Page 21

TWENTY-ONE

LOGAN

Holding her as she cried shredded me. Every sob was a sharp edge, cutting through my chest and leaving behind something raw and unfixable. I wanted to fix it for her, to take away every ounce of pain, but all I could do was hold on and hope it was enough.

I held her until her gut-wrenching sobs morphed into soft sniffles.

“Hey.” I leaned back, holding her face in my hands and using my thumbs to wipe away her tears. “Listen to me. You are not broken.”

Her chin wobbled, but she didn’t argue with me.

“I know just what you need.” When I stepped back, MJ’s brow crinkled. “Give me two minutes. Stay here.”

I scurried around the island, disappearing into the primary bedroom. The four-poster bed loomed in the center of the room, but I skirted around it and went straight to the bathroom. Tapping the lights, I fucked with them until only a soft glow from around the mirror shone in the room.

I plugged the soaking tub and scanned the small bottles of shampoo and lotion until I landed on bubbles and a small round bath bomb. In a pinch, it would have to work. I dumped the entire contents of the bubble bath under the spray of the tub and unwrapped the bath bomb before dropping it in with a thunk.

I looked around. No candles.

Steam rose from the bath, and I checked the temperature and set out two towels for her. It was simple, but hopefully it would do. I listened for her but couldn’t hear anything over the roar of the faucet. Satisfied that I’d done my best to make the lighting soft and the experience cozy, I turned off the faucet and went in search of her.

MJ was standing barefoot near the tall windows of the living room. Her curvy frame was so small against the massive blackness.

A protective urge danced through me.

Not wanting to startle her, I cleared my throat. “Hey, I think it’s ready.”

She turned, a small wry smile twitching at her lips. “What is it?”

“A hot bath.” I raised my hands. “Solo. Just something to help make you feel better.”

Her chin wobbled again and my mind raced. How had I fucked this up even more?

“Why are you so sweet?” she asked.

My smile cracked. “I have my moments.” I held out my hand. “Come on.”

MJ stepped forward, slipping her tiny hand into mine. I squeezed once and led her to the en suite bathroom.

She stepped into the dimly lit room and inhaled. “It’s so fancy.”

“I did my best.” My fingertips brushed the hem of her sweater. “May I?”

She looked at me over her shoulder and nodded. As I lifted her sweater, she raised her arms. My eyes flickered over the back of her cream-colored bra, but I pinned my gaze ahead. This wasn’t about me or my dick.

It was about her.

I took a small step back. She didn’t need my boner stabbing her as I undressed her.

She needed patience. Care. Tenderness.

My arms encircled her, stopping at the button to her jeans. “Is this okay?”

I watched the small muscles in her neck work as she swallowed and nodded.

My hands trembled as I unhooked her jeans, each brush of her skin against my fingers testing my control. This wasn’t about me. It couldn’t be. But every inch of her I uncovered was another crack in my restraint.

With an aching slowness, I peeled the denim down her hips. She wore a matching thong, and her ass was flawless in the soft lighting.

Fucking focus.

I lowered to my knees, pulling her jeans the rest of the way down her smooth legs. She stepped from them but stood facing away from me. My hands gripped her hips as I slowly turned her around.

On my knees, I looked up at her.

Her dark hair tumbled across her shoulders as she looked down.

Goddamn she is pretty.

MJ licked her lips, then reached behind her to grab the clasp of her bra. A better man would have stood and given her privacy, but my knees were rooted to the ground.

Her eyes never left mine as she removed her bra. Her nipples formed hard little buds, tempting me, only inches from my face. My hands kneaded her hips, stopping at the waistband of her underwear.

With a tiny nod, she granted me permission. A tiny sip of air moved through my lips as my cock groaned in protest. Slowly I hooked a finger into the band of her thong and lowered it.

She stepped from her underwear and stared down at me. From my vantage, she was strong and powerful. She was in control.

“Logan,” she said, her voice breathy as her hand moved across the back of my skull. I could smell her arousal. I knew exactly what she wanted.

Still, I shook my head. “Your bath is ready.”

A little smirk lifted her lips. “I’m already soaked.”

“ Fuck me ,” I exhaled. “How am I supposed to be a gentleman here when I can still remember the taste of your cunt?”

