Page 9 of Hot Pursuit (Love To The Rescue #1)

SIX

LOGAN

I had no idea how I got any sleep.

Hearing that I was her first kiss had almost made me come in my pants like some fucking teenage kid without any self-control.

I’d impressed myself by tucking her body into mine and keeping my damn paws off her.

I’d been more than ready to give her every single first, but I wanted her to be sure.

To get to know me and never look back at what we’d shared with regret. Because I was going to keep her.

She was mine. My forever.

If she hadn’t shared about her inexperience, I would have guessed it with the way she blushed every time she caught me staring at her and in the sweet way she kissed. Tentative and waiting for instruction.

I’d been keeping a close eye on her all day long.

I could tell she was in pain, but as sweet and shy as Violet was, it turned out she had a stubborn streak a mile wide. She kept telling me she was okay. Blushing at me, so I knew what she was thinking about.

Our early morning kiss.

A kiss I wanted to have again and again until we both lost count.

Shit, it felt like a first for me, too. And last. Vi was mine.

She shifted on the couch, and I could tell she was hurting. Not that she would admit it. But every little expression she tried to mask was a dead giveaway. I’d insisted we should stay in bed, but she refused. Once again repeating she was okay.

If it had been up to me, I’d have taken her back to my bed and would have handcuffed her there.

I shook the thought away. Not that I didn’t want to make it a reality.

Hell, it would be one day. But it hadn’t been a full twenty-four hours since we met.

It was only a matter of time until I made every little fantasy that kept popping up in my head come true.

Mine and hers. It was no longer if I’d make her mine but when . That kiss had sealed her fate with me.

“How about I make us some lunch and give you a pain pill?” I asked when the show she’d turned on went to a commercial break.

She had refused one after breakfast saying she didn’t want to feel groggy, and I’d let her.

But I didn’t want her to be in pain. Just the idea of her sitting there, hurting and not letting me help, had me on edge.

“Oh, I can help—“ She started to rise on her feet, but I hurried towards her and kept her in place.

“You’re not going anywhere, Vi,” I ordered. She frowned, her eyes focused on the middle of my chest. “Vi?—“

“I don’t want to be an inconvenience,” she whispered so softly I almost missed it. Fucking hell, my girl was so damn sweet.

“Hey, none of that. Look at me, princess.”

“You shouldn’t call me that,” she pouted. I fought a smile. Fuck, she was adorable.

“Why not?” I gently asked. She bit the inside of her cheek.

“I’m the farthest thing from a princess,” she huffed, and my brows bunched. I didn’t like the idea of her thinking badly about herself.

“Look at me,” I ordered a little sterner, glad that she did as I asked. “I shit you not, it shocks me no one has called you that before,” I hoarsely shared, and a sassy little brow rose.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It surprises the hell out of me your parents didn’t name you that, because that’s exactly what you look like, baby.

” I swallowed and kept talking, “I rushed to the scene. I was in one of the cars that were chasing after that dipshit, and I am not kidding you when I had to take a step back from the shock I felt looking at you,” I admitted sincerely.

I couldn’t tell if she believed me or not, but she blushed at my words either way.

“Now, back to the first thing. This is something you have to pick up on and really get. You are not an inconvenience. Not now, not ever.”

“But you’re stuck taking care of me on your day off instead of?—“

“No one is making me do anything. I can call my mom, and she will happily tell you that since I was about two, no one has ever had any luck in making me do anything I didn’t want.

I offered to watch you because the idea of walking out of that hospital without a way of getting ahold of you scared the hell out of me. ”

“Logan,” she whispered and blinked.

“It’s true. I’m a grown man, and I don’t play games.

I call things how they are; it’s something I know can get intense.

But you need to know that to me, you are never and will never be an inconvenience.

I think it’s a fucking privileged honor that you’re letting me care for you,” I laid out.

She stared at me for a long moment, those beautiful wide eyes unblinking until a soft smile graced her face.

“You’re too sweet, Logan,” she said quietly. I winked at her.

