by A. P. Moraez
“And, most importantly of all,” he said, voice low, as he wiped Logan’s tears away, since he couldn’t stand them, while his own tears stained his cheeks, “the first and only time I ever fell in love with someone, Logan Bishop.” He took a big, strengthening breath, then finished, “you were right there.”
A river of tears seemed to erupt from Logan’s eyes then, and Ash was right there with him. Logan was hugging him so tight, sobbing and breathing against his neck, that for a moment Ash feared the man would crush him. He would never complain, though. He’d die like this, if this hug was what Logan needed. They stayed like that for several minutes, it felt like, Logan crushing Ash against his body and Ash rubbing his back up and down, and letting Logan just let it all out.
“Why do you— How can you just… just say those things to me,” Logan rasped against his ear. “Look what you did to me, you bastard.” Even as he said the words, Logan was slaughtering Ash with kisses all along his neck. Apparently, he didn’t want their hug to end.
“I just wanted you to understand,” Ash said in Logan’s ear, “that sex is just sex. It’s just sex when it doesn’t mean anything to you. They took advantage of me in a moment of vulnerability and darkness in my life, but the light has always been you, even when I couldn’t see it myself. And you’ve always been there. The moments that matter, that really mean something, all those firsts, you’ve been there in practically all of them. I don’t want you to keep that in your head anymore, okay?”
Logan squeezed him tight one final time, pressed a kiss to Ash’s cheek, then leaned back. His eyes were all red-rimmed and puffy, but he looked… lighter; calmer.
“I’ll try,” Logan said, bringing their hands together and squeezing hard. “I promise, I’ll try.”
Ash smiled and pressed his cheek against Logan’s chest, arms snaking around his man’s waist.
“God, what a mess,” Logan said with a chuckle. “This wasn’t at all what I had in mind for this morning.”
Ash could only smile as he breathed Logan’s calming scent, nose pressed against the man’s firm pec.
“They must think we’re crazy.”
“They? They who?”
“Uh… all of them.”
Ash frowned and took a step back, then spun around to take look at where Logan had his eyes, inside the house.
All the guys from their security teams had made themselves at home, as Logan’d instructed. Some of them were still lugging their stuff up the stairs and carrying them to what now Ash recognized were seven or eight bedrooms, all attached to the ample second-floor living room and terraces. For some reason it hadn’t come to mind before that the doors all around the room couldn’t possibly have led to just other terraces or bathrooms or something else. There were a few guys, though, who’d probably gotten ahead of the others and had already installed themselves in their rooms for the night, and now were lounging around, eating snacks and having some drinks. And they’d all probably seen the whole scene Logan and him had been performing out here. That was only confirmed when, at seeing Ash turning around, some of them promptly buried their noses on their tablets and phones, faces reddened.
Ash rolled his eyes even as his own cheeks, still tear-stained, warmed.
“Whatever,” he muttered, turning his nose up and whirling around, trying for everything that was sacred to keep a bit of his dignity. Logan was grinning at him; like, the biggest idiot grin ever. Ash poked him in the chest. “Stop grinning like an idiot and let’s get out of here. You haven’t shown me everything yet.”
LOGAN ENDED UP really showing him the rest of the villa, and if Ash had thought what he’d seen was it when it came to the place being dreamy, that was until Logan brought him to the third floor.
Ash had expected more rooms. Maybe a bar area or a playroom or something.
Nope.
A spa.
A full freaking spa with a huge in-house pool and the whole works. Inside the pool there was even one corner where the water was hot and kept spurting huge bubbles to the surface. Logan had mentioned it was therapeutic or something. Ash didn’t know about that, but he’d loved just floating right there while Logan fed him cheese, bread, and grapes for lunch.
There was still one part of the property that he hadn’t seen; The detached house was just a few yards left of the main doors. Ash had noticed it upon arriving, but Logan had been so excited all day showing him everything around the house that he hadn’t thought to ask about it until lunch time.
