by Vella Day
Her nails extended, and she dug them into his skin, trying not to draw blood. “Take off my pants,” she pleaded.
Logan looked up. “Don’t worry, I will.”
“How can you be so calm?”
His jawline tensed. “You have no idea how hard I am working to take my time. I’m afraid the moment I take off your clothes, I won’t be able to keep from impaling you.”
That was what she wanted, but making this last a bit longer would be nice too. “Then how about I undress you?”
A smile spread across his face. He rolled over again and divested himself of his jeans and briefs. “I can do it faster.”
He was naked in a flash. Whoa. Wow. No way. Before she had the chance to enjoy the view more fully, he crawled back on top of her. Instead of continuing to pay attention to her breasts, he slid lower. He unzipped her pants and tugged them off. Because they were snug, her panties were lost in the removal process. So much for him waiting, but she certainly wasn’t about to complain.
He inhaled and closed his eyes. “I love your scent,” he said.
Not knowing if she should say thank you, Wendy kept quiet.
While she was still reveling in his comment, he sunk a finger straight into her, causing waves of erotic lust to light her up from the inside out. If she’d been a dragon shifter, her interior scales would have been flashing so brightly they would have blinded them both.
His finger movement increased in pressure and speed, and Wendy writhed under his masterful touch. Logan then pressed on some spot that sent her soaring even higher. Her vision blurred, and her breath caught. When her wolf scratched her insides and threatened to erupt, she had to momentarily move her focus away from her near climax. Thankfully, her animal backed off.
As if Logan knew that he’d almost pushed her too far, he removed his finger and replaced it with his tongue. Joy, bliss, and total elation infused every cell of her body. How was this possible?
He’s your mate, silly. It’s what I’ve been telling you would happen.
I’m glad I held off then. I never would have written a word if I had made love with him any sooner.
The moment Logan flicked the tiny tip again, she lost all ability to keep her climax at bay. She heard her strangled cry though she didn’t remember initiating it. A few seconds later, Logan lifted his head and crawled up her body.
When the waves of pleasure waned a little, she threaded her fingers through his short hair, the texture stimulating her further. “That was amazing,” she said.
“I’ve only just begun.”
He reached over to the nightstand and snatched the condom. Before she could ask to let her put it on, he’d rolled to the side, torn open the packet, and pulled it down on his cock. Considering his girth, he was probably better suited for the job.
“I wanted to return the favor,” Wendy said, nodding to his sheathed dick.
“Not going to happen tonight. Tonight, is all about me giving you pleasure.”
“I so appreciate that. By all means, sacrifice away.”
Logan returned to his dominant position, grinned, and then devoured her lips, clearly determined to brand her as his own—and Wendy couldn’t be happier.
Chapter Eighteen
Having Wendy in his arms was everything Logan had imagined and more, but he wasn’t sure how long he could keep it together. Her responsiveness thrilled and excited him beyond anything he’d thought possible, and his dragon had never been happier either.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked with a glint in her eye.
Sure, he’d been with aggressive women before, but Wendy brought out a deep-seeded need in him to possess her fully like no one else before. Not mating with her tonight would be one of the most difficult things he’d ever had to do.
Did he want to bite her neck and claim her as his? Hell, yeah he did, but he wouldn’t, at least not before he believed she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. For that to happen though, he needed to do whatever it took for her to fall in love with him.
His impatient imp wrapped her legs around his back. “Take me.”
“You don’t have to beg.” He loved teasing her.
Her mouth opened in protest, and Logan took advantage of it. Not only did he kiss her, but he slid his cock right into her slick opening. The moment the tip found her back wall, something morphed inside him. It was as if his dragon was being energized by their joining. Heat seared his insides, and his scales flashed faster and brighter than ever before. Nothing had ever excited him like this.
Wendy’s eyes widened, and only then did he realize he should have delved in slower. Logan eased out, and her chest deflated. He broke the kiss. “Breathe.”
“I’m trying.” A moment later, she nodded and then lifted her hips to virtually impale herself on his dick once more.
That one move caused his control to fly away. Logan cupped her face and kissed her again. Their tongues dueled and explored fervently as he hammered his cock into her. Her eyes watered, and her breaths came out faster. She was close. Really close.
So are we, his dragon said, clearly on the brink of losing it.
“Come for me,” Logan whispered.
He lowered his lips to her neck, pretending they were about to mate. Fearing he might scare her with his sharpened teeth, he made sure not to scrape the edges against her delicate skin.
Wendy’s nails turned sharper as she dug them into his back. Thankfully, his dragon healed him as fast as she destroyed the surface. She tilted back her head and clamped down hard on his cock. Just as she let out a primal scream, indicating her climax had consumed her, he came hard, with more force than ever before.
Her inner walls continued to pulse—or else that was him still pumping. When he was done, Logan lowered his face and rested his cheek on her shoulder. He wanted to hold her like this forever. And he would have too if Wendy hadn’t lowered her legs and moaned.
