. Logan’s body was incredible, toned and muscular, but not overly so. I couldn’t stop staring at every sharp angle.
He caught me in the act of drooling. “Lip.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Didn’t you know it’s impolite to stare?”
“I’m a pretty rude person.”
Logan lifted his hand and made the move to take off his watch.
“Don’t. Leave it on,” I said.
He looked at me questioningly.
“There’s something about that big chunky watch curled around your muscular arm…” My cheeks were blazing with my admission.
With one dark brow raised, he said, “It gets your juices flowing, does it?”
“Oh yeah.”
He left the watch on and moved closer to me. Finally, I got a taste of what I’d been aching for since before leaving the restaurant when his dick brushed against my pelvis. Using his left hand, Logan took his dick and slid it between my legs. My entire body turned to jelly at the touch. I placed my palms flat against his hard chest to brace myself.
Slowly, he moved back and forth. “How does that feel?”
“Like more,” I said,
focused on the sight of him holding himself with the watch gleaming between my legs.
I heard and felt the vibrations of his deep chuckle. Logan stopped his slow seduction and lifted me up into his arms, bringing my chest in line with his face. His lips and tongue moved across my skin, nibbling and licking as he lay me down on my bed. He stood there looking at me in a way that I had never experienced before. I almost came under his heated gaze. I wiggled in the sheets, my body throbbing for the weight of him. Finally, my wish came true.
Logan crawled over my body, resting between my legs. It felt perfect, as if he belonged there. He took a few seconds, allowing me to get used to his weight before his hips began to rock. He never once looked away from me. Neither of us said a word. Everything we needed to know was in the way we looked at each other and the way our bodies moved in perfect rhythm.
Logan moved faster, causing the most incredible feeling inside me. Holding onto his biceps, I matched him thrust for thrust until I was near the edge. I couldn’t hold on any longer. I came hard. One powerful thrust from Logan and he fell with me. We lay there still for several seconds, panting, enjoying the feel of our hot wet skin touching.
“Phenomenal,” Logan mumbled in the crook of my neck.
“I’d respond, but my mind is blown, rendering me incapable of speech.”
The side of my neck vibrated with his laughter.
THE NEXT MORNING, AS my eyes eased open an instant smile crossed my face at the beautiful man sleeping next to me. Last night had been like a dream. A hot, sensual down and dirty dream. So long ho-hum hoo-hah! You had been tuned up and turned on.
As I enjoyed the view of Logan and the soreness of my muscles, I felt grateful at how unpredictable my life had been. Each time you’re blindsided by both the good and the bad, you experience the true meaning of life without restraint. Your walls crumble and your emotions pour out, revealing the purest and rawest part of your being. When I first heard Mom and Dad were dead my brain fought like hell to convince me otherwise. In the end there was no stopping my heart and the love I had for them.
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