by J. L. Perry
After we got back to the cabin, we shared a bottle of wine. We were snuggled up on the lounge on the veranda. As I looked out over the lake, the moon was shining on the water, making it look silver. It was beautiful. It was so peaceful here, nothing like living in the noisy city.
I slept well that night and woke feeling refreshed. Logan was still asleep so I quietly slipped out of bed and went to the kitchen to make him some breakfast.
Logan
Being here with Brooke was just what we both needed. I hadn’t been up here for years and hadn’t realised how much I missed this place. When I woke, I was surprised to see Brooke was already up. I could smell bacon so I knew she must be in the kitchen. I got out of bed and put on some pants, then went to find her.
She was placing the plates down on the table when I walked in, and was wearing an apron that covered most of her body. The way she looked made me smile. “Good morning. I was just getting ready to come wake you. Sit down and eat before it gets cold. I will make you some coffee.”
Breakfast looked delicious. She made crispy bacon, just the way I liked it, a fluffy Spanish omelette, and fried tomatoes. I picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite. As I glanced over at Brooke, I nearly choked when I saw her naked little arse walking back into the kitchen. I couldn’t tell from the front when I looked at her, but she was naked under the apron!
Fuck me!
I got up from the table so quick that the chair fell over with a thud. Before Brooke had a chance to turn around to see where the noise had come from, I was behind her and pulling her into my arms.
I turned her around and put both my hands on her hot little arse. “You are so fucking sexy, baby,” I breathed. “I can’t believe you are not wearing anything under that apron.”
She looked up at me and smiled. “I thought you could have me for dessert,” she said in a sweet, innocent voice.
I put my mouth down on hers and started to devour her. She drove me fucking wild. Brooke pulled out of our kiss. “We should eat before it gets cold.”
“Fuck breakfast,” I growled. “How can I eat knowing you are not wearing anything under that apron?”
“I will go and put some clothes on then,” she replied as she went to walk towards the bedroom.
“The fuck you will,” I snapped, pulling her back to me. “Stay just the way you are, baby. You…kiss…are…kiss…perfect…kiss.”
We sat back down to eat and I pulled her onto my lap. I wanted to feed her, as well as myself, but I also wanted her hot little arse on my lap. As soon as we had eaten, I picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom and we spent the rest of the morning in bed.
Around lunch time, we got up and took a bath together. I loved spending so much time with her, and wished we could stay here longer than a few days.
“Remember,” Brooke said when we got out of the bath, “I need to be back in Sydney by Saturday morning because I have those extra dance rehearsals that I can’t miss.” In a way, I was glad because I really needed to speak with Ellen. I needed her advice on a few things for Brooke’s birthday present.
Brooke
The past few days with Logan have been wonderful, and I think we both were feeling better because of it. I could already feel my mind slowly recovering, and I was starting to feel some peace in my heart again.
Honestly, though, I wasn’t really looking forward to going back to Sydney. Two days was not enough, and I hoped we could come back here again one day.
We were going to leave Friday night, but decided to stay one more night and leave first thing Saturday morning. I didn’t have to be at the studio until 1:00 p.m., and it was only a two hour drive back to Sydney.
After I had cooked dinner late Friday afternoon, we sat on a blanket next to the lake to watch the sunset. It was so beautiful. After that, we laid down in each other’s arms, then made love under the stars.
Logan was so gentle with me that night. Life with him just got better with each passing day, and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world because I was loved by this man.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Logan
When we arrived back at the penthouse, there was some mail sitting on my desk. I noticed one was addressed to Brooke so I called her into my office and handed it to her. She sat down in my chair and opened the envelope.
As she unfolded it, she looked up at me and nervously said, “It’s a letter from Jake’s parents.” Her hands were shaking as she read the letter in silence. As I watched her reading, I noticed a tear fall down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. When she had finished reading it, she passed it to me.
Dear Brooke,
My husband and I were deeply touched by your letter. Please don’t ever think that we hold any blame towards you for what happened to Jake. The police informed us of all the horrible things he did to you and, as his parents, we are deeply sorry for that. You are a beautiful person, Brooke, and we know you didn’t deserve any of this.
Jake was our son and we will always love him, but that doesn’t mean we condone any of the things he did. I hope you can find it in your heart to realise that none of this was your fault. Jake made the decision to take drugs that, unfortunately, led him to do things that were not genuinely part of his nature. He was also the one who chose to take that direction with his life, and he alone is totally responsible for his actions. As we see it, Brooke, you were just the poor innocent victim in all of this.
Nobody but Jake can be blamed for the decisions he made. He was an intelligent man who knew the difference between wrong and right, so he should have known better. I know you were a good wife to Jake so you have nothing to be sorry for. We both love you and will miss you, too. You will always be welcome in our home, Brooke. If you are ever in the area, we would love to see you again.
We will always love Jake because he was our only son. We miss him deeply, but we also feel that he is at peace now.
Love,
Pam and Greg Johnston. xxx
P.S. Amanda sends all her love to you, as well.
