by A. M. Myers
“You aren’t close?” I ask, cuddling closer and laying my head on his shoulder.
He lets out a sardonic laugh and shakes his head. “No, not really. He’s in my life but just barely.”
“That’s terrible.” My heart aches for him once again. I can’t imagine my life without my parents.
“It’s probably better that he was never around. He’s kind of obsessed with money, and he’s always looking for the next get-rich-quick scheme. Toxic is what the shrink called him when he took my mom to court for custody.”
I sit up and look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Babe. That sounds awful.”
“I think I turned out all right,” he says, an easy smile on his face, and I nod.
“Yes, you sure did.”
“So, about that tour of the cabin now?” he asks, his eyes heating, and I wiggle in his lap. My stomach growls, and he sighs as I throw my head back and laugh.
“I don’t know. I’m kind of hungry,” I joke, and he shakes his head.
“Yeah, I heard that,” he grumbles before standing with me in his arms. He sets me on my feet and points to the back door. “Inside that door is a blanket. Will you grab it and meet me over by the lake?”
“Uh, sure,” I say, glancing back at the door. “What are we doing?”
He starts off toward the front of the cabin. “I packed some food for us.”
“What? Like a picnic?” I ask, scrunching my nose up in confusion. I try to imagine Logan setting up a cute little picnic, and the picture is so absurd that I laugh.
“Yeah, something like that. Just grab the blanket, Kitten.” He disappears around the corner, and I shake my head as I open the back door and grab the blanket that’s folded up on top of a dryer.
“Well, you’re just full of surprises,” I mutter to myself as I close the door behind me and start off toward the lake.
* * * *
Crickets chirp and frogs croak as the fire crackles and dances in front of us, warming my skin as night descends. I cuddle into Logan as we lie next to each other, stretched out on a blanket in the grass just off the back porch of the cabin. Stars begin to pop out in the clear sky above us, and I roll to my back, staring up at them. Today was absolutely perfect in every way imaginable. After we ate lunch down by the lake, Logan showed me the old tree house that his granddad built for him on one side of the meadow, a couple of feet into the forest. Then we spent the afternoon fishing down at the dock, and not once during that whole time did I think about the situation back home or the mess we’re going back to tomorrow.
“Are you sure we have to go back?” I ask and turn my head to look at him as he grins.
“Yeah, Kitten. We gotta go back but we can come here anytime you want.”
I nod and turn back to the stars. “I’d like that,” I whisper, and he slips his arm around my waist and pulls me closer.
“Me, too.”
I love this new side of Logan that I get to see lately. The rest of the world sees him as Storm – dark, unapproachable biker, but when he’s with me like this he’s just Logan – the sweet, sexy man who completely owns me. No one else gets to know him like I do, and I love it.
“Tell me about your grandparents,” I say, so curious about them for some reason that I can’t quite figure out.
“Well, they met when they were little kids. He said he knew from the moment he saw her kick a bully in the shins that she was the love of his life.”
I smile wide. “That’s sweet.”
“Yeah, they were amazing people separately but there was just something about the two of them together that was extra special.”
“When did they start dating?”
“Not until they got into high school. Granddad never had any doubts that she was the one for him but they were just friends until she got stranded at some diner by her friends on a Friday night. She called my granddad and that was it. They were inseparable from that point on.”
I place my hand over my heart and look up at him. “That’s such a sweet story.”
“It is.”
“When did he build this place for her?”
He looks over at the house. “After he got out of the Army. He bought it off this couple that had moved down from New York or something. They bought it sight unseen and then got here and hated it. I think he got a pretty good deal on it.”
“How could you hate this place?” I ask, glancing over at the still water of the lake reflecting the night sky.
“Who knows? But I’m glad they did. This place is my home.”
I smile and close my eyes, trying to imagine him as a little boy running through the trees but I just can’t. “I can’t picture it.”
“What?” He laughs.
