11
LOGAN
F or a man who should be lying low, I took way too much pleasure in escorting Bloom into the trendy spot known for its gourmet brunches. I ran my hand possessively down to the small of his back, the sheer material of his shirt doing little to prevent skin-to-skin contact. The host did a double take, sweeping her gaze over Bloom. I didn’t blame her. He looked hot, something I’d never fixated on with partners. With Bloom, I couldn’t help but notice. Or appreciate it.
“Hi! Welcome to Hazel’s. We’re so happy to have you dining with us today.” The hostess’s perky smile revealed an even row of pearly whites. “Do the two of you complete your party?”
“Yes, just us two.” I pushed my thumb under Bloom’s shirt and rubbed it against his bare skin. His shudder was subtle, but I didn’t miss it.
“Have any preference for seating? We have tables available on the patio.”
“Inside is fine.” The climate was changing to cooler temperatures, and Bloom wasn’t wearing much.
“All right. Right this way, please.”
We followed the hostess through Hazel’s softly lit interior. Earthy tones and sleek lines wrapped the room in a cozy yet polished vibe. Curved leather booths lined the walls, each one set perfectly for intimacy. The ceiling, high and dark, contrasted with delicate, wicker-style light fixtures that cast golden patterns across the tables, filling the room with a warm glow.
“I think I’m a little underdressed,” Bloom said aloud.
“You’re perfect the way you are, sweetheart.”
“You’re just saying that because of all the skin you get to see.”
A small smirk played at the corner of his mouth as we slid into one of the rounded booths, the rich leather cool under our legs. The hostess handed us the menus, her gaze flicking back to Bloom once more, then left us alone.
“To be fair, I’m not used to you showing so much skin.” I took his hands, fiddling with the rings on his slender fingers. I’d never been turned on by hands before him. Never would I have expected so many firsts with him after all I’d experienced.
“This shirt was an order mixup I wasn’t sure I’d ever wear. But I dunno, I guess, I wanted to look sexy for you. All the other boys dress like this for their bikers, and they seem to love it. I don’t look ridiculous, do I?”
“Not at all, but just so you know, even when you’re not dressed like this, I still find you sexy.”
“Good, because I can’t promise I’ll dress like this all the time. It’s not that I’m uncomfortable, but it’s new, and I’m a little self-conscious about feeling…”
“Feeling what?”
“You know, sexy.” He squirmed in his seat, his face scrunching up in a frown. “I’m a biker—an enforcer. No one’s ever cared about what I look like, and I never cared what anyone thought either. But I like when you look at me as if you want to tear my clothes off and fuck me.”
A server approached him from behind but halted as though he wasn’t sure whether to back up or move forward.
“Just an iced tea and orange juice for now,” I said. Without a word, he nodded and beat a hasty retreat. “I think the whole kitchen is about to know our business. Let’s take a look at this menu. Pick whatever you want, and I’ll order for you.”
“Can you…read it to me?”
Shit. I’d forgotten he had difficulty reading. “Sure.”
I opened the menu and read through the options. “Green pea and mint soup with a dash of crème fra?che and homemade bread…”
“I don’t even know what crème fra?che is.”
“It’s like sour cream but richer and thicker. You might like it.”
He didn’t know half of what was on the menu, but I patiently explained. In the end, he told me to pick something I thought he would enjoy. He wanted to try something new, which I liked. There was so much I had to teach him.
I ran my finger down the menu, considering the options with Bloom’s tastes in mind. “How about a truffle omelet with parmesan, chives, and a side of roasted fingerling potatoes? And maybe we’ll add a smoked salmon tartine topped with avocado. That’ll give you something new without straying too far from flavors you know.”
“Sounds fancy.”
“Only the best for you. If you want, we can come here every week so you can try something new.”
“Really?”
“Yes, there’s a lot I’d like to teach you about, and food is one of them.”
“Why?”
Why was he frowning? “Why what?”
“Do you want to teach me new things? Is it because I’m stupid?”
What the hell? I dropped the menu and drew a sharp intake of breath. “Is that the way I make you feel?”
“It’s no secret I never did formal learning.”
“That’s not what I asked. Have I ever made you feel that way?”
“No.”
“Then I don’t want to ever hear that from you again. Sweetheart, you’re smart. You just lack experience. It’s not your fault other things took priority over your education.”
Bloom fell silent, weighing my words as he studied our intertwined hands on the table. Then slowly, more to himself than to me, he muttered, “You’re right…I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me. Sometimes I think what if you wake up one day and realize I’m not good for more than sex. But the sex is crazy good, right? Is it enough for you, Logan?”
“Bloom, I’m not with you just for sex. Do we have amazing chemistry? Sure, we do, but I love that I get to be the person you experience your firsts with. You think I mind taking you around and showing you stuff? I want to take you on your first plane ride and fly to different countries. To dine at the Eiffel Tower with you, to take the London tour bus and see the great sights, and to stroll through Tokyo’s cherry blossom parks.”