I was so glad that she had received a letter back from them, and I hoped that what they had said to her helped take away any guilt she may still be carrying.
After Jill made us lunch, Brooke went upstairs to get changed into her dancing gear, while I called my mum to see how my uncle was doing. I was happy to hear he was doing a lot better, and that he had been moved out of Intensive Care. My mum told me he was improving with every passing day.
Hopefully when Brooke and I go to the hospital tomorrow to have her stitches removed, she will come and visit him with me. I have no intention of pushing her, though. She was still struggling to forgive him for what he did to her mother all those years ago, but I also know that he was a good man. He would be a great father to her if she gave him a chance. In time, I hope she sees that.
When we arrived at the dance studio, Ellen was shocked to see Brooke all battered and bruised. “Brooke, what happened?”
“Let’s just say that I probably needed all those security guards I showed up with the other day,” she said with a nervous laugh.
Ellen grabbed Brooke and hugged her. “I’m so sorry. We can cancel the rehearsals today if you’re not feeling up to it,” she added, but Brooke told her she was feeling fine.
As we watched her dance, Ellen and I talked about my surprise for Brooke. I explained what my plans were, and Ellen sounded excited. She offered to help me with anything I needed, and I told her how grateful I was. If I was going to pull this off, I would need all the help I could get.
Brooke
It really felt good to be back at the studio. Dancing always helped to uplift my spirits when I was feeling down. What they say must be true because, for me, music really does soothe the soul.
When we arrived back home later that afternoon, I thanked Logan for coming with me, and headed upstairs to take a shower. My eyes were closed as I enjoyed the warm water washing over my body, and I didn’t even notice that Logan had come into the bathroom.
“Do you need my help to wash your hair, baby?” he asked. I had forgotten about my stitches. Thank god they were coming out tomorrow. Before I had a chance to answer him, he was stepping in behind me. That made me smile.
He picked up the hose that was hanging on the wall and asked me to put my head back. He was so thoughtful and was always caring for me. I knew I couldn’t love this man any more if I tried.
“You’re so good to me, hot stuff,” I said.
“You are mine now, Brooke. I always look after what’s mine,” he replied.
I reached my arms around behind me, and put my hands on his firm arse. “I love your arse,” I said as I gave it a little squeeze.
“Is that so?” he replied. “Are you telling me that you are only with me because I have a nice arse?”
I turned around to look at him. He was smiling. I replied with a serious face. “Of course!”
He hung the hose back up on the wall and grabbed my wrists, raising my arms above my head. He gently pushed me backwards with his body so my back was touching the tiles. My arms were still pinned above me as he leaned against me and pushed his erection into my stomach.
“So you don’t love that?” he asked, raising one of his eyebrows.
“Well, actually,” I said, trying hard not to smile, “I am quite fond of that part of you, too.” The shocked look on his face made me laugh.
“So you are only using me for my body then?” he asked as he let go of my hands, but he was smiling again.
I put my hands on either side of his face as I brushed my lips against his. “I love every part of you, Mr. Cavanagh,” I whispered. “You are perfect!”
He leaned down and kissed me softly. “I love every part of you, too.”
His hands slid down my body and cupped my arse, lifting me off the shower floor. I wrapped my legs around him as he crashed his lips into mine. We ended up making love in the shower.
****
As I was drying my hair, I watched Logan shaving in the mirror. He was so gorgeous and I found it hard to take my eyes off him. I think I could stare at him all day. When he noticed me watching him, he turned to face me. He wiped a bit of shaving cream on my nose.
“See something you like, Miss Ryan?” he asked with a smile. It made me giggle.
Once we were dressed, Logan asked, “So, what do you want to do today?”
“Can we go for a walk around the Botanical Gardens? I love it there, and after being stuck inside for so long, I am itching to get out.” It’s where I run most mornings, and it was nice to know that I could walk around outside again and not have to worry about my safety.
After walking around the park for a few hours, we headed back home for dinner. After we ate, I sat at the piano and played for a while. Logan sat next to me and watched. I tried to teach him how to play Chopsticks, but he was hopeless. I couldn’t help but laugh when I noticed now frustrated he was getting.
“You make it look so easy,” he said. I explained to him that it has taken years of practice to get to where I am.
As I started to play a new tune, I asked Logan if he could guess what it was. I played Can’t Help Falling In Love because it was my mum’s favourite song. I think she had a thing for Elvis Presley. This was one of the first songs Ms. Jones taught me to play. I remember telling her I wanted to learn it so I could surprise my mum.
Logan picked the song straight away. “I couldn’t help falling in love with you, either, baby,” was all he said as he kissed the top of my head.
When we were lying in bed later that night, Logan asked me if I was feeling up to visiting my dad tomorrow. I didn’t say anything at first because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to.
“If you’re not ready, that’s fine, baby,” he added. “I don’t want to pressure you. I just thought I would ask since we are going to be at the hospital anyway.”
