“Because you would have tried to talk me out of it,” she replied. “I couldn’t let you do that. What I did was right.”
“What you did was career suicide,” he yelled. “Not to mention what you’ve done to us.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” She stood and leveled her watery gaze directly on him. “Nothing matters more than your future. You said yourself that this is all you ever wanted to do.”
“My future?” He angled a thumb against his chest. “My future? What about your future? What about our future, Lexi?” He stormed across the room until he stood directly in front of her. “Did you even consider that I might have a right to not only know about this ahead of time, but to have a say in this decision?”
“I couldn’t tell you,” she replied as tears streamed down her face. “I couldn’t risk having a moment of weakness. I know you’re mad at me, and you have every right to be, but I did this for you. I did this because I love you. Hopefully, at some point you’ll understand and find it in your heart to forgive me.” She turned away from him, walked around the bed to her bag, tossed his shirt inside, and zipped it up. “For now I have to go. I don’t belong here anymore.”
She slid her bag over her shoulder and grabbed the other one in her opposite hand. Then she crossed back around the bed, walked up to him, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you.”
Slowly she pulled back, turned, and walked through the bedroom door. Logan remained in place until the sound of the outside room door closing reached his ears, signaling the finality of the situation. He dropped onto the bed and lowered his face into his hands. This had to be some sort of horrible dream.
“Logan?” Jason asked from the doorway. “What happened?”
“Yeah.” Cole angled a thumb toward the door. “Where was Lexi going with her bags?”
Logan lifted his face from his hands and stared at his friends for a moment before he replied. “It’s over. She’s going home.”
Chapter Nineteen
With purpose in every step, Logan stormed the interior hall of the arena looking for the one person who could fix this situation. He yanked open the door to catering and, flanked by Cole and Jason, walked inside. Immediately, the room went silent as the megastars and midcarders alike stopped to look at them.
It didn’t matter what they all thought. Nothing mattered except fixing this situation and getting Lexi back. It took only a moment of scanning the room before he found his intended target.
Mark watched him approach and stood as Logan neared. “I know what you’re going to say.”
“Do you?” Logan struggled to maintain control of his anger. Putting his hands on the wrestling legend wouldn’t accomplish anything.
“I know you’re upset, but Lexi made her decision,” Mark replied. “If there is anyone who you should be mad at in this situation, it’s her.”
“Why is that?” Jason asked. “Why should he be mad at Lexi for doing the right thing?”
“Yeah,” Cole added. “Why be mad at her when you forced her to make that decision?”
“Do you think I like this outcome?” Mark snapped. “Lexi is my friend, and I love her dearly.”
“Well, I love her too,” Logan shouted. “She sacrificed not only her career but our relationship because management gave her no other choice.”
“It wasn’t me,” Mark argued. “It was Gene.” He glanced around the room, then lowered his voice. “Why don’t we go talk somewhere a little more private?”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Logan folded his arms across his chest. Jason and Cole followed his actions.
“You’re not helping your case, Logan,” Mark warned. “If you cross Gene, he’ll fire you too. Do you really want to give up your entire future for some fleeting relationship with a girl you managed to sweet-talk into bed?”
A sheet of red filled Logan’s vision, and in the blink of an eye, he had Mark pinned against the wall. The sound of chairs scraping across the floor told him stars were preparing for battle, but he didn’t care as he stared Mark in the face. “Don’t you dare disrespect her like that.”
“It wasn’t meant as disrespect,” Mark replied but made no move to fight back. “I was simply trying to make you see the bigger picture. Relationships come and go, but your career is forever. You have a bright future with this company. “
Logan curled his fingers into Mark’s shirt. “My future means nothing without her in it. She is everything to me. Don’t you understand that?”
For a moment Mark remained silent; then he nodded. “Yeah, actually I do understand what she means to you, but just because she’s gone doesn’t mean you two can’t still have a relationship.”
“Easy for you to say,” Kyle said from a few feet away. Logan glanced over his shoulder at Kyle and noted the look of understanding on his face. “Mark, your situation is a bit different. You married one of the owners’ daughters. You can see her whenever you feel like it. That’s not such an easy task for the rest of us.”
“Kyle is right,” Garrett agreed. “Most of us have to make the choice, the company or our relationships. It’s damn near impossible to balance both and succeed.”
“Besides,” Derek Cruise added, “Lexi lives in another country. What is he supposed to do, pick up and move across the border?”
“Canada isn’t that far away,” Mark replied.
“It’s not the same as you moving to Texas to be closer to Nicole,” Kyle countered.
For several moments, no one said a word; then Mark finally spoke. “Okay, I see your point, but what do you want me to do?”
“Fix this,” Logan replied.
“I can’t. Gene can be very vindictive when he wants to be.”
“So can I,” Kyle said. “Tell Gene if he doesn’t fix this situation, then I’m walking too.”
Shock rippled through Logan as Kyle’s words took root. After the hell Kyle, Garrett, and the others put him through, he hadn’t expected to find an ally in his bid to get Lexi back. He couldn’t believe the same man who’d tried to kick his ass now had his back. Logan turned his attention from Mark to Kyle. “You do know what you’re saying is aligning yourself with the same person you attacked not too long ago, right? Remember, I’m the bad guy. So why would you want to support me?”