“All that traveling sounds scary.”
“I know, but I’ll be right there with you.”
He gave a nervous laugh. “It doesn’t matter, since I can’t travel without proper identification anyway.”
“That won’t be a problem forever.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m gonna marry you, Bloom.”
That stunned him into silence. It frightened me a little too. I had admitted that not just to him but also to myself. The moment the words had left my mouth, though, I knew they weren’t a mistake.
I would marry him and give him my name. He would never feel unwanted or like he didn’t belong ever again. And I just plain liked the thought of Bloom wearing my ring and having it written in ink stamped by the government that he was legally mine.
While he processed my words, I waved over the server and placed our orders. He tapped away on the tablet in his hand, repeated the order to me when he was finished, and I confirmed he’d gotten it right.
“Will have this ready for you in no time.” The server headed back to the kitchen.
“Do you mean it?” Bloom’s face looked pale under the soft lighting.
“With all my heart.”
Bloom’s breath hitched, and before I could say another word, he pushed back from the table. His eyes shimmered, dark and vulnerable, and without a second’s hesitation, he wedged himself right into my lap, winded his arms tightly around my neck, and buried his face into the crook of my shoulder.
I knew not to remind him we were in public, although the last time he’d sat on my lap in a restaurant, they had all but thrown us out.
He clung to me like he was afraid I’d vanish, digging his fingers into my back, his breathing uneven. The soft murmur of conversation around us faded as I held him close, one hand cradling the back of his head, the other wrapped around his waist, steadying him.
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” he whispered. “But don’t I need a last name first and official ID before that can happen?”
“There are ways to get a fake one to start.” It could be done and has been done many times. I was on my third identity. This one time, I could break the law. Only for him. “I can work on it for you. Is that okay?”
He nodded. “Logan, this is so exciting. We’re getting married.”
“Well, I’ll still have to propose to you properly.”
“Screw that. This is your proposal. You can’t take it back.”
“But you haven’t said yes.”
Good god, what was I doing? I hadn’t meant my words as a proposal. I barely knew him. Sure, I was madly in love with him, but there was a reason almost half of all marriages ended in a divorce. But if anything happened to me, I needed him to be well taken care of. All my assets would go to him, and if I died, I could go peacefully, knowing he would never cry again because he was only Bloom without a surname. He would be a Collier. A name I had to get used to, and now he would as well.
“Of course it’s yes. I’ll always say yes to you, Logan.”
So… we were engaged now? It felt anticlimactic, as if something bigger should have happened.
Brunch had definitely taken an unexpected turn. I should downplay the whole situation and take my words back. Rings were a vital part of a proposal, right? And we didn’t have one. I hadn’t gotten down on one knee either, and the way I’d asked—well, more like told him I was going to marry him—wasn’t exactly how one asked someone to marry you.
But I couldn’t summon the words to make a joke. It wasn’t a joke to Bloom. Not to me either. I wanted to live with him, to take care of him for the rest of his life. He’d swept into mine a fighter, a tightly wound tiger ready to attack, but I liked to see him this way—all soft and vulnerable in my arms.
“How about we go ring shopping after brunch?” I said.
“Screw that. Let’s go now.”
Laughing, I squeezed his thigh. “There’s the server now with our food. Be a good boy and sit.”
“But I am sitting.” He wriggled his ass in my lap and tightened his arms around my neck. “I’d rather stay right here.”
“We might make others uncomfortable. The sooner we finish our meal, the sooner we can go shopping.”
He sprang off my thighs and returned to his seat. His cheeks were full of color, and his eyes were shining. I loved how happy he was.
He raced through the meal, so I had to tell him to slow down. “I don’t want you to choke before I get a ring on your finger.”
“You’re right.” He took bites with more restraint. It was funny, cute actually, how eager he was, but he didn’t budge on my suggestion we should try dessert. He was having none of it with his desire to go ring shopping as if he thought I would change my mind. Giving up, I requested the bill.
“Are you going to use the money the state gave me?” he asked.
I frowned, taking out my credit card. “Why would I use your money? That’s yours. When you’re with me, you never have to pay for anything. I have more than enough for both of us.”
“But that’s not fair to you.”
“If you want, you can contribute to the tip.” A compromise was good, but I refused to take his money to pay for a meal I’d invited him to.
“I can do that. Crowe gives me an allowance that…”
“He doesn’t need to do that anymore.”
He chuckled uneasily and ran his fingers through his hair. “Sure, I’ll tell him, but we all get money for chipping in and helping with club business.”
“That’s fine, but he doesn’t need to take care of you. That’s my job now.”
“Okay, Logan. Can we get my ring now?”