“If you weren’t disappearing all the time, maybe you’d know,” Chelsea smiled at him.
Hunter didn’t smile back. “But you know. So you can tell me.”
Xander laughed and pulled Chelsea tightly into his side. “Don’t let him bully you, sweetheart. If Luisa doesn’t want to know him, she doesn’t want to know him.”
“Oh she wants.” Hunter said. “She totally wants.”
Min looked at Chelsea’s face for her reaction. Chelsea was looking apologetic.
“She made me promise, sorry Hunter. And you know what she’s like, she’s restless.”
“It’s okay. You all know I’m going to track her down anyway. With or without your help.”
“Hunter wants to get to know one of Chelsea’s friends a little better,” Logan leaned close to keep her up to speed.
Min nodded, she’d gotten that. “But she’s not interested?”
Logan laughed. “Maybe, maybe not. Hunter will find out either way.”
“You bet I will,” Hunter lifted his glass to Min. “I find out everything.”
Did he?
“Ignore him,” Danielle said. “They all like to think they know it all.”
“Whereas you do?” scoffed Connor.
“Of course I don’t,” Danielle answered her brother. “I’m not half as arrogant as you guys.”
Min chuckled. Good for the kid sister. She wasn’t going to sit back all meek and be intimidated by her big, bad brothers. Unlike Min—when the step-siblings had started arriving, she’d been so intimidated she’d withdrawn into her shell. Speaking up had become impossible as she’d been compared to them time and time again—and found wanting.
But tonight? Tonight she’d joined in.
“You didn’t think I’d talk to them like that, did you?” She turned to Logan, asking under the cover of the others’ conversation.
“I’m not the one who thought you wouldn’t,” he said. “You talk back to me all the time.” He brushed his finger over her lips. “Mouthy, is what you are.”
She blinked. Was she?
Yes. With him she was. With him she was a different person from that quiet kid who’d been so unhappy. With him, she was herself.
And now, for the first time ever at this kind of social gathering, she relaxed—and talked. Sure she stuttered a couple times, but no one seemed to notice.
And surrounded by a bunch of overly-muscled men with sharp humor and two other women who could more than hold their own against them, it was a lesson in how-to. Watching the by-play between the boys was hilarious. It was obvious they’d known each other a long while. Loved each other.
A family.
Nothing like the family forced upon her—and her equally unhappy step-siblings. Not once, but twice. Both times failures. Both times worsening everything.
But now, she loved watching Logan in full entertainer flight. He was such fun to be around. She could see the amusement and affection in his friends’ eyes as they listened to him. And she could totally understand it.
Even when he was mercilessly teasing them.
Yeah, it was that x-factor, charisma, brilliance of personality thing that so few people had. One-in-the-room type stuff. He simply shone.
But as the meal progressed, he quietened too, the others picked up the conversational slack. His hand rested heavy on her thigh, his fingers caressing in a light, sensual rhythm.
It seemed he was always touching her in some way.
Just looking at him was a constant source of arousal, so for there to be contact as well? She was melting. And she was sure he knew it.
She shifted her leg, but he didn’t stop. She glanced at him and saw the small smile on his lips. He met her gaze and she saw that wicked mischief glinting within him.
Tease. But he was so damn good at it.
During dessert she tried to divert her focus. She had to stop staring at him like some love-struck teen, had to pull herself together. She glanced around the room, trying to notice other things—anything—about other people present. But it was impossible, she was so acutely aware of Logan and the way his fingers were slowly, inexorably working their way higher up her thigh—almost to that pulsing point between her legs.
She was just about to excuse herself for a recovery trip to the bathroom when she noticed a tall, loud man light up a cigarette over at the bar. One of the waitresses swiftly went over to him, but it was obvious the guy was going to give her some grief. Min glanced about for the maître d’.
“This is a no smoking bar.” The waitress spoke clearly, firmly. “If you want to light up, you need to take it outside.”