Once he asked about it, though, Logan had firmly responded that the detached house was where the main bedroom was. Their bedroom. Their stuff had apparently been left there once they’d arrived that morning. But Ash couldn’t even go there to get some clothes to change into, because Logan was preparing yet another surprise that he couldn’t see yet. Something he’d decided to do in the spur of the moment after their little scene that morning. The result was that, a couple hours after midday, when the winter chill had blown across the lake and Ash wanted one of the woolen hats he’d brought from home, Logan had left him alone in the living room of the second floor to go collect it from their things himself. God forbid Ash saw anything he was getting ready in that detached house.
The guys had a blast, enjoying the day outside in the lake. It was winter, but some of the more courageous of them — or maybe the ones with a little bit more ego — had even set out for a swim. Ash and Logan had watched them eat and rest down there from their place in a comfortable chaise lounge at the terrace attached to the second-floor living room.
Ash liked that the security guys could enjoy a little bit of their trip, too. Logan had made it clear that he didn’t have to worry too much about them. That they were all trained soldiers, mostly, accustomed to roughing it out. That they were just doing a job. Ash couldn’t help feeling bad that they had to follow him around across the globe like this, especially because of the chances that Leo would dare to follow them to Europe were minuscule. For all everyone else knew, the man was dead, turned to ashes in a fire long ago. He wouldn’t dare blow the perfect cover that gave him by risking being photographed or caught by the security cameras around airports or even the heavily secured places Logan and him had been in during the last two and a half days. Maybe having a bit of fun would make all of them like him more. Think less of him as the spoiled little fuck who needed three full teams of people to protect him just in case something happened, no matter how improbable it was.
Now night had fallen and Ash had just woken up from a nap he’d unintentionally had after taking a shower in one of the seven showers of the villa. He couldn’t even properly wrap his head around the fact that a single home could have so many bathrooms, when he’d had to share a single one with Cass, Jeff, and their parents for years before he moved out.
He’d pulled one of the many afghans strewn around the spacious room and covered himself while he listened to the last samples Arthur had sent him, all half-done versions of his songs that were supposed to be allotted into his very first album, which was to come out in just a few months. Some of them were just the instrumental part done, others with his vocals already in. His only job was to make notations of things he approved or liked and things he thought would need changing. Logan had left him to it and went to the gym area upstairs, to lift his weights, saying it was already three days since the last time he’d had a good workout and it was driving him crazy. At some point, though, Ash had fallen asleep.
Now, more than an hour later, he woke up with slobber all over his cheek. Ian was at the couch to his immediate right, watching a game, volume turned down, with other three of the security team.
Ash rose slowly, unplugged his earphones and smiled at them, embarrassed to have been asleep with all of them around.
“Slept well?” Ian asked. The other guys threw him little polite smiles, but otherwise kept to their game.
“Yeah,” Ash said rubbing his eyes. “Logan’s still working out?”
“Nah. He just came out of the showe
r. Said he’d just check a few details of whatever it is he’s cooking up out there where you guys will sleep, then he’d come back to get you. Didn’t want to wake you if there was no need, he said.”
As if on cue, Logan burst into the room, coming from the stairs in the corner.
He went directly to Ash, a soft smile playing on his lips, hair still wet from the recent shower. He smelled so good, Ash wanted to bury his nose on his neck and never come up for air. But not there. Not with everyone looking.
Logan crouched in front of him and took Ash’s hands in his. “Slept well?” he unknowingly repeated Ian’s question from just a minute ago. Ian tried to cover his laugh next to them with a cough, but it didn’t work quite that well.
“Yeah,” Ash answered, hypnotized by the excitement and gentleness in Logan’s eyes. “I didn’t know I was so tired.”
“We did a lot today and yesterday, it’s only normal.”
Ash shrugged. “I guess,” he said, removing the afghan from on top of him. “Anyway, will you finally show me what’s all the fuss about our room now? It’s almost bed-time anyway. I’m bound to see it sooner or later.”
