The next voicemail began to play. “Hey honey, its mom. I just wanted to check in and see how things were going with you. I’m sure you’re busy with work, but I hoped to hear from you today. Call me tomorrow if you get a chance.”
The voicemail said the call had come in about forty five minutes before. Sam made a mental note to call her mom back on Sunday. She just didn’t have the patience for a lengthy conversation at the moment.
The last voicemail began.
“Sam, it’s me, Logan. I’m worried about you. I’m coming by your apartment. You need to let me in when I get there.”
Fuck.
That was the last thing she needed. She looked over at the door and as if on cue, there was a sharp knock that jolted her heart in her chest.
Did she answer it? Did she ignore it? Would he go away if she didn’t answer?
“Sam, it’s me. Please open the door.” She stood motionless. Her traitorous emotions told her to answer the door, but her brain was screaming at her to ignore him.
Sam walked the few feet to the door, took a deep breath and opened it part of the way. The chain was still on the door, so it made it impossible for him to come in.
“Hey. What’s up?” She asked nonchalantly, forcing a smile she didn’t feel. Well, at least she hoped it appeared that way because she felt anything but.
“Can I come in? We need to talk.”
“About what?” She hoped her innocent act would be bought, but she doubted it.
“Let me in, please.”
Wearing a pair of soft, faded Levi’s and a black polo shirt, an outfit Sam would have expected on a much younger man, Logan looked incredibly sexy. The snug shirt outlined his defined upper body, the muscles in his chest protruded against the fabric and the short sleeves circled his muscular arms.
She shut the door, glanced down at her boxer shorts and tank top. Oh well. She had no intentions of letting him stay for long, and she didn’t feel as though this were a fashion show.
After removing the chain from the door, Sam opened it, taking two steps back to allow him to come in. She didn’t want him there, and she didn’t want to risk touching him.
She didn’t want to be within ten miles of him because she was angry and that was a side of her she wasn’t comfortable letting him see. Anger meant she felt something for him, and that was the last thing she would ever admit to.
“Can I get you something to drink?” She asked as she headed for the small kitchen.
“Sam.” Logan gently grabbed her arm and stopped her from walking away. “What’s going on?”
She didn’t turn back to face him, but she stopped in her tracks. After what felt like an eternity, Sam gained her composure and turned to look at him, taking a deep breath.
“Nothing’s wrong, Logan. I needed some time to myself today. After all, you and Cardio Barbie seemed to be having a terrific time. What? Did she kick you to the curb?”
“What are you talking about? Fuck. Don’t answer that.” He ran his hands through his hair before turning and going further into the apartment.
At least he didn’t try to deny it.
Sam continued to the kitchen, grabbed a glass tumbler from the cabinet. Pulling out a can of Diet 7-Up from the fridge and a bottle of Belvedere from the freezer, she set about making herself a drink. She was stingy with the 7-Up and generous with the vodka. This was one of those times when she needed a healthy dose of liquid courage.
After a few fortifying gulps, Sam planted herself beside the bar and proceeded to watch Logan as he took in her apartment. He hadn’t been there before, and Sam wondered where he’d gotten her address.
Deanna.
Sam glared at him, getting angrier and more defensive by the second. He was standing in the middle of the room, looking around at her things.
“What do you need, Logan? I’m really tired and would like to go to bed.”
When he turned to face her, Sam saw something unfamiliar in his eyes.
“Sam, I’m sorry.”
He sounded sincere, but that didn’t explain his little tryst with Cardio Barbie. Then his eyes swept down her, all the way to her bare feet and then slowly back up, sending a traitorous chill through her. He could look all he wanted.
But damn him, he wasn’t going to get his way. Not this time.
In a desperate attempt to fortify her nerves, she downed the rest of her drink and went back for another. Hell, at this rate, she might just get shit faced. It might be the only thing to make her body listen to reason.
Damn it.
Chapter Eleven
~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~
Logan watched Sam move through her apartment, her movement’s jerky with restrained anger. He was a fair judge of people, and he could tell she was pissed. If she saw him talking to Brittany at the gym, that was entirely understandable.
Even angry she was sexy as hell. Even more so in her pink boxer shorts and her tight black tank top that hugged every luscious curve. But, although the outside was hot, he noticed something was different about her. Colder.
“What are you sorry for? You don’t owe me anything.”
Her voice echoed from the kitchen, separated from the living room by a single wall. He knew she was attempting to drown out the rage with alcohol. He also knew that it wasn’t going to work.
“I owe you an apology. What happened at the gym was inappropriate. I shouldn’t have been talking to Brittany.”
“Brittany? She even has a Barbie doll name.” Sam muttered as she poured vodka into a glass.
She wasn’t looking at him.
“I am sorry, Sam.” Logan repeated, hoping she’d at least listen.
Coming up behind her, she was trapped between him and the counter, but she didn’t seem to be bothered by it. Instead, she took a swig of her drink, set the glass down gently on the counter and then turned on him.
Before she had a chance to unleash that pent up anger, he put his hand on the back of her neck and moved closer until their bodies touched. She swayed in his arms, and he fought the urge to kiss her again.