“That was better than I could ever have imagined,” she said in between breaths.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
After they’d both calmed a bit, he slipped out to find something to clean them up with.
Once he finished, Logan sat on the bed and wiped her damp hair from her face. “As much as I would like a repeat of that, we need to eat before the restaurants close.”
“There’s always the diner where we went last time. I think it’s open twenty-four hours.”
“I wanted to have a finer dining experience than that. Come on. Get up and get dressed.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss against her lips.
She stuck her tongue out at him but then climbed out of bed. “I feel kind of different.”
“That’s because you’ve never experienced a Guardian before.” Logan held his breath, hoping that little tidbit wouldn’t put her off. If they were going to mate, she needed to know everything about him.
Her eyes widened. “You’re a Guardian, as in that dragon clan that saves people?”
“I’m not sure I’d characterize us as a clan, but yes, we protect and help those in need.” She said nothing for a minute, but her gaze that was focused on something above his head slightly unnerved him. “Are you okay with that?” She’d better be, since it wasn’t something he could give up.
Wendy blinked. “Yes. Completely. I mean who doesn’t want a hero for a mate?”
He chuckled. “That is a relief.”
She blinked a few times. “You really are telling the truth.”
“I am. Why would you doubt it?”
“I’ve been formulating a theory. I thought I was crazy, but it might be real.”
Logan wasn’t following her logic. “What theory?”
“It seems that ever since I was poisoned, when I hear a lie, I see a gray halo above that person’s head. At first, I thought it might have been because we were mates, but I spotted it above a woman at the store.”
He searched his memory for that magical talent. “I’ve never heard of anything like that before. I kn
ow my sister’s mate Blake can sense a person’s aura, but not whether they are telling the truth.”
“I’m not positive that is what my gray halo theory means,” she said. “I need to test it out some more.”
“Maybe you should ask Danita. She might know.”
“I plan to as soon as we return.”
He recalled Wendy’s look of amazement when they were sitting at the kitchen table at the safe house. “After you recovered from the poisoning, and we were in the kitchen, you detected something similar to this, right?”
“Yes.”
He figured something was up when she ran a hand over the top of his head. “Was it when I said Camden was asking about you?”
“Yes.” Her voice escalated.
“I wasn’t really lying. I just didn’t tell you the whole truth.”
She nodded. “Perhaps that was why the halo faded so quickly.”
Her talent could come in very handy if she could detect the truth. “How about this?” He lifted his chin. “I don’t find you attractive at all.” He had to work to keep from rolling his eyes.
She lifted her gaze and then squinted. “I saw a quick flash of gray. I’m guessing that the person has to believe it in order for it to stay gray.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, but I don’t intend to ever lie to you. It was why I told you about my true identity.”
Wendy said nothing for a moment. “I can’t believe you’re really a Guardian. Is that why you and your family helped save all those men in the mine or was it really because your copper sales were down?”
From the way her eyes were searching the room, she was putting all of the pieces together. “Both, actually. I’m kind of surprised Danita never mentioned that Griffin was one.”
“She never did. He must have told her not to. And I won’t say anything either.”
“Thank you, though you can talk about it to Danita or Greer or anyone else in my family. I mentioned it in part because I don’t want you to worry about me. I told you I was trained, and that is true. In fact, I’ve been developing my skills since I learned to fly. My cousin Thane makes us do mock battles all the time. Coupled with our magic, no one has taken us down—at least not yet.”
Wendy blew out a breath and moved closer. She placed her hands on his chest, stood on her toes, and kissed him. “Good to know.”
She spun around before he could hold her again. When she dragged down her bra and then slipped on her panties, he dressed too.
As soon as they were ready, he double-checked that the windows were secure. It was a habit he couldn’t ignore. At the front desk he spoke with the clerk. “We are here on police business. Please don’t let anyone enter our room, regardless of what or who they claim to be.” He flashed his badge. The desk clerk didn’t need to know it was a temporary one.
To the clerk’s credit, he merely nodded. Outside, Wendy looked up at him. “Are you really expecting trouble?”
“No, but I don’t want to take any chances when it comes to your safety.”
She smiled. “You always say the nicest things.”
Score one for him.
Walking the streets of Sawmill was like being in a dream. Not only had Logan revealed an incredibly well-kept secret, he’d woken up her body in ways she never could have imagined. Parts of her were probably glowing—at least they seemed to be doing that, even if it was only on the inside.
“Did you also research which restaurant to go to?” Wendy asked. Logan almost didn’t need a computer. He seemed to instinctively know things.
“Remember Stone and I came here before you arrived, and we found a really nice Hearndian food restaurant.”
“Sounds great.”
Even though she’d put on a light jacket to keep from getting cold, it turned out she didn’t need it. Her afterglow from making love was enough to keep her warm.
“Here we are,” Logan announced all too soon.
“Fancy.”
“Only the best for you.”