“I am,” Logan surprised him, raising from his crouched position as Ash rose to his feet. “In fact, I just added the final touches.”
“Great. Let’s go, then. You got me dying of curiosity.”
Logan laughed, and they rushed downstairs and to the front doors after saying goodnight to Ian and the guys still in the room upstairs.
“Hey, how are the others gonna get in and out of the house if you’re not here to do that?” Ash asked when Logan pressed his palm against the touch-screen digital panel for recognition.
“I registered Ian’s and Duke’s digitals, too,” Logan explained. “Don’t worry about it,” he finished with a coy smile. “I’m not trapping anyone inside.”
When they stepped into the patio outside, Logan closed the door behind them with a soft beep. Ash had barely glanced toward the mysterious detached house before Logan’s chest covered his entire view. He looked up with a smile. Logan’s expression was a mix of amusement and excitement. But he was clearly nervous too, hands a little sweaty when they clasped Ash’s. “Alright,” he breathed out, “I’m gonna need you to close your eyes for a bit.”
“Seriously?” Ash whined. “Haven’t you tortured me enough as it is?”
Logan’s face split into a silly little lopsided grin that Ash wanted to kiss away. “It’s just for a bit,” he insisted, “You won’t regret it.”
Exasperated, but smiling, Ash obeyed. Logan’s hands left his, but soon Ash’s back was coated in warmth as the man circled him and gripped Ash’s hips. Then Logan started walking them forward, and it was the silliest thing in the world that he had to keep his eyes closed when he knew exactly where Logan was leading him. Nonetheless, he committed to not peeking and accepted Logan’s gentle guidance.
In just a few steps, they stopped. One of Logan’s hands left his hips for just a moment. After another beep, probably from Logan pressing his hand to another digital panel, Ash heard the sound of a door unlocking and then Logan’s hand was back.
“Be careful,” Logan whispered at Ash’s ear, his rough voice eliciting a shiver from him, “there’s a few steps down.”
With Logan’s assistance, not daring to open his eyes and spoil whatever surprise his sweet lover had been concocting all day, Ash took one step at a time. He counted five before Logan finally let him go.
“Alright, you can open your eyes now.”
Ash gasped as the sheer beauty of the place hit his corneas all at once. Much like the main part of the villa, the house was all white inside, with the same differing tons of gray on the marble floor, cold under Ash’s bare feet. They were at the head of an open foyer that led to an ample living room just ahead. It was smaller than any of the living rooms back at the main house, but it had a terrace that overlooked lake Como, as well. But what made him gasp was what Logan had done to the place.
Faint jazz music played all around them, probably coming from a surround sound system. It was seductive and warm, and it filled Ash’s mind with possibilities.
From where they stood, probably just a couple feet from the main door that had just closed behind them, a path of white and baby-pink rose petals led their way to the middle of the living room, where a low glass dining table gave them the only sources of light in the whole place: several golden candles, some standing on the table itself, and several others spread out from the foyer all the way beyond the living room. The table was already set, and it smelled like… like…
“No, you didn’t!” Ash cried, twisting around to find Logan regarding him with worried, but excited eyes. “That smell is not what I think it is!”
“Fuck yeah, it is,” Logan laughed, grasping Ash’s hand and leading him forward.
And sure enough, when they stopped next to the table, the fuming pan he’d seen at the distance was filled with Colcannon soup.
“How— Did you do this?”
Logan was radiant, like he was about to burst with pride. “I convinced Martha to give me the recipe a couple nights ago, when you went to do dishes with Billy.”
“But she never gives her recipes to anyone!”
Logan shrugged, all smug, puffing out his chest. “She must like me.”
Ash huffed out a laugh, jaw still dropped at how beautiful the table was. Logan had taken care to arrange plates next to each other, and expensive-looking beige and gold cloth napkins over them, folded like in those expensive restaurants Ash watched on TV. A few rose petals were sprinkled over the table too, for decoration, then they followed their path to a door in a wall far back, that probably led to their bedroom. Now that they were here, Ash registered for the first time the adjoining kitchen, which’s granite countertop was, too, adorned by candles in different shapes and sizes. The whole atmosphere was romantic and promising and… and Ash found himself getting emotional.
