Unsettled (28 page)

“Well, it’s actually really simple. I’ll tell you what I want, and then you do it.” At the moment, I liked Logan’s take charge attitude. In one way he was just like my Jack Hammer. He had no problem taking charge when necessary.

“So…what am I supposed to do? I asked. I was intrigued. Even though I still had on my shorts and shirt, I felt like I was wearing a full sweat suit. I was eager to follow Logan’s orders. My groin wanted to play along, too.

“Before we get started, put me on speaker,” he requested. I willingly did as he asked. “Okay, you’re live. What does Logan say?” I asked seductively.

“Logan says, put your imagination to the test.” I squirmed at his words. My imagination was always full of promise.

“I think I can do that,” I whispered. I felt a spark of pleasure at his demand. Not wanting to play the game on my own, I made a request of my own. “No game is fun when you play alone,” I said into the phone.

“You’re never alone,” he said. “Now take your shirt off. Show me your sexy body,” he ordered.

I took off my shirt under the dim lights. Logan was lying next to me, watching my every move.

“You look so sexy, baby,” he said, as I wiggled out of my shorts. He ran his hand down my side, making my skin tingle. Logan brushed his hand up and down my leg, slowly pulling my legs apart. I was on fire. I preened under his touch. Logan’s tongue traced tiny circles at the base of my neck, as he worked his way down to my nipples, teasing me seductively.

While kissing me, he rolled on top of me, positioning his body between my legs. With every movement, he knew exactly what my body needed.

His hands roamed around my lower half. Then his fingers found my favorite spot and I climaxed violently, groaning lowly, my chest rising and falling continuously. I slowly floated back down to reality.

“You there, babe?” Logan whispered. I’d forgotten Logan and I were playing a game. It was so real. I was slightly disappointed.

“Mmmhmm,” I answered. “You know I’m going to hate you in the morning for keeping me up this late right?”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, but it was worth it,” he chuckled. “Night babe.”

“Night,” I whispered back, clicking the end button.

I turned on my side, adjusting myself on my pillow. I was completely spent. Jack Hammer now had a new name—his name was Logan.

19

W
hile Logan was gone, Alex and I just chilled out, watched a couple movies, and sipped mojitos at a bar near Logan’s place. Of course, Alex nearly died at the sight of Logan’s penthouse. I, on the other hand, thought she was being a bit too dramatic. Jay asked to come over one night. Alex promptly sent him a text message back, shutting down his request with a “No Boys Allowed” sign she found on Pinterest. I practically peed my pants when I saw what she’d sent him. As much fun as Alex and I had during the few days Logan was gone, I was glad he was coming back.

Wednesday night Logan had texted me from Seattle with a pic of the space needle and a message that said: “Can’t wait to take you sky high again.” I’d blushed when I read that message. I guess the saying was true: absence did make the heart grow fonder. I couldn’t wait for him to be home.

I JETTED OUT OF
Copple promptly at 5 pm. It was Friday evening, and Logan’s flight landed in three hours. I briskly walked to the metro station and hopped on the train that dropped me off at Logan’s place. I’d stopped at the grocery the night before and got all the ingredients I needed to make a quicker version of the lasagna Logan liked. I wanted to show him how much he’d been missed. There was no better way to do that than a nice, romantic dinner. I’d even resurrected a cute one-piece lingerie from the bottom of my armoire for the occasion.

The elevator in Logan’s building seemed to be going at a snail’s pace. When I finally exited at the top floor, I hurried down the hallway and let myself into Logan’s penthouse. I was excited that this was the last night I’d be coming home to his empty place.

I headed into the kitchen, dropped my bag on the counter, and went straight to the sink to wash my hands. I took out all the ingredients I needed and found a baking dish in the cabinet. Forty minutes later the lasagna was finally layered and safely in the oven. I made my way upstairs and hopped in the shower. I took my time, washing my body and shaving.

After I got out of the shower, I slathered on lotion and perfume and pinned my hair to the side. For some reason I wanted to pull out all the stops. Logan had been gone for four long days, and I was ready for him to be home.

I made my way downstairs at ten minutes before eight. My phone buzzed on the counter.

“Hey you! Are you back?” I couldn’t hold the excitement out of my voice.

“Hey babe. Yeah, I just landed. I should be there in twenty minutes or so. I’ll see you soon.” I heard a hint of excitement in Logan’s voice. I liked to think I was the cause.

“All right, I’ll be waiting.”

We hung up the phone and I continued my surprise dinner decorating. I dimmed the lights throughout the penthouse. D.C. was gorgeous at night.

I stole two candles off the fireplace mantle and placed them on the kitchen table. I’d just finished laying out dinner and lighting the candles when I heard the front door lock click.

“Brooklyn?” Logan called from the front door.

“In the kitchen!” I hollered back.

After a few seconds Logan finally appeared. He was a sight for sore eyes in jeans, a T-shirt, and black leather jacket. Fire rushed through me as I took him in.

“Hey,” Logan breathed.

“Hey yourself,” I said back, feeling a little self-conscious in my ridiculously small violet teddy.

Logan walked over to where I was propped on the counter. “I see you’ve been busy,” he said. “Smells good.”

“Yeah, I thought I’d whip up something for you.” Logan leaned into me, placing his arms on either side of me.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said. He caressed my thigh with his fingers. His close proximity was making me breathless.