She tightened her grip on his arm. The inside of the restaurant was lit with warm yellow lights, and the cloth-covered tables were adorned with glowing candles. There were only about ten tables, most of which were empty, but that added to the romantic ambience. The soft, soothing music was the perfect touch.
They stepped up to the hostess station. She looked up from her computer and smiled. “Table for two?”
“Yes. Mind if we sit away from the window?” Logan asked.
She didn’t react. “Of course.”
Once seated, they both quickly looked over the menu, but Wendy’s mind wasn’t really on food. She would eat because she needed her strength to approach Deke tomorrow. Her plan was to go to his workplace where hopefully Becky wouldn’t be present. Wendy couldn’t wait to see Deke’s reaction when she waltzed in with Logan, a far more handsome and viral man than her former boyfriend.
“Your mind is spinning,” Logan said as he placed a napkin on his lap. “Tell me. And remember, there are no secrets between us. Secrets are the same as distancing our hearts from each other.”
He was right. If the two of them were to spend the rest of their lives together, she had to be honest. “Okay, I’ll tell you. I’m trying to figure out the best way to confront Deke.”
“I’ve been wondering the same thing. Just so you know, talking to him is fine, but asking Robert Darnell if he poisoned two teenage boys as a way of enacting his revenge is definitely not.”
She let out a breath. “Even I think that would be too dangerous.”
His brows rose, and his lips lifted slightly. “I’m glad to know you can be reasonable.”
She smiled sweetly. “I can be.”
Their server stopped by, and Wendy picked one of her favorite fish dishes.
“Red or white?” Logan asked. “I’m assuming white since you are having fish.”
“Regardless of the meal, I’m a red girl.”
“Works for me.” He rattled off a brand she’d never heard of to the waiter and then chose a meat platter for himself. “Tell me about yourself, Wendy Oprander.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for introductions?” She was kidding, but only slightly. Danita had filled her in a bit about his family, so Logan wasn’t that big of a mystery to her. He didn’t know anything about how she’d grown up. When she did tell him, she worried he’d change his mind about her.
“I do love your sense of humor,” Logan said. He pointed to the imaginary crown on his head. “Remember, I can’t lie in any way or you’ll know. I just wish I had the same ability to know when someone else isn’t telling the truth.”
He might once they mated. “You won’t ever see a gray halo above my head either, because I’ll always tell you the truth.”
“Then by all means, tell me who Wendy, the journalist, really is.”
She inhaled. “Unlike your family, my parents were poor, mostly because my dad had a gambling addiction. In fact, he still does. The man loves to bet. Truth be told, he’s actually quite the card shark, but even the best can lose.” She fiddled with her napkin. Wendy wasn’t sure she’d ever laid out exactly what her life had been like to anyone before—not even to Deke. Sure, Danita knew her background, just not all of the details.
“Go on.”
“Our financial ups and downs were hard on my mom in part because my dad was often on a gambling binge. She had a few jobs to help us out, but she basically had to raise me herself. That meant she had to do the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, and take me to all of the after-school stuff that kids need, while dad gambled and drank. That made having a full-time job tough for her. Don’t get me wrong. Mom would work for a while but then lose the job when she failed to show up a few times—mostly when I was sick or had to be someplace important.”
“Your father didn’t work?”
“It depended on the day.”
“I can’t imagine what that was like. My mom was always there for us kids, and my father worked har
d to set up the mines.”
Wendy smiled. “My mom wanted to be there for me too, but we needed money. Thankfully, she only had me, or we’d have been living on the streets.”
“Ouch. You said she became ill when you were young?”
“Yes. The summer before I turned thirteen, mold got in her lungs from working at a factory, and it was something she never recovered from. She died less than a year later, though I suspect it was partly from a broken heart. The man she had loved and married failed to be there for her.”
Logan reached out and grabbed her hand. “That will never happen to us. We are mates. I will never leave you.”
“My parents were mates too. At least that was what my wolf father said. Mom was human. I think that’s why she never talked to me much about what it was like to be a wolf shifter and have that erotic pull that grows so strong you can’t resist it when you find your mate.”
Logan leaned back in his seat. “I think you understand what being a mate feels like very well. In fact, I don’t think I’ve heard anyone explain it any better.”
Heat rushed up her face. “Thank you.”
They talked a bit more about her life after she moved away from home. Before she’d finished telling him, their meal arrived. Wendy dug in, and the first bite made her moan. “This is incredible.”
He smiled, and once more her libido sat up and took notice. “I’m glad you are enjoying it.”
They had eaten most of the food and had drank half of the wine when his cell rang, but like the gentleman he was, Logan ignored it.
Wendy appreciated that he wanted them to have an uninterrupted romantic dinner, but it could be important. “Answer it already.”
He chuckled. “If you wish.” He pulled his cell from his pocket and frowned. “It’s Anderson.” He placed the phone to his ear. “Hey, what’s up?”
As he listened, Logan dragged a hand over his head, his frown deepening. “Is it about Darnell?” she mouthed.
