Unbound Trilogy Boxset

by Coopmans, Kathy

  If only what I’m saying was the truth.

  “Tell them to come at me. Killing someone else before I kill you, motherfucker, only makes me crave more. I will ruin Ellie more than I have, Logan. She was mine. I don’t take kindly to betrayal.”

  “No, you might believe in your twisted up mind she’s yours, Shadow. Awful hard to betray someone when they were never yours, and that’s one reason that pulled you toward her. That’s what made you follow her around. Ellie wanted nothing to do with you, and you hated that. She was sweet when you were raised by bitter. That’s one of the things about her, she lures you in without even trying, and once you have a taste of her sweet, that’s the craving you can’t live without. So you keep on dreaming while you’re in here, because my reality, my fantasy, my woman is out there waiting for me. I’ll see you in four and a half months, brother. If you see your sister, tell her I said good fucking riddance.”

  He’ll see her alright when he takes the red-hot train to Hell.

  “Shut your fucking mouth and don’t play games with me. If my sister doesn’t visit when she said she would, I’ll know you did something to her.”

  I shrug. Shove my chair out and stand. My work is done here. He’ll be stewing in his piss with wonder while it eats him from the inside out.

  “You know, I think we can agree on how much of a worthless cunt my mother was. The only thing she did right was gave me a name that fits. A shadow always follows. It doesn’t ever go away. I’m Ellie’s worst fear, Logan. I’m her worst goddamn nightmare, and I’m about to make them become a reality.”

  I place my hands in the middle of the table, lean forward and stare him dead in the eye.

  “You forget, a shadow is a mere image. It isn’t real. To get rid of them, all you have to do is kill the light.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ellie

  The door swings open as my feet hit the bottom of the stairs.

  Logan’s chest heaves, his eyes wild as they move up my bare legs, pausing briefly at the hem of my sleep shirt before they take hold of mine in a fiery blaze.

  He angles his head, the man guarded like a warrior chock full of mixed emotions. They bleed off of him in rip-roaring waves.

  My protector. My future. My dark, dark prince.

  “At some point over the past few weeks, I came to realize, often at times, that love and life come with pain, but to give up on believing that love isn’t worth it, to walk away from what your heart tells you is right would cause an unbearable amount. I can’t do that to us, Logan, because the truth is, I’d be breaking my heart if I did. I’d be causing myself pain, and I’ve had enough, and honestly, so have you. We’re going to come across things that will hurt us. It’s unavoidable. I don’t want to hurt alone any more than I want you to. On the greatest of days, one like today, there is no pain, no hurt at all when you realize your future is gazing back at you.”

  Logan and I will always have an obstacle that will cause us pain. That’s part of being in love, part of life. The good that will come will outweigh the bad, and with that will be the best of days. This newfound beginning has many mountains yet to climb. Shadow being the biggest, and I’ve no doubt some women are going to come at me at some point with all they’ve got. It’s what awaits on the other side of those two bumps in the road that will make the ride worth it.

  I grip the wooden handrail to steady me from the overwhelming emotions that spin in the depths of those wild green forest eyes that bounce back and forth between my determined blues.

  Admiration and love and promises. They sweep me off my feet.

  A tremble moves through every inch of my body, and I gulp around the shuddering breath that leaves my mouth as he shuts the door and takes slow steps toward me.

  Desire.

  It hits between my legs. Nerves intensify the sensation and a strong want and need as I’ve never experienced with this man before settles deep in my chest.

  “Ellie.”

  My name. It slides off his tongue as if the man is dreaming, and woke up in shock. As if he can’t believe I’m standing in his house in the middle of the night waiting when his security must have told him I was here. It doesn’t matter because the look he’s giving me is one I’ll never forget.

  Love and hope.

  There’s so much of it that my knees buckle and an unsteady gush of air escapes my lungs.

  A prickle of comfort flashes up the nape of my neck the closer he gets. Hope is starting to make herself comfortable in spite of the fear of what’s to come resting on my spine.