Kyle closed his eyes and sighed. “I know how this must look, but she’s my best friend.” He opened his eyes and looked at Logan, sincerity in his gaze. “She’s always been there for me, and I’d do anything for her.”
“That makes two of us,” Garrett said as he stepped next to Kyle.
“Make that three,” Derek added.
Within minutes nearly half the roster, many of them megastars, stood behind Logan. He let go of Mark and stepped back. “Well, it looks like you have a bigger problem. So what are you going to do about it?”
Mark scrubbed a hand over his face and nodded. “Okay. Okay. You guys win. I’ll try to talk to Gene about this situation with Lexi, but”—he held up a hand—“we need to have a plausible storyline ready to present.”
Logan nodded. “Her biggest argument had to do with the others on the roster not knowing the truth. Now that they do, I think you could probably do whatever you wanted in front of the camera, and she’d go for it.”
Twenty minutes later they sat around a large table, stars looking over their shoulders as Mark mapped out their idea. “Okay.” He leaned back in the chair, looked at Logan, and grinned. “This might just work.”
“So exactly what’s the plan here?” Kyle asked.
“Lexi’s been maintaining that The Tribunal didn’t kidnap her, but nobody believes her. So she’s going to turn heel and join The Tribunal in a fight against what she now sees as the corruption in the company. She’s experienced that corruption firsthand, so she now believes in The Tribunal’s cause.”
“That gets her wrestling again,” Logan added. “Which is what she really wants anyway.”
Kyle grinned. “And it puts her back in your arms.”
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Logan smiled up at his new friend. “That too.”
“Now,” Mark said. “I’ll present this to Gene and see if I can get him to go for it. If he does, it’s going to be your job, Logan, to bring her back to us.”
“No problem.” He looked from Mark to Kyle and then on to others in the group and smiled. “I’ll kidnap her if I have to.”
Chapter Twenty
Lexi stared out her bedroom window at the snowcapped mountains in the distance. She grew up staring at those same mountains, dreaming of the day she’d live life beyond what she could see from her window.
Now, she found herself right back right where she started, wondering what she was going to do with the rest of her life. Gene owned damn near everything that pertained to wrestling, so going to another company wasn’t possible. Short of signing on with the competition, her career as a wrestler was pretty much over.
Maybe she could go back and finish her degree in communications, or maybe she could become a personal trainer. She’d almost forgotten to call her trainer and inform him of what was going on. He’d been disappointed but understood. She wasn’t his only wrestler, and she doubted she’d be missed even though she already missed her life inside the ring, her friends, and Logan. Almost immediately, her eyes stung as tears threatened to fall yet again. She’d only been gone a few days, but she missed him so much she physically hurt.
“Sweetie.”
She turned to find her father standing in the doorway and quickly wiped her eyes. “Yeah?”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go with me?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“We’d only be gone a few days, and it would do you good.”
“I would really just rather stay here.”
His mouth turned down into a frown. “Sulking isn’t going to fix this, Alexandra.”
“Maybe not, but I think I have a right to wallow in self-pity for a few days.”
He let out a long sigh and crossed to where she sat, then crouched in front of her. “It’s only been a few days since you left. You have to give this time to work.”
“What if it doesn’t, Dad?” This time she didn’t bother hiding her tears. “What if I did all of this for nothing? Then I’ve given up my career and lost the love of my life.”
Nick took her hands in his. “I know it’s hard for you to see past the pain right now, but you have to trust me when I tell you that sometimes there are situations in life where you have to take a leap of faith.”
She swallowed hard and nodded. “I understand, but the not knowing is just so hard.”
“I know, baby.” He tugged her into his arms. “I worked that roster a lot of years, and I know Gene pretty well. I firmly believe you’ll be getting a phone call soon. I know it’s hard, but be patient.” He pulled back and smiled at her. “Regardless of what happens, I want you to know that I’m proud of you for standing on your principles, sweetie.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“You sure you don’t want to go with me?”
She shook her head. “I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine here by myself for a few days.”
“I know you will.” He glanced at his watch. “I gotta run, or I’m gonna miss my flight. If you need me, call my cell.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said again. “Have fun doing your book signings.”
“I will, and remember, Alexandra, keep the faith.”
From her window she watched her father drive away, then crawled onto her bed and curled into a ball. Physically and emotionally exhausted, all she wanted to do was take a nap and try to forget.
* * * *
Startled, Lexi sat up with a jerk and glanced around the room. What woke her, and how long had she been asleep? She glanced at the clock, shocked to find four hours gone. Guess I was more tired than I thought! She barely finished that thought when the distinctive knocking on the front door caught her ear.
She pushed off the bed and hurried downstairs. Dad probably had Mrs. Reynolds from across the street look in on her. Sometimes he could be such a worrywart. The knocking continued as she crossed the living room to the front door. She reached for the door, then thought twice, deciding to peer out the window first. What if someone saw her dad leave and was checking to make sure the house was empty before robbing it? Better safe than sorry.
