“Look! Free cupcakes for me!” Logan’s triumphant voice startled me out of my thoughts, and I realized that we had already made it to the table where my cake was displayed. I held my breath as I looked down at the cake and saw a deep blue ribbon next to it, along with a little cardboard sign that read “Julia Price, First Prize in the First Annual Cake Sculpting Contest.”
My jaw dropped, and I picked the little sign up reverently, as though if I grabbed it too firmly it might disintegrate at my touch and I would realize that this had all been a dream.
“I won,” I whispered. And then, the tears came. I tried to hold them back, but I couldn’t help it. The relief was too great. “I won,” I repeated in a choked voice. “Decaf…his surgery. I can help him now.”
“You did it,” Logan said, drawing me into his arms. He wrapped himself around me and kissed the top of my head as I sobbed. “I’m so proud of you. You found a way even when it seemed impossible.”
I struggled for at least a full minute to get control of my emotions, but it wasn’t easy. All I could think about was how much pain Decaf had been in lately, and how he wouldn’t have to put up with that anymore. When I finally managed to stop the tears, I looked up at Logan and smiled. “You can have your free cupcakes. But don’t think this means that you can come load hours’ worth of Christmas music on my jukebox.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “You’re such a Grinch! I don’t understand why everyone wants to relegate the most joyous holiday of the year to just December. We should spread the cheer over to the rest of the months, too.”
I gave him a playful punch. “I’m all for cheer. But it doesn’t have to be Christmas cheer. Hey! Should we see if you won anything?”
He groaned. “I doubt it. My cake was really awful.”
“Come on. I want to at least see it. I’m curious what a billionaire chooses to carve when he takes on cake sculpting.”
Logan bit his lip, but then shrugged. “Okay. Come on then. You can see what I thought was worth putting into cake form.”
I followed him as he walked to the next table over and pointed at his cake, which definitely did not have a ribbon next to it. He groaned again.
“It’s even worse now than it was when I brought it in. The longer it sits out, the worse the lopsidedness seems to get. Gravity is not a friend of this cake.”
I hardly even noticed what he was saying. My jaw had dropped once again at the mere sight of the cake. Yes, it was lopsided, and it looked like the frosting job had been completed in a bit of a hurry. But it didn’t matter how awful it was on a technical skills scale. One look at the cake made my heart melt for Logan all over again.
“It’s Decaf,” I whispered. Logan stopped his dramatic groaning and carrying on and looked over at me with a small smile.
“Yeah. It’s him. I’m glad you can still tell, even though he’s sort of falling headfirst into the coffee mug.”
I felt tears stinging my eyelids, and I tried to blink them away, but it was no use. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m a total weeper with all I’ve cried lately. It’s just that I’ve been so worried about Decaf, and you’ve been so helpful with him. I can tell you truly care about him and that’s kind of amazing.”
Logan pulled me into his arms, letting his warmth surround me. With his body pressed against mine, I felt protected. I felt stronger than I did on my own. I felt loved.
“I do care about him, and I care about you. I know this might sound crazy, but I want to find a way to make things between us work. I’ve been wanting to take a step back from the craziness of life in New York for a while now. I never envisioned myself living on an island, but after talking to a bunch of local business owners today, I can see that there’s so much potential here. This isn’t just a sleepy, boring little town. It’s a vibrant community. And I want to be a part of that community, if it will have me. If you will have me.”
I stared up at him in shock. This was more than I had dared to hope for. “You want to stay? Here? On Driftwood Island?”
His blue eyes crinkled up at me in that adorable way they did when he smiled. “Yes. If you’ll have me.”
“I…of course. I’ve been trying for the last hour to figure out a way for us to still be together even though we live worlds apart. I never dreamed that you would want to live here permanently.”
Logan’s smile widened. “To be honest, I would have never dreamed that either until a few days ago. But I’m starting to see that I was wrong about island life. It’s better than I thought, and besides, you are here. I really couldn’t ask for more than to wake up next to you every day. I know there are some details to work out, but they’re just that: details. The important thing is that I want to be with you forever, and I hope you feel the same about me.”
My jaw had dropped at this point. My life had gone from feeling like a total shit show to feeling like some sort of modern day fairy tale. I’d finally lost my virginity, and it had been with a man who was truly special. And now, that man was telling me that he wanted to spend his life with me. He cared about me. He cared about my dog. And even if he was pretty horrible at sculpting a cake, he’d put in a lot of effort in his attempt to reach my heart. I was feeling pretty damn lucky right now.
When he bent his face down and put his lips over mine, setting me on fire once again with his kiss, I felt even luckier.
Good thing the fairgrounds were empty right now, because I had a feeling Logan and I weren’t going to be able to make it back to my house before going for round two with each other.
Even though I hadn’t attended any of the actual fair activities yet, this was turning out to be the best Summer Fair ever.
And I had a feeling it was only going to get better from here.
