Chapter 16
I t was probably the worst time in the world to bring this up, especially with the taste of her still on his tongue. But Logan was done with putting things off. When they had been at dinner with his parents and he had told his good news about opening a gallery in Cedarville, Melanie had not immediately looked happy. In fact, she had looked disappointed. And the last thing he ever wanted to do was disappoint Melanie.
“What are you talking about?” she asked after she was fully dressed and sitting back down.
He joined her on the couch, turning sideways to face her. “Why do you not like the idea of me opening a gallery here?”
She gave him a confused look. “Why do you think that?”
“You forget...I know you. Every expression, every crease on your face and every bite of your lip. I’ve been studying you for years, Melanie Hughes. Even if I didn’t know it.”
She sighed and curled her legs up under her on the couch. “It’s not that I think it’s a bad idea. I just...I think you are settling.”
“Settling? How is living in the town I love and being with you settling? You already know that I am sick to death of traveling.”
“I know that.” She reached for his hand. “You say you are ready for this big change but, Logan, you love being behind your camera taking photos. If you open a gallery, you are going to have to run it. And while I love you, you suck more at paperwork than I do.”
“I wasn’t planning on doing the –” He stopped mid-sentence and thought back on what she had just said. “Umm, did you just say you love me?”
Her eyes got huge when the realization that she had hit her. “I...I...”
“Cat got your tongue?” He smiled and watched her go from freaked out to pissed. He loved annoying this woman. Hell, he just loved her period.
“So what if I did.” She dropped his hand. “What are you gonna do about it?”
He picked her hand back up and scooted forward. “Hope to hell that you meant it so that when I tell you that I love you back, you don’t hit me.”
Her face softened. “You love me?”
“What do you think this has all been about? When I said I wanted you, it wasn’t for just a fling or just sex or hell, just for a girlfriend.”
There were tears in her eyes. “I wanted to believe that, but you have been so careful not to say it, that I started questioning it.”
“Don’t question it. Ever.” He wiped her tears away with his thumbs and kissed her. “I love you. But more than that...I need you.”
“I love you too,” she said, her voice strong. “And I don’t want to fuck this up.” Her eyes closed. “I’m so afraid I’m gonna fuck this up.”
“I won’t let you. Look at me.” She opened her eyes and he moved so that his face was inches from hers. “I don’t have all the answers. Hell, I probably never will, but I do know that together, you and I are stronger. And we can do this. Let’s let love win just this once.”
She leaned her forehead against his. “It’s not fair, you know, you being so good with words.”
A smile curled his lips. “‘I’ll teach you. After all...we have forever.”
Their mouths came together in a sweet, tender kiss. While he wanted to linger and take it deeper, they still had things to talk about.
“Back to me having a gallery in Cedarville.” He pulled back. “I wasn’t planning on running it.”
“You weren’t?”
“Hell no.” He laughed. “I am no businessman. I think we all know that.”
“I know. Just the thought of you doing that about had me in hives. You’re a free spirit and shouldn’t be tied down to that.”
“Was that the only thing you were worried about?” The look on her face told him no but that wasn’t the answer she gave him.
“Yeah, that was it.”
He made the decision to let it go. If he knew anything about Melanie it was that she would tell him in her own time and own way. Pushing her would only make it worse.
“Did you have someone in mind to run the place?” she asked.
“I do.” This had come to him almost at the same time that opening a gallery had. “I was thinking about my mom.”
His mom had always worked here and there when he and Brandon were growing up but she had never had a full-time job. And now that his dad was retired, he knew for a fact that it was driving her crazy that he was home every day with her.
“Oh, I think that’s a great idea! Your mom would be perfect.”
He was elated that she felt that way. “I know and I think it might be good for her.”
“Your mom could run a business with both hands tied behind her back. But do you think that is something she would want to do?”
He shrugged. “No idea, but I thought I’d ask and see. If she says no, I’ll hire someone else.”
“So you’re really going to do this. Open an art gallery here in Cedarville?”
“I think so. There’s still a ton to figure out and it’s going to take time to get it up and running, as you know.”
“Boy do I,” she said. It had taken over six months for Carly and Mel to open the dance studio after they’d purchased the building and they had worked their asses off.
