“Sorry about that. I thought you knew.”
She shrugs. She’s about to look away somewhere in the distance, but I tilt my head toward her and look straight into her hazel eyes. Now, I have her.
“You know, I’m not sure if I told you this earlier, but you look beautiful tonight. Stunning, actually.”
A small smiles begins at the corner of her lips. I lick my lips. Her eyes light up. I feel an energy between us. Finally, I’m on the right track.
“Thank,” she begins, but then clears her throat. “Thank you.”
I stare into her eyes, trying to peer into her soul. I do this with all the girls, but with Avery, I’m actually doing it earnestly.
“You know, you don’t look so bad yourself,” she says looking me up and down.
I like the feel of her approving gaze all over my body. I know I look good, but it’s always nice to hear it from the person you want to pin against the wall and do bad things to.
The tone of the evening becomes more serious for a moment, and I know that it’s that time.
“Excuse me for a minute,” I bring her hand to my lips and give her a little peck. “But I have to make a toast.”
As I walk away, I feel the burn of her gaze on me. She’s watching me. Falling for me. I’m back!
With newfound confidence, I grab a glass of champagne and clink the glass. When the roar of the crowd quiets down, I start.
“As many of you know, I’m Logan, Liam’s charming older brother. Liam has been my brother since my mom brought him home from the hospital, put him on my lap and said here he is. Your brother. To which I said, ‘That’s not a brother. That’s a baby!’”
Everyone laughs. I look at Avery, who also seems pleased. Her smile gives me butterflies. I take a deep breath and continue.
“Liam and I went through the usual rough patches – fighting over girls, fighting over cars, fighting in general. We didn’t have very much in common. Still don’t actually. And then came Kora. Liam met Kora in college freshman year at Oberlin. I first met her when she came out to visit him for spring break. Speaking as someone who knows how to do Spring Break right, I knew that they were meant for each other when they spent the whole week in each other’s arms on the couch at our parents’ house. They were like two peas in a pod.
“I was a cynic back then – Who are we kidding, I’m kind of a cynic now – but back then, I was even more of a cynic. As much as I loved Kora, and as much as I thought Liam loved Kora, I thought that it would never last. Not all the way through college. Not through law school. And definitely not through all those early years of practicing law.
“But as it turned out, I was wrong. And Liam was right. Not the first time! Kora was just the perfect girl for Liam. Kind, attentive, persistent and persuasive. Honestly, man, I have no idea how you got away with not marrying her for so many years!
“What I’m trying to say, rather inarticulately, is that I may not know much, but I do know one thing. Liam loves Kora and Kora loves Liam. I guess that’s two things. They’re a perfect couple and I know that they will make each other very happy for many years to come.
“To Liam and Kora, and the wonderful life they have ahead of them together!”
Everyone claps and drinks. With tears in her eyes, Kora gives me a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. I look across the deck at Avery. She looks impressed.
Chapter 11 - Avery
After listening to his speech, my opinion of Logan completely changes. I see him in an entirely new light. Instead of some rich, cocky guy with nothing to do during the day, he suddenly becomes a part of a family. Both Liam and Kora were touched by his speech. Kora even cried! Maybe he doesn’t show this part of himself often, but at least it exists.
“You have quite a way with words,” I say to Logan when we’re alone. The rest of the party moved away from this side of the patio, toward the dessert table. It suddenly feels like the whole world has fallen away, and it’s just us, the cloudless sky, the bright yellow moon and the sound of calm waves falling onto the sand.
“Thank you,” he says moving closer to me. The moonlight illuminates his luscious lips and plays with the sparkle in his eyes. There’s a mysterious quality to them that draws me in.
Logan moves closer to me. He licks his lips and reaches toward my neck. The touch of his fingers along my jaw speeds up my heart rate. It feels like any second now it’s going to jump out of my chest. Slowly, his fingers make their way to my mouth and run along my bottom lip. His fingertips feel soft and rough at the same time. I look into his eyes. He leans even closer. I feel his breath on my lips and close my eyes. Our lips touch.
His lips are effervescent. At first, the kiss feels like the kiss of a butterfly. Delicate. His tongue is foreign, yet familiar. He tilts my head back and drops his. He kisses my neck. Slowly. Deliberately. The hair on the back of my neck stands up.
Our bodies get closer and our legs touch. I love the feel of his silk pant leg on my bare skin. Logan’s hands caress my shoulders. He pushes me back against the railing and our kiss gains momentum. It’s no longer fragile. We’re no longer breakable. Passion sweeps through me, and I push back against him. His hard, toned body welcomes me in, but doesn’t give much. He pushes me back. Harder this time. This time, the railing digs into my back. It’s a bit painful. It might even leave a bruise, but it feels so good.
“Logan?” I hear someone say his name. “Logan?”
Reluctantly, he pulls away from me.
“Are you serious?” the girl says. I can’t see her very well, she’s standing in the shadows, but I know one thing. She’s gorgeous. In her heels, she’s just as tall as Logan and all legs.
“What?” Logan asks unapologetically. I don’t know who this is, so I try to create some separation between us. But he puts his arm around my waist and pulls me back.
