Bad Company

by S. L. Sterling

  “So, Mom tells me you are an interior designer,” he said pulling away from me and leaning against the counter opposite of me.

  “Yep. I work for a small company here, it’s not exactly what I wanted, but it pays the bills.” I had only told my father and Anna that I would be moving and had asked that they not say anything to anyone else until I had announced it. At this point I would announce it on Saturday since I had to leave the following week, but I wouldn’t announce where I was moving, at least, not with Logan present, I would tell others afterwards.

  “My god, they’ve been alone in the same room for fifteen minutes and they haven’t killed one another yet,” I heard Anna say behind us.

  “It’s about time, after all they are adults. Logan, come sit with me. Tell me more about what you do while the girls get dinner.” Logan looked at me and smiled and went and sat down beside my father and they continued chatting about his life back in Boston.

  Anna pulled the roast from the oven while I continued with the salad and vegetables. As Logan sat talking to my father, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. The longest I hadn’t looked at him was when he was in the living room and I was in the kitchen and I had still found reasons to go into the other room while he talked to Anna and Dad. He had grown up; he was always good-looking but now he was gorgeous. After he had left for school, I had dated several guys and subconsciously all I did was compare them to Logan. At first, I hadn’t even realized I had been doing it until I was sitting having coffee with Jenna one afternoon.

  “You realize that since he has left his name hasn’t left your lips right,” she had said one afternoon. I almost choked on my hot chocolate. “Seriously, Leah, you’re always telling me something, Logan got an award, they voted him MVP of the football team. Logan called the other night. He is all you talk about.”

  I went home that night and looked through my diary, every entry for the past six months had been about Logan since the night he kissed me in the kitchen. That was when it had dawned on me, not only had I been crushing on him in high school, I was still crushing on him after we moved into this house. It had just gotten worse after that kiss. I had already started with the letters and I kept them going, counting down the days between every holiday waiting to send them to him. Eventually I had even stopped dating and buried myself in school work.

  I thought back to those letters, the only reason for them was to get him to answer me, acknowledge me. Instead, what I had done was pour myself into each one, finding some way to insult him in every letter so not to give my true feelings away, when all I probably had to do was stop writing them and he would return.

  “Leah, dear, would you help me serve up dinner?” Anna asked now plating the roast.

  Joe and Logan both continued sitting and talking while I pulled out more serving dishes. As soon as I was away from Anna and in the opposite corner, I couldn’t help but glance over at the table. I couldn’t help checking him out, those eyes and lips, the smooth skin of his neck that lead to his broad shoulders and chest. “It’s nice to have him home,” Anna whispered interrupting my thoughts and startling me, while handing over a bowl of carrots. I recovered easily and smiled gently, taking the bowl from her. “He seems happy.”

  Once again, I glanced over at the table, this time locking eyes with him, his blue eyes sparkling. As I carried the bowl over to the table, I watched as his eyes washed over my body in a way a brother shouldn’t look at his sister. I could still feel his eyes on me as I walked back over to Anna to grab more dishes.

  “Anna, did he show you the floor plan to his house?” Dad asked while Anna helped bring the remaining dishes to the table. I took my seat across from Logan and dished out food onto my plate.

  “Yes, he did. I wanted to talk about that with you,” she said as she sat down and passed a bowl of potatoes to Logan. “I thought perhaps we could have him design us a home, for our retirement.”

  “I like that idea.”

  As Dad and Anna were talking, I kept my head down sliding my fork around my plate, Logan’s words from earlier playing through my mind, “I came to get my letter.” I looked up and saw he was watching me from across the table, a sly smile on his lips. Then suddenly I felt his foot run up the side of my leg.

  I jumped up from the table. “Anyone want more iced tea?” I choked out grabbing my glass from the table.

  My father looked at me and then to my glass, “Leah, what is the matter with you, your glass is still full.”

  “Yeah but . . .”

  “No buts, Leah, now sit down.”

