He flips me over onto my back, lifts my legs, and drives into me again. His hair is wet from sweat and droplets rain on my face. I want him all over me. I want to be consumed by HIM.
“Kane.”
“Yeah, say my name. Say who is fucking you.” He thrust into me harder, until his pelvis is rubbing against mine so roughly I know I’ll feel it in the morning.
Just how I like it.
“Kane!” My mouth falls open after the most intense orgasm pulses through every nerve ending of my body.
Kane takes my mouth in kiss that’s all teeth and tongue as his hips stutter. I roll my hips to take him deeper inside me and he moans into my mouth, bathing my walls with his cum.
He collapses on me, my legs are still on his shoulders, and both of us are breathing ragged.
We don’t say anything. We bask in the afterglow of post orgasmic bliss until he opens his mouth.
“That was a mistake.”
Kane slides out of me. The wet noise mocking me as he gets out of bed to put on his clothes. He wastes no time shoving his cock, that is still wet from my juices, in his pants, and I lay like a used-up whore with his cum dripping out of me.
I feel humiliated, again. I can’t help the anger and emotion that builds up inside me. Standing up, a rush of his fluid leaks down my thigh, but he doesn’t notice because he is a self-centered asshole.
“Go to hell!” I slap him across the same side David punched him on, making a noticeable wince momentarily bloom across his face.
“Leslie, I’m no-”
“Good for me? I know. You are no good for me. You have said it one hundred times! You know what? You aren’t. What man uses a girl like that? You are dripping down my thigh and you packing up and leaving! Once again, I feel humiliated and used, and I’m tired of feeling that way with you.”
“Leslie, you know I would never use you!”
His raised voice doesn’t even make me flinch. I grab a paper towel and wipe him off me the best I can. I can’t wait to shower. Thank everything I love, I got on birth control a few weeks ago. That’s just what I need, to be knocked up by Kane Bridgeshaw, a guy who can’t decide what he wants every five minutes. No thanks.
“I don’t want you near me. I don’t want you to talk to me. I can’t wait to scrub you clean from me. I loved you, Kane. I loved you so much and nothing but your fear and stupidity is allowing you feel it. You acting like this? It’s not good for me. I miss the old Kane. The Kane that was sure of himself, not this Kane who runs when there’s trouble.” I get dressed too, by passing my favorite bra and panties as I stuff them in my purse.
“Leslie, please. I can’t have you hate me. Can’t you see I’m trying to do you a favor by leaving?”
“No, because you haven’t left yet. You’re still ringing every drop of love, anger, and self-worth I have left.” I whisper the last two words like they were hanging on the end of my breath.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I mean it more than anything right now. Please leave.” I sit on the bed looking at him like I’m a new woman. I guess I am. I’m made of steel now, and I’m going to make sure nothing can penetrate my walls. Literally and figuratively.
“Leslie.”
I try not to flinch when my name comes out of his mouth, off those lips that I adore so much.
“Leave!” I yell with tears falling down my face finally breaking like he wanted all along.
It makes sense that the last spot we made love in was our first.
Chapter 3
I hate him.
I love him.
I hate him.
I love him.
“Ugh, stupid flower! You have no idea what you are talking about.” Because a daisy determines everything. I need someone to just tell me I hate him over and over again, and then eventually I’ll believe.
“Hey, you okay? You’re all mopey.” Sampson walks out of the backroom where he just set a broken leg on a puppy. The owner was so distraught when she came in, crying her eyes out because the poor pup fell off the couch while she was napping.
Unfortunately, it happens.
Sighing and picking up the petals I mutilated, I say, “I guess. I mean, I should move on or something, right? Go out, be a little slutty, live a little?” My chin finds its home on my palm, and I’m sighing again.
Sampson laughs. “Well, the guy outside the door looks like he could give you that.”
“Ugh, Sampson! You know I am done with Kane!” I slap my hand on his chest.
“It isn’t Kane,” he whispers in my ear before walking away, leaving me alone to look at the window.
