Bidder - An Auctioned to the Billionaire Romance (Criminal Passions Book 2)

by Layla Valentine

  After what felt like forever, Logan and Terri sat in the waiting room of the police station, steaming cups of coffee in their hands while they waited for Charlie to emerge from the back rooms.

  “I can’t believe you did that,” Logan murmured. “Actually, no. I can.”

  She shook her head, face determined. “I had to.”

  A lump formed in his throat. He put down his coffee, meaning to touch her face, but hesitated. Just because they’d successfully had Bryce arrested didn’t mean everything was magically better. The divide between the two of them remained.

  “I want to chastise you for doing it on your own,” he started.

  “I wasn’t going to ask for your help.” Her lips twitched.

  “You could have. Terri, I messed up.”

  She tilted her head, waiting for more.

  “I should have told you about my connection to Bryce.”

  “Tell me more.”

  He rubbed his palms on his thighs, nerves getting the best of him. If he did this wrong, he could lose her forever.

  “What I told you about those stocks is true. I should have told you sooner, though.”

  She gulped. “Logan, I wanted to trust you. I wanted…” She looked away.

  “No.” He grabbed her hand. “Look at me. What is it you want?”

  “You,” she said in a pained whisper.

  His grip tightened. “You can have me. I’m right here.”

  She turned her face back to his. “Is that really true?”

  “Yes.”

  “Because I need full disclosure. Real honesty.”

  “I understand.” He nodded. “And I’m going to work on that. I started changing when I met you, Terri. I didn’t even know it was happening at first, but… You make me want to be a better man.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I thought you were working with Bryce.”

  “What?” He could have sworn he’d just been stabbed in the heart, the pain her words brought was so intense. “Why?”

  “What evidence did you give me that said otherwise?”

  His head dropped. Damn. She was right.

  “But then,” she said. “You showed up at his house and you risked your life to help me.”

  Hopeful, he lifted his head. “It’s not something I had to plan. When I found out you went to Zurich alone, I almost died of panic. I would be broken if I lost you, Terri.”

  A tear rolled down her cheek. “You mean that?”

  “Yes. One hundred percent.” He cupped her face. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she sniffled.

  Joy expanded his chest, the feeling growing and growing till he thought he might explode from it.

  The door to the back of the station opening grabbed their attention. Charlie emerged, bags under his eyes but a grin on his lips.

  “Things are looking good.”

  He took a seat across from them and scrubbed his hands down his face. Logan had let go of Terri’s face, but they still sat close together, their knees and shoulders brushing.

  Charlie dropped his hands. “Have you been checked out by the medics?” he asked Terri.

  “Yes. We both have.”

  Charlie’s gaze slid to Logan. “Thank you. You might have saved her life.”

  Logan nodded. “She means a lot to me. You don’t have to thank me.”

  Charlie hesitated, and in that moment Terri’s hand found Logan’s. “We can trust him, Charlie.”

  Both men looked at her in surprise. The tender expression on her face didn’t waver.

  “Logan risked his life to help me,” she said. Her glimmering eyes turned to him. “And I would do the same, because I love him.”

  “Wow.” Charlie blinked. “Okay… I have to say, I’m not surprised.”

  “You’re not?” Terri and Logan asked at the same time.

  “I’ve seen the way you look at each other. You two are clearly obsessed with each other… even if you try to hide it.”

  “You’re going to stay true to your word, right?” Terri asked.

  “You mean dropping Logan’s investigation?” His gaze met Logan’s. “Yes.”

  Terri let out a little cry of happiness, and Logan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

  “When are you coming back to Chicago?” Terri asked her brother.

  “There are some hoops to jump through first,” Charlie said. “We’ve arrested Bryce in Switzerland, but he’ll be tried in Chicago. Still, it’s not as simple as putting him on a plane and shipping him over. There’s paperwork to be completed and calls to be made. Long story short, as soon as possible.”

  “I can stay here with you,” she said without a moment’s hesitation.

  Logan squeezed her shoulder again. The limitless boundaries when it came to her heart made him proud.

  “Thank you,” Charlie said, “but no. Go back to Chicago and rest. You’ve been going non-stop. You need some time to recuperate.”

  “I second that,” Logan said.

  Her lips twisted. “Okay. But please, you’ll call if you need anything?”

  “Speaking of calling…”

  She groaned. “Yeah, I get it. It was a bad idea for me to come here on my own, but you know what? I found those photos, and now you have enough to incriminate him with, right?”

  “It looks like it.”

  “So there it is.” She crossed her arms. “You don’t get to chastise me ever again.”

  Charlie smirked. “You did good, Terri. Both of you did.” He stood. “I need to get back there. Be safe, okay?”

  “You too.” Terri stood and drew him into her arms for a tight hug.

  After his sister released him, Charlie glanced at Logan and hesitated. Taking the initiative, Logan extended his arm. The handshake felt even better than he’d expected it to. It signified the beginning of a new period. One of peace. Understanding.

  And honesty.

  “See you soon,” Terri said with a wave as Charlie went back through the frosted door. She turned to Logan. “Well?”