  I looked over at Logan who sat there with a shit-eating grin on his face, just like he used to do when we were younger, but that was over picking on me, not running his foot up my leg. I slowly sat back down, the conversation soon returning to normal. The only thing not normal was that for the rest of the dinner my stepbrother sat across from me, eyeing me, and playing footsie with me under the table.

  “Dessert was fantastic, Mom,” Logan said dropping his fork on his plate and picking up his mug of coffee.

  “Oh, no, don’t thank me, dessert was all Leah.” He looked over and then swiped his finger through the chocolate icing still on the plate and sucked the icing off his finger while looking me directly in the eyes. All that ran through my mind was his tongue licking chocolate icing from my body. I could feel heat rise to my cheeks as I studied the look on his face.

  He glanced at his watch and let out a large yawn. “This damn time difference is a killer.”

  “You’re more than welcome to stay in your old room,” Anna said rounding up the dessert dishes.

  I almost dropped my coffee at her suggestion. He couldn’t stay in this house with me across the hall. I looked up and met Logan’s eyes, but I knew what was written on my face and it was nothing but a plea, begging for him to stay. The rational part of my brain saying no, the slut in me saying yes. “No, Mom, I’m staying at the Hilton, near the airport off McGill Road. room three sixty-eight.” I hung onto his every word permanently storing that information in my mind.

  “Oh, honey, it’s such a far drive, are you sure you won’t just stay?”

  He didn’t answer right away, instead he looked at me, studying my face. “Yep, I’m sure. I guess I will see you all on Saturday!” He gently smiled at them before turning his eyes to me, then he stood from the table and grabbed his jacket. He nodded at me. Dad and Anna followed him to the front door and said goodnight where they waited until he had driven away.

  I was still sitting in my chair in the kitchen, fiddling with my phone, and drinking my coffee when my father and Anna returned to the kitchen. “Leah, help Anna with the dishes, please.” I ignored what he said. All that was running through my mind was Logan’s room number. I had a nagging feeling in my gut that I needed to see him, to clear the air once and for all over that damn kiss.

  “Leah, did you hear what I said.”

  I put my phone into my pocket, “Sorry, Anna, Dad, I have to go to the office. I got an email regarding a client.”

  “Leah, it’s eight thirty?” my father said. “And tomorrow is your day off.”

  “I know but it’s important, Dad.” I stood and kissed them both on the cheek then I grabbed my coat and purse from the hall closet and made my way out the front door to my car.

  As soon as I got into the car, I leaned my head back against the headrest allowing my heart to calm down. It was rapidly beating in my chest as I pulled the seatbelt across me and plugged it into the lock. The loud click reverberating in my ears. He wanted a damn Valentine’s Day letter; he would get one. I could feel the anger boiling in me, leaving me without saying goodbye after kissing me like he had. I had ten fucking years of buildup to get rid of. I started the engine and slammed the car into reverse pulling out of the driveway and speeding off before I lost my nerve.

  THIRTEEN

  Logan

  I opened the door, flipped the lights on and walked into my empty hotel room. My pulse hadn’t stopped racing since I had seen
her behind the fridge door. I struggled to keep my eyes off her, which was hard since I spent most of my time talking with her father as she sat in the background. She had grown into a remarkable woman, both smart and attractive even though she still infuriated me.

  I toed my shoes off and lay down on the bed, letting out a breath. I grabbed the remote and flipped the TV on, then pulled my shirt off and threw it down on top of my gym bag. I ran my hands over my face as I wondered if she would come to me, there was no other reason to drop the address and room number to the whole family.

  I was just about asleep when someone knocked on the door. I prayed that she stood on the other side of it. Although who did I think I was kidding, she still hated me and the very air I breathed. I climbed off the bed, walked over to door and pulled it open. My heart skipped a beat as soon as I caught a glimpse of that long red hair. She stood with her back to the door looking down the hallway. My eyes traveled down to her round delectable ass. I cleared my throat, and she quickly turned, a look of surprise on her face. I followed her eyes down my chest to the open button on my jeans. Her cheeks grew red as she stood there, and I couldn’t help but watch as her tongue darted out of her mouth wetting her lips. “Well, are you going to ask me in or are you going to be rude and leave me out here in the hall?”