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s my brother’s engagement party. A better question is what are you doing here?”
She ignores him. Instead, she walks closer to me and extends her hand.
“Hi, I’m sorry for being so rude. I’m Sadie,” she says in a high, peppy voice. I nod, introduce myself and shake her hand.
“I’m the mother of Logan’s future child.”
If I had a glass of champagne in my hand right now, I’m certain that I would have dropped it.
“What?” I mumble.
“Shut up, Sadie,” Logan shakes his head.
“Oh, he didn’t tell you?”
I turn to Logan. He looks lost. His eyes search my face for some sort of response. My ears start to buzz, and I get a nagging pain in the back of my head.
“Sadie is my ex-girlfriend,” he says. “She just told me about this pregnancy. I don’t even know if it’s mine.”
“You’re such an asshole,” Sadie says tapping her foot on the floor.
“This is our first date, Avery. I wasn’t keeping this from you. It just wasn’t the right time to tell you. We hardly know anything about each other.”
“I have to go,” I mumble. Logan tries to come with me, but I push him away. “Leave me alone.”
I don’t know how to process this. I’ve heard about this happening, of course, but I never thought that it would happen to me. Millions of thoughts rush through my mind. Why didn’t he tell me? He’s such a dick! Sadie is right. It is our first date. I don’t know anything about him. Did I really expect him to open with this?
Somewhere in the background, I hear Sadie and Logan arguing. They definitely sound like exes. And if this baby is Logan’s, do I really want to do deal with this? Is this how we’re supposed to start our relationship? What relationship? This is our first date. Suddenly, we’re in a relationship?
Agh!
I want to scream and pound my fists on something, but I’m at a party. An engagement party, of all things. And Kora and Liam are so nice. I can’t make a scene. Keep it together, Avery.
I decide to drown my sorrows in cake and alcohol.
&nbs
p; “Is everything okay?” Kora walks over to me, putting her arm around my shoulder. Oh my God. Is it that obvious?
“Yes,” I mumble and stuff some cake into my mouth. “Wow, this is delicious.” And it is. It’s some sort of magical chocolate, red velvet, cheesecake concoction. I’m certain that if I could eat the whole thing that all of my problems would go away.
“What is it with food that makes me think that it can make all of my problems disappear?” Kora asks. I look at her. It’s as if she can read my mind.
“Oh please, don’t stop, I’m just talking about myself.”
We both crack up laughing.
“Unfortunately, through a lot of trial and error, I have found that after I stuff myself silly, none of my problems are really gone. I’m just ten pounds heavier and everything is even worse,” I say.
Kora nods.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
I might as well tell her. I doubt that I’ll ever see her again after tonight. What’s the harm, right?
“I really like Logan,” I say.
“Did he do something bad already?”
“No, not really. I mean yes, but it was before me.”
“What?”
“I just saw Sadie.”
“His ex?”
From the look on her face, I’m pretty certain that she doesn’t know what’s going on.
“We were kissing and it was this perfect kiss. And then Sadie came over.”
“She’s his ex. They broke up a while ago,” Kora says.
“I know. That’s what he said. But then she said that she’s pregnant.”
Kora takes a step back. “Oh, wow. I did not know that.”
“Apparently, he just found out.”
Kora takes a deep breath. “That’s intense. I don’t really know what to say. But I like you, Avery. A lot. You’re very different from the usual girls that he goes out with. So, I just want to take this opportunity to warn you about Logan. He’s a great guy, don’t get me wrong, but he doesn’t always treat the women he dates well. He isn’t a cheater, he’s too honest for that, but he’s not one for long-term relationships either.”
I nod. That’s pretty much what I thought.
“I’m not sure what you’re looking for with him, or why Dolly even set you two up, but he has a history. And now, apparently, a future baby mama to boot.”
Chapter 12 - Logan
I’ve kissed a lot of girls, had a lot of first kisses, but the magic that I felt with Avery from the first moment that our lips touched, I’ve never felt before. It wasn’t just sexual attraction – though there was a ton of that as well. It was something more than that. A chemical connection. I’ve wanted to kiss her ever since I saw the way she looked at me while I was giving my speech.
And then Sadie had to come over and ruin it all. She’s such a bitch. I don’t know what I ever saw in her. I’m not even sure that this baby is mine. Sadie wasn’t exactly a loyal girlfriend. How can she be so sure?
And now, Avery is talking to Kora. Kora may have teared up at what I said, but Kora and I don’t have the best history. She wasn’t always my biggest fan. She doesn’t approve of my romantic life, even though she knows that I never cheat on anyone. I’m very honest about who I am and what I do. I don’t do long term relationships. I’m not interested in that. At least, I haven’t been for years. Kora is the type of woman who is very suspicious of perpetually single men. It’s as if she doesn’t believe that a man can be a bachelor and happy about it. It’s as if all single men are there to break women’s hearts and break up marriages. Well, I never date anyone married. I haven’t even dated anyone who was dating anyone else. I don’t like the drama, and I don’t need it.
Suddenly, my phone rings. I pull it out and see that it’s my other phone. Shit. I never get calls on it unless it’s something important. I’m not in the best headspace for it, but I can’t not answer.