Her grip in my hair tightened as she inched forward, but her eyes were still red and glassy from crying.

My hands flexed on her hips as I steeled my resolve. “Tonight isn’t about that. It’s about getting the care you deserve. What you should have gotten in the first place.”

She stared down at me in silent disbelief.

I closed my eyes. “Just let me do the right thing. Let me do this for you.”

When I opened them, her hazel eyes had softened, glowing in the dim bathroom lighting.

I rose, holding on to her hand and guiding her into the massive tub. Her toes disappeared beneath the bubbly surface, and my eyes roamed over her naked body as she lowered herself. My fingertips dragged up her arm and across her shoulder.

MJ hummed as she sank lower into the water. She cracked open one eye. “You should get in.”

I shifted, adjusting my hard cock and chuckling softly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Siren.”

“Siren?” An eyebrow inched up her forehead.

I grinned. “Gorgeous women who lure sailors to their deaths. I know a siren when I see one.”

MJ scooted forward, leaving room behind her. “Come on. I won’t bite.” Her eyes flicked up to mine. “I trust you.”

Yeah, but do I trust myself?

I made quick work of pulling off my sweater and dropping my jeans. I hesitated only a second before stripping out of my boxer briefs and kicking them to the side. I slid into the hot water behind MJ. Her skin was warm and silky smooth against mine.

My dick was rock hard and pressing into her back. “Sorry,” I grumbled.

MJ’s soft giggle filled the air. “It’s fine.” She settled against my chest and let her head fall to my shoulder. My heart pounded against my ribs, and I focused on her slow, relaxed breathing.

Under the water, my fingers danced across her arms. She was nestled between my thighs, and her nails dragged delicate circles down to my knee and back up again.

“I’m sorry that I yelled at you,” she whispered.

My fingers continued their slow path up and down her arms. “You don’t ever have to apologize to me for being honest. Your emotions don’t scare me.”

After a long stretch of silence, MJ asked, “Is it true? What you said?”

Soothing heat eased my tense muscles. “Hmm?”

Our fingers tangled under the water. “That you still remember what I taste like?” My chest squeezed and my cock twitched against her back.

She giggled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

I kissed her wet shoulder. “Julep, I don’t think I’ll be forgetting anytime soon.”

In the large tub, MJ turned, careful not to slosh water over the edge. Draping her legs over mine, we sat face-to-face with her arms on my shoulders and my hands beneath the water at her hips. Thick bubbles filled the space between us, obscuring her body from view.

She reached up and leaned in for a kiss. It was soft and sweet.

“Thank you for this.” Her wet fingertips smoothed over my mustache.

I smirked. “I knew you liked the ’stache.”

She flattened me with a stare, a smile twitching the corners of her mouth. “You know what I meant.”

I stared into her hazel eyes, appreciating the way everything felt natural. Easy. “You deserve it.”

You deserve everything.

“Now turn back around. I’ll get your hair.”

MJ sucked her lower lip into her mouth to hide her smile, but she did as I told her. I washed and conditioned her hair, and she told me about meeting her father’s other family. I mostly stayed quiet, offering small noises of agreement.

“They were so ...” She blew out a small breath. “Nice.”

I smoothed my hands over her hair as I poured a cup of warm water over her strands to rinse out the conditioner. “That’s good, I guess.”

“You want to know the worst part?” she asked softly. I hummed to encourage her to continue. “One of the girls, Bianca? She had an old picture of my dad and her. He was teaching her how to ride a bike, and he looked so different . Younger, sure, but more like he was thrilled to be there. The only bike I ever got was a hand-me-down from Syl, and it was JP who’d taught me how to ride. We didn’t get that version of Dad, that’s for sure.”

She let out a disbelieving grunt, but it was laced with deep sadness.

How often had MJ been forgotten?

The thought gnawed at me. It was no wonder her emotions were all over the place today.

I moved her wet hair away from her shoulder and dropped a silent kiss on her warm skin. “You are strong, resilient?—”

“And tired.” She sighed, letting her head fall back.

I kissed her again before moving her forward so I could slip out of the tub. I snagged a fluffy oversize towel and wrapped it around my waist before holding one out for her. MJ rose like a siren from forbidden waters, and my mouth went dry. Heat crept up my back and I looked away, still holding out the towel for her. When she stepped closer, I wrapped it around her.

