by Emma Vikes
“Shit,” I muttered, quickly placing my bleeding finger to my mouth. I wasn’t paying attention enough to realize I was cutting the onions too close to my fingers. Letting out a soft sigh, I quickly turned on the faucet to wash off the blood and wrapped a paper towel around it right after.
“Mom?”
I turned around to find Amy. She still hadn’t changed, still wearing sweatpants and a loose shirt, her blonde hair tied in a bun. She had paint smeared everywhere because she’d been doing a project in her room. “You seem nervous.”
I bit my bottom lip. Since it had always been Amy and I, we were both so attuned to each other’s feelings. “What do you mean?”
Her eyes narrowed a little, gauging me as she climbed onto a counter stool. “Are you nervous because we’re having your client over for dinner? Can’t you invite a client over to your house?”
I could honestly hear the wonder in her voice when she asked. I smiled and reached for her hand, gently squeezing it. “If you’re worried that I’m breaking rules by inviting a client over, I’m not. Of course, it would be more suitable in a more public setting to avoid any issues arising. But he’s more your guest than he is mine.”
She made a face. “I don’t understand what you mean, Mom?”
Removing the paper towel I’d wrapped my bleeding finger with and throwing it in the trash, I crossed the distance separating Amy and I. Tucking a blonde strand of hair behind her ear, I stared into her hazel eyes. “Technically, you’re the one that wanted him over. That basically means that you have to play hostess for the night because of that.”
Her eyes widened and a flash of excitement appeared in them as she stared at me, wide-eyed. “Really? Then I have to make sure I look pretty tonight!”
If I tasked Amy to play hostess for the night, she would entertain Logan so much that he wouldn’t have time to ‘catch up’ with me. I’d been doing so well diverting away from that conversation and I needed to continue doing so tonight. I wanted it to be clear to Logan that even if we were having him over for dinner, it didn’t change the fact that we still remained client-lawyer.
And yet despite that plan, I still feel uneasy over the whole thing.
The thought of Logan being aware of Amy’s existence and the fact she was my daughter didn’t sit well with me. He must have had his questions and I couldn’t shake away the thought that he must be dying to know the answers to all of it. Although, I was slightly wondering why he didn’t ask anything when I told him I had to pick up Amy at school.
There wasn’t even a flash of surprise in his eyes when I mentioned to him in passing that I had a daughter. There was a possibility that he already knew and to be honest, it wasn’t surprising. Logan had power and with power came the access to certain things. He must’ve had someone do a background check on me. It was the only explanation.
Now, the sound of the shower running brought me out of my reverie. Amy was getting ready for the dinner and I had about an hour and a half to finish cooking everything.
By the time Amy had skipped downstairs, it was time for us to set the table. She helped me with it by setting the plates and cutlery while I placed the food.
“I’m just going to shower and change,” I told Amy, kissing the top of her head.
She nodded and skipped to the living room to watch Netflix.
I was putting on the finishing touches of my makeup when the doorbell rang and I heard Amy scream that she was going to get it. My heart did a little dip to my stomach.
Logan is here.
I lingered at the top of the stairs and listened to him and Amy interact.
“Good evening, Mr. Client!”
Biting my bottom lip, I couldn’t help but hold back a smile. I forgot to mention Logan’s name and I didn’t think he had the chance to introduce himself to her either. I overheard Logan chuckle and caught him kneeling on one knee in front of Amy.
“I don’t think I told you my name,” he began with a charming smile on his face, the kind that made women swoon. “I’m Logan Crewe.”
“Hello, Mr. Crewe!” Amy repeated, beaming up at him.
Logan shook his head. “You can call me Logan.”
Amy reached out for his hand and then forced him to stand up. “Mom made a wonderful spread for dinner! You’re going to love her cooking. No one cooks better than her!”
I loved how she was speaking so highly of me. It softened my heart and appeased the anxiety I felt.
“Where’s your Mom by the way? And will your—”
He didn’t get to finish his question because I rushed downstairs just so he wouldn’t finish it. I didn’t want things to get awkward. “Hi.” I was breathless when I greeted him.
Logan seemed surprised at me. His eyebrows rose as he regarded me carefully. “You look a bit winded. Did you jump the top of the stairs to here?”
Shaking my head, I flashed him a tight-lipped smile as I reached out for Amy. Placing a hand on my daughter’s shoulders, I nodded at the direction of the dining room. “The food’s better when it’s still hot. Come on.”
I didn’t give Logan any more time to say anything else. I was basically pushing Amy to the dining room. I just wanted to get everything done with, so Logan could leave and I could live my life in peace. Then I could focus on his case, figure out a good court date, win the case, and Logan would be out of my life again.
I just needed him out of my life again.
During dinner, Amy was buzzing with high energy. It became more than obvious that she adored Logan and to be honest, Logan was good around kids. He was a complete natural and he had this goofy side of him that kids loved. He kept listening intently to Amy talk about her plan for a science project and then she randomly switched the conversation to her art project.
“You like to paint?” he asked.
Amy nodded eagerly. “Yes! Mom signed me for a painting class two summers ago and it’s the best activity she ever put me in!”