Chapter Twelve
* LOGAN *
I knew there were a lot of people on Driftwood Island who were skeptical about my ability to handle a cash register, but I had proven them wrong today. The joke was on them, because I’d spent most of my teen years working at a clothing store in the mall, and I actually had quite a bit of experience with cash registers. It had been a while, but I picked up the skill again quickly, and I managed to run Julia’s coffee shop for her all day without any major catastrophes.
I could have just hired someone to take care of the café, but this place was Julia’s baby. She was nervous about passing off operations to someone who might not love the place as much as her, so I rolled up my shirtsleeves and took over. She, at least, had still baked all of the pastries and cupcakes. After we tasted a few bites of the cake I’d made for the Summer Fair, we’d both agreed that I shouldn’t give up my day job for a baking career. The cake had been, quite frankly, the driest, worst tasting cake I’d ever had in my life.
But even if I couldn’t bake cupcakes, I could sell them. I looked proudly over at the pastry case, which was almost empty. Julia was going to be so proud of me.
The bell above the door jingled, and I looked up to see a tired-but-happy looking Julia walking in.
“Sorry, I’m closed,” I said, crossing my arms.
Julia just grinned at me. “Learn to lock the door, then.”
I hopped over the counter in one smooth leap, strode to the door, and clicked the deadbolt into place behind her. Then I drew her into my arms and nuzzled her nose with mine “There. Locked. Are you happy?”
She giggled and glanced nervously at the street. Through the glass windows, anyone could see us, and Julia was a bit modest about public displays of affection. Not me, though. I didn’t care who saw us. If watching us kiss made them uncomfortable, they could look the other way. I pressed my lips against hers, and relished the feeling of her soft lips. My cock instantly began to stiffen, and I had a feeling I was going to have to carry her into the back office to make love to her before I would be able to drive home. She could make me hard in a matter of seconds, and the only thing that relieved the pressure was thrusting myself deep inside of her. It was a wonderfully annoying problem to have.
<
br /> But before we started any shenanigans in the backroom, I wanted to hear how her day had gone. The whole reason I had run the bakery today instead of her was so that she could be near Decaf when he had his hip surgery. I assumed, judging by the happy look on Julia’s face, that the surgery had gone well. But I was still nervous as I asked her about it.
“How’s Decaf holding up?”
Her smile told me everything I needed to know.
“Really well, considering. The vet is hopeful that he’ll make a quick recovery.”
“Good. He deserves to be able to run pain-free on the beach.”
Julia laughed. “That dog has you wrapped around his paws.”
I gave her a sheepish look. “What can I say? He’s a good dog.”
“And you’re a good man. Seems like a good combination.”
I put my hands on my hips and pretended to be indignant. “If you’re trying to butter me up for a free pastry, you’re wasting your time. I run a tight ship around here. No discounts just because you’re the owner.”
She glanced at the pastry case, which was almost empty. “Looks like you ran a productive ship, too. You sold out of almost everything.”
“I know. I’d like to say that it’s all thanks to my excellent sales’ skills, but I think it has more to do with the fact that everyone in town knew I was working behind the counter today, and they all wanted to come get a glimpse of the billionaire working a cash register.”
“You do look pretty sexy in that apron.”
The teasing way she wiggled her eyebrows at me nearly undid me. “Come on,” I growled. “I’ll show you what’s underneath this apron.”
I grabbed her hand and started dragging her toward the back office. She came willingly, not even pretending to protest. We’d been banging like bunnies since that first night on the beach, and even though the logical side of me told me it was just because things between us were so new, I knew that it was more than that. My need for her was so much more than physical. Her body was irresistible, yes. But so was her spirit. She completed me in a way I’d never thought possible, and I couldn’t get enough of her. I would never be able to get enough of her.
But that wasn’t going to stop me from trying. I growled again as I glanced over my shoulder one last time to make sure that the front door was, indeed, locked.
I definitely did not want to be disturbed right now.
Chapter Thirteen
* LOGAN *
As I dragged Julia into the office, I let go of her hand long enough to reach over and sweep all of the papers off her desk.
“Hey!” she protested. “Those were organized.”
“And now they’re not. Let’s get these clothes off of you.”
I tore her tank top over her head and tossed it over my shoulder, doing the same moments later with her bra. Then I pushed down her shorts and underwear, slipping my finger into her as she kicked them aside.
“Good. You’re already wet for me.”
“How could I not be?” she gasped, her eyes looking up at me with that same hunger she had every time we were together. She reached behind me for the strings of my apron and deftly unknotted them as I drew her in for a kiss. I could feel her breasts pushing up against me, and I became impatient with the fabric of my clothes that was preventing me from truly feeling her. As Julia pulled the apron off of me, I was already reaching to pull my t-shirt off. Julia, just as eager to have me naked as I was to be naked, was already unfastening the button at the top of my jeans. Within the next minute, I was free of every article of clothing that had so obnoxiously come between Julia and me.
I pulled her close and let my stiff erection press against the soft curves of her stomach. She moaned, and started trying to wriggle herself into position so that my dick would line up with her dripping wet entrance. I pulled back and shook a finger at her.