“I know. I wanted to,” I breathed.

“I like this little number,” he said, playing with the seam of my dress. “I missed you like hell, you know.” I smiled at his comment.

“I missed you too,” I said, uncrossing my legs. Logan stepped in between my legs and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I leaned in and kissed him softly.

“I missed your lips,” he murmured. He pulled back and put his hand in his pocket.

“I have something for you,” he whispered, sliding his hand into his pants pocket. I took in a strong whiff of his cologne, which I now knew was Lacoste Rouge. I’d secretly sprayed a little on the shirt I’d been sleeping in while he was gone. I was officially love struck. Had I been wearing panties, they would’ve melted from his smell alone.

“Really?” His thoughtfulness was appreciated, but I wasn’t in the mood for gifts, unless they were of an orgasmic nature.

Logan pulled his hand out from his pocket and dangled a tiny trinket in the air. A miniature space needle keychain hung above my head.

I smiled instantly. “Sky high?” I asked.

“As promised,” he responded.

Logan dropped the keychain on the counter and took me into his arms, bringing me in for a deep kiss. He kissed me as if we hadn’t seen one another in months, not days. I didn’t know how military wives survived while their husbands were gone. I had turned into a sex-deprived maniac in a matter of seventy-two hours.

I wrapped my legs around his back. His hands cupped my ass and I let out a low moan. He lifted me off the counter and walked into the living room.

“No dinner?” I asked as he carried me past the table.

Logan sat down on the couch with me in tow. He ran his hands down my arms, and then my thighs. His fingers found their way under my night dress. I tensed in anticipation, waiting for them to find one of my many happy places.

Our eyes locked. “The only thing I want at this moment is you. Only you,” he whispered as he leaned in to cover my lips with his.

AS WE DROVE DOWN
the George Washington Parkway the next morning I cracked my window and let the wind wisp through my hair. It was supposed to be a nice May day with weather in the mid-seventies. I adjusted my strapless mauve-colored sundress with jeweled flip-flops. I’d curled my hair into loose ringlets that hung near my shoulders. I didn’t know where Logan was taking me, but I had wanted to look presentable enough for whatever the occasion.

Life was good. Logan was back in D.C., Damon had finally left the East Coast, and Alex and I had a few days of girl time together.

Since we had been seeing one another, I felt like something inside me had come alive. It had been so long since I’d experienced the euphoria of a new relationship. Logan’s thoughtful gestures and remarks over the past weeks had begun to penetrate the armor around my heart—and I was terrified, but I could feel myself falling—hard.

We’d been on the road for nearly thirty minutes, and I was starting to get antsy. I pulled my shades from my face and looked at the destination sign in the distance. According to the freeway marker we were just outside McLean.

“So now do you want to tell me where we’re going? I mean, I think we’re going to need to stop for food and water in a few more minutes,” I said, fishing for a clue.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

True to his word, fifteen minutes later we’d exited the thruway and were cruising down tree-lined streets. After a few more minutes of driving Logan turned off the main road onto a narrow path, sprinkled with residential homes.

We finally stopped in front of a wrought iron gate. Logan’s keychain beeped, and we coasted through the gate and down the plush driveway.

A few seconds later the trees opened and a mansion loomed in the distance.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Home,” he answered, pulling into the circular driveway that stretched across the front expanse of the house. Logan’s home was more like a manor of sorts. His house reminded me of many of the homes on Amalfi Drive in Santa Monica—expansive layouts of sheer opulence, only Logan’s was bigger, and neighbors were unheard of. Logan wasn’t the flashy type, but his home screamed “I’m rich.” I hadn’t really envisioned what Logan’s place would look like, but I was quite surprised at the size of his “bachelor pad.”

Logan pulled our bags out the back of the SUV and I followed him through the front doors of the house. Logan stopped in the foyer, dropping our bags by the entrance. I grabbed my phone out of my bag and hung my purse on the rack in the corner.

The first thing that caught my eye was the open floor plan of his home. The main foyer was small, but quickly opened up into a massive formal dining and living area.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Logan offered. “I’m going to put our bags upstairs.”

I took the brief alone time to wander around the palatial downstairs of his palace. I moseyed around the exponentially large crème sectional that matched the cherry wood floors, and found my feet stuck. My eyes wouldn’t leave the magnificent view that I had of the Potomac River from his living room. I knew that he must have a magnificent view at night. Never in a million years did I think that I’d end up looking out over the Virginia landscape from Logan Colton’s living room.

I felt a hand tap my shoulder.

“Ah!” I screamed, clutching my chest. I spun around and was face to face with a kind-eyed woman with salt and pepper hair, dressed in a light blue maid dress.

“I’m sorry miss, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said in a soft voice.

“Brooklyn! What’s the matter?” Logan asked concerned as he rounded the corner into the living room where I stood.

“It is my fault, Mr. Colton. I didn’t mean to startle her.”

“Don’t worry Amelia, Ms. Caldwell can be very jumpy,” Logan responded. I knew he was referencing the day we met and how I would have likely clawed his eyes out if I thought he were a predator.

“Gee, thanks,” I said in response, with a small smile. I turned to Amelia. “I’m sorry I didn’t know there was anyone else in the house.”

“Well Ms. Caldwell, I will bring you a glass of lemonade, is that all right?”

“That would be very nice, thank you, and please, call me Brooklyn.”