  “Lane gave me a key. He said you had to go out of town for the day. I fell asleep waiting. I woke and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I came down to get something to drink.”

  Tequila was what I had in mind — anything to calm my nerves.

  “I never meant to hurt you, Ellie. Keep the key.”

  I was planning on it. I even told Lane as much when he turned playful and teasing when I asked him if he had one. He went on and on about how miserable Logan has been. How he’s done nothing but work and spend time with him, Lexi, and Gabe.

  “I know that, Logan. I can’t be with you if you lie to me again. Keeping things to protect me, to not have me worry is one thing; keeping something that will destroy me is another. Don’t do it again or no matter how much I love you, how much my heart breaks, I won’t give you another chance. Even though we have a lot to learn about one another, standing by your side is where I’m meant to be.” I’m not going to ask if he’s hiding something from me. I’m going to trust him that he’ll tell me if it’s something I need to know.

  “I can’t walk away from you, Logan. I don’t want to.” That cord that’s drawn me in every time we’re around one another frayed and gave way. I need Logan. I will follow him anywhere, and I will stand by his side through the rest of this.

  Time. We have several months of it, and we’ll talk about Shadow, we just won’t be doing it today.

  Relief strikes across his face.

  “Christ, if I had known you were here earlier, I would have come straight home instead of checking on the club — no more lies, baby. Not letting you go again. You hear me?”

  “It’s your job, Logan. Go to work. Don’t go; I don’t care. You don’t owe me anything but giving me all of you. That’s all I want. You are all I want. Nothing is more important to me than you.”

  I become lost in his eyes, so much so that I don’t notice he’s observing me with amazement and something else I can’t grasp. Whatever it is, I could get drunk on it, and not care if I woke hungover.

  “I heard everything you said; there were three words I want to hear again.” Logan smiles. It’s free of worry in that moment than I’d ever seen before.

  My heart opens wide.

  Filling and filling.

  I want to hear those words from him too.

  Peace and comfort. I see them making an appearance. They make him more striking than the night we met. A smiling Logan is damn sexy.

  “I love you so much that no amount of time will take it away. If anything, being away from you made it stronger. It made it crystal clear that I belong to you. It made me realize that I never needed a white knight to come in and save me. I needed a dark knight — the mysterious, protective, tender, sweet, and somewhat controlling Logan Mitchell. I fell for you, Logan; it wasn’t graceful, it wasn’t traditional. I fell, and I need you to pick me back up and steady me. I can’t get through whatever lies ahead without you. And after, I want us to let life take us wherever we want to go. You have all of me, say I have all of you too.”

  Saying that doesn’t mean worry isn’t still flickering around in my brain, sending me a warning that I have no idea what’s in store when Shadow gets out. And that ever-present dread that someone could get hurt, or worse.

  That I’ll always harbor so much pain, and if I catch a glimpse of Shadow that it will burst out of me and send me spiraling.

  “I’ll be your dark knight, be anything you want me to be. I lov
e you. Don’t let go of me, Ellie.”

  A cry leaves my lips; tears fall as quickly as his words settle in the middle of my heart. My lips quiver, and I cry. “I won’t. Just be the man who made me fall in love with him in the first place. I missed you, Logan.”

  It’s funny how you don’t miss what you never had until you do and it’s suddenly yanked away. It’s a constant tug at the chest, and it hurts more than anything.

  “I’m so sorry, don’t cry. I don’t want to see you hurting.”

  “I’m not. Not anymore. These are happy tears. I want you to take me. Soft, hard, I don’t care. I want us to forget for a little while. To get lost in each other and get back what we were building. I need you inside of me. I love you. I never thought I’d ever say those words to a man. Never.”

  His expression changes. That dark sexual need comes out, and it covers me in desirable shivers. They race up and down my arms, beading my nipples and leaving me standing here waiting for this man to take control.