“I’m gonna need all your help and advice on how to run a business, you know?”
Her face lit up. “You’d want my help?”
“Hell ya. You have experience and I have none.”
“Is that all you need me for...my business sense?” Her eyes hinted at humor.
Leaning forward, his lips found their way to her neck. “I need you for so much.” He felt her shiver under his mouth.
He was forced to stay right there when her hands gripped his hair and held him to her. Didn’t she know that he had no desire to leave?
“Are you ever going to have sex with me.” she said breathlessly.
Pulling back just enough to look into her eyes, he said, “We will make love and we will fuck but hear me when I tell you, it will never just be sex.”
“When,” she said urgently.
He went back to kissing her neck. “When I say so.” He smiled against her skin because he absolutely knew what was coming.
And when she slapped his arm, he laughed.
“Why the hell does it get to be on your schedule? Who made you the fucking king?”
Damn he loved this woman.
“You want me to be in charge. You need me to be.”
“Really? You’re gonna basically quote a Tom Cruise movie now. In this moment?” She was using her hands while she spoke.
“You love that movie.” He laughed and so did she.
“It’s a little annoying that you think you know everything about me.”
He studied her, taking in every feature. Her face was like a photograph in his mind. If he closed his eyes he could point out every piece right down to the tiny freckle under her left ear and the slight crookedness of her nose.
“Close your eyes,” he said.
“Why?”
He sighed. “Just trust me and close your eyes.” When she did he took her hands in his. “Tell me what I look like?”
“Logan.”
“Just do it. Please.” He saw her body relax.
“You have brownish blond hair and blue eyes.”
He shook his head even though she couldn’t see him. “No, tell me what you notice when you look at me.”
She scrunched up her face like she was thinking but then it relaxed and a smile broke out. “You have this one piece of hair, halfway back on your right side and it’s much lighter than the rest of your hair. And your left ear lobe is just slightly longer than your right. Oh, and when you smile, unless it’s a full-on smile, the right side of your lips barely turn up. It’s ridiculously sexy.”
He loved hearing her describe things about him that probably no one else in the world had ever noticed. “Now, what’s my favorite food?”
“That’s easy. Hamburgers but only if they have pepper jack cheese on them.”
“And my favorite beer?”
“Ugh, Guinness even though it’s disgusting.”
“And if a bar doesn’t have Guinness, what do I get?”
“Any stout that’s on tap or you go with Scotch. The good stuff. Nothing cheap.”
“See how well you know me?”
She opened her eyes. “I never realized I knew all that stuff about you. Especially,” she lifted her hand to his ear, “about your facial features.”
“We know each other, Melanie. There is nothing we can do about that. And the more time we spend together, the more we will learn. And I for one, can’t wait.”
“It is kinda nice that I won’t have to explain my moods to you.”
He laughed. She had never really been a moody girl, and for that he was thankful. Carly was moody enough for the world, and dealing with her took all his energy. “Are you staying?” He knew his question came out of nowhere, but he’d been craving having her in his arms for a full night since that first time.
“I’d like to,” she said tentatively, “but I didn’t bring any clothes or my stuff for work tomorrow.”
Standing, he took her hand in his and forced her up too. “I’ll get you home early enough to be ready for work.” He took two steps, her right on his heels and then stopped and turned. “And tonight, let’s just say that clothes will only get in the way.”
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A fter two nights of tossing and turning, having a night where he actually slept meant he woke up refreshed and ready to conquer the day ahead. Leaving a warm bed and an even warmer body was hard. But knowing that Melanie also had to get up helped. He’d woken her slowly, by kissing her neck and shoulders. It had possibly been the worst idea he’d ever had though because touching her always seemed to lead to more touching and neither one of them had time for any extracurricular activities. A cold shower was his only option and even that did nothing to curb his appetite for her.
After he’d dropped her off at home so she could get ready and then go to work, he drove back toward his own house. He wanted to talk to Brandon who happened to live two houses down from him. Pulling into the driveway, he found Leah getting into her car.
Leaning an arm out the window of his Jeep, he greeted her, “Morning.”
