“He’s a good guy. And you know Mom, she’s a sucker for a project.” I grinned.
“Is that what I was?” He tucked my hair behind my ear.
“No, you weren’t so much of a project. Mom adored you from the second you walked into the restaurant.”
“Could you blame her? I’m pretty likable.” He winked and gave me a smile that melted me from the inside out.
“God, you are so full of yourself sometimes. You know that right?” I glanced over at him before pulling into the road.
“I’m well aware. Did you finish packing?” He ran his fingers through my hair casually.
“Would you hate me if I said we needed to go back to my apartment and finish?” I smiled.
“I wouldn’t hate you, no, but it sort of puts a damper on my plans for the evening. You know, we really just need to move your stuff in already. We could have packed together.” He shot me a dark look.
This had been a bone of contention with us for a week. He wanted me to move in fully, and I was fine with my stuff staying where it was for the time being.
“We’ll talk about it when we get back from California.” I didn’t want to argue about it anymore.
“Fine, I’m going to hold you to that.”
When we got to my apartment, I was back in hurricane mode. Throwing things inside of my suitcases and looking for shoes.
“Is this how you normally pack?”
“Sometimes, it depends. Why?”
“I guess I imagined you as more organized.” He laughed and gestured to the mess on top of my bed.
“This is not normal.” I grinned and shoved another pair of shoes into a suitcase.
Logan pitched in, and we were out of the apartment twenty minutes later and on our way back to his place.
“I’m still really nervous about meeting Shaileen.” I glanced at him as I drove.
“Why? I already told you she’s going to love you.”
“She’s your family. I would be just as nervous about meeting your sister. And Shaileen is so much more than your sister.”
He nodded. “She is. Family has to accept you no matter what because they’re family. Shaileen and Smith accept me because they choose to. Don’t stress about it. You’ll love her.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
I put on a smile and took a few deep breaths.
CALIFORNIA, THE HOME OF SILICONE and spray tans. It was never my favorite place, but I came often after Shai moved a few years ago.
Grace looked like she wanted to throw up. I kind of liked it that she was this nervous about making a good impression.
“Deep breaths, Kitten. Shaileen doesn’t bite, I promise.” My fingers grazed the bare skin of her back trying to calm her nerves. I slid her across the seat so she fit perfectly against me and kissed the top of her head, inhaling the floral scent of her shampoo.
She smiled weakly and looked out the window at the sea of red lights on the freeway. L.A. traffic sucked.
Faith leaned in close to Grace.
“I’m nervous, too, honey.”
“Oh thank God. You’ve seemed so under control.”
“I’m just better at hiding it than you.”
Smith grinned at me and tucked Faith firmly against him, pressing a kiss to her temple. This was all new for us. Being in relationships. Actually caring about someone else.
Shaileen was waiting in the lobby when we pulled up to The Beverly Wilshire and parked under the immense white overhang. She looked amazing. Her skin glowed like it was lit from the inside with a candle. God, she looked happy, too. My heart clenched.
Even pregnant, she was magnificent. She wore a skintight knit dress that fell just above her knees. Her blond hair was piled on top of her head in a knot. Chris was by her side, his hand on the small of her back. They were a perfect match and very California. Blond hair and tan skin.
“Logan!” she squealed and waddled over to us as I helped Grace out of the car. She was all baby, thin with a huge baby bump out front.
“Shai, you look amazing.” I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tight.
“Oh, shut up. I’m huge. I can’t believe I have two months of this left.” She gestured to her stomach. “You’re Grace.” She stepped away from me and took Grace’s hands in her own. “It’s so good to meet you. Logan has talked my ear off singing your praises. Thank you for being here with him. “
A flush crept up Grace’s cheeks, and she smiled. “He’s told me a lot about you, too. I’m happy to be here.”
Smith and Faith walked up hand in hand a moment later.
“I leave you boys alone for three years and you go and grow up on me.” She grinned and pulled Smith into a hug.
“It was bound to happen sooner or later.” He shrugged, not letting go of Faith’s hand. “This is Faith.” The way he said her name held meaning. Both Shaileen and I caught it.
“You’re Grace’s sister.” She looked from one to the other.
“I am. Her older sister. Smith didn’t tell you?” She laughed and released Smith’s hand before taking the hand Shaileen offered. She pulled her into a hug a moment later. “We’re huggers in my family.”
“No, he didn’t tell me you were sisters. He only told me he was bringing a date.” She shot Smith a look and popped a hand on her hip.
“And miss this little exchange? I would do it again.” He laughed.
“You’re such a dick sometimes, you know that right?” Shaileen punched him in the arm.
“I know, but you love me anyway.” He kissed her cheek.
“Come on, let’s go up to the room and you can tell us what we’re in store for this week.”
An hour after Shai left, Grace and I were finally alone in our room. I watched as she unpacked, flitting here and there with bags and piles of clothes.
“We’re only here for a couple days, you know that, right?” I nodded at the already full dresser.
“I know. I like to have options.” She shrugged and stuck her tongue out at me.
After everything was unpacked, she hung her gown on a hook by the bathroom, running her hands along the smooth satin.
