The Nashville Predators had forced a game seven against the Golden Knights. The Rebels would play the winner of that series when the third round of playoffs started in six days.
Cassidy pushed her glasses up her nose and sighed. “I wish I could pull a Freaky Friday and switch places with you for just one day, Meadow.”
Priya snorted. “One day? How about a year?”
“I was trying not to be greedy.” Cassidy grinned. “But I’m totally good with a year.”
Priya laughed. “So what do you say, Meadow? Can we get just a taste of your perfect life?”
Meadow looked at the two women. You think my life is perfect? I was orphaned at six and spent three years in foster care being abused by adults who only cared about collecting checks. Not long after I was adopted, I lost my second mother to cancer. Before landing this job I was broke, unemployed and severely depressed. Less than a week ago, I remembered that my uncle murdered my parents while I pissed myself in a dark closet, hoping he wouldn’t find me and kill me, too. As for my hockey star boyfriend, he’s the love of my life. But it sucks that we can’t have a normal couple’s spat without worrying that it will go viral. And as amazing as he is, a big part of me is terrified that he’s going to break my heart. No one’s life is ever as perfect as it seems. There’s always more lurking beneath the surface than you know. So count your blessings and take nothing for granted!
The sobering words hovered on Meadow’s tongue, but she swallowed them and offered instead, “If you girls come to the next game with me, I’ll introduce you to Logan’s teammates—the ones who are single and not manwhores.”
Cassidy and Priya squealed excitedly. “You’re the best, Meadow!”
She merely smiled.
Her phone intercom beeped on her desk. “Guess who’s here?” the receptionist announced in a giddy singsong.
“I haven’t the faintest clue,” Meadow deadpanned.
Phoebe laughed. “It’s Logan, of course! Should I send him back?”
“No, that’s okay, Phoebe. I’ll be right out.” Meadow powered down her computer and grabbed her handbag.
Tittering and giggling, Cassidy and Priya followed her out to the reception area where Logan had predictably drawn a crowd. Dirk and the rest of the management team were fangirling along with everyone else. It was both amusing and appalling.
When Logan saw Meadow, he excused himself from the crowd, walked up to her and kissed her hello while smiling into her eyes. “Ready to blow this joint?”
She grinned. “Ready.”
“Let’s roll.” He took her hand and winked at Cassidy and Priya, who giggled like lovesick tweens.
As everyone waved goodbye and wished Logan and Meadow a good weekend, she felt like a bride leaving the church with her groom. All that was missing was the rice throwing.
As soon as they got in the car, Logan leaned over and took her mouth, kissing her until she was dizzy and breathless. Then he winked at her, revved the engine and roared out of the parking lot.
As they left the Denver Tech Center, he put his hand on her bare thigh where her hem had risen up. “Did I mention how much I love you in this dress?”
She laughed. “Only about a hundred times this morning.”
He grinned, his thumb stroking her thigh. She bit her lip as every nerve ending went into hypersensitivity.
His tantalizing touch had her so distracted that she didn’t immediately notice that they were heading in the wrong direction. “Aren’t we going back to your place?”
“Not yet.”
She eyed him curiously. “Where are we going?”
His mouth curved into that half-smile she both loved and feared. Feared because it had the power to tempt her into doing things she probably shouldn’t.
“I want to show you something,” was all he said. Which just piqued her curiosity even more.
Soon they were driving into Cherry Hills Village, home of the super rich. The who’s who of celebrity residents included former Denver Broncos quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning and many other professional athletes and business leaders.
Meadow stared out the window as the scenery melted into a rolling landscape of lush cottonwoods and hiking trails set against the stunning backdrop of the Rockies.
After passing several country estates and palatial mansions, Logan drove through a gated entrance and headed up a long curving drive. At the end was a sprawling three-story house set on at least ten acres.
When Meadow saw the house, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She turned to stare at Logan with a mixture of incredulity and suspicion. “Please don’t tell me you bought this house.”
“No. But I’m thinking about it.” His tone was casual, but his eyes never left her face. “I wanted to get your input.”
“Seriously, Logan?”
“What?” His expression was innocent. Too innocent.
She motioned toward the house. “What could you possibly need with a place this size?”
He shrugged. “It won’t always be just me. Someday, God willing, I’ll have a family.”
His words set her heart pounding and her stomach fluttering.
She dragged her gaze from his and stared up at the stone and stucco house. She didn’t know the sales price. But from the looks of it, it probably cost more than the combined GDP of twenty small countries.
Before she could ask any more questions, Logan cut off the engine and got out of the car. The drive formed a circle around a fountain surrounded by colorful flowers.
When Logan came around to open her door, she shot him another suspicious look. But he just grinned and took her hand, leading her up the long walkway to the front door.
The grounds surrounding the house were immaculately landscaped, verdant and lush with quaking aspen trees that would burst into gold come fall. Toward the back of the property, Meadow could see a small creek flowing into a lake. She felt like they were somewhere out in the country, though they couldn’t be more than thirty minutes from downtown.