  “Now we go back to Chicago.” He laced his fingers with hers.

  “Good.” She let out a sigh that signaled days of exhaustion.

  “Really? I half expected for you to argue we need to do some jet hopping around Europe while we’re here.”

  “How about we do that another time?” she suggested.

  “Of course. Anytime you want. Just not today.” Chuckling, he lifted her hand and kissed the top of it.

  With their arms around each other, they left the police station and emerged into a sunny afternoon. Wisps of clouds floated across the sky, and people hurried about on the sidewalks.

  “It’s weird.” Terri stopped on the station’s steps.

  “What’s that?” He paused on a step below her.

  “This is almost over with. Bryce. The trafficking ring. It’s going to court, and Charlie will win. He has to.”

  Logan nodded. “With that evidence and the two of us testifying against him, yes, I agree.”

  Her gaze became unfocused as she looked down the street. “What next?”

  Logan set his hands on her hips. “What would you like to be next?”

  She blinked her eyes back into focus and studied his face.

  “This whole thing has lit a fire under my ass. I don’t know exactly what I’m gonna do, but I want to help people. Like I originally planned to.”

  He nodded. “Any chance you want to do that with a guy like me by your side?”

  She threw her head back with laughter. “Not a guy like you… You. I want to do it with you.”

  “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

  His face broke into a grin and he shuffled closer so that their bodies brushed. Terri wrapped her arms around his neck and he trailed his fingers up her back.

  The bright sky. Her glowing face. The sense of peace and wonderful things to come. It was a moment he wanted to remember forever.

  “Well?” Terri teased. “
What are you waiting for? Are you going to kiss me already?”

  “Oh,” he said on a chuckle. “A kiss is only the start of what I plan on doing with you.”

  Her eyebrows rose, but she didn’t get the chance to ask because he covered her mouth with his and kissed her with everything he had.

  Chapter 26

  Terri

  Terri slept most of the flight back to Chicago. The few times she did wake up, she found Logan either watching her or staring out the window with his hand on her knee. Each time, the sight of him brought on a wave of comfort and she drifted back to sleep immediately.

  When they arrived at their home airport, it was late morning. And thank God for it. That way, her body had at least a chance of kicking the jet lag within twenty-four hours.

  Trudging from the plane, she climbed into Logan’s convertible, which someone had brought out to the tarmac for them.

  “You know…” She dropped her head back against the seat. “I still haven’t been to my apartment.”

  “You going back there would mean us being apart, and I thought I already made it pretty clear I never want to be away from you again. You’re staying with me tonight.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to be an order?”

  “It’s a passionate request. Please. Please stay with me tonight.” He smirked as he turned the car away from the airport. “And tomorrow night.”

  “I have to go home at some point. My things are there.”

  “I’ll send someone for them,” he answered matter-of-factly.

  She shook her head but also smiled. Was he being serious?

  “You’ll get tired of me,” she warned.

  “Try me.”

  “I have this bad habit of leaving clothes everywhere.”

  “I leave the bathroom light on.”

  “In the middle of the night?” She scrunched her face up.

  “Yep.”

  “Oh…” She sucked in a sharp breath. “I dunno. That might be a deal-breaker.”

  They burst into laughter, and suddenly Terri realized that though they’d spent numerous nights sleeping near each other, they had never been together in that way. And yet here they were discussing doing something that sounded specifically like moving in together.

  The fact that they’d developed such a deep intimacy having never even seen each other naked sent a thrill through her.

  She snuggled deeper into the seat, enjoying the warmth beating down on her skin as they zoomed for Logan’s house. With the appearance of the gates arrived a comfort she hadn’t expected. In a way, his house felt like home.

  “It’s Kim’s day off,” Logan said as he parked in the garage.

  “I’ve lived my whole life without a housekeeper and cook. I’m sure I’ll manage.”

  “Oh, I’ll be cooking for you.” He winked. “I wanted to let you know that we have the place entirely to ourselves.”

  She made a noise of acknowledgement; it was too hard to find her voice and utter words. Heat raced through her body, and she ached to climb into Logan’s lap right there in the car.

  He was already getting out from behind the wheel, though, so she opened her door and followed him into the house. A few steps into the living room and he suddenly spun on her.

  Hands on her hips, he backed her up against the wall. She gasped as her shoulder blades hit the hard surface. Logan’s lips dragged across her jaw and down her throat before coming back up to find her mouth.

  Terri dug her fingers in his hair, relishing the kiss. Her shirt bunched in his hands, and she moaned gently into his mouth. The kiss could go on for the rest of the day, and she wouldn’t have minded at all.

  Eventually, though, he broke the lip-lock and stepped back.

  “Lunch.”

  “If you say so.”

  He pushed hair from her face. “You go upstairs and relax. I’ll bring it to you.”

  “Are you sure? I can help.”

  “Positive.”

  “Okay.” With one last peck on his lips, she pushed off the wall and walked upstairs.