Logan? What the…
His loud footsteps pound against the deck, pacing back and forth talking to himself. He pauses, agrees with himself, then disagrees with himself and starts pacing again.
“He has got to stop doing that. It’s making me dizzy,” I mutter to myself.
Walking to the door doesn’t even take Logan by surprise. When the bell above the door rings, he still paces like he is the only man on earth.
“You’re going to pave a path on my deck if you keep it up.” I lean against the door frame crossing my arms. I might have done that to lift my boobs and show a little cleavage. No one will ever know.
His wide honey colored eyes look at me, “Leslie! Hey! What are you doing here?”
“Um…I work here. And I’m assuming you know that or you wouldn’t be here.”
“Right. Right, yeah.” He nods his head. “So, I asked around about you at Saturn’s. I swear I’m not a stalker. You weren’t answering my texts and that seemed so unlike you from the encounters that we had. I asked around and Chase, yes that Chase, was there. Well, before he…did what he did. Now, I know that wasn’t a good idea because now I seem crazy. Aw man!” The warm breeze blows his dirty blonde strands of hair in the air making him look more like a surfer and less of a bouncer.
“Anyway, I texted you, but you never answered. I just wanted to hear that you weren’t interested from you.” Logan rushes out on one breath, looking relieved he finally gets that off his chest.
I cock my head. “Logan, I never got a text.” To prove a point, I take out my phone from my back pocket and scroll through all my messages, “Mom, Dad, Molli, and David.” Kane. I pause on his last text. “You were the best thing that ever happened to me.” Internally, I scoff. Yeah right. Liar.
“I never received a thing, Logan.”
“Oh,” His light blonde brows pinch together with confusion and it’s cute. He reaches into his front pocket, which I have no idea how he fits anything in there with how tight those jeans are, but the fascination I have with tight pants on men cannot be healthy! These aren’t ripped like Kane’s were. Logan looks cleaner and put together. His thighs look like tree trunks encased in elastic and it makes me want to climb him like a monkey! His shirt is tight like if he breathes too deeply it may rip. Yeah, do it! Rip!
“Isn’t this your number?” His fingers brush against mine as he gives me the phone. I want to ignore the little spark that appears, but I can’t. I feel guilty, but at the same time, I feel like I deserve someone who wants me this much.
Covering up my smile with my hand, I tell him bashfully, “No, the six is supposed to be a nine.”
His mouth drops open. “Are you kidding me? Who have I been annoyingly texting all these weeks? Man, I feel like such a creep now.” He groans as he looks at the ceiling.
“Sorry, that’s my fault. I was kinda hammered.” I type away on his phone, fixing my drunken mistake. “Here you go. I’m so sorry, Logan.” It’s a good thing he had that number wrong though because a few weeks ago, I was with Kane.
He happily takes his phone back. “Thanks. Guess my chance is gone, right?” He turns to walk away, mumbling to himself, “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
Must be something in the air for me to keep taking chances on guys, but getting my number wrong wasn’t his fault.
“Logan! Wait! What brought you here? What do you
need?”
“Well, I’m hosting a charity event for muscular sclerosis. It’s a black-tie event that rich money makers come to and donate, allowing me to give to the local hospital, and I wanted you to go with me.”
Here’s what I’ve learned in the last five minutes with Logan, he isn’t the confident man I pegged him to be when I met him at Saturn’s. He is bashful. His thumbs are hooked in his belt loops, he is rocking on his feet, and he is blushing!
“Wait a minute…I thought you were a bouncer/” How does a bouncer put an event together such as that one?
“No, I was just helping my buddy Briar out. He owns Saturn’s. He needed extra muscle.” He flexes his arms, which swell to the size of my head with my curls.
Smiling, I roll my eyes at his antics. “So if you aren’t a bouncer, what do you do? Are you a stripper? Escort? Prostitute? No judgment, by the way,” I joke.