  I stepped to the side and waved my arm for her to come in. She removed her coat as she walked through the door and threw it on the chair along with her purse.

  “So, you finally return home after all this time. Come back and be the perfect son.”

  “What’s your problem, Gingersnap? Jealous?”

  She let out a little laugh. “No, Logan, I’m not jealous. It’s just you waltzed back in here like you haven’t been gone for ten years and expected everything to be the same. What is it you want?”

  “I want nothing, well no, that’s not true, I told you what I came back for.” I smirked, pushing the door closed. I followed her into the room and leaned against the little desk.

  “You don’t honestly expect me to believe you traveled halfway across the country to get some stupid Valentine’s Day letter from me, do you?”

  “Yes, why wouldn’t I. You were the one who wrote all those years, and just suddenly stopped? So yes, I was curious why you stopped, and I want my letter.”

  “Logan don’t play it up like any of them ever mattered, because I know for a fact they didn’t. If they had, you would have written back or called, something.”

  “I’ve called,” I said holding my hands up.

  “Yes, to speak to your mother. You never called me after you left, you didn’t even make the time to say goodbye.”

  “As if it would have mattered?”

  I was quiet, he really thought it didn’t matter? Only I wasn’t talking about him not saying goodbye. I was talking about the two unforgettable kisses we had shared. I swallowed hard, “Yes, it mattered. Did it not matter to you?”

  He looked around the room and then ran his hand over his face, closing his eyes. “Really, are you blind, Gingersnap? Do you really have to ask me that? Have you not seen the way I have been staring at you all night? Did you not see the way I was looking at you before I left for school?”

  She swallowed hard and looked me in the eye. I could tell she didn’t know what to say.

  “I’ve seen the way your body reacts every time we touch, even before I left. That night in the kitchen, your body tensed at the feel of my lips on yours and I thought you might be stiff for weeks. I haven’t forgotten the way your eyes looked at me as the towel lay on the floor of the hallway, I wanted you so fucking bad, but you ran. I didn’t think you’d want to hear from me, but I remember, Gingersnap, I remember it all.

  “Tonight, I spent half the night flirting with you and the other half running my foot over yours, right in front of our parents. Don’t think for one second, I couldn’t see the way your pulse sped up. The way your skin flushed, pupils dilated, even the way your breathing changed, and this little spot right here,” I said reaching out and brushing my fingers across the soft skin of her neck, “This spot gives you away every time you get excited or embarrassed. That is how I always knew if I were getting to you.” He stepped closer and whispered, “And just so you know, those ‘stupid cards’ as you call them, they mattered more than you will ever know.”

  I felt my body tingle as I finished dragging my fingers across her soft skin. I knew I couldn’t hold back much longer; I could already feel the pain building from my cock being so hard. Her eyes traveled my body before making their way back up to my eyes, then I watched as she licked her lips.

  I stared at her, watching her, taking her in. For some reason I felt I needed to prove to her just how much those letters mattered. “Dear Logan, we had a great time tonight picking out the tree. You would have loved the hot chocolate, it contained your favorite little marshmallows, so I had the lady put extra in mine since you weren’t there. I guess you could say I had yours too. Too bad you gave up chocolate, you’ll never get to taste that combo again. Oh, and know that I am enjoying drinking all your mother’s eggnog and not having to share it with you this year. And just so you know, I came up with the perfect resolution for New Years, to forget that you ever existed! Love Leah. I received that letter the year I moved out.” Her mouth fell open as she realized that I had memorized her words.

  “You memorized my letters?” she asked shocked. I didn’t give her a chance to say anything else or to fight with me, instead I pushed her against the wall and took her mouth hungrily. Ten years of restraint had built up to this moment and now that she was within arms reach, I had to take her. I was prepared for a slap, or to be shoved away but she surprised me by wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me back.