The people standing near him fell silent, watching.
“Snowing outside.” The man answered flippantly and took a long drag of the cigarette.
“There’s a sheltered area,” she replied coolly.
He blew the smoke out. “It’s freezing out there.”
“There are heat lamps.” Even icier.
“I like it in here.”
“But you can’t smoke in here.” The waitress stood firm.
“Oh yeah?” He strolled the last two paces up to her, towering over her in total arrogant, intimidating stance. “Because it’s gonna stunt my growth?”
Tilting her head back, the waitress looked the guy square in the eye, placed her palm boldly on the front of the man’s jeans—cupping his cock?
Min gasped.
The guy’s face lit up in total delight.
But then the waitress spoke. “You should be worried,” she said coolly, enunciating each word so clearly everyone in the room could hear her. “I’d stop smoking if I were you.”
The guy jerked back. Then took a threatening step forward. “Bitch.”
Connor stood, whipping his seat out with a noisy scrape. Min turned and looked at him—she wasn’t the only one who’d been watching that by-play?
He was across the room in a second. Logan tensed beside her. Hunter was already on his feet and three paces behind Connor who now stood at the waitress’ back.
“Take your cigarette outside,” Connor said. His voice dripped ice. And menace.
The giant smoker looked at Connor, taking a moment to assess. His eyes flickered to Hunter and then back to the waitress. His mean gaze narrowed. “Happily. It’s more frigid in here than it is out there.”
The waitress turned and faced Connor, her head high. “I didn’t need your help, but thanks anyway.” She turned on her spiked heel and walked away.
“Oh... yeaaaaah.” Hunter shook his hand like he’d been burned and grinned at Connor.
Min glanced at Logan to see how he was enjoying that piece of fierce womanhood. To her surprise he was looking at her and winking.
“Think that one caught Connor’s attention,” he murmured.
Min glanced at Connor. He was looking as fierce as the waitress had, watching that the jerk had left the bar altogether. But then the direction of his gaze shifted, to the woman now back behind the bar and serving patrons like the last ninety seconds had never happened. After a second, he turned and walked back to their table.
“I know her,” Dani said as he got within earshot.
Connor’s stabbing glance shot to his sister. “How?”
“Oh... I live local,” Dani answered in a ‘duh’ voice. “Bill loves having her behind the bar. Says she’s a ball-breaker.”
“Dani,” Connor said crisply. “So crude.”
Min felt Logan’s laughter.
“What?” Dani answered back. “It’s also true. You just saw how ferocious she is.”
“Just tell me who she is.” Connor snapped.
“Savannah Nash.”
“Nash?” Logan asked, sounding thunderstruck. “Con—”
“I’ll handle it.” A grim-faced Connor interrupted Logan. “Leave it to me. You’ve got your hands full with the engagement party.” He raised his hand in a half-wave. “Sorry to bail out early, but I have a few things I need to work on.”
“Sure.
”
“You come too, Dani. You shouldn’t really be here anyway. Not this late.”
Dani rolled her eyes and looked reluctant, but stood anyway. Her brother’s word was law?
Min watched them go. “He works hard, doesn’t he?”
“Every hour he can,” Logan nodded. “Unlike me.”
“You’re not as lazy as you like to make out.”
“I’m not?” He turned and leaned in close. “Have I done something to raise your opinion of me?”
“When you put your mind to something, you work very hard indeed.” Min said.
His eyes sparked. “And don’t you love it.”
“Break it up, you two. I want to talk girly-stuff with Min. Specifically that engagement ring.” Chelsea shifted to take the now empty seat the other side of Min. “I want the whole story.”
Oh fuck.
Logan needed to stretch his legs. Guilt eating at him for leaving Min to have to resort to fiction, he walked over to the bar, mainly to get another look at the Nash woman. Nash was the name of the family his father had all-but screwed over with his dodgy investment advice. The owners of the company Connor was taking over now as part of his ‘keep-it-quiet’ campaign. But Nash was a common enough name. She wouldn’t be related, would she?