“No, no, no. Not so fast. There’s something else I want to do first.”
I picked her up underneath her arms and lifted her up so she was sitting on the very edge of her desk with her legs dangling down over the side in front of her. I pushed those long, slender legs apart to give myself a full view of her perfect pink folds, and now it was my turn to moan.
“You’re so perfect,” I told her. “It’s not even fair.”
She blushed in response, and normally I would have teased her about that blush. But not right now. Right now, I had more important things to do. Things like getting a taste of the sweet honey between her legs.
I knelt in front of her and kept her legs pushed apart wide with my hands as I plunged my tongue deep inside of her. She gasped and tried to wriggle herself away, but I used my hands on her thighs as leverage to keep her where I wanted her.
Oh, no you don’t. You’re not going anywhere. I knew she felt self-conscious when I used my tongue to pleasure her, but I was determined to get her past that. The truth was that few things made me happier than tasting the juices of her desire. Perhaps the only thing I liked more was actually putting my cock inside of her—but there was no reason I couldn’t have both things, and this afternoon, I fully intended to have both.
As I ran my tongue along the insides of her folds, she gradually began to relax. She was growing warmer, and I could tell that her efforts to resist were breaking down. I flicked my tongue across her clit and she shuddered in that delightful way she did when she was getting close to losing herself completely to my touch.
Now that her legs were relaxed, I moved my hands up from her thighs and grasped her breasts, running my thumbs across her nipples as I continued to move my tongue against her dripping wet entrance. I could hear her breathing growing rapider with each passing second, and I knew she was getting closer.
I myself was beginning to feel like I might explode. The pressure in my dick was building, and I knew that the steel rod between my legs was going to need a release soon. But I would have my chance. First, I wanted to make Julia cum for my tongue.
She was grasping my shoulders tightly now, as though desperately trying to steady herself against the storm of my desire.
“Logan,” she gasped. I loved the way she said my name when we made love. Like I was the only person who existed in the world. She was definitely the only person who existed for me. There was no one else. There was nothing better than this. I just wanted to spend every day of my life tasting and feeling her. She was my spot of heaven in this crazy, confusing thing called life.
I flicked my tongue across her clit one more time and she gasped again. Then I felt the tremors of her orgasm rocking across her. She gasped my shoulders even tighter, and arched so that she was pushing my tongue even deeper into her. I loved this moment, when she truly let go. I lived for it. I continued to lap up the taste of her even as her inner muscles clenched around my tongue.
My dick was under so much pressure now that I felt like it might explode, but I made myself be patient. I waited until Julia’s tremors had subsided, and then I slowly pulled away and stood up. I brushed the curls of red hair away from her face and smiled when she smiled drunkenly up at me. She was drunk on me, and my love. And I was drunk on hers. Being a bachelor billionaire, it was inevitable that women would always be after me for my money. But not Julia. She’d made it clear from the beginning that she wanted nothing to do with my wealth. I knew she cared about me for me. For who I truly was beneath all the tiresome glitz and glamour of being filthy rich. I was the luckiest man alive.
“Come on,” I growled out in a rough voice. “We’re not done yet. That was just a teaser.”
I pushed her onto the desk on her back and climbed over her, hovering so that my erection was just above her sex that was so swollen with desire.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck, giving me the sexiest “come and get me” grin I’d ever seen. “Well, if that was just a teaser, I can’t wait to see what the main course is like.”
I teased her entrance with the tip of my dick, grinning confidently down at her. “Oh, you’re going t
o like it. Trust me.”
“Show me.”
“If you insist, my lady.” I slid into her, relishing the way she moaned as I filled her. She was so tight and hot against my shaft that it was a struggle not to instantly explode inside of her. I held back, though, and began to rock my hips back and forth, sliding in and out of her slickness and causing her to moan with pleasure each time I thrust into her.
We probably should have been using a condom, especially since I now knew she wasn’t taking birth control. But we’d been careless thus far, and it was possible I’d already gotten her pregnant, anyway. Suddenly, I realized that that was exactly what I wanted. I’d known for a while that I wanted her to be the mother of my children. Now, I knew that I wanted her to be the mother of my children immediately. I didn’t want to wait any longer to start our family.
“I’m going to get you pregnant,” I growled out. “I want you to have my baby.”
I thrust into her, feeling more turned on than ever by the thought of her belly swelling with a child that I put inside of her.
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Yes, give me a baby.”
Her arms gripped me tighter, and her words pushed me over the edge. With my next thrust, I came into her, spilling my seed deep inside of her and hopefully giving her a child we could raise and love together. I pulsed over and over, the hot fire inside of me shooting into her. She cried out and arched her back, losing herself at the exact same time as me. Her inner muscles clenched tightly around my dick, as though trying to squeeze out every last bit of me that she could.
Craving Him: A Billionaire Beach Island Romance (Billionaires of Driftwood Island Book 1) Page 9
