He nodded and took my hand again and led me through a long hall to an empty room. “What happened?” He sat me down in a chair and pulled one across from it and sat down.
“Nothing.” I wiped my eyes. “Just overwhelmed,” I choked out. I knew he wasn’t going to buy it, but everything in me hoped he would let it drop. I didn’t think I could handle telling him what I had heard.
“I don’t believe you. Tell me.” He brushed a thumb across my cheek.
“I overheard something I shouldn’t have. Some of your friends talking about me. It wasn’t something I would have wanted to hear.” My voice shook, and I twisted the napkin in my hands. I didn’t want to go on. I tried to look away, but he turned my chin back to look in my eyes.
“What did they say?” His voice was calm, but I could see the tension below the surface.
“They..they wondered what agency you hired me from. Said you had a thing for blondes and I looked trashy enough for you to have a good time. They said dressed like I was, I looked like a pro.” More tears fell as I spoke. Just a few short hours ago, I had felt sexy and confident in this dress. Now, I felt like a whore. I wanted to leave, but I knew we couldn’t go just yet because we were here for Shaileen and Chris. “They also said it was only a matter of time before you got sick of me and moved on.” I choked on the words; they were the ones that brought up all my old fears. Scott had gotten sick of me, too.
“Do you remember who it was?” he asked carefully, his hands clenched into fists at his side.
“I hadn’t met them tonight.” I shook my head.
“Would you recognize them if you saw them?” He gripped the arm of the chair.
I nodded. I didn’t want to see them. I didn’t want to see any more of his friends if that was how they all felt about me.
“Look at me,” he commanded.
My eyes met his. I couldn’t stop the sobs.
“You know that’s not what you are to me, right?” His tone softened.
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t voice my fears. I wanted to believe it, so bad I wanted to believe in him, in us.
“Answer me, Kitten. You know that, right?” He held my cheeks in his hands.
“My brain knows that, yes,” I said in a shaky voice.
“I’ll never want anyone else but you. Never. Don’t let what they said make you question how amazing you are. You look incredible tonight, sexy and sophisticated. I’m damn proud to have you with me, to show you off to everyone. You’re amazing.” He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips.
I was incapable of words, so I just nodded. I finally could see how he saw me; feel his love for me in each word he had spoken.
“I’m going to give you a few minutes to get yourself together and then we can go back in.”
There was a bathroom in the back of the room we were standing and I went in and locked the door behind me.
“Come on, Grace, pull it together,” I said aloud as I dabbed at my eyes with a tissue. I needed to find the woman I was when I got woke up this morning. I knew she was in there somewhere, buried beneath the pile of shit that just got thrown my way. I could hear Logan’s words echoing in my head, telling me how amazing I was. I needed to start believing it again. I gave myself a mental shake and started to fix my makeup so I could jump back into the fight.
After I was feeling better, we went back into the reception. Logan steered us through the crowd until I gripped his hand and motioned to the couple in front of us.
He looked down at me with questioning eyes, and I nodded that it was them.
“Andrew, Trista, I didn’t know you would be here.” His tone was cold. “Have you met my girlfriend, Grace?” He took Andrew’s hand and shook it.
I forced a smile.
“You’ll have to excuse her right now; she just overheard an awful conversation.” He squeezed Andrew’s hand as he spoke.
“Did she?” He looked nervous.
“She did. You can understand how that would make me feel right?” He squeezed tighter. “To hear someone say such awful things about the woman I love. You can imagine what that would make me want to do?”
Andrew nodded, and Trista went pale.
“If I ever hear something like this again, I’ll be canceling those contracts we spoke about last week. The ones you need so bad right now. I think you owe my lady an apology.” He let go of Andrew’s hand and put his arm around my waist, pulling me tight against him.
I watched all of it unfold and couldn’t believe what was happening. He was threatening to cut ties with Andrew because of how he spoke to me. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
“We apologize, Grace. We meant no offense,” Trista said between clenched teeth.
“Oh, I think you did mean offense, you just didn’t think you would be caught,” I heard myself say, a sweet smile on my lips.
Her eyes went wide. “Please accept my apology.”
“Fine.” I smiled again
“We’re very sorry,” Andrew mumbled before Trista pulled him away.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered.
“Yes, I did. I won’t tolerate anyone making you feel less than who I know you are. They can go fuck themselves. I don’t need to do business with him, but he sure as hell needs my business.” He kissed me gently. “I love you, Kitten.”
“I love you, too. Thank you for being my knight in shining armor.” I touched his cheek.
“I may not always be the white knight but know that I’ll always protect you.” He kissed me again. “Now, how about we grab the limo so we can go back to the hotel and I can unwrap my present.” He fingered the zipper on my dress, a wicked grin on his face.
PARIS, ONE OF MY FAVORITE places in the world. Grace was asleep on the bed. Jet lag was a wicked beast. I wanted this trip to be magical for her. She deserved it after what she went through at the wedding. I wanted to take her everywhere, to have her see all of my favorite things.