She didn’t look his way, too busy getting drinks for all the patrons. Logan quickly lost interest. He got his beer from another bartender and turned to look back at the table where Min was awkwardly smiling as Chelsea gushed over the massive rock he’d basically thrown at her. He rubbed his shoulder with his knuckles, feeling knotted up.
“You’ve kept her very quiet all these weeks.” Narrow-eyed Xander walked up to him.
Logan grinned at the description. Min was quiet. Determinedly so. “It’s complicated.”
“How’d you meet her?”
“Through work.”
Xander took the beer the bartender had offered with a smile, and turned to lean alongside Logan. “She’s sweet.”
Uh, no. Not entirely. “She’s shy.”
Xander drew in a deep breath. “Strikes me she’s not your usual sort.”
“No.” There wasn’t anything remotely ‘usual’ about Min.
“So you won’t be treating her the way you usually do.”
Logan tensed. What, exactly, was wrong with the way he usually treated women? They had a good time with him. Always. He made damn sure of it. Why did everyone think he was a bastard boyfriend? Why could no one believe that he might actually be able to make someone happy?
“Are you warning me? Threatening me?” Angered, Logan snapped.
Xander knew nothing of this relationship. Hell, he’d been an absolute gentleman. And it was killing him.
But his stomach curdled. Because he suspected they were right, he’d never make a woman happy for long.
“She looks to me like a good girl,” Xander said with a shrug.
Logan rolled his eyes. “For fuck’s sake Xander, don’t go stereotyping women.” Min had told him off for that and she’d been right. But then he sniffed. “She’s not as good as all that. She can be mean.”
Xander smiled as he lifted his beer to his lips. “She seems to have intrigued you.”
“I have no idea what she’s done to me.”
Xander actually laughed. “Had to happen sometime.”
What had to happen? Nothing had happened. Nothing would happen. Other than the expected. A wild ride, a furious fling. And then it would be over. “If you tell me to ride out the storm, I don’t know what I’ll do to you.”
“Careful, Chelsea won’t forgive you.”
Logan glanced over at his cousin’s girlfriend. They’d been together a few months now and he’d never seen Xander so happy. It was like some invisible weight had gone from his shoulders. “Things are good for you right now, huh?”
“I’m grateful for every moment I have with her.” Xander’s eyes rested on her. “I’ll never take what we have for granted.”
Logan sipped his beer. Oh lord, the whole happy ever after thing? He knew that didn’t exist. All that existed was passion. Lust. Want. Greed.
Anger manifested. That’s all this was with Min, right? Chemistry. A game that would end with him winning. And then it would be over.
“Where’s Hunter?” he asked grumpily.
“Back bar, its quieter. He took a call.”
Probably some small mission that would take him somewhere remote and dangerous and that he’d never tell them about because he was a bona fide hero.
And what was Logan? A fucking mannequin who owned an outdoor wear company and invested the rest of he and his brother’s trust funds wisely.
He was sick of himself. Sick of this place. He wanted to escape but he couldn’t. So he’d escape another way.
With Min.
As soon as she looked up she knew something was bothering him. His face was all sharp angles, but his ice-blue eyes burned.
“Need some fresh air?” He held out his hand.
“Everything okay?” she asked once he’d led her out of the restaurant and drawn her into a small outdoor function area. Screened off on two sides, it gave an incredible view of the moon-lit mountains. It obviously wasn’t planned for use tonight, the heater hadn’t been switched on, nor had the lights.
“Thought you might want rescuing.”
She didn’t think she was the one needing rescuing. “N-n-not at all. I like Chelsea.”
“Mmm.” He nodded.
Was that the problem? He didn’t want her getting too friendly with his cousin’s girlfriend when Min wasn’t going to be around for long?
“It’s freezing out here,” she whispered, wrapping her arms round herself.
