I nod.
“Logan told us your sister had her triplets. How’s everyone doing?” Mom asks Sam.
“Lex is tired, of course. The girls… they’re healthy and beautiful. I have pictures,” she says, taking out her iPhone from her sweater pocket.
“At least a hundred,” I mumble. Everyone ignores me as they baby talk over the pictures.
“You sister is gorgeous,” Steph says. “I can’t believe she just had triplets. It that her husband?” she asks, handing Sam’s iPhone to my mom. “He’s… lickable.”
“Yup, that’s Jax. Mr. Lickable.”
“He’s hot,” my mom adds.
My dad and I roll our eyes.
“So they’re co-CEOs of Grant International?” Mom asks.
Sam raises a brow.
“Sorry, I, well… we,”—she looks between Steph and my dad—“we googled you.”
“Did you find anything… interesting?” Sam asks, raising her brows.
“Did we ever,” Steph says.
Sam giggles.
God, I love her.
“So, you’re an engineer,” Dad says.
Sam nods. “Architectural engineer.”
“Sounds interesting,” he adds.
“I love what I do,” Sam tells him, grinning big. “I have a private design firm in Manhattan and I also work for Grant International.”
“Logan said when you’re not working long hours in your studio, you’re flying all over the world,” Mom adds.
She sighs. “I keep busy, that’s for sure. Logan said that you and Ray plan on visiting us in a couple of months.”
“Yes, we can’t wait. We haven’t been to New York in ages.”
“I hope you plan on staying with us,” Sam tells them.
“We wouldn’t want to put you out,” Mom says.
Sam looks at me.
I nod. “Our loft has three guest suites, Mom. I don’t think anyone’s ever stayed in them.”
Sam nods. “You’re right. No one has. The only time we’ve gone into them is… Well, never mind,” she says, blushing.
Steph smiles.
Yeah, I remember fucking in each of the guest rooms and on just about every surface in the entire loft and studio. Fucking her on her drawing table was especially hot. I put my napkin on my lap; minor adjustment needed.
My dad smirks at me as if he knows what I was thinking and doing.
“Well,” I say, “hate to break up the fun but I’d like to take Sam into town and show her around a bit.”
“Oh… well, that sounds great, dear,” Mom says, clearly disappointed.
“Logan, before we leave could you get the box out of the back of the Rover.”
“What box?”
“Our thank you for having us gift,” she says, wink, wink. “The scotch?”
The scotch?
Steph smirks. “Didn’t get the memo, bro?”
“Case of your favorite, Mossrock.”
“We did! That’s like—”
She raises a brow, telling me “shut your trap.”
My dad stands. “I’ll follow you two out, and I’ll bring the case in.”
Sam and I thank my parents for lunch and my dad walks us out.
Sam gets into the passenger side and I get the box out of the back of the Rover.
“Is this the scotch you were telling me about?” Dad asks.
I nod.
He whistles.
Twelve bottles at four grand a bottle. I’m a little pissed.
My dad takes the box into the house and I get in the Rover. We drive to the heart of town; me lost in my thoughts, Sam texting.
“Turn on Blackcomb,” she tells me.
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
I turn on Blackcomb. “Where to?”
“Couple more blocks,” she says. “Make a left.”
“The Four Seasons?”
She nods. “I just booked us a room. We need to do two things.”
“We do?”
“Yes, Logan, we do. First we need to talk about what’s bugging you, and then we need to fuck.”
Hallelujah!
I sit on a chair in our suite. Sam hands me a flute of champagne and sits on the sofa, tucking her legs underneath her.
She takes a sip of champagne then waves her hand. “The floor is all yours, Romano.”
“The scotch?”
The skin between her brows crinkles. “What?”
“A bit excessive, don’t you think?”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know how much a bottle cost. Four grand.”
She frowns. “You’re being an ass, again. I thought we were past the money thing.”
“I thought so too. Why didn’t you tell me?”