I took a deep breath. “I know your uncle is a good man, but I have twenty-five years of anger inside me and I just need some time to work through it. If I forgive him, that kind of makes me feel like I’m betraying my mum. I’ll see how I’m feeling in the morning, but I definitely won’t stop you from visiting him. If I decide that I’m not ready to see him again, I’ll just wait outside for you.”
I woke early Sunday morning while Logan was still asleep. All I could think about was going for a run. It had been weeks so I was dying to get out there again. I walked into the bathroom and dressed in my running gear, brushed my teeth, and put my hair up in a ponytail. I quietly made my way back into the bedroom to get my iPod tiptoeing around so as not to wake Logan.
As I opened the bedroom door to leave, Logan woke up. Rubbing his eyes, he said, “Where are you going?”
“I am just going for a quick run before breakfast,” I said. “I was planning on being back before you got up.”
“Wait for me. I’ll come with you,” he replied in his sexy, just woke up voice.
“I didn’t think you liked running,” I said, surprised.
“Well, I’ve never really given it a go, but I’m willing to try it out.”
I waited for him to get changed. He looked so hot in his sexy little shorts and tight singlet. When he came out of the bathroom, I pulled him in for a kiss. “You look sexy in those tiny shorts,” I whispered into his mouth, grabbing his arse in my hands.
He groaned. “Maybe we can stay home and workout in bed instead.” I slapped his arse before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the door. He threaded his fingers through mine as we walked downstairs and towards the elevator.
We had only run about one kilometre when I first noticed Logan struggling to keep up. I turned around and, with a smile on my face, started running backwards. “Having trouble keeping up, hot stuff?” I asked before turning back around. I kept running as he caught up to me. The poor thing was breathing heavily and his face was all red. Even though I felt for him, it made me laugh.
I’ll admit that if you are not used to running long distances, it’s hard. It took a long time for me to work up the stamina to do it. I’d been running for years so my body was used to it. Logan was strong and fit, and fantastic on the weights. I had even seen him do over a hundred push-ups and sit-ups without a struggle, but he had never been for a long run before.
Logan was also stubborn, and I knew he wouldn’t admit he was struggling so I decided to have some fun with him.
As I started to pick up the pace, I heard him say, “Oh, fuck!” under his breath. It made me smile. He caught up to me again, but I could tell he was hurting. The look on his face was a dead giveaway. He looked over at me and he saw the smile on my face.
“You are enjoying this, aren’t you?” he panted. I couldn’t help but laugh. I kept running and didn’t say a word. He was still being stubborn, and I knew there was no way he was going to give up. We ran for another twenty minutes before I started to feel sorry for him.
“How about we head back?” I asked. He just looked at me, relief written all over his face, and nodded.
Once we were back into the elevator, he put his hands on his knees and leaned over, trying to catch his breath.
I put my hands on his shoulders. “Are you alright, hot stuff?” I was still smiling.
He looked up at me and forced a smile. “Honestly, babe,” he puffed, still trying to catch his breath. “You nearly…fucking…killed me.” I burst out laughing.
We went straight upstairs and got into the shower. I picked up the body wash and started to wash him because I knew he would be hurting. First, I washed his strong, muscled arms, then his chest. As I moved down his abs, I smiled at him. He grabbed my hands and pulled them away.
“No fucking way, Brooke,” he grumbled. “I don’t have the energy.”
I burst out laughing again. “Poor baby,” I said with a smile. “Have I worn you out?” He just gave me a weak smile so I wrapped my arms around his waist.
When it was his turn to wash me, he said, “I can’t believe how fit you are.”
“When
I first started running, I was just like you. I have been doing this for years. Being a dancer helps, too. You’ll get there.”
“No fucking way. I’m never doing that again,” he said with such conviction that I burst out laughing.
Once we were dressed, we headed down for breakfast, then went to the hospital to get my stitches removed. I was still unsure if I wanted to see my father, but I would decide that when we got there.
Logan
After our shower, my legs still felt like jelly. That was the first and fucking last time I will ever do that again. There were so many times during our run that I just wanted to give up. I think she knew that, too, but there was no way I going to give her the satisfaction.
On the way to the hospital, I asked Brooke if she had decided whether she wanted to visit her father. She just shrugged. I reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. I wasn’t going to push it. We would just get her stitches out and take it from there.
“Whatever you decide, baby, I will support you.”
Once we arrived at the hospital, Brooke told me that she would be fine to get her stitches out on her own. “If you want to go see your uncle now,” she said, “go. I will come up when I am done.”
“I am coming with you, whether you like it or not. My uncle can wait,” I replied sternly.
We didn’t have to wait long. When her stitches were removed, the doctor gave her a quick check before we left. Her bruises had faded so much that you could barely see them. She was looking like her old self again, which made me happy.
Once we walked out of the doctor’s office, I pulled her in for hug. I gently kissed the side of her head where her stitches had been. “How are you feeling, baby?” I asked.
“All good,” she replied with a smile.
As we walked towards the ward that my uncle was in, I noticed she started to tense up. “Brooke, you don’t have to do this if you’re not ready,” I assured her. “Go sit in the café and have a coffee. I will come get you when I’m done.”
