Page 34 of One Night Seduction (ONS #1)

Logan

I know I’m out of my goddamn mind. I have a twenty-one-year-old girlfriend who is still in college, is way out of my league, and oh, yeah, my ex-wife’s daughter.

I don’t care, though.

None of those little boxes are what Arianna fits into.

She’s like…air, forever constant and everlasting.

She breathes life into me, shaking me from the existence I thought I wanted and introducing me to one I really want to have.

I’ve been walking around numb to the world for longer than I’d care to realize.

Longer than I probably have the capacity to realize.

One night with her flipped my world upside down.

Then it was two nights, then it was days.

It was watching how kind she is to others, how passionate and creative she is.

How beautiful she is to her core and out.

I fell so goddamn fast, too fast, I know.

There isn’t any other way to explain it, though.

I’m here, shaken to my core, for the only woman I shouldn’t want, but the only one I do.

And she loves me too.

The high I felt when I watched those words escape her lips? Unparalleled. I’ve never experienced a feeling like that in my entire life. Relief mixed with joy mixed with anxiety.

Would I be good enough to keep her happy? Strong enough to hold us together? Could I become the man she deserves? I’m not sure about that last one, but I’ll fight until I’m bloody and weak every day of my life to attempt it.

I don’t want her to think this is a lust fueled fling.

I don’t want her to wonder if I’m just love bombing her to make her pliant and vulnerable for me.

Quite the opposite, actually. I love her fire.

I love her fight. It’s not a bratty mind game like what her mother used to play.

She stands up for herself; she speaks her mind.

That’s what makes her submission so sweet.

It’s a gift she’s giving to me, and not lightly, either.

To shed the tough exterior she tries to wear, the one she was forced to adapt to from a young age and allow herself to trust another person is easily one of the most difficult things I could ask of her, and she does it as simply as breathing.

Like her soul knows mine better than we know each other.

It’s corny and crazy and maybe I’m totally overanalyzing everything, but I just know I need her, and I’ll fight every day to make her as deliriously happy as she makes me.

I’m leaving the office, sending a text to Arianna that I want her ready for a date tonight.

I’m taking her to the best little Italian restaurant in Seattle because my sweet Sparrow is long overdue for a proper date.

I mean, we literally jumped straight over dating and went straight to living together and falling in love.

We’ve been living together for two weeks, and I still haven’t taken her on a proper date? Unacceptable.

As soon as I slide into my car, my phone rings. I’m surprised to see that it’s Tyson. I haven’t spoken to him since we left the lake house.

“Hello? ”

“Hey, what are you doing?” Tyson asks.

“Just on my way home.”

“Got any plans for the night? Was thinking we could grab a beer, watch a Crusaders game, or something.”

We haven’t gotten together to just hang out in a while. Months if I’m being honest. Tyson is always asking, but I’m always turning him down. I always have work, a business trip, or something that feels more important. I want to change that, though.

“I can’t tonight. What about next week?” I offer.

“Hot date?” he teases with a light chuckle that dies quickly.

I don’t respond because it isn’t needed. He knows why I can’t meet up with him tonight. Or at least has a suspicion. And his suspicion would be correct.

“You taking good care of our girl?” he asks.

“My girl,” I snap.

A raspy laugh escapes him as he sighs.

“Man, you gotta stop being so easy to rile up when it comes to her. Some might consider it a weakness.”

I let out a halfhearted grunt in response.

He’s not wrong. Wish I could help it.

“What is she up to?” Tyson asks.

“She should be at the house,” I say.

“Your house?”

“Our house,” I correct.

Silence settles between us, and I sigh internally, awaiting the judgment he is no doubt ready to deliver.

“She moved in? Already?”

“Yeah, she did.”

Another long pause comes, but I don’t attempt to fill the silence before Tyson speaks again.

“If you guys are happy, then I’m happy for you.”

I frown at that, taken off guard that he would be so…supportive. I’m not sure why I consistently sell him short. He’s always had my back, never not believed in me, and he seems to be the same with Arianna. My little brother turned out to be a great man.

“Thanks, Ty,” I say softly, pulling up to my house.

Arianna’s car is there, and though she already told me she was home, I still felt this unnecessary level of anxiety. Anytime she isn’t with me, I feel it. It’s already become extremely annoying, but again, I can’t seem to help it. Until she is safely wrapped in my arms, I can’t find any peace.

“Take care of her, Logan.”

“I will,” I promise before we hang up.

Looking up at the house, I see a silhouette pass the window before it backtracks. She looks down at me and smiles, waving excitedly in a way that makes me grin.

Fuck. I love that girl.

Reaching over to the passenger seat, I grab the bouquet of flowers that my secretary got from a flower shop downtown.

Blooming Deals? Something like that. Roses felt too cliché, so I had her get an arrangement of hydrangeas.

I remember how much she used to love to photograph the hydrangea bushes that were outside the house we lived in when I was married to Kelly.

As I step out of the car, hiding the bouquet behind my back, I don’t even make it inside the house before the front door opens and a barefoot Arianna walks towards me. She’s wearing a pair of jeans and a pretty black shirt that accentuates her curves perfectly.