She puts her flute on a side table. “Let me first reiterate what an ass you are. I don’t know how much it cost. We, as in my family, bought the Mossrock distillery a couple of years ago. The distillery had been in the same family since 1850. They were in financial trouble and were going to sell out. Lex found out about it, bought them out, but insisted they remain part owners and retain the name. It’s her favorite scotch, a family favorite. I had them make up a case for your family. Had it labeled Romano Rock.”
“Oh.”
“Even had a case made up for you, Italian Stallion.”
“Oh.”
“I didn’t tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise for you and your family.”
Fuck.
She refills her flute, drinking half of it. “Next time I do something for your family, I’ll ask.”
I down my champagne, get up, and stand next to the fire. “I’m sorry, again.”
She stands. “Can we have fun now?”
I grin. “What kind of fun?”
She puts her flute down on the coffee table and removes her clothes, slowly. Standing before me in all her naked glory, she says, “Unbutton your jeans, and take it out.”
Fucking hell. I love this game. My eyes never leaving hers, I do as she commands.
“Now… hell. I was going to say stroke yourself hard, but you’re already hard.”
“You can tell me to stroke myself harder.”
“Take your clothes off.”
“Or, you could say that.”
I remove my clothes.
“Lie on the bed.”
I lie down in the center of the bed.
She spreads my legs and crawls between them.
“Hands over your head. No touching.”
“No touching, I don’t think… Oh, God… that feels… I love you, angel.”
“Mistress, to you.”
“This lasagna is molto buono!” I say, after my first bite. “Logan made it for me our first dinner.”
“He said you make one killer pie,” Carol says.
“It’s the only dessert I can make from scratch.”
“More than I can do. I’m a terrible cook,” Logan’s sister Regan adds from across the dinner table.
“We both are,” Jade, Regan’s partner, adds.
“That’s why there’s takeout,” I tell them.
Logan’s family has been warm and welcoming, with the exception of his brother Jared and his wife, Sandy. Their hostility toward me confounds me. There’s more going on between her and Logan than he’s told me. Earlier, when I was coming out of the bathroom, I overheard Steph and Carol scolding Logan, upset over something he’s done, but when I entered the room, all went silent. Something is up.
“Speaking of killer, you killed us on the slopes today. I can’t believe you went off that last jump,” Steph says.
“You could have broken your neck,” Logan adds, clearly still mad at me.
I roll my eyes at him.
“Wait. You went skiing?” Jared asks Logan.
Logan nods.
“What about your contract with the Rangers?”
He shrugs it off.
Jared plays right wing for the Canadiens. This news seems to surprise him.
Ste
ph smirks. “After a guy whistled and commented on how nice Sam’s ass looked in ski pants, Logan booted up.”
Regan chuckles. “That was classic.”
“Do you think the Rangers will sign you, extend your contract?” Steph asks Logan.
“I think so, but you never know.”
“It’s not like he needs to worry,” Sandy says, with a sneer. “His girlfriend’s a millionaire.”
Everyone stops talking and looks at her, then me.
“Actually, Sandy, Sam’s a billionaire,” Regan informs her.
“Whatever,” Sandy says.
“If you’re going to spout off your mouth, you should get your facts straight,” Regan says.
“Yeah. There’s a big difference between thirty billion and thirty million,” Jade adds.
“Hoo-ah!” Steph says. “If I’d known, I would have let you pay for my coffee this morning. What’s it like to be a billionaire?”
“It’s a struggle,” I joke, wishing someone would change the subject.
“I’m sorry, Sam,” Regan says. “I read it in Fortune. Being a financial planner and all.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her.
“Have long have you been skiing, Sam?” Logan’s sister Leslie asks me, changing the subject.
I put down my wine glass and give her a nod, conveying a silent thank-you. “I think I was six, my first time. My grandmother took Lex and me to Switzerland.” I grin, thinking about it. “We thought Gram would hire us an instructor but to our surprise she taught us.” I laugh. “She told us if you’re going to learn, you should learn from the best.”
Logan chuckles.