We had plans to see my sister, Leah, while we were here, but there were more pressing matters I wanted to attend to before then. After Paris, we were headed to London to spend some time with her younger sister, Charity. I knew how much Grace missed her. I had arranged it all before leaving for California.
I sat in the living room of our suite with a little blue box in my hand. She was my one. The only other person I would ever need until the day I died. I hoped to God she felt the same way, and I wasn’t about to jump the gun.
As the sun skated farther across the sky, and light poured in through the windows, I went to wake Grace up.
“Kitten, it’s time to get up.” I brushed my lips against her ear.
“Mmmm.” She rolled over and slapped at me to get me to stop talking.
“Come on sleepyhead, get out of bed. We’re in Paris. I want to take you exploring.” I laughed.
One eye opened and glared at me. “What time is it? I swear to God if you tell me it’s before seven I’m going to murder you.
“It’s past eight. I let you sleep in a bit.” I yanked the covers off of her and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, let’s get showered and dressed. We have a busy day ahead of us.”
She grumbled as she shuffled off to the bathroom ahead of me. I could only smile. This was going to be the best day of my life. I hoped.
After her second cup of coffee, Grace was more herself. “Where are we going today?” she asked in between bites of her croissant.
“Everywhere, Kitten. I want you to see everything.” I grinned and stole a piece of her breakfast.
I took her to the Louvre first. I had spent a lot of time here in the past. Not so much for the art, but for the overall feeling of the place.
“I could live here and be happy forever,” she sighed as we strolled along looking at paintings.
“Here in the museum or here in Paris?”
“Paris. It’s so beautiful here. But maybe the museum too.” She grinned and walked ahead of me.
I grabbed her hand and whirled her around for
a kiss. The smile on her face was mesmerizing; I had to remind myself to look at the paintings. I could watch her for hours. Seeing it all through her eyes
“Why have you never moved to Paris?” she asked after we left the museum.
“I actually lived here for a bit a few years ago when we had some trouble with the European branch of the company.”
“What made you move back to New York?” She twirled a lock of flaxen hair around her finger as we walked.
“Leah loves it here. She was already engaged to Henri, so there was no way I would ask her to move to New York. Plus, she gives me a good excuse to come visit.”
“You are so perfect. You know that, right?” She grinned at me and pulled me in for a kiss.
“Why do you say that?”
“You left a place you loved so your sister would be happy. In my book, it doesn’t get better than that. ” She sighed and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“I can be a nice guy when I want to be.” I took her hand in mine and we kept walking. The box in my pocket felt like it would burst into flames if I didn’t get it out soon. I wanted to wait for the perfect moment, sunset. But maybe there was no such thing as perfect, only our version of it.
“You do that a lot you know,” she said as we walked.
“Do what?”
“Put other people’s needs ahead of your own. You better be careful, or people are going to think you’ve gone soft.”
“What if I don’t care what they think? As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.” I kissed her again; I couldn’t get enough of her lips. The little sounds she made as I kissed her drove me wild.
“Where are we going now?” she asked, a little breathless.
“I don’t know, just exploring I think.” I squeezed her hand.
We walked along the Seine on the way to my perfect location.
“What is that?” she asked as we approached the Pont des Arts bridge. Thousands of locks were attached to the chain-link fence that lined the bridge.
“Those are the love locks. People attach them to the fence as a symbol of their love. So anyone who stops to read them will know how much they love each other,” I explained as we walked past.
“God, that’s so romantic.” She pressed a hand to her heart, her eyes shining. “So much love in one place.” She stopped to read a few. “Antione and Stella, one heart.” She turned another over to read it, “Frances and Melanie together forever. Seriously, these are so amazing.”
I pulled a tiny gold padlock out with our names and today’s date engraved on it. “Do you want to put one on?” I handed it over to her, and she read the inscription. Logan and Grace, in love for all time.
“You think of everything, don’t you?” She beamed at me before locking it into place on the fence.
“Now everyone will know how much I love you.” I pulled her in and dipped her back before kissing her quickly.
“Don’t you think this is amazing? So many people have put a lock on this bridge. Now we’re part of it. It’s so romantic, this place, all this love. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
This was it, my moment. It didn’t get any more perfect.
“Grace..” My hand tightened on the tiny box in my pocket. Suddenly, words failed me. How could I put into words what she meant to me?
She turned to face me. “What?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, honey.” She smiled.
“From the moment I saw you sitting in the bar, I knew you would be someone special. Letting you leave is something I can’t change, but I can promise you that I will never let you walk away from me again. You’ve opened my eyes to what love can be. I can never go back to the way I was before.” My voice was thick with emotion. God, I loved her so much. “You’ve challenged me and made me see things about myself I thought were long dead. I was the man without a heart, never wanting to feel anything. I never wanted a relationship, seeing how my parents were while I was growing up smashed that to pieces. You made me want more. Need more. You’re it for me, Kitten. We were made for each other. I want to be yours forever, and for you to be mine.” I dropped to my knee in front of her.