“Hi,” she smiles.

“Hi, Sparrow,” I say as I pull her in with my free arm for a kiss, pressing my lips to hers before resting my forehead against her own.

“I got you something,” I say as I show her the bouquet .

Her eyes widen and a sweet smile spreads across her face.

“For me? Logan,” she says with a breathy voice as she takes the flowers, lifting it to her face to inhale. “I love hydrangeas.”

“I know,” I say with a small smile and a nod.

She lifts up onto her toes, placing a soft kiss against my cheek.

“Thank you.”

“It’s the least you deserve. We have two hours before our reservation tonight, so we better hurry because I plan to take up an hour and forty of that time.”

Her eyes light up with excitement as I scoop her into my arms, kissing her as I walk us into the house and kick the door shut.

We definitely didn't make our reservation in time.

Luckily, the owner is an old friend of mine and was able to fit us in last minute. I pull out Arianna’s chair for her as we sit underneath the Seattle sky, string lights covering the space above us as soft music plays from all around us.

A waiter comes over, lighting the candle at our table before rattling off the specials and promising to return soon. Arianna and I sit there staring at the menu for so long while she actively debates whether she wants the risotto or the chicken florentine.

“May I take your order?” the waiter asks.

Arianna’s eyes widen in panic, clearly still undecided.

“We will take an order of the risotto and an order of the chicken florentine. Can we also get a bottle of Pinot Grigio? Whatever is best.”

“Yes, sir,” he says before taking our menus.

Arianna watches him walk away in disappointment.

“I didn’t decide yet,” she says .

I reach across the table, holding her hand in mine.

“I know, that’s why I got both.”

She smiles softly. “You’re kind of the sweetest, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Never in my life.” I laugh. “But I’m glad you think so.”

Arianna nods as her eyes begin wandering around the space. It’s elegant yet intimate. It’s no wonder it’s been rated one of Seattle’s most romantic restaurants.

“I got you something,” I say as I pull out the thin box from my jacket pocket.

“Logan!” she laughs with a smile. “You have to stop.”

I frown as I set the box on the table.

“Why?”

“The flowers, the fancy dinner, the gifts. No need to butter me up, I’m already fucking you,” she says with a smirk.

A chuckle escapes me as I shake my head.

“The flowers are nothing, a simple gesture to remind you that I was thinking about you today. The dinner is essential, I have to keep my girl fed. The gift, well, it’s more for both of us than just you.”

She tilts her head curiously as she lifts the top of the box off, revealing a white gold chain with two diamond encrusted heart ends.

“It’s a necklace,” I say.

“How does it go on?” she asks, clearly confused by the unique construction.

Standing from my seat, I round the table, gently taking the necklace out of the box as I begin wrapping it around her neck.

“I don’t think you understand how in love with you I am, Sparrow.

These things that you say are too much don’t feel like enough.

I don’t deserve you. I’m painfully aware of that, but I will do everything from sunup to sundown, until my last breath, attempting to be worthy of your care, your affection, your love. ”

Her eyes shimmer with emotion as she looks up to me before down at the necklace. One heart sits higher than the other and she touches it gently.

“It’s beautiful, how is this for you, though?”

My fingers grip the longer heart, yanking quickly as the rest of the chain tightens quickly around her throat, effectively turning the necklace into a leash and collar.

Her eyes widen with surprise as her breath catches.

I keep the diamond heart in my hand as I lower my face to hers and speak slowly.

“Because it keeps you exactly where I want you, no more than a step away from me. Look around, Sparrow. Do you see all these prying eyes? All these judgmental gazes?”

She swallows, taking an inventory of the looks we are getting because there are a lot. Mainly snooty rich people who aren’t brave enough to actually go after what they want in life. Arianna and I have no such qualms, and neither of us is shy when it comes to putting on a show.

“Jealousy drips from them as they watch us. The men all want you, they envy me.”

“And the women envy me,” she says breathlessly, like that statement is somehow gratifying for her.

Her eyes swing back to me as she continues.

“They want this. A handsome, intelligent, strong man who will allow them to break apart into pieces. A man who will give them enough freedom to be an independent person, but enough boundaries to allow them a safe space to thrive. They want someone who will push them, break them, and then put them back together again.”

I pull on the chain a little, tightening it slightly as I tilt my head and cup her face with my free hand.

“Is that what I am to you, Sparrow? ”

She shakes her head in disbelief.

“More.”

Pride swells my chest as I lean down, pressing my lips to hers. That pride only expands as I do, proving to everyone in this world and the next that this incredible, beautiful, amazing woman is mine, and I am hers.

When we break apart, a smile graces her face. One that is so breathtaking it sends my heart racing. I hold her face for several more seconds, shaking my head with reverence before I reach down and loosen the necklace, returning it to its original form.

As I take my seat, I notice Arianna touching the chain gently before a knowing smile crosses her face.

“Do we have any plans after dinner?”

Yes, but I’ll change them in a heartbeat if she wants me to.

“What do you have in mind, Sparrow?”