“Hey Logan.” She leaned on the roof, car door open. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to Bran. Is he here?”
“Yep. In the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” She waved and slid into her car, pulling away as he exited the Jeep.
He found his brother right where she said he’d be, sipping coffee.
“Got any more of that.” Bran nodded mid-sip at his question.
“What do I owe the pleasure of your company at,” he glanced at the wall clock, “eight twenty-three in the morning.”
“I have something I wanted to run by you.” He poured himself a cup of coffee and then sat down across from Brandon at the table.
“You can’t possibly need any more advice about Mel. You aren’t that stupid.”
Logan flipped him off. “Fuck you.”
“That’s the only reason I can see for a visit from you this early.”
Deciding to just jump right in, he said, “I want mom to run my new gallery.”
Brandon’s arm faltered halfway to his mouth and coffee sloshed over the edge and down onto the table. Logan reached over to the counter and grabbed a few paper napkins that were sitting there, sliding them over to Brandon.
“I have two questions,” he said while he was soaking up the spilled coffee, “but let’s start with you owning a gallery.”
“I don’t own a gallery yet but I am thinking about opening one.”
“Really? Here in Cedarville?”
He nodded. “Why not. This is a great town and an art gallery is a huge draw for some people. Could bring in a lot more tourists.”
“I’m not disputing that, but dude, you are a photographer. Do you really want to own and deal with the hassle of a business?”
“That’s where mom would come in. I would have her do all the shit that is required to run a business.”
“Mom, really?”
“That’s what I’m here to ask. Do you think it’s something she would be interested in?”
Brandon got quiet and in a move that Logan had seen him do since they were kids, he pushed his hair back several times with his hand. It was his thinking move.
“You know what’s funny,” he said. “My initial instinct was to ask if you were crazy, but now that I’m thinking about it...mom would be perfect for that.”
“I know she’d be perfect for it, that’s why I thought of her. But the question remains, do you think she’d do it or want to for that matter?”
“I think she just might. I feel like she’s been wanting to do something for years but nothing had ever come along that was a perfect fit.”
“Melanie said virtually the same thing last night.”
“How’s that going? You and Mel,” he clarified.
He couldn’t have stopped his smile even if he had wanted to. “Amazing.”
“It’s seriously about damn time. You two were both so obvious and yet, neither one of you could see it.”
“I’m not sure what I ever did right in this world to be worthy of her love, but I’m gonna try damn hard not to fuck it up.”
“That’s exactly how I feel about Leah.” Brandon pushed back his chair and stood up. “Can you do me a favor? Just don’t get engaged before me.”
“Woah,” he said and leaned back in his chair. “Is that happening soon?” Logan loved Leah and couldn’t have picked a better person for his brother. But marriage, after only four months together. That seemed so fast.
“Maybe, I haven’t really planned anything out but, I’d marry her tomorrow, if she’d have me.”
“Wow.” Hearing his brother speak like that was so unusual and surreal. Logan wasn’t sure whether to be happy or concerned.
“Don’t you think you’ll want to marry Melanie?”
Logan’s head practically exploded with images of his and Melanie’s wedding. Her walking down the aisle in a huge white princess-like ball gown, him watching her, and when she was finally standing in front of him, taking her in his arms and kissing her, even though the ceremony hadn’t even started yet.
Melanie as his wife. Was that possible? Would she ever want to marry him?
“I can see from the look on your face and your silence, that even if you weren’t thinking about it before, you are now.”
He shook his head to try and get rid of the images. Until that moment he hadn't even realized he wanted marriage.
“We just started dating.” He wasn’t sure if he was saying that to convince Brandon or himself.
He waved his hand in front of his face and walked into the kitchen. “I’m not gonna press you on this but understand that because you and Mel have known each other for years, it’s not like starting a new relationship. You’re already like a hundred dates in, if not more.”
Brandon obviously thought he was freaked at the idea of a marriage to Melanie. But he was wrong. Oh so wrong. Now that the seed was planted, it was going to take every ounce of his willpower to not drop to one knee and propose to Melanie every time he saw her.
He wanted her, forever. He just hoped that when she’d said she loved him, she was thinking the same thing.