Giving us both space, I walked into the bedroom to throw on a fresh pair of underwear. I stopped to stare at the bed. It was turned down with a small plate of chocolates on one pillow.

“I think we forgot to put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door,” I chuckled, plucking a chocolate from the pillow.

MJ stepped up beside me. “Benedict is eerily quiet.” She looked around the room and out the French doors before tightening the towel around her breasts. “Do you think he’s still around?” she whispered.

I shook my head but grabbed my phone anyway. “Nah, I doubt it, but I’ll message him in the app that we don’t need anything until morning.”

She smiled and dressed in pajamas while I slipped into the bed. Her skin carried the scent of honey and lavender from the bath, and I pulled in a deep inhale.

She settled in beside me, her eyelids puffy from crying, but her smile was soft and her shoulders looked relaxed.

Satisfied, I leaned forward and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “Good night, Julep.”

She blushed and closed her eyes. “Good night.”

* * *

I couldn’t shake the knot in my gut. Trent had been my closest friend for years, but now I wondered whether I ever really knew him. The things he’d said about MJ ... I clenched my fists. There was no excuse for any of it. She deserved better. I wanted to protect her from that kind of cruelty, even if it meant reevaluating a friendship that had once felt unshakable.

I had played rugby at the Olympic level, pushed through injuries and bloody knuckles, busted lips, and swollen eyes. Still, nothing had ever been more difficult than sleeping beside MJ and not touching her.

Fine. When we woke up, tangled in each other, my hand was full of her left tit, but that barely counted.

“Mmm,” MJ groaned and stretched against me. She sighed and rolled over to look at me.

“Morning.” I tried to angle my face so my morning breath didn’t totally kill the vibe.

She hid her mouth behind her fingertips. “Morning.”

For a moment we just stared at each other, smiling. The rapid beeps of my alarm stole the moment from us, and I reached over to turn it off with a groan.

She seemed lighter this morning, her laughter more genuine, though the shadows of yesterday still lingered in her hazel eyes. It wasn’t like her pain had disappeared, but maybe she was starting to let herself breathe again.

“Big day today.” MJ blinked at me with a sleepy smile, and it was easy to forget that anyone outside of that hotel suite existed.

Only they did. Trent did, and he was expecting to show up for my match. “Yep.”

MJ stretched, her smooth leg rubbing against mine before she laughed. “What a waste of such a great room.”

I knew she was talking about the fact we hadn’t fooled around. “I don’t know ... I thought it was a pretty good night.”

She grinned. “Me too. I hope the rest of the team didn’t get too wild last night.”

I rolled to my back and rubbed my eyes. “If they did, it’ll be a lesson they won’t soon forget. Taking a hit when you’re hungover is punishment enough.”

Beside me, MJ hummed, but a soft sigh followed closely behind it. “You’ll have to let me know how it goes.”

I propped myself up. “Why wouldn’t you see for yourself?”

MJ looked up at me. “I just thought ...” She blew out a breath. “With Trent going, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be there.”

I frowned down at her. “He isn’t going. He might think he’s going, but he’s wrong. I want you there.”

The slow bloom of her smile squeezed my chest. “Really?”

I leaned down, not caring that both of us had morning breath, and kissed her. “Yes, really. I need my lucky charm out there today. Now get dressed before we’re both late.”

I stared into her eyes, searching. Neither of us acknowledged that it was a hell of a lot more than some ridiculous superstition. Because it wasn’t just superstition. With MJ in the stands, I played better, more focused. She grounded me in ways I hadn’t experienced before. Her presence was a reminder of everything I was working for.

MJ set her chin and, with a tiny shake of her head, scooted out of bed. I knew she understood.

The frenetic buzz of pregame energy whipped through me, but now it was paired with the fact I’d spent an entire evening with the most irresistible woman on the planet and nothing happened.

The match wasn’t just another exhibition—it was a chance to prove to myself, to the team, and to the press that I still had what it took. With every passing season, the whispers about my age grew louder. But I wasn’t ready to let go. Not yet. And not with her watching.

We were too close to admitting things we shouldn’t. For now, it was best if we kept up the facade that we were friends who occasionally fooled around rather than admit to myself how I was really feeling.

It was safer for the both of us that way.