  “I’ve made so many mistakes when it comes to you, hurt you in ways I don’t want to think about anymore. This moment right here, the one where we give in to the undeniable connection is the beginning of us. We start here. There’s no turning back. We have shit to work through, and we will. Together. I won’t let Shadow, or anyone hurt you. Not again.”

  The words aren’t even out of his mouth before he reaches for me, grips my face, and wipes the tears away. Once done, he snakes his arms around my back and groans when they slide down and palm my bare ass.

  My nipples tighten — wetness pools between my quaky legs.

  “Jesus Christ. It’s hard enough keeping my thoughts under control when you’re around; then I find you in my house wearing a thin shirt and no panties. Not sure if you have any idea how much it drives me out of my head to go even one day without seeing you. These past weeks have been hell, Ellie. I never want to go through that again. I love you. Won’t go a day without reminding you how much. Making you see how much.”

  Leaning in, he presses his nose to my ear, burying his face in my hair and inhaling deeply.

  “The first time I was inside you. It was so intense; I knew I had to have more — the thought of never being inside of you again. Never having you wrap all that warmth around me about killed me. That’s not all I thought about. I thought about you, Ellie. Everything I know about you, everything I don’t know. Thought I’d never get the chance to find out.”

  His palms spread wider until they are squeezing me possessively.

  “Well, let’s see. I love to swim, I love dressing up, but I’d prefer jeans. I own a retail shop with my family. I grew up in Texas and my favorite flower is a bluebonnet. Although magnolias are a close second. I love tequila, my birthday is September tenth and I’ve never seen snow.”

  “Never seen snow? That’s a travesty. We can talk later, right now I want inside of you.”

  Keeping his hand on my ass, he swivels us, pressing his rock hard erection into me until my back hits the door. The man is so big and powerful and dominating.

  I wobble, pressing my thighs together when he steps back and whips his t-shirt over his head. I nearly come undone right there — muscles and rippling abs. For heaven’s sake, I want to lick them because the entire package is mine.

  “Is this what you want? Me and you, tell me, Ellie. Do you want the dark to your light? I’ll give you dark when I fuck you so hard you feel every throbbing inch. You’ll take it all.” Those words are nothing but a challenge I accept. Especially when the man undoes his jeans, shoves them down his legs and toes them off in one slick move.

  All I can do is press my hands to the door; this wanted yet quick change of events spooling so much desire through my body I can hardly think straight as my dirty man grabs his thick erection and strokes.

  Lord, he has a beautiful dick — thick, and hard.

  Mine.

  He has no idea how much that turns me on, watching his hard cock slide through his hands. The way he looks down at me is a magnificent sight.

  I whimper.

  Visions of him doing that when thinking of me nearly have me exploding.

  I squirm.

  I pant.

  I come alive.

  “Oh, God. I want you and me and everything you’re about to do. Don’t give it to me soft.”

  “That won’t be a problem, Ellie. This is makeup sex, and I plan on taking full advantage of it. The words that come out of my mouth are one thing; the way I fuck you is another. Hope you got enough rest because I plan on fucking you the rest of the night.”

  His promising tone heightens my arousal, and I lick my lips in anticipation.

  “Then, what are you waiting for?”

  Keeping his hand on his dick, his other reaches, and pinches and rolls one of my nipples. I bite my lip as the pleasurable pain trails straight to my center.

  This man who was hard and soft and deep and dark was making me come undone.

  That’s what Logan does to me. Opens me in a way I never thought possible.

  “You are so beautiful. Every part of you. Can’t wait to be inside of you.” The jagged roughness of his voice skates along my spine, adding a sensual bite to the heat from his fingers.

  He dips, grips me by the jaw, and kisses me, overtaking my mind and pulling me into his abyss.

  I am dizzy.

  “I love you; you won’t regret coming back to me.”

  “I know,” I manage to muster out of my mouth. I can’t seem to drag my eyes away from watching his spin with so much wildness that my anticipation is on the verge of insane.