“I’ll never get used to this,” she sighed wistfully.
“Get used to what?” I got up from the bed and took her in my arms.
“All of this. Private planes, swanky hotels, thousand dollar evening gowns. This room is as big as my first apartment.” She waved her hands expansively.
I leaned in a kissed her neck. “This is my life, Kitten. It’s just how I roll.” I laughed against her skin.
“No one’s complaining.” She grinned. “I would love you even if you were poor.”
“I know you would. You don’t care about the money, never did.” It was one of the reasons I fell for her. She only wanted me, not the stuff that came along with me.
“The only thing I need in my life is you, everything else is negotiable.” She pushed my chin up and kissed me.
After changing into pajamas, we were cuddled up in bed talking, wrapped up in the soft sheets. She was tucked into the crook of my arm with her head on my shoulder.
“I really like her,” Grace said in a reverent tone. “I’m kind of in awe of her. She wrangled you and Smith for a lot of years singlehandedly.”
I laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I told you she was great. And really, I don’t know how much wrangling she did. Half the time she was more trouble than we ever were.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.” She shook her head.
“Ask her, she’ll tell you.” I smiled as I remembered all the crazy times we had shared.
“I’m really happy I came with you. To see you with both of them, it’s better than I imagined.” She tipped her lips up to meet mine.
“I’m more than happy you’re with me. This weekend is perfect because you’re with me. Shai loves you already; she kept giving me approving looks while she was here.”
“Tell me more about her. How did you all meet?” She s
ettled back against me.
“It was in college. We all went to NYU. We met at a party, of course. Shai was this wild thing who had more life in her than anyone I had ever met. I knew in that second that she was someone special.” I ran my fingers along the smooth skin of her arm as I spoke.
“You said you guys dated?” Grace asked hesitantly, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt.
“Yeah, on and off. Smith, too. I think we both wanted her, but neither of us was ever good enough for her, and we knew it. She deserved more, someone who could give her their heart. Neither of us was capable of that. She was cool with it. We had our fun, casual hook ups, whatever. She was wild and crazy and kept pace with us.” I stroked her hair as I took her on a walk down memory lane.
“She never wanted more from you?”
“I don’t know if I would say never. I think both of us wanted more at different times. She was never meant for me, to be anything more than my best friend.” I watched the shadows dance across the ceiling as the sun fully set.
“How do you know?” She sat up and looked me in the eye. Searching for an answer.
“I know because I hadn’t met you yet.” I kissed the tip of her nose, and she flopped back onto the pillow with a huge smile on her face. “You are the person I’m meant for. Like I said, we tried dating, but it never felt right. I love her, but not in the way I love you. I have never in my life felt like this for anyone. You know what I mean? Trying to make something work that just won’t?”
She nodded. “I had that with Scott, sort of. I wanted it to work, because he seemed like such a good guy. He had a great job, and he said he loved me. But even before all the cheating and putting me down, it felt off.” I joined her on the pillow and wrapped my arms around her. I wished so bad I could erase what he had done to her.
“It’s because we were destined to find each other.” I turned her lips toward me and crushed my mouth against hers. I needed her to feel what I had inside of me. To never doubt it.
She rolled to face me, her fingers twining themselves in my hair. “I don’t doubt it anymore. I know how you feel about me. I can see it every time you look at me. How could I ever doubt you, baby?” She brushed her lips against mine gently.
I pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, my fingers sliding along her smooth skin. I followed the trail my fingers were on with my tongue. The little sounds she was making were going to drive me mad. She was so damn sexy.
“Logan,” she breathed when my fingers found her favorite spot.
“You like that?” I growled.
“Mmm.”
“Let go, Kitten. Just let me do all the work,” I said softly into her ear as I slid inside.
Perfect. Fucking perfect. I was a slave to her, a slave to my own demanding pleasure. I wanted her to feel it, to know what she did to me.
“I love you,” she sighed against my lips.
WEDDING TIME. FAITH AND I were in my hotel room dressed in fluffy white robes with a team of women making us look gorgeous. Logan said he and Smith wanted to show us off.
“Are you excited?” Faith asked as her hair was being piled on her head in an intricate up do. She had a glass of champagne in her hand. The boys had gone all out with the pampering.
“I am. I really like Shai, and I’m excited to meet some of Logan’s other friends. I’m also a little nervous, what if I’m not up to par?” I shifted in my seat and took a gulp of my champagne.
“Shut your mouth, Grace,” Faith scowled at me. “You’re a fucking knockout. Even if they don’t think so, why would you care? Have you seen the way Logan looks at you? I feel like a perv being in the same room with you two sometimes.” She laughed.
I knew what she meant. Sometimes Logan brought out the brazen side in me. I looked in the mirror at the unrecognizable woman who stared back at me. Smoky eyes and a braided up do gave me a very sophisticated sex bomb look.
After everyone left, Faith and I helped each other get dressed. Her gown was amazing, deep plum and a plunging neckline. It hugged her in all the right places.
“Smith is going to have a heart attack when he sees you in this.” I grinned at her as I smoothed down the fabric in the back.
“That’s the idea.” She winked.