Her lips formed a perfect “o” of surprise as she watched me open the tiny blue box to reveal the ring I had designed for her. A three-carat round solitaire on a narrow band of diamonds. Simple and unfussy, just like Grace.
“I want to love you forever, Kitten. To take care of you, to grow old with you. I want a big house that’s filled with our kids. I want it all, baby. Marry me, Grace. Marry me and make me the happiest man alive.”
Her hand covered her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Logan, I…”
T, this book is for you. I couldn’t have done it without you. The love and support you gave me have meant more than words can say. I love you girlie!
A huge thank you to all my readers, I wouldn't be anywhere without you! And also to my Gibson Girls for just being all around awesome in general. Kristen, thanks for listening to me be crazy while I wrote this!
Dear readers,
This book has been a labor of love for me. When I started writing this series I had no idea that I had been setting it up to tell my story (a fictionalized version of my story). The past couple of years have been a struggle for me and my husband. I hope that reading this story, and seeing what Grace and Logan go through will help even just one person. No matter how dark things get, know that you’re never alone. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can’t see it right now. I hope you enjoy the conclusion of Logan and Grace’s story.
XOXO
Jessica Gibson
“I WANT TO LOVE YOU forever, Kitten, to take care of you and grow old with you. I want a big house that’s filled with our kids. Little girls with your smile and boys with your passion for life. I want it all baby. Marry me, Grace. Marry me and make me the happiest man alive.”
My hand covered my mouth as tears streamed down my cheeks. “Logan, I….” I couldn’t believe he was asking me to marry him. Was I ready for that? For all that being Mrs. McFadden entailed? I had just gotten Grace back; was I ready to trade her in for someone else?
“You’re freaking me out a bit here, Kitten.” He looked up at me expectantly.
“Logan,” I whispered. The look in his eyes erased all of my doubts. “Yes.” God help me, I wanted it all, everything he was saying. I wanted the house and the kids, but most of all, I wanted him. I wanted the world to know that he was mine forever.
“Yes?” He jumped to his feet. “You’re saying yes? You’ll marry me?” His eyes were shining. God, this man had my heart.
“Yes. I’ll marry you,” I screamed. The emotion I had been holding back flooded out of me in a rush. Tears streamed down my cheeks as he slipped the ring on my finger. He was really mine now. All mine. Forever and always.
“You have no idea how happy you’ve just made me.” He swung me around. I clung to him, raining kisses on his cheeks and lips.
Applause filtered into our little world, and we noticed a crowd of people standing off to the side watching us. I should have been embarrassed, but somehow it felt right. Here in this place with all the love around us. The memory of Logan proposing to me would forever be remembered in the lock we had placed here. We could come back and relive it anytime.
“She said yes!” he yelled to them before kissing me.
They all screamed and cheered for us as we walked past, on our way to wherever he was leading me. This day couldn’t get any more perfect. I couldn’t stop smiling, my heart was so full. I looked down at the beautiful ring on my finger and couldn’t believe this was really my life. Six months ago, I was still single and wishing I would meet Mr. Right. Now I had him. He was not at all what I had been looking for, but I found him all the same.
“Are you happy, Kitten?” He pulled me tight against his side as we walked.
“Do you even have to ask?” My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “This feels like a dream, Logan.
I’m afraid I’m going to wake up and it’s not going to be real.”
He stopped and pulled me against a street lamp. His lips were against mine before I could react. I could feel his hunger as keenly as I felt my own. His fingers slipped beneath the hem of my shirt and tickled my skin. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him in closer. When he finally pulled away, I was breathless.
“Still feel like you’re dreaming?” He winked at me.
“If I said yes, would you do that again?” I smiled seductively.
“You better watch it, or I may just forget that we’re in public,” he growled and gave me a rough kiss, nipping at my lip.
“How soon until we can get back to the hotel?” I was totally turned around.
“Soon, but we have plans with Leah in an hour, so we’ll have to wait,” he groaned.
As much as I wanted to meet Logan’s sister, I was dying for some alone time with him. I looked down at my new ring sparkling in the sun. I was going to be a Mrs.!
“Do you think you can wait until tonight?” His lips were close to mine; I could feel his breath on my skin.
“I don’t want to, but I will.” I sighed and leaned my head against his.
He took my hand, and we began walking again.
“Where are we meeting your sister?” I asked.
“At her house. She wanted to show off the nursery.” He grinned. I could feel his excitement for me to meet his family. The same as I felt when I met Shaileen. He was proud to call me his.
Instead of going back to the hotel, Logan decided to take me shopping. Not my favorite thing in the world, but this was Paris. How could I refuse shopping in Paris? He took me to a street that I would never be able to remember or pronounce and whisked me inside Dior.
I felt a little bit giddy. Everything was stark white and pristine. Beautiful clothes hung on racks and hangers. Impeccably dressed women milled around chatting in lilting French. Even for a non-fashionista like myself, this was an incredible moment.
Never Let Me Go: The Complete Set Page 18