  She’d taken next to nothing with her to Zurich and it felt like eons since she’d bathed. Turning on the shower as hot as she could stand it, she stripped and stepped into the delicious steam.

  Closing her eyes, she let the droplets do their work and pummel the stress away. Images of what had happened at Bryce’s house flashed through her mind. Finding the photos. His sudden appearance, gun pointed straight at her face.

  A chill that the hottest water couldn’t prevent went down her back. She’d thought that would be the end of her. Looking down the barrel of the gun, she’d thought two things: that she wished beyond all hope that someone heard the shot and came to find the photos before Bryce had the chance to hide them again, and that it was a damn shame that she’d never told Logan she loved him.

  Even though he’d hurt her. Even though she didn’t know if she could trust him. Those things aside, she knew right then, staring death in the face, that she would love him forever.

  But she hadn’t died. She’d been given a second chance.

  The question was, what would she do with it?

  Killing the water, she stepped from the shower and grabbed a fluffy towel. It could be a while before Bryce’s trial began. She’d need to find something to occupy herself with until then. Something other than drooling over Logan and lazing around his pool.

  She padded into the guest bedroom, towel clutched around her torso.

  “Terri?”

  There was a soft knock on the bedroom door. Logan’s voice made her breath linger in her throat.

  She swallowed, about to tell him she’d be out in a minute, but then reconsidered that.

  “Come in,” she called instead.

  The door opened, and Logan stepped into the room. The second he caught sight of her standing there in a towel, his eyes went wide.

  “Oh.” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “Hi.”

  “Hey,” she breathed.

  They stood there for a long moment, him at the door and her halfway across the room, near the bed, just looking at each other.

  “Lunch is ready.” He blinked and swallowed some more.

  “Great.”

  Still, neither one of them made a move. Terri’s skin felt hot all over, and she could see pink tinting Logan’s cheeks.

  “You’re blushing.” She bit into a smile. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen you blushing before.”

  “It’s, um…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Hard not to with such a beautiful woman standing in front of me.” He cleared his throat and looked down. “I’ll give you some privacy. Come down whenever you’re ready.”

  “Logan.” She took a step forward, and he froze, hand on the doorknob.

  “Yes?”

  She tugged on her towel, letting it drop to the floor.

  “I’m not hungry quite yet.”

  His eyes widened with desire. In several swift steps he was across the floor, his hands in her hair and his lips against hers. They kissed passionately, Terri’s hands exploring any part of his body they could get to. Biceps. Hips. Shoulders.

  Every part of him was perfect, and he was all hers for the taking.

  His hands slid down her back to cup her bare ass, strong and large palms that made her feel delicate and small by comparison. Firecrackers swirled in her belly, and Terri took a couple steps back until they hit the bed.

  It was hard to say who directed them onto the mattress. They hit it at the same time, a mess of legs, arms, and kisses.

  Terri ended up on the bottom, Logan’s firm and secure body splayed wide across hers. He was all hard planes and muscles, a delicious design of a man.

  “It’s not right that you’re naked and I’m clothed,” he growled into the base of her neck.

  “I agree,” she gasped as he nipped her earlobe.

  Sitting up, he tore off his shirt and tossed it to the floor. Belt and pants quickly followed, leaving him with on
ly a pair of cotton boxers on that had an impressive tent in them.

  “Logan,” she murmured, right before his mouth crashed into hers.

  Arms wrapped tight around each other, they rolled across the bed, ending up with her on top. Legs on either side of his hips, she leaned down and brushed her nose against his. The tent in his boxers grew larger.

  Slipping her hand between their bodies, Terri found his pulsing length. She wrapped her fingers around it and slowly stroked, relishing the pleasurable grunts coming from Logan’s mouth.

  Shimmying lower, she seized the boxers’ waistband and tugged them down. His girth popped out, free at last. The sight of it made Terri’s muscles weak. Even sitting up suddenly seemed near impossible.

  Luckily, Logan took charge. Hands on her wrists, he gently guided her down and onto her back. She closed her eyes, losing herself in his lips and musky scent.

  His hands made tracks across her body, exploring, teasing, and adoring. She felt like a goddess under his attention, more powerful than she ever remembered feeling.

  Kisses rained on her belly and hips. Gentle hands nudged open her thighs, and Logan dragged his lips across the sensitive skin there. Stubble from his chin nicked at her, but she loved it—loved every part of him touching her.

  His lips met her aching opening, where she longed for him the most. At the feel of his mouth against her, she bucked against the bed. Logan seized her hands and, holding them against the sheets, expertly worked his magic. He played her like a flute, the music inside of her crescendoing to a grand finale. Terri cried out as she exploded, pleasure shaking her body.

  The release did nothing to satiate her. If anything, it only made her more desperate to make him hers. Sitting up, she playfully pushed him down, so that he was laying with his head at the foot of the bed.

  Logan gazed up at her, a flirty grin on. “Do you have some sort of plan?”

  She winked. “How about you just wait and see what happens?”

  “Fair enough.” Chuckling, he laced his hands behind his head.

  Terri rolled back on the bed and dove into the backpack sitting on the floor.