I felt sexy as I slid the silky fabric of my dress up my body. The emerald green color was perfect for my skin tone and it brought out the mocha color of my eyes.
Faith whistled when after I put my heels on and did a little twirl. “Yowza. That’s a hot dress.”
“Logan has really good taste.” I grinned and ran my hand down the tight satin.
A moment later, the guys came in laughing. Faith and I turned to face them, and they stopped dead in their tracks all conversation ceased.
“Kitten,” Logan said in a hoarse voice. I could feel his eyes sweep from my feet to my face, and I shivered.
“You like?” I looked at him through my lashes.
“Very much.” He took my hand in his and brushed a kiss to my knuckles.
I looked over at Smith, and he seemed to be at a loss for words. Faith narrowed her eyes seductively, and I looked away.
“Ready?” I grabbed my clutch from the bed.
“If we have to. I’d really like to stay here and peel that dress off of you and see what goodies you have underneath for me.” He kissed my cheek. “You did me proud, Kitten,” he whispered in my ear as we left the room.
The wedding was being held at a friend’s house in the hills somewhere. I wasn’t super familiar with L.A. It was beautiful, though. Flowers everywhere. There were rows of chairs set up on the grass by the pool area and sheer white fabric was draped from the chairs along the aisle. Logan and Smith made sure we found our seats and then went off to find Shaileen.
“This is really something.” Faith looked around with wide eyes.
“They run with a different sort of crowd, don’t they?” I smiled. I tried to smother the anxiety that began to bubble to the surface. Memories of similar events with Scott flashed through my head. We had gone to a co-worker’s wedding, and he had barely spoken to me the entire time, only talking to me when he wanted to put me down. I shook my head to clear it. Logan wasn’t like him.
The music started a while later and the bridesmaids made their way down the flower covered aisle. They were beautiful, dressed in blush-colored flowery dresses and fishtail braids. They were stunning.
The music shifted to the wedding march, and we all stood up. My breath caught in my throat when I saw them for the first time. Shaileen was gorgeous, ethereal in a gauzy white dress that flowed around her and a wreath of flowers in her hair. The smile on her face was contagious. On either side of her was Logan and Smith, both of them looked so happy. I saw Logan whisper something to Shai, and she wiped at tears that began to fall.
He caught my eye and blew me a kiss as they walked past. I pressed a hand to my heart and smiled. I could clearly imagine what it would be like to be walking down an aisle toward Logan. It wasn’t far off in our future; I could feel it in my bones. I just didn’t know if I was really ready to make that leap yet.
“Who gives this woman to this man?” the pastor asked.
“We do,” Logan and Smith said in unison. My heart leapt into my throat as I saw the love they both felt for her. They were a family, in every sense of the word.
They both kissed her cheek and joined us in the audience. Logan held my hand through the whole service.
“Shaileen, do you promise to love Chris all the days of your life?” the pastor asked.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I do.”
Logan let go of my hand long enough to wrap an arm around my shoulder. He pressed a kiss to my cheek and whispered in my ear, “I love you, Kitten.”
I looked in his eyes, my heart full of emotion, dreams of the future swimming in my head. “I love you, too.” I kissed his lips softly.
The rest of the service was beautiful; Shai cried through the whole thing. Her new husband Chris had tea
rs in his eyes as they walked back down the aisle as husband and wife.
“That was probably one of the most beautiful weddings I have seen. They love each other so much.” I sighed and hugged Logan before we got into the limo to head over to the reception after pictures were taken.
“It was really something.” Logan smiled down at me.
The reception was held at The W. It looked more like a nightclub than your typical wedding reception. The whole space was lit up in soft purples and blues. There was a huge white dance floor in the middle of the room and tables scattered around the room with huge floral centerpieces.
Logan introduced me to so many people that I couldn’t keep their names all straight. I smiled and shook hands and spoke when was appropriate. I didn’t want to embarrass him. Anxiety reared its ugly head again. I excused myself to the bathroom.
“You okay?” he whispered.
I forced a smile and nodded before hurrying off to find the bathroom. Just as I was rounding the corner, I heard a conversation I wished I hadn’t.
“Did you see the woman with Logan? What agency do you think she’s from? Dressed like that she, has to be a pro,” a deep voice spoke.
“He does have a type, doesn’t he? Always with the blondes. This one certainly looks trashy enough. I wonder how long he’ll keep her around before he gets tired of her,” a snotty woman’s voice answered.
My heart dropped to my feet. I wanted to walk away, but for some reason I was rooted to the spot I stood. I knew I had to move or I would be face to face with them soon. I sucked in a shaky breath and stepped out of the way as the couple walked back into the reception. I hadn’t even remembered meeting them, but they certainly had an opinion about me.
“Grace?” Logan’s voice made me jump.
“Give me a minute, okay?” I turned away from him. All of my old self-esteem issues were front and center. I didn’t want him to see this side of me. I tried to walk away, but he grabbed my hand.
“Hey, what’s going on?” He turned my chin so I would look at him.
The tears I had been holding back spilled down my cheeks. “I just need a minute, okay?” I tried to steady my voice, but it came out with a tremor.
Never Let Me Go: The Complete Set Page 17