“Yes?”
“We need you in Playa del Carmen, Mexico on the 17th of next month.”
I look down at my calendar.
“I’m actually going to be nearby in Tulum for my brother’s wedding that weekend.”
Kora and Liam have waited for seven years to make it official, and now that they’re engaged, they have decided that they couldn’t wait the customary year to plan everything. They are going to do the whole thing in less than two months. My gift to them is that I’m picking up the tab for everything, including the wedding planner, and it’s no skin off my nose if they want to get it done so quickly. The wedding planner, however, is more than a little miffed. If it all goes smoothly, there’s a big tip in it for her for the rush job.
“The target will be on his yacht for his niece’s birthday party that day.”
“I actually put in for some time off that weekend.”
There’s a pause. I know I said the wrong thing.
“You don’t get time off. You’re an agent, and we need you there.”
Well, technically, I’m a spy. If you want to get even more technical, I’m an assassin, but the CIA frowns on that kind of literal interpretation of my job description.
“Right,” I say.
“I’ll be in touch with more details later,” he says and hangs up.
I take a deep breath.
I’m really getting sick of this job. I’m counting down the days until my contract runs out in two years, and I can actually enjoy my life as a civilian. A very rich civilian, at that. The funny thing is that I actually got involved with the CIA completely by accident. I was at one of those career fairs that the University of Southern California puts on for its students every fall and spring. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life after graduation, so I was walking around and talking to all the recruiters. And the CIA was there. I gave them my resume, and a few days later, they called me in for an interview. After a few rounds of interviews, I took a bunch of tests. I should’ve known right then and there that this wouldn’t be a good fit. I do great on tests, always have, but I hate them. I have no business working at any organization that’s based on tests.
Apparently, I did quite well on the tests, and they moved me further along. More tests followed. Then ten weeks of training and fieldwork. Then a special agent from a special branch of the CIA came to talk to me. He knew I was trying to do my own thing – building my start up, travel around the world – so he had a proposal for me. Join his unit and I wouldn’t have to work full-time. Just on on-call basis. Fulfill a mission or two a month, get a full-time salary, and be free the rest of the time to do my own thing. The only thing was that I couldn’t tell anyone about what I actually did, being a spy and all. You have to remember, I didn’t have any money then. I wanted to travel and see the world. I had a kernel of an idea for my start up. It sounded like the perfect job.
Well, eight years later, it’s not so much. Despite my best efforts, I’m apparently quite good at this, and I’ve moved up within the unit. Though I only do a few missions a year now, they still call on me for pretty much every complicated mission they have. And this one, in Mexico, is not going to be any walk in the park, that’s for sure.
I spot Avery by the dessert table. She’s all alone and looks much calmer now. Perhaps, it’s a good time to approach and explain.
“I want to go home,” she says before I get the chance to open my mouth.
“What?”
“I want to go home. Will you take me home?” She taps her foot on the floor, impatient. It reminds me of Sadie. I cringe.
“It’s still early. You don’t want to stay a little longer?”
“No. After finding out that my date is going to have a baby with his ex-girlfriend, I’ve had just about all I can handle.”
She walks toward Liam and Kora, gives them each a brief hug, and says that she has to go. They thank her for coming, and she and Kora exchange numbers. I want to stop her, but we’re already on our way out.
“I’m sorry. Avery, I’m sorry,” I run after her. She shrugs, but continues stead
fastly toward my car.
“What do you want me to say? I just found out. I honestly don’t know for sure if it’s mine.”
“And what are you doing in the meantime?” she asks, turning to face me at the passenger door to my car.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to her ultrasound appointments? Are you going to go to her Lamaze classes with her?”
“I have no idea,” I shrug. I haven’t given that any thought whatsoever.
“Well, if it is your baby, you probably should. Otherwise, you’ll miss out.”
“Okay, fine,” I nod. “Maybe I will.”
“I’m not really sure if I want to date someone with a baby on the way.” She gets into my car and slams the door.
Now, I’m completely lost. I have no idea what is the right thing to say or do. I follow her into the car.
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to drive,” she says looking straight ahead. “I want to go home.”
I start the car and pull out of the parking lot.
“This is what’s going on from my perspective,” I say, taking a deep breath. I’ve never worked this hard with a girl. A real change for me.
“Sadie and I dated briefly. I thought she was cheating on me. We broke up, largely because of that and partly because we weren’t a good match. I don’t have any proof of this, but she didn’t deny it either. Then a couple of weeks ago, she insisted on meeting for dinner. And that’s when she told me that she is pregnant. I have no idea if that baby is mine, but it’s all her decision. I’m fine with whatever she decides. I don’t have a say in it, I know that. I also can’t find out if the baby is mine until it’s born. So I won’t know for nine months.”
She nods, but keeps looking straight ahead. From her demeanor, I know that she’s listening. So, I continue.
“I know that this is a complication. For us. But I also know that I want to see you again. I’m not someone who’s keen on relationships, which I’m sure my future sister-in-law filled you in about, but I feel something for you. Something completely different.”
Auctioned to Him 4: His Addiction Page 45