“You know, stereotyping isn’t nice. Just because I have the body of a stripper doesn’t mean I am one.” He puts his hands on his hips dramatically.
“Mmmhmmm, if not that, what do you do?”
“I…” He points his fingers at himself. “…am a real estate developer.”
“And what’s the biggest thing you have developed?” Well, if that wasn’t an innuendo, I don’t know what is.
It looks like he is barely containing his inappropriate answer. “I have developed Saturn’s, obviously, and numerous big corporations, apartments, and gyms.” He shrugs.
“So, you’re rich,” I say flatly.
“Eh, yes?” He looks at me like he’s afraid of my answer.
How do I get myself into these messes?
“Well, the gym thing makes sense.”
“How so?” he asks.
“’Cause you’re jacked!” I impersonate him flexing my arms in different positions.
His laugh echoes throughout the deck. “Is that a yes to the party because that is what it sounds like.”
Logan reminds me of a kid getting a new toy, anxiously awaiting my answer whether he can have it or not.
“Yes, I’d love to go.” Oh man! My cheeks heat at the thought of going on a date with him. I look down at the deck and toe a random spot, hoping to sink into the wood rings.
“Yeah? I’m going to have the prettiest woman there!”
When I look at Logan, his fist is pumping the air like he just won a championship. A smile stretches across my face knowing he is being honest.
Better than the tears Kane makes you cry.
“Great. I’ll pick you up tonight at eight?”
“Tonight!” I shout with a little hysteria.
“Umm, yeah. Hopefully that stranger I was texting doesn’t show up. Can you say, awkward?”
I look at my watch. Do I have enough time? I need to shower, shave all the places, straighten my hair, and put on my makeup.
No problem. I have done more with less time. Like that time when Kane was driving down the road and I whipped out his-
“Text me your address? I’ll see you later?” Logan walks backwards until he stumbles down the few steps onto the gravel.
“I’m fine. I’m good. I’m totally fine.” He wipes his hands down the tight material of his shirt and calmly walks away.
Holy crap! I have a date with someone who isn’t Kane! And I’m excited about it!
***
A few hours later, I find myself in my room straightening my hair with Flamingo on the bed staring at me and his head cocked in confusion like he doesn’t recognize me.
With half my hair straightened and the other half still poofy, I can understand his curiosity.
“It’s still me, Flamingo.”
My handsome boy sighed and laid his head down on his cute little paws, melting my heart.
“You like it better curly?” I ask as I straighten another piece. Steam floats in the air heating my face as another silky strand lays on my shoulder.
He barks once.
Great. If my dog likes it better curly, what am I even doing?
“When will I learn my lesson? Let’s talk about this. There was Chase, and we all know how that went.” I straightened another piece while Flamingo growls and this time, I can’t tell if it’s from Chase or my hair.
“Then there was Kane, and…well we’ll skip that catastrophe now. And now Logan? What if he is some type of serial killer? Probably is knowing my luck. I’m just asking for trouble, aren’t I?”
He barks twice.
“Yeah, yeah. You think you know everything. I get it. I have bad taste in men.”
Flamingo growls, inching his way towards me.
“Not you! Geez, Flamingo. You’re the only guy that matters.”
He jumps off the bed and strikes me in the face with his wet tongue, giving me kisses all over my face. “Yes, yes. Who is a good boy?” I scratched behind his ears, making his leg thump against the floor and that doofy smile appear on his face.
“All right, I need to get dressed. Logan will be here in an hour!”
Flamingo growls again.
“Possessive much?”
He hops back and the bed and watches me finish getting ready. Instead of getting dressed first, I decide to do my makeup. I want to keep it classy, but dramatic at the same time. I never put this much effort in with Kane. Does that mean anything? Am I trying to cover up how I feel for him by trying too hard? Does trying too hard mean it isn’t worth it?
