Wet, open-mouthed kisses were placed along my neck until he reached my lips and claimed them once more. My fingers tugged at his light coat and my palms slipped underneath, taking in as much of his broad chest as possible.
Unexpectedly, he released me from the hand that’d been holding me in place and slid it into the waistband of my yoga pants, hooking my panties and drawing them down. He released me long enough to slip one leg out before I was pinned between him and the tree once more.
The hunger that fueled us both threw me deeper into a wanton haze. I shoved his black running pants down and slid my hand between our bodies, wrapping my fingers around his hard, velvety length. With his mouth on mine, he thrust into me.
“So good!” he barked out, plunging harder and faster.
My eyes rolled back, chest heaving, legs wrapped tightly around his hips. His fingers gripped my ass, the pressure divine. Spiraling, I began to shake, thrashing in his arms.
“Stay. Away. From. Jax,” he demanded with each thrust.
What? Where the hell did that come from? I could hardly process his demand, but I knew it was ridiculous. He tilted my hips, sending his cock deeper.
I cried out, unable to control my impending orgasm.
“Promise me, Cassandra!”
I couldn’t answer. It felt so good—so perfect. My hands were tugging his coat up over his back, desperate to feel his skin.
“Promise me!” he called out again, irritating me that he was using this moment to make demands.
His lips devoured mine as I finally found my word and screamed, “No!”
My nerves were on fire, tightening and ready to explode. I should’ve pushed him away and proven that I wasn’t someone he could manipulate with sex, but I’d spent too much time the past few months doing just that. I was greedy now—taking what was coiling deep in my gut, exploding over him a moment later.
“Logan!” I screamed as my body began pulsating with spasms of ecstasy.
He was continuing to thrust, not yet having reached his own climax, when I yanked my legs free. He fought to hold me close, desperate for his release, but that wasn’t happening.
“Let me go!” My words escaped through gritted teeth, and he pulled away so quickly he nearly dropped me. He held his swollen cock, pumping it in his hand.
“I can see whoever the hell I want—including Jax.”
“Fuck!” he growled, his gaze shooting toward the sky. His hand slowed, erection softening into an angry red beast. It wasn’t fair of me, but then again he was the one who’d brought Jax into the mix.
After righting my bra, I bent down to pull my pants back on. With rough breaths and my head in a fog, I watched his eyes darken. A car passed by, reminding me I hadn’t paid any attention whether others had during our incredible tryst. Odds weren’t on my side.
“I’m going home. You can either come with me and we can talk things through, or you can stand there glaring at my back. Your choice.”
“I need to go pick Oliver up from my mother’s,” he explained more calmly than he appeared. His lips were pressed together in a thin line, jaw clenched tightly.
My brows pinched together. “I thought he was staying till tomorrow night.”
“Change of plans.” His pants snapped against his taut waist when he pulled them back up. “I’ll walk you home.”
“Logan, please talk to me. I hate this.”
He gazed at me a moment longer, then took my hand, guiding us back to the road.
“Things might go bad with this case, Cassandra. If they do, I want you far away from it.”
Tears sprung to my eyes as I took in his defeated expression. He knew about the DA.
“Logan—”
“I won’t go down for something I didn’t do. That won’t happen. But it looks like it may be a hell of a fight.” He pressed my hand to his lips. “I love you—nothing will ever change that. I just need time to focus on beating this, all right?”
“Yeah.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, needing to feel fully embraced by his strength. “Is that why you came home early?”
He nodded, holding me close as I rested my head against him. “I needed to see you. I don’t know when, but they’re going to bring me in for more questions. It’s getting serious. My lawyer’s doing everything he can, and I have a couple PIs looking into other possible leads. I need to focus all my energy on finding out what really happened to Kurt.”
My sobs were unrestrained. Logan drew back and reached out to cup my cheeks, wiping away the streaming tears.
“I’m not trying to push you away—I swear it. I spend every day lately talking to lawyers, private investigators, detectives, and my family, all needing to talk. I do trust you, Cassandra—more than most of them—but only you can give me what I need. Please don’t make me have to repeat every night to you what I’ve spent hours going over with them.”
His lips pressed to my own quivering ones before he continued. “When we’re together, I want to hold you, love you, and experience the solace I only find there during those fleeting moments in time. I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t. Anything you need—I’m yours.” My eyes closed, vulnerability uninhibited. “I don’t want to go to bed at night angry with you, or alone. I just need to feel like I’m not forgotten.”
He kissed me harder, resting his forehead against mine when he broke the kiss. My eyes closed, and I felt his words soothe every neglected part of me.
“Never. You’re with me every second of the day. Every night last week, when I got home, it was after two in the morning. The bar needed me there to close it down even though I had to be up at seven, and knowing I’d see your face before I went to bed every night got me through it.”
“Wait, what nights?” My eyes shot open, and I shoved back enough to fully see his growing smirk. “I never saw you. You barely even texted.”
“You really thought I wouldn’t stop over? I have my own key, you know.” He rattled his coat pocket. The sound of keys jingling caused my heart to swell and eased my soul.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I asked, my grin almost painful. Tears returned to my eyes, but at least they were the happy kind.
“It was your first week back at school. I didn’t want you to be tired.”
“So, what, you just peeked in on me?”
His gaze dropped to the ground. “Not exactly.”
I swallowed, unsure what else he could’ve done.
“I slept in the chair across from your bed. Set my alarm for an hour before you woke.” He sounded almost embarrassed.
“Why didn’t—”
“I just needed to be near you—refill my tank before another grueling day.”
My arms wove back around his neck. “Next time, climb in that bed with me. Promise?”
“Promise.”
I nuzzled his neck, drinking his masculine scent.
“I asked you a question last night,” he said, his voice tense.
My mouth ceased its actions, words stalling on my tongue. I was stunned he remembered. I lifted my head slowly, staring at the gentleness of his features.
“Logan, I…”
“Shhh.” His finger rested over my parted lips. “I don’t need an answer. I hadn’t planned on asking yet. But waking up to you there, knowing you believed in me, in what we have, and that I’d never hurt you with anyone—especially Natasha—was the most incredible feeling.”