“You met Lizbet Grant?” Regan asks him, clearly in awe.
Logan nods. “She’s quite a character.”
I laugh. “That’s putting it mildly.”
“Again, I’m sorry, Sam,” Regan says. “Jade and I are financial geeks. Your grandmother fascinates us.”
“She’s a financial goddess,” Jade adds, all breathy.
“If you two visit New York, perhaps I could arrange a meet and greet with the goddess. Maybe we could all do lunch.”
Regan and Jade’s mouths gape open, looking as if they just won the lotto and peed their panties.
“That would be awesome,” Regan says.
“A wet dream come true,” Jade adds.
We all laugh—well most of us, anyway.
“TMI,” Steph tells her.
“Speaking of wet dreams,” Joel, Logan’s brother says. “Dad told me about your Stingray.”
Logan nods and smiles at me. “It’s even nicer than the one Uncle Don had. I told Sam how Luke and I lusted over it for years. How we wanted to buy it and fix it up.”
Joel smiles. “I remember. But the Chevelle you two fixed up, that was pretty awesome.”
Logan shrugs and looks down at his half-eaten lasagna.
“Sorry, man,” Joel says. “I wasn’t thinking.”
Wasn’t thinking?
“It’s okay, man.”
Sandy huffs. “You’re all so pathetic; you can’t even talk about it, about him.”
Talk about it? Talk about him?
“Sandy,” Carol warns, shaking her head.
“Oh, come on, Carol. You’re going to sit there and act like the wrong son didn’t die. Welcome his latest bitch into the family.”
“Enough!” Ray says, slamming his hand on the table; our plates vibrate like Jell-O.
“We all know Luke shouldn’t have been driving that day. He had the flu. He was on cold meds. But this selfish bastard,”—she points to Logan—“he couldn’t be bothered. He was too busy fucking in the backseat.”
“You’re right, Sandy,” Logan says. “It was my fault. He shouldn’t have been driving.”
“I wished it was his and not yours.”
Logan stiffens.
“Logan, what’s going on?” I ask.
He shakes his head but remains silent.
“Let it be, Sandy,” Jared warns her.
“No. I won’t let it be. Sam should know what kind of man Logan is.”
“What the hell is she raving about?” Steph asks.
“Nothing,” Logan tells her.
Sandy laughs. “I’ll tell you what I’m raving about. Your precious Logan and I have a kid.”
We all look at Logan. He doesn’t look up from his plate.
He has a kid! What the fuck?
“What’s she talking about, Logan?” Carol asks.
“Tell them, or I will,” Sandy says. “I’m done with the lies, the secrets.”
Logan remains silent.
“Logan?” Ray says.
Logan looks up at me. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.
“I don’t understand,” I whisper back.
“Holy shitballs!” Steph says. “You have a kid.”
Sandy smirks. “Go on, Logan, tell them.”
He sighs. “Sandy told me she was pregnant and I told her to get an abortion. I would take her and pay for it. I begged her not to tell Luke. I knew he’d marry her, ruin his life. But she told him.” He pauses, looking at Sandy; his eyes filled with… hate? Regret? “She told him, and he was furious with me. He was sick that weekend but insisted we go home and work things out with her. But we didn’t make it home, and…”
“I wanted to tell everyone, all of you, that I was pregnant,” Sandy whispers, looking off in the distance. “But Luke was dead and Logan was in the hospital in critical condition.” She pauses, looking at Logan. “I loved you so much. I was pregnant with your child and you refused to see me. I went to the hospital for weeks, but you told the nurses to keep me away. You blamed me for Luke’s death. So I went away, had the baby, and gave her up for adoption.”
“I never meant to hurt you, Sandy,” Logan whispers. “I lost my brother, my best friend, my other half, my everything. I wasn’t thinking straight, but you and I both know the truth. It wasn’t my baby, it was Luke’s.”
“You’re lying,” she shouts.
He shakes his head. “I’m not lying, Sandy.”