“My Realtor told me about this place and encouraged me to go have a look. I did, and now I want you to see it.” Logan punched in a code to remove a key from the lockbox.
“Shouldn’t she be here to do the showing?” Meadow narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you haven’t already bought this house?”
“Positive. It’s not even on the market yet. Kaye wanted me to have first dibs before she starts showing it to other clients.” He unlocked the door and motioned her inside.
The double-height foyer was a jaw-dropper. A beautiful modern chandelier dangled from the ceiling. Dual staircases rose to the second floor and were joined together by a wrought-iron balcony.
As Meadow looked around, her mouth ran dry. She was nearly too stunned to speak.
Logan was watching her carefully. “First impression?”
“In a word? Wow.”
He tried without success to hide his smile.
The expansive foyer extended before them, with high archways opening to either side into a huge living room and a spacious formal dining room. The gleaming floors were a combination of cherry hardwood and Italian marble.
The tour progressed to a massive chef’s kitchen that would rival any found in a five-star hotel. Top of the line appliances. Glistening black marble countertops. An impressive butler’s pantry.
Meadow turned in a slow circle, feeling Logan’s watchful gaze.
“In case you couldn’t tell, we’re really close to your job. Ten minutes, tops.”
“I noticed.” She sighed.
He grinned. “We’re also close to Cherry Creek’s high-end shopping and restaurants. And Hunter lives not too far from here.”
“Oh, I see,” she teased. “Since Reid and Viggo will be neighbors, you and Hunter have to follow suit?”
“Sure, why not?”
She chuckled, leading the way out of the kitchen. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but how big is this house?”
“Nine thousand square feet,” L
ogan said casually. “Lots of room for six children to spread out and play.”
A twist of yearning tightened her chest. When she gave him the side eye, he laughed.
“I’m just saying. It’s a big house.”
She humphed. “A little too big, if you ask me.”
“Not for six children.” When he smiled at her, another spear of longing shot through her heart.
As they walked slowly around, she took in the exquisite crown moldings, high-end light fixtures, plantation shutters and custom wall finishes. Everything was luxurious without being ostentatious and over the top.
There was a climate-controlled wine cellar, great room, billiards room, library and study. At the back of the house, soaring windows revealed an Italianate terrace overlooking a guest cottage, pool house and an infinity pool with a rock waterfall.
Meadow’s breath caught at the panorama of green acres stretching to the treeline. “So much land,” she marveled, staring out the window.
“Ten acres.” Logan’s deep voice tickled a warm path down to her neck. “Plenty of lawn space for kids to run off excess energy. Hell, they can each have their own tricked-out tree house. I could even install an ice rink back there.”
Meadow laughed. “Really, Logan? An ice rink?”
“Why not?” He nipped her ear. “What hockey-playing kid wouldn’t love to have his very own ice rink in his backyard?”
“Assuming any of your kids play hockey. They might have other interests.”
“Bite your tongue, woman.”
She laughed. “No ice rink. It’ll spoil the natural beauty and splendor of all that land.”
“We’ll see,” he grumbled.
They went up the winding wrought-iron staircase to investigate the second floor. Occupying the entire east wing was a master suite fit for royalty. It had a private balcony, fireplace, two enormous walk-in closets and a dramatic spa bathroom with heated floors.
When Meadow groaned, Logan laughed at her.
All the other rooms were large, with high ceilings and huge picture windows that boasted sweeping views of Front Range mountain peaks. There was a home theater, game room and media room with a wet bar.
Just when Meadow thought they’d seen everything, Logan grinned mysteriously. “I have one more thing to show you.”
“What?”
“You’ll see.” He covered her eyes and carefully guided her up another staircase. “No peeking.”
She giggled. “I’m not.”
When they reached the top floor, he removed his hands from her eyes. “Now you can look.”
She looked around and squealed, “Oh my God!”
They were standing in an observatory with a skylight. At the center of the room was a large telescope perched on a tripod, its long gleaming tube aimed at the sky.
She gasped in shock, her eyes growing wider. She spun around to stare at Logan.
He was grinning. “Surprise.”
Tears rushed into her eyes. “Is that...for me?”
“Who else?” His grin softened. “Go have a look.”
Bursting with excitement, she hurried over to inspect the high-tech telescope. The model was one of the most expensive telescopes on the market at a whopping twenty grand.
“Oh my goodness,” she breathed reverently. She leaned down and squinted through the eyepiece. The powerful scope could transform starry nights into spectacular space odysseys. She felt as deliriously giddy as the time she’d won first place in the district science fair.
She lifted her head to stare incredulously at Logan as he approached. “I can’t believe you bought this for me.”
“Fifteen years later than planned,” he said with a rueful smile.
Her expression turned puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“I felt horrible for breaking the telescope your parents gave you. I wanted to make it up to you, so I started saving up to buy you a new one. The day you were adopted, I was out fighting. I was going to use the prize money for your telescope. But Santino showed up and the kids took off with my money. Then I got back to the house and you were leaving with the Ryans.”