She sidled up to the accent window that surrounded the front door and peered through the frosted panes. Shock, then disbelief ricocheted through her system as her brain struggled to process what her eyes saw.
With a shaky hand, she flipped the lock, turned the handle, and came face-to-face with the love of her life. God, he looked amazing standing on her front porch, dressed in tight black jeans and an even tighter black T-shirt. For a moment she wondered if she was still sleeping and this was nothing more than some elaborate dream.
“Logan? What are you doing here?”
“I came here for you, baby. Are you going to invite me in, or do I have to stand on your front porch until the neighbors call the cops?”
“Oh God, I’m sorry.” She moved out of the way, allowing him to enter. He stepped into the room and immediately turned to her. His big hand landed on the door above her head, and he gave it a forceful shove. It slammed closed behind her a moment before she found her back pressed against the wood.
Logan’s hands seemed to be everywhere, his mouth taking hers in a kiss so consuming she swore it melted her very soul. Desperate to feel his love, to feel his touch, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He picked her up, and she hooked her legs around his back.
“You’re mine, Lexi,” Logan stated between kisses. “You belong to me.”
“I’m yours,” she echoed as she struggled to get closer to him. “I belong to you.”
“Where’s your bedroom?”
“Upstairs. The first door on the right.”
Still holding her against him, he crossed the room, climbed the steps, and walked into the bedroom. He eased her down onto the mattress, then hovered over her, his gaze boring into her. “You’re such a part of me, sweetheart. I’ve been lost these past few days without you.”
“I’ve missed you so much,” she confessed. “Please, Logan. Make love to me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
For the first time in days, her body felt alive again as passion flowed freely through her, infusing her cells one by one with desire. Lexi looked up at him as her brain tried to process the moment.
“I missed you so much, baby. The bed felt cold and empty without you.” His expression of love touched her heart.
She reached up to cradle his face in her palms. “I’ve dreamed about you and wished you were here with me.”
He grinned. “Well, I’m here now, and I plan to make all those dreams come true.” He pushed up to his knees, stripped out of his T-shirt, and unceremoniously dropped it on the floor. Then he gathered the hem of her blouse and pulled it up and over her head. He paused, his gaze raking over her. “Every damn time I see you, I lose the power to think. You’re just so freaking beautiful.”
His words sent joy and warmth spreading through her, replacing the cold emptiness she’d carried in her heart since she left. He reached down and with practiced experience unhooked her bra, freeing her breasts to him. A sound of male satisfaction tumbled from him; then he lowered his head to kiss her belly. His lips lingered against her skin, evoking chills as he worked his way up her body, mouthing soft kisses as he went. A shiver rippled up her spine as his tongue swiped along the under swell of her breast. Anticipation bloomed deep within, and she squeaked with pleasure as he moved to suck on her nipple. Her hands flew to his head, tangling in his long, dark hair as he raked his teeth across her sensitive bud.
More! She wanted—no, she needed—more. “Logan!” Her body tightened as warm, wet need pooled between her legs. She arched into him, hoping he’d take the hint. Even as he continued to give her breasts attention, his hands slid down her waist, his fingers hooked into her shorts, and he tugged. In an e
ffort to expedite the process, she elevated her hips. He released her nipple with a wet pop, then inched away from her, taking her sweats and underwear with him.
She didn’t even realize she’d made a sound until his eyes gleamed with amusement, and he chuckled. “Impatient little nymph. Don’t worry your pretty little head,” he said as he worked his jeans free, divesting himself of his remaining clothing. “I plan to give you everything you need.” His words conjured all sorts of naughty images in her mind and sent lust blazing through her.
Never in all her life had she ever wanted anyone with as much fervor as she did Logan. Somehow, without her knowing it, he’d broken down her defenses, healed her heart, and filled in the missing piece to her soul that Aaron stole so many years ago.
Their gazes met. She saw the promise and the love in his eyes and knew she’d made the right decision in quitting. Her love for him ran deeper than she ever thought possible. It was all encompassing and unconditional.
She reached for him, wanting him, all of him. He lowered his big body over her, then settled his hips between her thighs. She held him close, enjoying the feel of his skin against hers. The warmth of his skin seeped through every pore as he brushed soft kisses along her neck and along her jaw. His hardness pressed against her mound, and a sudden desperate need to feel him inside her overwhelmed her. She widened her legs, then curled them around his body, hoping he’d understand.
His soft chuckle resonated against her ear. “Oh no, sweetheart. Not yet.”
She groaned in frustration. “Please, Logan.”
He pulled back and leveraged himself on his elbows to look down at her. “Whose body is this right now?”
“Yours,” she responded without thought and was rewarded with a smile.
“Do you trust me to know what you need?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” Then he began a slow slide down her body, peppering kisses across her already sensitive skin along the way. He stopped at her breasts and gave each equal attention. He lapped at the buds and sucked them until she swore she just might go insane. He moved down to her belly, then lower, where he pressed kisses down to her pelvis.
On the Ropes 1: Leap of Faith Page 11