“Don’t tell anyone. It’ll mess up my reputation,” I teased and earned a bigger smile from her. One that reached those pretty eyes of hers. “Now, how about you eat some more of the snacks I brought out, take a pain pill because seeing you wince hurts me, and rest while I make us lunch?”

“What if it knocks me out and I fall asleep?” she pouted. I stroked the side of her face.

“Then I’ll eat your sandwich and make you another when you wake up,” I suggested.

Her lips twitched slightly enough for me to be hopeful she would give in.

“Please, princess? Rest. For me? It took you a minute to fall back asleep after that nightmare last night, and you woke up early this morning.” She simply looked up at me with those beautiful puppy dog eyes.

Fuck, I was in trouble.

I knew if she pressed the issue, I would give in and make her sit on the kitchen counter while I prepared lunch.

Her pretty gaze dropped to my lips, and she licked her own.

Probably thinking about what happened this morning and how we had fallen back asleep.

I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to tell her no.

Thankfully, my girl gave me some grace.

“Okay.” She nodded. Before I got up from kneeling in front of her, she reached for my hand, and I tangled our fingers together. “Thank you, Logan,” she said in a tone that had my body turning warm and fuzzy from the inside out.

It was how I knew she was different. This wasn’t a beautiful woman I simply wanted to fuck. Hell no, Violeta Perez was mine. The woman I had been too chicken shit to ever try and dream up. And I’d be damned if I let her slip through my fingers.

After making sure she had a couple more crackers with cheese and something to drink, I watched her take her meds. She asked if I was sure I didn’t need help, and I told her I had it covered.

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, when I walked into the living room with two plates of grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches with chips, she was knocked out on my couch.

I set the plates on the table, covered her up with a throw blanket, and sat next to her.

I had just finished my sandwich when her phone rang.

I didn’t want to wake her up, so I grabbed it and stood, making my way to the kitchen.

“Hello,” I answered and waited. “Hello?”

“Who’s this?” a lecherous voice sounded.

“I’m thinking I should be asking you that.” My teeth gritted together. What if this was her man and she hadn’t said she was seeing someone?

“You with Violet? That why the little bitch didn’t want to stay after work yesterday to get me off?” Her skeezy boss.

“Listen here?—“

“No, you listen, buddy. Tell the frigid little ice queen she’s fired. I was going to give her another chance Monday morning. But I see now she just left early to get her rocks off with some other fucker. Be careful. She might freeze your cock off.”

“Listen—“

“Tell her not to bother coming to pick up her shit. It’s getting tossed.” I tried to keep my cool. What kind of fucking parasites had my princess had to deal with? Something told me she’d dealt with worse fucking assholes than I did on a day-to-day basis.

“I don’t know who you think you are but?—“

“Listen, bud, take my advice. Dump the little bitch. She’s more work than she’s worth.”

“You fucking?—“

“I get she’s probably cherry tight being a virgin, but no bitch is worth that kind of effort.” With that, the douchebag ended the call. My hand wrapped around her cell as I tried to calm down. My blood felt like it was boiling in my veins. I ran my fingers through my hair and tugged at the ends.

My beautiful girl, the woman of my dreams, had been out there in the big bad world all alone and without protection. Dealing with assholes like that all so she could get by. I shut my eyes and breathed as deeply as I could. I couldn’t change her past, but I could protect her future.

Violet would never have to deal with a dipshit again. Not on my watch.

Almost as if life was testing my devotion, her phone rang again. I looked at it and knew it was her roommate.

“Hello,” I answered, my jaw clenched tightly.

“Who is this?! Where is Vi?” a woman’s voice screeched.

“She’s resting. She had an accident yesterday. One you were informed of,” I pointed out, and she scoffed.

“She’s had a man this whole time and never told anyone?” she squawked. I shook my head. That’s what she is worried about?

“Can I help you?” I asked through my teeth.

“Tell her I found someone to take her room, and I need her to come get her things. Now.” That selfish little bitch.

I’d never been tempted to hit a woman, but I had a feeling if I met her face to face, she’d grate my nerves.

She knew what Vi had been through and still felt no compassion for someone she shared her home with?

“I know all she lives out of are three boxes but?—“

“What’s your address?” I growled, done with listening to her spew her shit.