Tears blurred her vision and spilled down her cheeks. “Oh, Logan…”
His gaze was achingly tender. “I know this fancy telescope can never replace the one your parents gave you, but I hope—”
She grabbed his face and kissed him with all the love swelling up in her heart. “Thank you,” she whispered fervently against his mouth. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
He bracketed his hands on either side of her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. “I love you so much,” he said fiercely. “I would do anything to make you happy. Anything.”
“I know,” she said tearfully. “You already have.”
He smiled into her eyes. “So now that you’ve seen the observatory, what do you think of the house? Is it looking better now?”
She laughed through her tears. “Maybe.”
He gave her a hopeful grin. “Does that mean you’ll move in with me?”
She laughed again and sniffled, dabbing at her watery eyes. “You fight so dirty.”
“I told you that from the start.” He stood with his forehead touching hers, their breath mingling warmly. “Move in with me, Meadow. Help me make this house a home.”
“Oh God.” She could feel her resolve melting fast. “Logan…”
“As amazing as this property is, I wasn’t sold until I came up here and saw the observatory. It was like a sign, Jupiter. Like the house was made for us. You can see that, can’t you?”
“Yes,” she whimpered. “But I…I—”
He slanted his head and kissed her with a tender ferocity that set her on fire, awakening every cell and nerve in her body.
His hands moved from her face to cup her bottom, meshing the hard length of his cock against her. She shivered and moaned, her legs trembling in her spiky boots. His mouth slid down her throat, kissing, licking, fanning the flames of her need until she was panting for him.
It took her a few dazed heartbeats to realize that he’d picked her up and was carrying her across the room. She found herself pressed against the wall before he set her down on her feet.
Whispering dark words of seduction, he crouched in front of her. She watched, mesmerized, as he ran his hands up under her dress and pulled her panties down to her ankles. When she stepped out of them, he draped her leg over his shoulder and pressed his mouth to her throbbing sex.
She cried out, her hips bucking against his face. With a rumbling growl, he licked her slit, his tongue parting her folds to rasp over the tight nub of her clit. She grabbed his hair with one hand to pull him closer while putting her other hand on the wall to steady herself.
As he dove in deeper, the wet heat of his mouth and the tormenting strokes of his tongue were almost too much to bear. She was panting harder, her hips rocking forward as he tongued her clit, pulling it into his mouth and sucking so strongly that she screamed with the pleasure of it.
Groaning his approval, he slipped two fingers inside her, curving them to reach her G-spot.
She shuddered violently and closed her eyes, her head falling back as she sobbed in ecstasy. He pumped his fingers in and out of her as his hungry mouth continued sucking her clit.
Her orgasm slammed into her, robbing her of breath. He held her upright as she fell apart, gasping loudly, her legs shaking so hard she thought they’d never stop.
His tongue lapped slowly over her pulsating sex, drawing out the last tremors of her orgasm before it could completely fade. Her skin was damp with perspiration under her dress, and her tight nipples strained against her bra.
When she finally opened her eyes and looked down at Logan, his eyes were dark and hooded, his cheekbones flushed, his full lips glistening. He looked so sexy and primal her womb quivered.
He lowered her leg from his shoulder and stood up. Staring into his eyes, she slid his belt buckle loose, unzipped his fly and reached inside his boxer briefs. He inhale
d sharply as she closed her hand around his hard cock and gave him one long, sensuous stroke. When she circled her thumb around the velvet-slick head, he shuddered and groaned.
Arousal thickened inside her as he picked her up and pressed her back against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his hips, her dress hitching up around her waist.
Holding her face in his hands, he kissed her as if the world were about to end and she could save his soul. Then he plunged into her, groaning her name and raining kisses across her skin as she whimpered helplessly.
He began rolling his hips, watching her reaction with those piercing midnight eyes.
She was so aroused she could feel her blood beating beneath her skin, pulsing and relentless. She crossed her ankles behind his back and moaned as he thrust into her again and again, lifting her up and down the wall.
Pleasure rose like a tsunami, crashing through her in scorching waves. She dug her nails into his shoulders as her legs tightened around him, her spiky boot heels digging into his ass.
They were screwing like rabbits in a complete stranger’s house, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was her primal need for him, the consuming hunger that overruled everything. She moaned his name repeatedly, reeling from the fury of his big body slamming into her.
He watched her with possessive satisfaction, his hands gripping her ass, forcing her to ride the thick column of his cock as he nailed her against the wall.
Stars passed in front of her eyes and seconds later she climaxed, her body shaking from the strength of it.
The violent contractions triggered Logan’s release. Three deep thrusts and he sobbed her name into the crook of her neck, his body shuddering against hers as his cock spurted hotly.
For long moments afterward they clung to each other, the sound of their harsh breathing echoing around the observatory. Meadow didn’t realize she was crying until Logan lifted his head and kissed away the tears that spilled down her cheeks.
“Mi corazón,” he whispered. “You are my heart.”
His words triggered more tears.
He kissed them away and tenderly brushed his mouth over hers. She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek to his shoulder as he held her up, anchoring her against the wall with their hearts thudding against each other’s.
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