Looking at myself in the mirror, I grab a makeup brush and some BB cream and get to work on creating my final look that will hopefully bring Logan to his knees. After blending that into my skin, I swipe a little concealer under my eyes and on my lid to use as a primer for the eye shadow I’m going to use. After blending that to perfection, I lightly fill in my brows, add a gold shimmer to my lid with brown liner on my upper lash line and smoke that out. It gives it a sultry look, which is exactly what I am going for.
I contour my cheeks with bronzer, add a peach colored blush, and a gold highlighter to pop the light off my cheek bones. To finish off my look, I add a light pink gloss. Rubbing my lips together, I sigh. Nothing about this feels right. I want it to though. Everything feels different now. This house, my bed, and even the way I’m looking at myself feels different. All this effort, and I want it to be for the wrong person. Who is that again? Logan or Kane?
Going into my closet, I reach for the dress I bought with Molli a few months back. There was no reason to get a dress like this, but Molli said, “A woman always needs a fancy dress, Leslie. Because one day, you’ll need it.” And for some reason, that explanation was good enough for me to drop a few hundred dollars, yes, a few hundred, on this gorgeous gown.
It’s a pastel orange dress that has a neckline that plunges almost down to my belly button. It’s strapless and hugs my curves until it hits mid-thigh, then it flows like something out of a land where fairies come from.
As soon as I slip it on, the doorbell rings, and Flamingo looks like at me to see if I’m ready.
“Lead the way,” I tell him.
Chapter 4
“Wow, you look…you look …” Logan stutters as he looks me up and down. My mission is complete. I could turn around, shut the door, and take everything off because knowing I made him have a reaction like that means everything!
“Thank you. You look very handsome. That tux brings out the blonde in your hair.” I reach out to see if it’s as soft as it looks, and it just bounces right back to the way he had it combed.
“Thank you.” Logan holds out his arm, and I take it as we walk down the path to his BMW. He opens the door for me like a true gentleman and helps me inside. The man knows what he is doing because I can barely walk in these heels.
“You better be getting a ton of money tonight because wearing these shoes is a health hazard.”
His laughs are musical. “We usually do pretty well.” He shuts the door and before I know it we are driving there.
We pull into a driveway that connects to a massive estate. The house
is Victorian with four columns in front and a teal door. There are weeping willows in the yard, decorating the house mysteriously as lights are strategically placed throughout the branches to give it a magical feel.
“Wow, this is beautiful.” My eyes take in everything around me. From the people, to the caterers, to the lights, everything screams fortune.
“It is.”
And when I look at him, the double meaning is clear.
“You really are the most stunning woman here, Leslie.” He leans in and kisses my cheek. It’s gentle yet assertive, like he wants to take care of me, but is owning me in front of everybody with the simple move.
“Thank you.” My breath comes out in pants.
A few moments later, I’m seated at a round table that has beautiful purple and white orchids with lavender colored roses in a huge vase as a centerpiece.
I don’t even know who I am sitting with, but I don’t care. My focus in on the man who is now at the podium.
“Hi everyone, thank you for coming to the fourth annual M.S. fundraiser. As many of you know, I host this event in remembrance of my mother, Hannah Lucian. It’s a terrible disease that slowly eats away at a person’s body, and my goal is to keep raising money for them to find a cure, so someone else doesn’t have to lose a loved one. We will be having an auction later, like usual, and all proceeds go to the charity. Of course if you don’t wish to purchase at the auction there is a vault in the back, guarded by my dear friend Dylan, who will take your donation.”
What? Did he just say Dylan? No! There are plenty of Dylans. There is no way that it is the same Dylan that has a security company, working at security for the guy I’m on a date with! Breathe, Leslie.
The chances of it being him are slim. While he is still talking, I get up and make my way towards the vault. I planned on donating a hundred dollars, which is probably Kleenexes to some of these people, but it’s a lot to me.
“Leslie, fancy seeing you here.” Dylan leans in and kisses me on the cheek.
“Hi, Dylan.” My face heats. I feel like he is going to go back and tell Kane I’m cheating on him, even though, we aren’t even together!
The Ink Romance Series Page 17
