Page 49 of Best Kept Secret (The New York Thunder #3)

LOGAN

A s I walk out into the great room, I’m stopped by the sight of Millie in the kitchen, socked feet, wearing nothing but one of my old practice jerseys, her damp hair piled high on her head as she busies herself with the dinner she’s gone to the trouble of cooking for me.

I lean against the wall, arms folded across my chest, just watching her for a moment, a smile playing on my lips because if someone would’ve told me six months ago that this is what my life would be, I’d have laughed.

I wasn’t the biggest player out there, but I had my fun.

At least, I thought I was having fun. I told myself I was having fun.

But really, I was lonely. Lonely and lost. Missing something.

Who fucking knew this was what I was missing.

Pushing off from the wall, I pad across the room, coming up behind Millie and wrapping my arms around her waist. She relaxes into me and I duck my head, pressing my lips to the soft skin at the base of her neck, lingering a moment to breathe her in.

“Baby, that looks so good,” I murmur against her skin.

“I just hope no one dies or ends up in urgent care,” she says. “ I have a major case of chicken anxiety, so it’s probably going to be way overcooked but salmonella-free.”

I chuckle, squeezing her in my arms.

“Are you okay?” I ask after a beat.

Turning her head, her pretty green eyes meet mine, and there’s a flash of confusion in her gaze.

“I didn’t hurt you?” I splay my hand over her lower belly, gently massaging her.

A small smile curls her lips, her cheeks flushing pink in understanding, and she shakes her head. Fuck, the way my heart reacts when she looks at me like that. She’s perfect. My perfect fucking girl.

Turning in my hold, Millie reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck, gazing up at me. “I can’t believe you convinced me to have sex with you while I’m on my… period.” The way she whispers the word like it’s going to disgust me is adorable.

“Was it as horrible and disgusting as you imagined?” I smirk, already knowing the answer.

She flushes again. “It was amazing. And surprisingly not gross at all.”

“Well, I’m not one to say that I told you so, but…” I sass, quirking a brow.

She offers me a withering stare in return, and I press a chaste kiss to her pursed lips, and then, just when I’m about to pull away, she hugs me a little tighter, burying herself against my chest, and I don’t know why, but I can tell she needs this.

“You okay?” I whisper against her temple after a few long moments.

“I just… I missed you.” She sighs.

“I missed you too.” I kiss the top of her head.

“I also need to talk to you,” she murmurs, looking up at me.

Her gaze flits between my eyes, and I see something, a flash of fear or worry that’s gone almost as quickly as it appeared, but I saw it, and I don’t like it one bit.

“Baby?” My brows tug together. “What’s wrong? ”

“No, it’s… it’s nothing,” she assures me. “I mean, it could have been something. Something really bad. But it’s nothing. I promise.”

“Millie,” I press. “You’re scaring the shit outta me.”

“Well, I was going to tell you, but then you came in and seduced me.”

I roll my eyes at her deflection.

She hesitates, rolling her lips between her teeth. “Look, everything is okay. I just—” She sighs again. “I just need to be honest with you. And I’m sorry that I wasn’t, I just didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”

Panic surges through me because what the fuck is she talking about? “Baby, you’re really fucking scaring me right now.”

“I quit my job.”

I rear back at her admission, confused. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t that. I can’t help but smile because I hated that fucking job almost as much as she did. How was she this reluctant to tell me. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Not really. It was reckless and impulsive and—” She shakes her head. “And no job means that I go back to Texas.” Hey eyes flash with an overwrought sadness. “Which means I leave New York. I leave… you .”

“Over my dead fuckin’ body,” I object immediately, and just when I’m about to go on a rant, she reaches up and presses a finger against my lips, stopping me with a knowing smile.

“I had an interview today,” she says. “And I got the job.”

“You what?” I huff an exasperated laugh because what? “You mean to tell me I’ve been gone for five days and you have a whole-ass new job?”

She nods, biting back a smile. “I’m going to be working with Hannah at SNN.”

“Holy shit,” I say on an exhale, surprised at that new development. I knew she and Hannah were getting friendly, but I didn’t realize they were that friendly. A proud smile slants my lips. “My girl working at SNN.”

Millie rolls her eyes. “I mean, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, it’s literally an assistant role.”

“That’s amazing, Red.” I squeeze her again. “I’m so damn proud of you. But what made you quit so suddenly?”

She hesitates, dragging her teeth over her bottom lip, and I don’t like the pause.

“Millie?”

With a deep breath, she tells me everything.

About her boss, Caroline, and how she was fucking her superior.

And how Millie interrupted them. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, she tells me exactly what Caroline said to her, the grave words of warning that if Millie didn’t get the hell out of Hyde and Mercer, she’d eventually wind up in the exact same position, being fucked over by the assholes that work there, literally and figuratively.

And a newfound ire bleeds through my veins, my fists clenching with the need to get in my car and drive straight down to Wall Street to kill a motherfucker.

“Baby,” I say slowly, trying to tamp down the anger that’s broiling in my gut. “Did anyone try to hurt you or touch you while you were there?”

Thankfully she shakes her head, and I can tell by the look in her big eyes that she’s being honest. “No. I promise.”

I relax some, the tension in my shoulders easing with a hard exhale. “You did the right thing.”

She nods. “I’m just so thankful for Hannah.”

I drag the back of my fingers over her cheek, my thumb sweeping her soft skin so gently, fucking enamored of her.

She’s my whole world. More than my world.

She’s my everything and my reason for being.

“Baby, I know you want to stand on your own two feet. You’re so damned determined, and I fucking love that about you.

But I need you to know that you’re my girl.

And you never need to worry about having a job, or money, or any of that bullshit, because I’m always gonna have?— ”

“Logan, I—” This time I stop her, placing my fingers against her lips, silencing her. She deadpans because she’s a little brat, and I chuckle, pressing my lips against hers.

“I know, Red,” I assure her because I do know. I know exactly what she was going to say, and I get it. “But, baby, you’re mine. And I’m going to be there for you no matter what. We’re a team now. And you are gonna fuckin’ crush it at SNN.”

Tears shine in her eyes, and she offers me a watery smile. “Even though I know nothing about sports?”

“Even though you know nothing about sports.” I grin. “Plus, don’t forget. You got me now. I can be your study buddy.” I waggle my eyebrows suggestively, making her giggle.

Wrapping her arms around my neck, she buries her face in my chest, releasing a contented sigh.

“Is that all you needed to tell me?” I whisper, pressing a kiss to the top her head.

“There’s one more thing,” she says cautiously, looking up at me.

“Oh, God.” My eyes blow out. “What else?”

She hesitates before finally saying, “We need to talk to Dallas.”