  I wrapped my arm around her while my other hand fiddled with the buttons on her blouse, opening each one until I felt her warm skin against mine. A moment later, I undid the button of her jeans, reaching my hand down and running my fingers over her silk panties, she was already wet, and I felt my body shudder at the thought of sliding into her. She shrugged out of her shirt letting it fall to the floor and wrapped her arms around me tighter.

  I walked our intertwined bodies until the back of her knees hit the mattress and she fell back against the mattress. She looked up at me as I bent over her and took her mouth, kissing her again a little slower this time, while my hands explored her body. Her nipples were hard as I cupped her breasts, running my thumbs over them. I continued, sliding my hands down to her jeans and I inched both her jeans and panties down her body. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, I kissed the insides of her knees, making my way up her thighs, as I quickly slid out of my pants.

  “You have protection?” she whispered in my ear and looked up at me. I reached for my wallet that laid on the table beside the bed and pulled out the only condom I had. Thank god I had made the time to run back up to my apartment to get it.

  “You don’t seriously keep a condom in your wallet, do you?” she said giggling, “Oh my god.” She ran her hands over her face, shaking her head.

  I gave her a look, but she kept giggling as I tore the package open with my teeth. As I slid the condom over me, I glanced at her, she was watching me, a devilish look in her eyes.

  “Didn’t you ever take sex ed? You broke two rules!”

  I looked at her and smiled but I said nothing. I’d broken two rules, but I was also about to break three, the third being my rule, never ever to touch her.

  I pushed my forearms under her knees and pulled her closer. “Ready,” I whispered running my cock over her clit, she let out a moan that I felt to my very core. After checking once more to make sure she was ready for me, I positioned myself at her opening and slid into her, going slow so she could feel every single inch of me. She let out a gorgeous moan and cocked her head back. I ran my tongue over her nipple as I thrust into her again harder than before. I ran the pad of my thumb over her clit repeatedly as I continued to thrust deeply into her, her nails raking across my back.
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br />   With every pump I went deeper, and she moaned louder, and every time my thumb stroked her clit the wetter she became. She felt fucking amazing. “You going to cum for me, baby?” I whispered in her ear.

  “Logan, don’t stop,” she panted, as I felt her tighten around me. I could feel a rush of warmth as she let herself go, seconds later I poured myself into her.

  FOURTEEN

  Leah

  The smell of coffee roused me from my sleep. I opened my eyes and looked around the unfamiliar room trying to remember where I was. Rolling over, the intense ache I felt between my legs reminded me where I was, and then the memories of last night all came rushing back. We had spent the night fucking each other’s brains out and after that we shared a pizza and a couple of beers before two more intense rounds, and then we fell asleep wrapped in one another’s arms.

  My clothes had already been neatly folded and were laying at the bottom of the bed. Logan’s were stuffed inside his bag that sat across the room in the chair. I knew for a fact they hadn’t been left like that last night. I looked to the side table, a glass of orange juice and a croissant sat next to me. I glanced at the clock noting it was only seven forty-five.

  I felt the bed move and looked down to the end, Logan sat there fully dressed putting on his shoes. With the sheet wrapped securely around my upper body, I sat forward and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him. “Good morning,” I said breathing in his scent and kissing him on the cheek.

  He jumped up from where he had been sitting and grabbed his coat off the bed. Something was wrong, I could feel it. “Where are you going?” I asked swallowing hard and sitting back down onto the mattress.

  He could barely look at me, it certainly wasn’t the response I had been expecting or hoping for after last night. “Meeting some of the guys I went to school with,” he said.

  “It’s not even eight in the morning.” I looked at him, watching his body language, he was completely closed off. As he stood there, I suddenly felt very exposed and dirty. I reached for my clothes, the realization of what we had done last night hitting me again. I threw my shirt around me before dropping the blanket.