  Chills race up my spine, followed by a lick of fire as Logan slowly drops to his knees and runs his big hands straight up the back of my thighs, fingers kneading into my flesh.

  Once he reaches my thighs, he shoves my shirt up, exposing me to him, my pussy right in his face once again.

  “Look at you, all wet and ready for me. I’m a lucky man, won’t take advantage of what’s in front of me to worship again. Take off the shirt. As soon as I’m done fucking you with my tongue and fingers, I want that tight body up against mine. I want those tits bouncing while you ride my dick. It’s been too long since I’ve been inside this pretty pussy. I didn’t get nearly enough. Doubt if I ever will.”

  I don’t question; I’m as needy and greedy as Logan. The shirt comes off, and the man stills as he looks up and takes in my heaving chest. I swear to all things holy he’s watching my heart pound through my skin.

  His tongue darts out, and his fingers spread my folds. I’m on edge, body so wet and needy. “Logan, please.”

  “Fuck, you are a vision. Body like a goddess. Pussy made for me.” His words dripping with need have my mind in a frenzy.

  I gasp, anticipation drizzling through every inch of my body. There’s no denying Logan when it comes to his magical hands, his wicked tongue or the things he does to me with a single touch.

  I long for him to touch me.

  “One day soon, I’m going to show you something. It’s one of my favorite places. I’m going to fuck your pussy in the ocean when we’re there, Ellie. Have you leaning your head back in the water while I slam into you hard.”

  Yearning spasms across the nerves in my clit, pulsing strong and steady.

  “Beautiful, all innocent and greedy for me. Every time I touch you, kiss you, look at you, I want more. Still can’t believe you’re mine. I won’t ever stop showing you how much I care, and I don’t mean this way. I mean every way, Ellie.” He cups me completely and starts running his hand through my folds. Pushing and tugging gently on my clit.

  Emotions grip. Tears are burning behind my lids.

  “Logan.” My voice is ragged, the pleasure of him rubbing me starts to speed up my heart rate as I spread as far as my legs will allow.

  I’m too caught in up in what his hand is doing to concentrate on where his favorite place is or when we’ll go there, when he slowly draws circles around my clit.

  I moan. Being teased lik
e this is torture like never before.

  “Do you want that? To be fucked in the water while it laps over your tits, the light of the moon giving me enough to watch my cock slide in and out of you. Tell me, baby.”

  “Yes, first you better fuck me here.”

  He chuckles.

  “Like I said, greedy. I knew it the first night I slid inside you. You are everything, Ellie. That’s what you are. Beautiful soul, big heart, tight body. Fuck, I’m a lucky man. Won’t ever let you forget it.”

  Logan wastes no time, sliding his fingers up and down and tracing the edges of my folds, teasing and causing me to moan and beg him to put his fingers inside.

  “Can you feel how wet you are? How your arousal is soaking my fingers? Do you want me to plunge my fingers inside this sweet-smelling pussy? I am so fucking hard right now, Ellie.”

  Before I can say anything about how his dirty talk has me so turned on, he pinches my clit and tugs so hard that the pain causes pleasure to run through my entire body. I scream his name, but he doesn’t stop the torture at all; he continues to rub me until it starts dripping down my thighs.

  Warm breath hits my center when he plunges a finger deep, and my toes curl. I clamp down and wiggle to try and get him deeper, but I quickly toss that aside as Logan starts sliding his finger in and out, getting me wetter with every stroke.

  My head rolls to the side, his finger pumping wildly as my hips thrust, begging for more. I need it, that fraction of a little more to set me off.

  “Please,” I moan madly, my back arching, legs trembling, all lucid thoughts slipping away.

  Logan doesn’t stop. He pushes in and out over and over, curving his thick digits upward to hit the spot that has me screaming and begging him to give me the release I so desperately need.

  Slanting in, he sweeps his tongue through my throbbing center, and my hands move on their own to grip onto his dark, thick hair.