“You as a kid here. I can’t picture it.”
He sits up and pulls me up, positioning me between his bent legs as he sits facing the lake. “Okay, imagine me except smaller.”
“And less muscly?”
Laughing, he nods and bites my earlobe. “Yeah, real scrawny.”
“Okay, I’m getting it now,” I say, closing my eyes, and he laughs again.
“So, over there,” he says, and I open my eyes as he points at the lake, “I went fishing almost everyday with my granddad. He gave all sorts of advice about life and girls, and then when it was lunchtime, Grandma would call to us from the back door.”
Smiling, I lean back into him, and he wraps his arm tighter around me.
“I played in the tree house a lot, and Granddad taught me how to fix cars in the driveway. If it was rainy or cold, Grandma would teach me how to bake and she taught me how to dance.”
“Shut up,” I spit out, sitting up and turning to look at him. “You can cook and dance?”
He just winks, and I shake my head with a scoff.
“I don’t believe it.”
“Baby, there are lots of things about me that you haven’t discovered yet.”
A thrill runs through me and he hops to his feet, leaving me sitting on the blanket as he runs into the house. He comes back out a moment later with a radio in his hand. Setting it down on the porch railing, he flicks it on, and a slow, soulful melody floats out of the speakers. I stand as he comes down the stairs and holds his hand out to me. As soon as I take it, he gives it a tug, spinning me into his arms, and a startled laugh spills out of me.
“Okay, maybe I believe you.”
He just grins as he puts his hand on my side, and he starts leading me back and forth through the grass. My heart thumps in my chest, happiness shooting out of it with every beat.
“So, why did you move away from here?” I ask, and he tenses for a brief second before sighing.
“Because I bought the house next to you for Sophia.”
“Did you guys come out here a lot?” I ask, and he shakes his head, looking uncomfortable.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, actually. I never even felt like bringing her here, and I never thought that was weird. Now, though, I don’t know.”
I pull back and look up at him. “You don’t know what?”
“It feels wrong to even say,” he says, almost to himself, as he looks away.
“You can tell me anything, Logan.”
His gaze meets mine again, and the sorrow in his eyes is overwhelming. “I loved Sophia, I swear, I fucking did, but being with you and the way I feel now, I don’t know if it would have lasted. I don’t want to tarnish her memory but if I’m being honest, maybe we weren’t right for each other. She came into my life at a time when I really fucking needed her, and I fell in love with her but it’s not the same as what I feel for you, Ali.”
What the hell do you say when the man you love compares you to his dead fiancée? Apparently, nothing, since I just stand here and gawk at him for a moment before getting my bearings.
“Shit. Forget I said that.”
I shake my head. “Did you mean it?”
“Yeah.”
“Then, I won’t forget it.
It’s okay that you loved her, Logan, and it’s okay that you love me. You don’t have to explain anything to me, and loving me doesn’t cheapen what you had with her. Plus, you’re a different person now than you were then. Her death changed you, and maybe that’s why you found me.”
“I think I fell in love with you the moment I met you but I felt so goddamn guilty about it, like moving on and being happy again would mean I didn’t love Sophia, but I’m willing to live with this guilt for the rest of my life because it’s better than living for a hundred years without you.”
Tears sting my eyes, and I reach up, pressing my hand to his chest. “Please don’t feel guilty. If she truly loved you, she would want you to be happy again. It’s the only thing in the world that I would want for you if something happened to me.”
He blinks, and pain crosses his face. I hate it but I know he needs to hear this, even if it reminds him that he could lose me.
“You know, you’re kinda good with the words,” he says finally, looking at me as happiness overshadows the pain that was just clouding his gaze.
I burst into laughter and shake my head at him. “God, I hope so.”