Her enthusiasm was contagious and I watched as Logan’s lips spread into a wider smile. “You say it as if your mother put you in thousands of classes.”
“She had to. I had to be doing something while she studied,” Amy replied nonchalantly, shrugging as she said it.
Logan’s gaze turned to me, one eyebrow raised, eyes questioning. “You didn’t have anyone to leave her with?”
I could already feel the underlying question underneath and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Logan’s gaze on me felt heavy and suddenly, the room felt stifling. I shook my head slowly, hoping I looked nonchalant when I did. The last thing I wanted to happen was for Logan to notice my unease. “No. It was just me.”
After my statement, Logan stared at me intently.
I knew he wanted to ask but he was aware how rude it would be given that Amy was at the table with us.
I looked back at him, staring at the green eyes that were boring intently in mine. We held each other’s gazes and without saying anything, I knew he understood what I wanted to happen.
He turned his gaze back to Amy who seemed oblivious to our silent exchange. “So what were the other things that your mom had you do?”
Amy lit up at the question. “Well, she had me do art class a lot when I was younger but I liked playing with the other kids a lot more at that time.”
“Which is the reason why I didn’t put you into one again for a while,” I interjected, pointing it out to Amy and making it clear. I already knew how she was going to answer the question and I knew she would say that I kept her out of art for so long.
She ignored me and focused her attention to Logan. “Then she had me do piano and then guitar. Mom also signed me up for a taekwondo class one summer and then for science camp.”
“You make it seem like I forced you to attend all those,” I chirped, looking at Amy teasingly. I always asked her this.
“But you wouldn’t let me do art class until last summer!” Amy pouted, looking at me with her hazel eyes.
I actually had a different
reason why I kept her away from art. It was because someone else at the table was an artist too. The fact that Amy had a soft spot for art reminded me too much that she was Logan’s daughter.
I bopped her nose gently with a finger. “Because I wanted to be sure if you really wanted to go to art class.”
“So you like art,” Logan chimed in on our conversation, gaze focused solely on Amy. That familiar sparkle showing in his eyes. “I used to love to draw. I think I’m pretty damn good at it too.”
“Language,” I automatically said, eyeing him.
He rolled his eyes while trying to bite back a smile as he fixed his gaze back to Amy.
“Are you really good at drawing?” Amy asked after swallowing the food in her mouth.
Logan nodded eagerly.
Suddenly, I felt a jolt of nostalgia at the thought of him drawing. He was good. He usually did charcoal drawings of places and portraits of people. Once we had a date in the campus park and he was merely drawing me until people noticed. We ended up taking requests and getting paid five dollars a drawing.
He had so many drawn portraits of me during the course of our relationship and I buried those drawings in a box with the rest of our memories.
“Yes. Want me to draw you after dinner?”
Amy’s eyes shined at the idea. “You draw people?”
Logan’s smile showed how proud he felt about it. “I do and I’m going to draw you as long as you finish your dinner.”
Amy tried her best to quickly finish her food but she noticed Logan was taking his sweet time finishing his. She nudged him, pouting a little. “That’s not fair. I’m trying my best to finish quickly but you’re eating so slowly!” Her voice was whiny.
Logan’s eyebrows shot up at how easily she caught him in the act.
I couldn’t help but smirk when he looked at me. Merely shrugging, I forked a broccoli and ate it, still smirking at Logan.
I knew why he was eating slowly. He thought that maybe once Amy was done, she would skip off somewhere in the house and leave us alone. Logan just flashed Amy a smile and finished eating at a regular pace.
I volunteered to do the dishes while both of them moved to the living room. I overheard Amy say she’d get a paper and pencil and heard her footsteps run upstairs.
“The food was delicious. I almost forgot how good of a cook you were,” Logan commented, leaning against the wall.
I didn’t even hear him come to the kitchen.
“Need some help?”
I shook my head. “It’s fine. You can just stay in the living room with Amy. Her bedtime’s at nine, so you can leave by then. I’m sure she doesn’t want you to leave right away.”
“But you do,” Logan pointed out as he began to approach.
My heart raced because I could feel him near me. I spun around and faced him, bringing up a topic that would stop whatever he had in mind. “I need to visit your office and interview your staff.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Why?”
“You mentioned that Julija resigned after you dumped her. She must have a friend in your company that she shared her heartache with. It’s not uncommon for a woman to do that.”
“Did you do that too, after I broke up with you?”
I pursed my lips. “That’s not part of the case.”
He wanted to say more but Amy called out his name and he let out a soft sigh. He looked at me for a moment, gaze lingering.
I could almost hear the question he wanted to ask but didn’t.
Instead, he turned back and disappeared into the living room.
I let out a sigh of relief, leaning back against the counter.
I busied myself with the dishes and fixing up the kitchen. It was around eight by then and I moved to the living room to watch Amy and Logan. I lingered in a spot where they couldn’t see me and watched them. Logan had quickly sketched Amy and she was admiring his work, asking him to teach her.
He happily obliged. I moved towards them and sat at the edge of the couch, picking up the drawing of Amy. Logan was still as good as I remembered him to be. There’d always been something so sincere with how he drew, how beautiful it would turn out, despite being in charcoal…like he never needed color to add vibrancy to his work.
