Page 19

Nikki

“I ’m sure you’re pissed off,” Logan began, his tone half-apologetic even as his heated gaze took me in. “But,” he sighed and leaned back in his chair, eyes still fixed on me, “it was either stay in the bedroom and let her attempt to get her own water, hurting herself in the process, or let her see me. I guess I chose wrong.” He looked torn up about it, which made me feel like the bad guy.

“I’m not upset that you chose to keep Livvy safe,” I groaned and tightened the sash on my robe. “Now I have to explain to her why you were in my room.” Not that she knew anything about sex, but she knew that mommies and daddies slept together. Oh shit. I needed to tell him. I couldn’t put it off any longer. Last night Logan asked me to forgive him, and I told him I had. I believed him about the misunderstanding, and I wanted to move forward. But I needed him to offer me the same grace, which he might do. If I told him. Soon.

“Don’t worry about it, she understood that your bed is nice and soft. I neither agreed nor disagreed. I swear.”

A reluctant smile teased my lips. “Thank you, Logan. I appreciate it and this French toast is amazing.”

“Must be Livvy’s fingers. She got all up in that batter.” He let out a laugh that made me smile because it was such an affectionate parental type of laugh. “You sleep okay?”

I licked my lips and took another sip of coffee, ready to let the lie spill from my lips. But his knowing expression stopped me. “Decent. Too short.” My mind raced too fast to let me get any sleep.

“I noticed. Something on your mind you want to talk about?”

I knew what he was asking. What’s wrong? It was an obvious question considering I probably kept him up all night even during the rest periods between orgasms. I stood and put some distance between us. “No?”

Logan laughed and suddenly he was behind me, his lips on my neck and moving towards my shoulder. “You sure?”

I wasn’t sure about anything when he touched me. “Yes,” I hissed out on a shudder.

“Later,” he moaned and kissed me again right at the base of my neck. “Let’s talk about this robe.” He slid one side off my shoulder and kissed it. “It’s been making my cock hungry for you Nikki.”

God, the way he said my name sent shivers down my spine. I gasped when he spun me around and pressed his body to mine. “Didn’t get enough French toast?”

He laughed against my throat, the sound vibrated all the way down to my pussy, which was already hot and wet and vibrating with unmitigated need. I was greedy for what he was offering, whatever he was. “When your sweet cunt is an option, it is never enough.” One hand was fisted in my hair while the other gripped my throat, giving it a squeeze before it slid down my body and cupped my pussy. “You’re so fucking wet already. Been thinking about me touching you? Tasting you?”

“Always,” I admitted. Whenever he was near, all I wanted was for him to touch me. To make me feel good and sexy and desired. Logan felt so good between my legs, two thick fingers plunging deep. Slow and deep.

“I’m so hard for you Nikki. This perfect pink pussy, sucking my fingers the way you sucked my cock last night. Twice.” He scraped his teeth up the length of my neck and across my jaw.

“Yes!” My head fell back against his shoulder and my hips moved against his hand, sending his fingers deeper into my body. “Logan, babe.”

“I love hearing you moan my name like that.” His fingers plunged deeper and faster, pushing me closer and closer to the edge. “You hear that, how wet you are? How much your pussy needs me?”

“Yeah,” I moaned and pushed my hips forward. “More. Please.” My eyes were closed, and my body was on fire. Logan growled in my ear and nipped at the lobe, licking a fiery trail across my throat.

Somewhere in the distance a door smacked against the wall. Tiny feet stomped and the sound grew closer. Logan let out a disappointed grunt and stepped back, taking his sweet ass time as he slid from my body. His gaze sparkled with mischief as he pushed his fingers past his lips and groaned. “I owe you one.”

My legs shook and I gripped the counter until my knuckles turned white. “At least one,” I whispered, and he laughed just as Livvy barreled into the kitchen, a tiny ball filled with big energy.

“Mommy, can we make cookies today?” It was such a simple request, and it was exactly what I needed after the craziness of the past few weeks.

“We can, but first we have to figure out what we need and then probably head to the store.”

“You know it’s the twenty-first century and you can shop online and have someone delivery them to your doorstep?”

I laughed. “Yes, but I have a little girl who needs to learn what things like broccoli and tomatoes look like. Smell like.”

His smile grew. “Good point.”

She bounced on her toes and pleaded with me. “Can Mr. Rebel come?”

Without waiting for an answer, he shrugged. “Guess I better go get dressed.”

***

We went up and down almost every aisle inside the grocery store while Livvy pointed out items we didn’t need or would never need, definitely not to make cookies. Logan smiled the entire time, he never let out a frustrated sigh, and his gaze never looked beyond either of us when we spoke. It was endearing.

“Okay, it’s time to head home Livvy.”

I knew we’d been there too long when my daughter only put up a cursory fight. “Fine, Mommy. We can go.” She grabbed Logan’s hand and skipped beside him as we made our way to a checkout lane. She was so distracted by being Logan’s little helper she didn’t even beg for a candy bar from the temptation racks, which meant checkout went smooth. And fast.

It felt so normal, as if we often did our shopping together like this, as if we were a family. It could be, that ridiculous voice that still believed in fairytales and happy endings prodded. I shook off that thought and focused on the road, smiling as I listened to Livvy and Logan talk about which cookies they loved the best.

“Nothing with raisins. Ever,” Logan said dramatically.

“Yuck,” Livvy agreed. “I love chocolate. Always chocolate.”

Whatever she said next was drowned out by the sound of motorcycles. Lots and lots of motorcycles. My entire body went rigid as the sound drew closer until it was deafening. “Um, Logan?”

“I hear it. Keep driving and keep your eyes on the road. Livvy, you strapped in?”

“Yep.” For once in her life my little girl didn’t give a long-winded answer.

He turned to face Livvy. “You’re gonna be scared and that’s okay, but I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. Okay?”

She nodded. “I know,” she answered in a shaky voice that made my heart crack a little inside my chest.

My eyes were glued to the road, but I felt the oppressive presence of the bikers around us. They were too close, laughing and smiling as they terrified me. “Shit,” I shouted when one got too close to the car.

“Keep it steady,” he said in a gentle grunt. “If you hit them, oh well.”

“Yeah. Yep. Okay.” I nodded and kept nodding as the back window shattered and Livvy cried out.

The passenger window rolled down and I took my eyes off the road for just a second to see Logan grab the biker’s arm and slam his head against the car before releasing him. “Asshole,” he grunted.

“Shit!” In the rearview mirror I spotted the guy spinning out of control and several bikes, and cars, were unable to stop before they crashed.

“Mommy,” Livvy cried out.

“You’re okay, Livvy, just close your eyes sweetheart,” Logan grunted, trying like hell to keep his voice steady. He pulled a gun from his waistband and leaned half his body out the window.

I don’t know what he did, but several shots rang out and the guy beside me struggled to control his motorcycle before he went down, and that move was all that it took to get the others to back off. I applied more pressure to the gas pedal and white-knuckled the steering wheel.

Logan’s hand landed on my thigh, soothing strokes that slowly relaxed me. “Good job, Nikki.” He turned around and held a hand out to Livvy. “Okay? You can open your eyes now.”

She sniffled but I saw her nodding in the mirror. “I’m okay. Scared but okay.”

“That’s okay, I was scared too. Sometimes we have to do scary things.”

He couldn’t have said it any better than that, and my heart hitched in my chest, equal parts affection and guilt. He was a good man and he’d already shown he was capable of being a good father to Livvy.

And I was an asshole.

Something I planned to remedy as soon as we got home.