Hell, he wanted to take her right there on the kitchen counter, but he knew she had trust issues. The last thing she needed was him making this all about sex. He wanted her like he wanted his next breath, but they had to resolve the issues between them first.
He didn’t deserve her, and she was the first woman just to walk away from him. When he’d come out of the shower to find his house empty, he’d been livid. So mad he’d gone to the gym and indulged in a little harmless flirting with the first woman who gave him the time of day.
Sam didn’t hold him accountable for his actions, but she should. Or, maybe she was holding him accountable by walking away. He was certainly used to women chasing him, not the other way around.
“Logan, I don’t think I’m the kind of woman you’re used to.”
Some of her anger abated, but now Logan could see the hurt in her eyes. The bright green was brighter from unshed tears. They were only millimeters apart, close enough he could feel the warmth of her skin through his clothes. He still held his hand on the back of her neck, gently holding her closer, keeping her head tipped slightly so he could look into her eyes.
“I’ve figured that out.” He responded, noticing the surprised look on her face. “Not that I should have had to. My actions are inexcusable, but let me tell you why I did what I did.”
Honesty time. It’s best to lay it all out there and pray that… What? What did he want from her?
“I’m scared of you, Sam. There’s something about you that’s more than I ever expected.”
Sam let out a short burst of laughter and Logan suddenly felt vulnerable. Was she seriously laughing at him? Then her expression turned to one of utter disbelief and Logan knew she didn’t believe him.
“You? Logan McCoy? Scared? I find that hard to believe.” Her voice was low once more, a mere whisper in the silence of her kitchen. The only sound was the hum of the refrigerator and the rumble of the air conditio
ner.
This might backfire in his face, but Logan felt the need to explain himself. He couldn’t let one irresponsible action ruin what they were working to build. What he hoped they were building.
“I’ve always needed backup. I needed that other girl to fall back on in case I was left wanting. I don’t want to be left wanting anyone, but that is a real threat with you. I want you, Sam. I got scared, and it doesn’t make it ok, but it is the God’s honest truth.”
This time she didn’t laugh, but he didn’t feel any less exposed. Everything he said was true. He might play the part of a confident, well-adjusted President of a multimillion dollar company, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have his own secrets.
“Logan, I don’t know if you and I are in the right place in our lives for this, whatever this is, to work.” She used her hands to twirl around her head, as if encompassing whatever it was they were going through.
“Maybe you’re right, but we won’t know unless we try.” Logan tilted his head closer to hers, his eyes caressing her lips, slowly moving back to capture her gaze. “I can assure you I won’t be an ass any more. You won’t have to put up with that sort of shit from me. I want you, Sam. Only you. I’ll give up whatever else I have just to have a chance. Please give me a chance.” His voice was dark and low, and his lips were getting closer to hers.
Logan’s body was hard as stone; his dick throbbed with the need for release. Despite the seriousness of this conversation, he wasn’t sure he could make it much longer without kissing her, feeling her soft body clinging to him.
“A chance? A chance to what, Logan? A chance to get into my bed? A chance to spend a day in my life? What sort of chance are you looking for here?”
“Shit I don’t know. When it comes to you, I don’t know much. I just want to spend time with you. I don’t want to hurt you. That, I assure you.”
His first instinct was to move away, but he couldn’t take that chance. He’d gotten this close, and she wasn’t trying to run from him. If he gave her an inch though, she’d probably take a mile. When she inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, then released the breath, he felt his body harden again.
She opened her eyes and met his gaze once more. “A chance?”
Logan heard the breathlessness in her voice; saw the raw hunger in her eyes. He knew she didn’t know what to do any more than he did.
The day had been a long one with those exact thoughts running through his mind. He had actually come over to her apartment twice earlier in the day. Yes, twice. Like some love sick teenager, he had stalked her just so he could try and talk to her.
“Fine.” Sam said when he’d just about given up hope. “But there are conditions.”
“I can handle conditions.” He said as his lips came closer to hers. He could feel the warmth of her breath against his mouth, their ragged breaths mingling. “Name them.”
Before she said anything more, Logan let his lips brush hers gently. He squeezed his hand on her neck, letting her feel the tension that coursed through him. He wasn’t pushing for more, he’d let her make the next move. It might kill him, but he’d wait for her to be ready.
“First condition. You,” she poked him in the chest for emphasis, “take me”, she poked herself in the chest, “on a date. A real date where you pick me up and take me out.”
“That’s an easy one.” He brushed his lips against hers again. “Next.”
She tasted so sweet, so tempting. He was listening with all of his might as his lips pressed gently against hers.
“When it comes to us, I’m just a girl interested in a boy. No expectations, no promises.”
He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he’d ask her to clarify later. Right now he just needed her to kiss him back. “Anything else?”
“Yes.”
She was breathless now, their bodies touching from knee to chest, his fingers twined in her hair, holding her head back so he could look into her eyes.
“Go ahead. I’m listening.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her mouth. He wanted to suck on her bottom lip. God she was killing him.