“When did you get time to do all this?”
Logan cut the distance between them, hands settling on Ash’s arms, where he rubbed a few times before sliding them up and cupping his face. Ash’s gaze was brought back to sapphires that were so shiny it hurt. Logan just searched his eyes for a moment, before he confessed, “I hadn’t planned ahead on doing this. I just wanted us to sleep here so we could fuck all night if we wanted without having to worry about who would hear.”
Ash burst out laughing, throwing his head back. Logan laughed with him, but soon grew serious.
“But after what we talked about this morning… the things you said to me…” Logan trailed off, thumbs rubbing circles on the apples of Ash’s cheeks. “I just…” he tried, cheeks turning red. He puffed out a heavy breath and chuckled. “I just thought it was fair that I’d get my turn to be sappy too, that’s all.”
Ash bit the inside of his cheek, trying to contain the huge smile threatening to burst. Logan was just the sweetest human being, simple as that. “I love it,” he whispered, leaning up to press a quick peck to Logan’s lips. “All of it. It’s beautiful, Logan.”
“Yeah?”
“Of course.”
Logan’s shoulders, that only now Ash realized had been rigid, seemed to sag in relief. His expression turned lighter and he leaned down for a brief, yet lasting kiss.
“I can’t believe all this,” Ash said, voice low, when they came up for air. “Where’d you find roses?”
Logan smiled sheepishly. “The same guys I hired to clean the whole place up before we got here… I asked them early in the afternoon if they could bring me some from the city.”
“It smells great. All of it.” Ash extended a hand out for Logan and led him to their seats, only large cushions around the glass table. “D’you make this by yourself?” Ash asked, narrowing his eyes. “It smells so good. Exactly like Martha’s.”
Logan pursed his lips. “I just might have skyped her to ask for instructions.”
Ash laughed. “That’s cheating!”
&nb
sp; Logan regarded him so intensely that Ash’s toes curled. “I just wanted to make it all perfect for you, you know. We never really got too much around the dating thing.”
“Right? We just skipped right to the fucking, moving in together, and running away from psychopaths part.”
Logan’s smile fell at that. “Exactly. I just wanted to have that with you. A date night. Just us. Away from all of that.” He sighed heavily. “God knows what the fuck is waiting for us back home.”
Ash nodded, squeezing Logan’s hand briefly. He didn’t wanna think about that. About what the next few weeks had in stock for him, depending on his conversation with Miller.
“Let’s eat,” he finally said, leaning back and reaching over to scoop some soup into his plate.
Logan stopped him.
“Let me,” he said. “I don’t want you to do a single thing tonight.”
“Not even a single one?” Ash asked suggestively.
Logan stopped in the middle of filling Ash’s plate. “Well…” his Adam’s apple rolled up and back down, and Ash just wanted to lick it. It was one of his many weaknesses when it came to Logan, his big Adam’s apple. “…maybe you can do one or two things.” Ash had to hold back a snort when Logan seemed to be lost in his own dirty mind for a moment, then he snapped out of it, eyes widened. “Later. Now, let’s eat.”
It took only one spoonful of the delicious soup for Ash to know Logan had followed Martha’s instructions to the letter. He moaned as the aromatic potato cream filled his mouth. “So good,” he spoke while he tried not to burn his mouth. “I know we’ve had it just two days ago, but I could seriously eat only this for the rest of my life. It’s always been my favorite food from home.” He was so ravenously hungry that, he didn’t know exactly how, but his hand veered into a weird angle and he missed his mouth in the next spoonful. The dollop of soup landed right on his crotch area. Lucky him those pajamas were thick.
Logan snorted out a laugh as he grabbed a nearby napkin and started dabbing gently on the fabric for him. “Some things never change, uh?” he teased with a glint in his eye.