“You see me, Kitten. Past all the stuff that’s just on the surface, you get me and you accept my past. When I was being pulled under by pain, you pulled me out and around you, I could finally breathe again. I had no fucking choice but to fall in love with you because you stole my fucked-up heart the moment you looked up at me from your front lawn. That’s why I’m doing this,” he whispers, pulling a ring out of the pocket of his jeans as his smile melts away. My mouth pops open, and I stare up at him before my gaze falls to the ring pinched between his thumb and finger.
“What are you doing?” I ask, even though I’ve already got a pretty damn good idea what he’s doing.
“Askin’ you to marry me,” he says, his voice full of nerves, and I suck in a breath as I look at the ring. I meet his eyes again, shaking my head, and he starts to pull away. I grab him and keep him from backing away from me.
“Nothing sounds better than a lifetime with you, Logan, but I can’t say yes right now.”
His brow crinkles, and the hurt in his eyes kills me. “Why the hell not?”
I have no idea how Chris would react if he saw a ring on my finger, and as much as I hate the fact that he’s controlling my life, I can’t let anything happen to Logan. He’s everything to me. I just hope he understands. “Because I’m afraid of what will happen to you if I put that ring on my finger. I can’t lose you.”
He studies me for a second before understanding dawns on his face, and he cups my cheek. “You’re worried about me?”
“More than you know. If I can do this one thing to try and keep you safe, I will.”
“But you’re saying yes?”
I nod, fighting back a smile. “Yes, I guess I am. Only you and I can know about this, though. And I need you to hold on to that ring for me.”
“Kitten,” he says, his voice soft as he pulls me into him with a smile on his face, “I don’t give a shit about anything else as long as you promise that I get to make you mine forever.”
“Oh, that ship sailed a long time ago. You’re stuck with me.”
“Perfect,” he growls, his face a mask of possessiveness as he claims my lips and grabs my hand, rubbing his thumb over my left ring finger, marking me as his.
Chapter Thirty
Alison
“I’m sorry we couldn’t stay there longer, Kitten,” Logan says as we pull up in front of the house. I turn my head to look at him and smile.
“I’ll forgive you if you promise to take me back there often.”
He grins and grabs my hand, lacing our fingers before he lifts it and presses his lips to my skin. “Anything you want, Sweetheart.”
“You keep saying that and you’re going to be very good at this marriage thing.”
He laughs and pulls me across the seat, tucking me under his arm. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“It’s Your Majesty,” I correct him, and he actually looks contrite.
“My mistake, Your Majesty. Please forgive me.” He places our joined hands over his heart and practically gives me puppy dog eyes.
“Ooh, a quick learner, too. A plus, Mr. Chambers.”
His eyes heat, roaming my body like I’m prime rib as he licks his lips. “Have I ever told you that I’ve always had this sexy teacher fantasy?”
“No,” I say, shaking my head as I reach up and brush my lips against his, “but I’m very interested.”
With a growl, he claims my lips in a vicious kiss, pulling me onto his lap in the cab of the truck as his hand squeezes my ass. He pulls away, breathing hard as his gaze lights a fire across my skin.
“Inside,” he barks, opening the door, and I scramble off him as fast as I can, excited to see where this is going to lead. He goes to the back to let Bear out, and as I walk up the sidewalk, I hear his boots slapping against the pavement behind me. The next thing I know, I’m being tossed over his shoulder.
“Hey!” I squeal, laughing, and he smacks my ass. “I thought we were doing a school teacher bit not a caveman bit.”
“Change of plans. In fact, anytime that you offer to do the school teacher bit I might just get so fucking hard that it turns into a caveman bit.”
“We should get you a club,” I tease.
“Don’t tempt me, Ali.”
Laughing, I smack his ass as he unlocks the door, and he turns his head into me, sinking his teeth into the side of my ass. Just as the front door opens, the roar of bikes fills the air, and I look up as two of them stop in front of the house.
“Hey, what are you two doing here?” I ask as soon as they turn off their bikes.
“We interrupting something?” Kodiak asks, laughing as he climbs off his bike.