“I want...” Her voice was barely a whisper as she seemed to search for the next words. “I want you to kiss me.”
He didn’t need any more instruction than that. Logan put his lips on hers, his tongue forcing them apart, diving into her mouth as though he were starved and she his only meal. Within seconds, he had her pressed between the counter and him, engulfed in the sensuality of the kiss.
When she went up on her toes, putting her arms around his neck, he lifted her off the ground and set her on the counter. He let go of her neck long enough to lift her knee so her leg would wrap around him. He needed to feel her heat, needed to get closer to her.
Logan could hardly breathe in this position, her legs wrapped around his waist, his hands cupping her head, her fingers twined into his hair. He pressed his cock between her open legs, the only thing between them were her tiny pink boxers and his jeans. As she kissed him back, Logan rubbed against her, wishing like hell he could rid her of her clothes.
He wanted to taste her. He wanted to press his lips against the folds of her pussy, he wanted to bury his tongue inside of her and send her over the edge.
She was forcing his control.
He wanted to take her, but he was going to follow her conditions. He had no choice. He wasn’t willing to give this up. Not yet. He knew beneath the poised confidence was a wild woman, one who would take him to heights he never thought he would go. One who could handle his intense sexual needs.
Logan broke the kiss, pulling her hands from around his neck, but keeping her legs wrapped around his waist. He rested his forehead against hers and fought for breath.
“Ok, so, I’ll do as you’ve asked. I’ve met one of your conditions, but don’t think that’s the last kiss. There are plenty more to come, but in due time.” He paused, swallowed. “I’ve got one condition of my own.”
Sam’s face was flush, her lips swollen from his kiss, but she seemed interested to hear what he had to say.
“I need you to trust me.”
He knew that was asking a lot of her, but he had to know she would give him that much.
~*~*~
Sam didn’t try to pull away, even though that was her first instinct. He was asking for her trust? Trust was a risky thing. She didn’t trust anyone. Well, not entirely true. She trusted her parents, her brother, to love her unconditionally, but they had proven that already.
She trusted she would get up and go to work each day. She trusted she would give in to Logan with little effort. Hell, since she was thinking about it, she realized even after how badly she had been hurt, she did trust him.
“I trust you.” She looked into his eyes and could see the concern reflecting in his. “But, next time, I walk away. No looking back.”
She’d held on to her anger for so many years ensuring no one would break her heart again, but for some reason, her heart was willing her forward, or was that her hormones? Probably a little of both.
If she didn’t let go, she would never be hurt again. Worse than that, she would never be loved again either. She had two choices… Take a chance that she would never know love again, or that she got her heart broken. A double edged sword. Either way she would lose.
When Logan pressed his lips against hers, this time he was gentle, tender. Sam wanted to hold on for dear life, pray he wouldn’t hurt her. Instead, she let her lips linger on his until he pulled back.
“There won’t be a next time, Sam. Get some rest. You’re going to need it.” He whispered, letting her hands go as he cupped her face in his palms. He pressed his lips to hers once more, lingering for just a minute longer than the last time, and then lowered her from the counter until her feet once again touched the floor.
Sam stood in shock from the sweetness of his gesture, watching as he turned and walked toward the door. She smiled back at him when he turned to her and gave her his crooked, sexy smile. She wanted to chase after him, but s
he managed to maintain her control. Not this time. There would hopefully be plenty of time for that later.
Chapter Twelve
~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~
Logan went to the gym early on Sunday. He had plans for the day and thanks to his rigid routine, he needed to get in his workout. He hoped to go early enough he wouldn’t run into Sam. Not because he didn’t want to, because he did.
More so because he wanted their afternoon to be a surprise.
He was proficient at following rules, and she had set forth hers. He couldn’t keep his mind off of her or the kiss they shared last night. He would definitely oblige.
When he finished his workout, he started toward the front door but was stopped within feet of his exit by Brittany. Cardio Barbie? That was what Sam called her, and he couldn’t fight the grin. He took in the sight of her in her skin tight spandex and her over processed skin, proof of hours spent in a tanning bed.
“Hey, Logan. Got any plans for tonight? I could keep you company.” She said in her fake, sweet voice.
“Actually, I do. I’ve got a date.”
Screw it. He needed to take a risk, and the biggest risk of all would be to fall for Sam, but that was where he was headed. He didn’t need Brittany as a backup. She wasn’t even in the same hemisphere as Sam.
“Well, maybe next time then.”
Doubtful.
“I think this one is pretty serious, Brittany.” He said as he continued toward the door. “Later.”
~*~*~
Sam pulled into the parking lot of the gym just in time to see Barbie Brittany approaching Logan. She was shocked that he didn’t even stop. He wouldn’t have recognized her car because he hadn’t seen it yet.
She sat hidden by the tinted windows until he made his way across the lot to his truck. How many vehicles did one man need? But just like the Cadillac, he looked good in a truck. Hell, he looked good no matter what.
She got out of her new car and walked into the gym. As she passed the front counter, she heard Brittany talking to one of the girls who worked there.
Club Destiny 1 Conviction Page 10