“You told Jared Sam was the one, you wanted to marry her. You can’t marry her. I love you, Logan. I’ve always loved you.”
Jared stands, throwing his napkin over his plate. “What the fuck?”
“I never loved you, Jared. I only married you to stay close to Logan.”
Holy shit! Thank God, the kids are downstairs watching a movie. This is crazy.
Jared looks at his wife in disbelief, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. I want to comfort him, tell him I am so sorry. But I remain silent knowing it’s not my place. In fact, I’ve never felt more out of place. I feel as if the man sitting next to me is a complete stranger.
Logan shakes his head. “The baby wasn’t mine, I swear. After I got out of the hospital, Allie and I took Sandy to see a doctor, a shrink. He said she couldn’t accept Luke’s death and she’d turned things around in her head. If you don’t believe me, ask Allie or Matt, or call Janet, she knows what happened. They’ll tell you Luke was the one sleeping with her. The one with her last.”
“You’re lying,” Sandy says. “Why are you lying?”
“Wait a minute,” Carol says, looking at her son. “With her last?”
Logan looks at me, and then his mother. “We… Luke and I shared girls sometimes.”
“What the fuck!” Ray yells.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I know what we did was, is, wrong. But we didn’t see it that way. We were young and stupid.”
Ray closes his eyes briefly, calming himself. He opens them and looks back at Logan. “I don’t even know what to say to you, son.”
“I’m telling you the truth, Dad. We shared Sandy once. Luke continued to…be with her, I never did. I swear it was only that one time.”
Jared kicks his chair and storms out of the room.
“Sandy,” Logan says, softly. “Luke was the one you loved, not me. I am so sorry I didn’t help you more. I should have, for Luke’s sake, for his dau
ghter’s sake. I couldn’t get past it, couldn’t let it go. Every time I looked at you I wanted to…” He shakes his head. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”
“He was mine,” Sandy says, wiping her eyes. “You took him away from me. You should have been driving; he was sick. I hate you, Logan, so fucking much. When you had your heart attack, it was a sign from Luke, a sign from God that you didn’t deserve his heart; you didn’t deserve a second chance. You weren’t worthy of it. I wanted you to die. I still want you to die. You ruined my life,” she yells, as she stands, nearly knocking over her chair. She looks at me. “He’ll ruin your life, like he ruins everyone’s life. He’s a selfish prick,” she yells and runs out of the dining room.
His heart?
“She told me the baby was yours,” Jared says, standing just outside the dining room, as if afraid to come in. “All these years,” he says, shaking his head. “I’ve hated you for not taking responsibility. I’m sorry, Logan.”
“This is so fucked up,” Steph says.
“You can say that again,” Regan adds.
I look at Logan. “What heart attack?”
Carol stands and looks down at her son, tears running down her cheeks. “I told you to tell Sam everything. You don’t keep stuff like this from those who love you, Logan. You don’t keep a grandmother away from her grandchild.”
Logan gets up from the table, tosses his napkin on his chair, and marches out of the room toward the back door. It slams shut, rattling the pictures on the wall.
I remain seated, trying to digest what just happened.
“I’m so sorry, Samantha,” Carol says, sitting down, wiping at her tears.
I nod. “So am I, Carol.”
“Are you going to be okay?” Steph asks me. “You’re shaking.”
“I am?” I look down at my hands. Shit! I’m quaking like a leaf. I stand. “Please excuse me. I think I’m going to be sick.”
After I ralph up all my dinner, I lie down. An hour passes and there’s still no Logan. So I get up and go in search of him.
I find him thirty minutes later in the woods behind his parents’ house, sitting on a log, a bottle of scotch in hand.
I sit next to him and he hands me the bottle.
I hesitate, but take it. I take a healthy swig and pray it stays down.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers.
“I’m sorry too, Logan. I’m sorry about Sandy, and the baby. I’m sorry about Luke. Why didn’t you tell your family?” Why in the hell didn’t you tell me?
Beyond Layers: Layer Series Book Four (Layers Series 4) Page 20