“I’ll warm you up.” He moved in front of her, stepping up so quickly that she stepped back. Against the wall.
So this was his problem? He wanted more touch? Anticipation rippled through her.
“There are p-p-people about,” she said.
But she turned her head into the hand he lifted to cup her cheek.
“Too cold for them to bother coming out here.” He looked at her, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. “But you’ll come out here.”
“Slutty innuendo?”
“You like it.”
Oh she did. She reached up, sliding her hands over his shoulders. Felt his hiss as she explored the breadth of him. Dear heaven. She should have done this sooner—touched him without restraint. He was so freaking fine. So she made up for it now, spreading her hands wide, rubbing the heel of her hand into his upper back. So lean and strong. She wanted to explore more. Why hadn’t she touched him before now?
Desire, need, lust roared within her. Suddenly unstoppable.
He stepped in closer, pressing against her, shaping her curves as he kissed down the side of her neck in that way she loved. Kissing was so not part of the deal, but she didn’t give a damn. She loved the sensation of his hot breath against her, compared with the utter chill of the night air.
She moved against him, rubbing. Pulling him closer. He was beautiful, yes, charming, yes, but also nice. She wanted to touch him, wanted to feel all of him against her. And against the noise from the bar, she felt free enough to actually moan.
He muttered something, suddenly moved faster. Rougher. He pulled the neckline of her top down to expose her bra, sucked her nipple into his mouth, lace and all.
Min arched and clutched him, pressing her body into his. She was so damn hot. Had been hot for days now. She lowered a hand to her skirt and lifted it. She needed skin. Needed to be naked. She was suddenly so hot, she needed that cold air. It washed over her thighs, making her tremble. But it wasn’t enough. He felt her movement and stood back a fraction, looking into her eyes.
Wordlessly he reached under the part of the skirt she held up, hooked his fingers into the band of her panties and tugged. She didn’t stop him. Even as he slipped her panties down her legs, she didn’t stop him. Instead, she stepped out of her panties completely. He lifte
d her skirt to her waist, exposing her ass to the bitter cold, then stepped in close, using their bodies to hold the material out of the way, he cupped her butt in his hands and thrust his denim clad leg between hers. Hot, cold, hard, rough.
He kissed her breasts and squeezed her butt, pushing his thigh against her to up the friction. She ran her hands over his back, learning his shape, the way he flinched when she rubbed him hard.
It was good. So good. But it wasn’t all she wanted. Unable to help herself, she moaned again and rubbed against his muscled thigh. She wanted him so badly.
“You begging me?” he asked roughly, grasping her chin to gaze into her eyes. “You want it all here and now? You want me?”
Heaven help her she did. Fast and quick and quiet.
But she said nothing. She wasn’t shattering the heat of this moment with a stupid stutter.
“It’s not going to happen this way,” he said, determination hardening his features. “When I finally get inside you it’s going to be slow. You’re going to be full for a long, long time. I’ll fuck you again and again and again. We’re going to need a bed and many hours and you’re not going to be able to walk for days after. I fucking promise you that.” He ground against her. “But for now you’re going to have to make do with this.”
He slipped his hand under her bunched skirt, forcing his fingers between her and his thigh, finding her hot and wet. She widened her feet and arched on him. When he turned it on like this, was this focused... she stood no chance.
As the tension strung her out, she bit down on her lip, about to come.
“Logan? Are you out—”
She froze, desire falling away faster than a stone dropped through cloud.
OMG someone had come out here. More than one person—she heard another person walking.
And there she was—for all to see—with her shirt pulled down and her nipples erect. With her skirt rucked up and her panties in a crumpled heap at their feet.
Logan moved, whipping his hands away while spreading his stance, bracing his hands either side of her to shield her with his body. She closed her eyes. Mortified.
But she heard his quick comment. A hurried apology in response. Footsteps leading away.
Beg for Me Page 19