“Yes,” I say at the same time that Logan tells them no and I turn, scowling at the back of his head.
“We’re here for bodyguard duty,” Smith says, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back on his bike.
“Well, could you come back later?” All three guys laugh at me, and I huff as I struggle to hold myself up to look at them.
“Sorry, Darlin’, no can do. But if y’all are into role-play, we could act out The Bodyguard. Really get me motivated to lay my life on the line for you,” he says, winking at me, and I shake my head.
“Dude, what the fuck are you talking about?” Kodiak asks.
Smith sighs. “It’s a movie. Haven’t any of you idiots ever had a girlfriend? It’s a girl classic like The Notebook.”
Kodiak and Logan both start laughing as Smith and Kodiak start walking up to the porch. “Wait, are you telling me that you’ve watched The Notebook?”
“Whatever. Shut the fuck up,” Smith grumbles before turning back to look at me. “What do you say, Sweets? You play Whitney and I’ll play Kevin?”
“Only if you have a death wish,” Logan growls, and Smith grins at him. “Why don’t you just go to a bar and pick up some pussy that won’t cost you your life?”
I smack Logan in the back of the head for the pussy comment, and he sighs. “Not talkin’ about you, Kitten.”
“Whatever, man. Don’t mind us. We’ll just sit out here and listen to the show.”
“That’s not fucking happening,” Logan growls, setting me down on my feet before pulling me into his side. Kodiak and Smith join us on the porch, sitting down in the rocking chairs on either side of the door.
“Don’t worry about a thing, Miss Ali. You’re safe with us here,” Smith assures me, and I smile through the sudden panic that hits me as I realize that I’m back where Chris can find me. Logan ushers me inside and pushes me up against the entryway wall before the door even closes all the way. Warm lips press against my neck, and I sigh, gripping his shirt in my hands.
“Babe,” I whine, pushing on his chest. He pulls back and looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “I need to go take a shower. I smell like fish.” I make a face, and he laughs as he pul
ls away from me.
“All right, you get in the shower and I’ll join you after I check out the house, okay?”
I nod, biting my bottom lip as I trail my fingers down the front of his body, stopping just above his cock. “Don’t take too long.”
“Devil woman,” he whispers, smacking my ass as I skip off toward my bedroom with a smile on my face. Bouncing into my bedroom, I sit on the edge of my bed and fall back, spreading my arms out on either side of me as I sigh, so blissfully happy that it almost hurts.
I hear Logan moving around the house and I sit up, wanting to beat him to the shower. The look on his face when he walks in and I’m already all wet and soapy is one of my favorites. As I push off the bed, I reach for my shirt and start to pull it up as I turn to face the bed. It gets halfway up my stomach before I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. I stare at the window, my heart pounding like a bass drum in my ears, and peer into the darkness, trying to see if anything is out there. I could have sworn that I just saw someone there. Or maybe one of the guys passed by on their rounds.
It’s probably nothing…right?
Each second that I stare at that window, the harder my heart beats, and I feel like I could jump out of my skin right now. But there is nothing, only darkness and my own reflection. Giving up, I chalk it up to my eyes playing tricks on me as I start to lift my shirt again. Slowly, almost like in a dream, a face appears in the glass. Yelping, I drop my shirt back down my body and take a step back as the face inches closer to the window. I want to scream but it’s stuck in my throat, the fear choking me. Every breath that I take rings in my ears as tears fill my eyes, and I take another step back, hitting the wall.
The man raises a hand and presses it against the window like he’s trying to touch me and smiles up at me, a sinister little grin that seems to reach into my body and fill me with terror. Oh, God, I need to call for help but as I open my mouth, nothing comes out. Where is Logan? He has to be coming in here soon. Right? He drops his gaze down my body, and I sink down the wall, pulling my knees into my chest. As I shake on the floor, he steps closer, his face almost pressed against the glass, and his grin widens as he mouths, “My Ali.”