“Amy,” I called her attention and both of them looked up at me at the same time. The sight of it made my heart skip a beat and I didn’t know why. I couldn’t understand why. “It’s nearly your bedtime.”
“Aw, but Mom!” Amy was pouting again.
I knew she what she was trying to do. I shook my head. “It’s getting late and you’re cranky when you don’t have enough sleep. Say goodnight to Logan now, sweetheart.”
She sighed and then turned to Logan. “Will you visit me again?”
He nodded and held up his pinky. “I promise.”
Amy launched herself to him in a tight hug.
I felt a lump in my throat as I turned away. I followed Amy upstairs, thinking that Logan would see himself out. I helped her change into her pajamas and tucked her in bed, kissing her forehead.
“I had fun tonight, Mom. He’s really cool.”
I stroked her hair and flashed her a small smile. “I’m glad you made another friend, sweetheart. Goodnight.”
In truth, I wasn’t really glad. It would’ve been better if it wasn’t Logan. As I climbed down the stairs to tidy up the living room, I noticed it was already fix. And Logan was still around.
He was looking through the pictures on the wall and the ones I’d set up on the shelves. He turned to me when he heard me. He pulled a picture off of the shelf. It was one of my brothers and Amy. “How are your brothers and mom?”
I shrugged, staying where I was…as far away from him as possible. “They’re fine. They would love it if I moved near them.”
“But you can’t because your career is here,” Logan pointed out.
I could feel like he had more to say.
“And…” He took out another picture on the shelf. It was one of me and Amy. “It’s always just the two of you. I’d like to assume that you want to stay here because Amy’s dad is here but I don’t see any picture of him.”
My heart raced and I could feel my stomach churning. “He’s out of the picture Logan. She doesn’t even know him.”
“What a dick,” Logan muttered but it was loud enough for me to here. “He’s missing out on a wonderful girl.” He moved forward, closer to where I stood. His gaze was locked on mine and he tilted his head to the side when he was near me.
Logan was so close I could feel his breath on my face.
“And he missed out on you. You’re still so beautiful, Olivia. I’ve missed you.”
My heart dropped. I felt frozen where I was, his words rooting me to my spot. I looked at him, meeting his green eyes intently staring back at mine. I swallowed. I wasn’t sure what the hell was suddenly going on. I should’ve asked him to leave when I spotted him still here. I shouldn’t have allowed the small talk to happen.
I shouldn’t have answered his question about Amy’s father.
“Logan,” I whispered his name and I saw the flash of spark in his eyes, one that was familiar.
Then he dipped his head closer to mine and crashed his lips against mine.
I gasped at the sudden action and the rational thing to do was to push him away but I didn’t.
His lips had paralyzed me and as his mouth moved onto mine, my body gave away to a pleasure it had longed for years.
Logan pulled away briefly to murmur, “Push me away if you don’t want this to happen, Liv. Push me off of you. Tell me to stop.”
He was giving me the authority over the situation but he had already rendered the rational part of me useless. I didn’t push him away when he kissed me again. Instead, I snaked my arms on his neck and pulled him even closer.
Logan pushed me to the wall.
I gasped loudly at the roughness.
He snaked his a hand underneath my blouse and cupped my breast.
I moaned lowly, pulling him even closer to me and whimpering when he pulled away.
Logan removed my shirt and threw it on the stairs, unlatching my bra and then quickly covering one nipple with his mouth.
My hands ruffled through his hair and I tried my best to stay quiet as I felt his hand dip into the waistband of my jeans. “Oh!”
He was cupping my pussy and rubbing his index finger harshly against my folds. Logan lowered himself, kneeling in front of me as he quickly unbuttoned my jeans.
I was delusional from pleasure as it coiled in the pit of my stomach. The thirst for what was going on was so strong that I was desperate to have him quench it.
Logan forced me to spread my legs and his mouth soon followed, attacking my folds. “Oh god!”
I clasped my hand over my mouth to muffle my moans and screams and I bit hard on my finger when I felt him lick between my folds.
“Shit, baby, I’ve missed the way you taste. “He inserted a finger inside of me, fucking me with his hand while his mouth sucked on my clit.
I leaned against the wall, eyes closed in pleasure that I haven’t felt in years. A hand tangled through Logan’s blonde locks, pushing him to my core even more. I could feel the climax building, the familiar shiver, goosebumps on my skin.
Then I came, all over him.
I was panting when Logan stood up, his own breathing erratic as he towered over me.
He placed a finger on my chin and force me to look up. His mouth glistened with cum and he crashed his lips against my again, forcing me to taste myself on him.
On him.
On Logan.
The jolting realization forced me to push him away. My eyes flickered on the erection straining against his pants. We were both trying to regain our breathing but I was trying to regain my rationality too.
“Leave.” It was the first thing that came to my mind.
Shock registered on Logan’s face when I said it. “Olivia…”
I shook my head. “I wasn’t thinking straight! You kissed me and—and— I lost it. It was wrong, Logan. My daughter is upstairs. It was irresponsible of me to let it happen.” I was losing it right now.
