17. Meredith
Chapter Seventeen
MEREDITH
I take a deep breath as I walk into the office, expecting to see Logan there right away. His car isn’t in the parking lot, but he often walks to work, so that’s not unusual.
I frown when I walk by, and his office is empty.
Dina stands up, looking at me warily.
“Where is he?” I ask in a quiet whisper.
She shrugs. “Haven’t heard from him. Bryce is freaking out.”
She gestures to the man who’s pacing around the office, on the phone.
I sit down at my desk, which is out front, and the doorbell rings above the door. I’m disappointed when it’s not Logan.
It’s two hours later before he rolls in, and he smells like a distillery. He hasn’t even been home to shower after the bar.
He runs a hand through his long hair, putting it back into a ponytail, and I try not to look at the curve of his jaw, the bit of chest peeking through his rumpled shirt.
When I glance up at him, his eyes are bloodshot as he looks at me coolly.
He says nothing, walking into his office and slamming the door.
Dina shakes her head, leaning into me. “He looks like shit.”
I snort out a laugh. “Why does he even look handsome hungover?”
Bryce frowns and storms into his office. Yelling and then the sound of something crashing floats toward us and then Bryce comes back out, face red.
“Where are you going?” I ask as he stalks toward the door.
“Taking the day off,” he barks, and that’s all he says before leaving.
“Jeez. The boss is going to be a jerk all day.” Dina narrows her eyes. “It’s your fault.”
I groan. “I’m not responsible for his emotions.”
“You are when you lied to him.”
I clamp my hand over her mouth. “You promised you wouldn’t say anything!”
Dina sighs when I remove my hand. “Fine. I won’t say anything. But you should.”
She walks toward the back to make some copies, and I busy myself with work for the next couple of hours.
My phone buzzes—an in-office call. I pick it up.
“Hello?”
“I need to see you in my office.”
“Give me five. I’m just finishing something.”
“Now,” he hisses into the phone.
“Okay. I’m almost done. I’ll be right there.”
I hang up the phone, and I can practically feel him fuming behind his office door.
I don’t like that he is hurting like this, that I’m hurting him like this, but I have to protect my baby. I wasn’t able to protect my heart then or now.
What if he hurts my baby by abandoning them too?
He broke my heart back then, ruined all my plans and dreams.
I take a deep breath and get up to go to his office.
Paul, one of my coworkers, stops me by blocking my way.
He leans against the wall, and I notice how broad his shoulders are.
I remember him kind of hitting on me at Bennigan’s, and it wasn’t exactly unwelcome, even if I had no interest in him.
But I guess it would be now. Things are too complicated with Logan to think about a relationship.
Am I still letting Logan ruin things, though? Is that what I’m doing?
But just the thought of being with someone else makes my blood run cold.
Paul smiles. “Haven’t seen you in a few days.”
I smile back. “I had food poisoning.”
He winces. “I got that after a trip to Italy, and I’ve never been the same.”
I laugh. “You went to Italy?”
He nods. “For business. My family owns a perfume company, and almost all our scents are imported.”
Oh, an heir. I guess we have more in common than I thought.
“You’re a Whitlock, right? You know how it is.”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ve been around the world on business trips with my dad. I had a passport at six months old.”
He laughs. “I guess it’s good, being well-traveled?”
“Not if you don’t remember it.” I can’t help smiling.
The next thing I know, Logan’s barreling toward us.
“Excuse me.” He takes me roughly by the arm, tugging me into his office and slamming the door behind me.
“Logan, I was on my way to?—”
“Is it him?” His voice is raspy from lack of sleep or booze or both, and when he pushes me up against the wall with his body, his breath reeks of whiskey.
“Are you drunk right now?” I wiggle, but he keeps me in place.
“I asked you a question.”
There’s a warning in his voice, and I hate how it makes my stomach heat with need.
“You’re being ridiculous. You need to sleep it off?—”
“Is it him , Meredith? I’m going crazy, you can’t do this to me.”
“To you? You broke my fucking heart, Logan. Do you know that I didn’t go to college because of you?” I can’t keep the words from spilling out.
He backs up a few steps, his eyes widening. “What?”
“Yeah. I dropped out. I never pursued my dreams because I was so damn heartbroken.”
“So what, you decide to break my heart in revenge?” His voice raises, and I just stare at him, hoping there are daggers in my eyes.
“Would if I could. You don’t have a heart to break.”
He gets closer to me, slamming his hands on either side of my head, looking down into my eyes.
“You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about, princess.”
I open my mouth to retort, but then he kisses me, his mouth crashing down on mine, and I can’t think.
I clutch at his shirt, sticking my tongue in his mouth, breathing out of my nose heavily.
“Fuck, Meredith. You’re making me crazy. Coming in here in this little skirt.” He puts a hand high up on my thigh, snapping the edge of my thigh-highs.
I shiver. “I didn’t wear it for you.”
“Did you wear it for him? Paul? Is he the one who put that bahy in your stomach?”
“Wouldn't you like to know.”
Logan sets his jaw in a firm line. “I’m going to fire him.”
Panic rises in my throat. “You can’t do that.”
“Because he’s your boyfriend?”
“Because he’s a person , Logan, and you can’t fire someone for getting me pregnant.”
“The hell I can’t.”
He starts to open the door, and I sigh, putting my hands on his chest.
“It’s not him, Logan. You don’t know him.”
“I would if you’d tell me his fucking name,” he growls, and I can’t deny that his possessive nature turns me on.
“I’m not going to do that.”
“Did you tell him?”
I freeze. I haven’t thought this far ahead. “Y-yes.”
“What’d he say? Is he going to step up?”
I shake my head. “It’s not like that between us. It was casual. I told him he doesn’t have to have any contact with the baby.”
“ Fuck him. He should be there for you.” Logan caresses my face with one hand.
“I have plenty of people there for me.”
“Have you told your brother?”
“God, no. Of course not.”
“He’ll want a name. I’ll just get it from Grayson, so you should just tell me.”
“I’m not telling you anything.”
He snaps my thigh-high again, and I moan at the sting.
“You still want me.”
“I never said I didn’t.”
“You still love me.”
I snort out a laugh. “After what you did to me?”
“Meredith, I wish I could make you understand...” He kisses my throat, shoving his hand under my skirt, cupping my pussy with his thumb pressing down on my clit through my thin panties.
I gasp, leaning my head back. “We can’t do this here.”
“Like hell we can’t. I own this building.”
“You don’t own me.”
He lets out a long breath.
“Don’t I know it,” he murmurs, and kisses me again, pressing his erection against my hip.
“Logan,” I moan softly as he presses down harder on my clit, sliding his hand under my panties before ripping them off at one side. “Logan!"
I look up at him, shocked, and he chuckles.
“I'll buy you a new pair. What'd these cost, two hundred bucks?"
“Six hundred," I mumble. So what, I have expensive tastes.
“Drop in the bucket."
Then he lifts me up by my ass and thighs, pressing against my hot core.
His fingers delve into me, hooking upwards until I’m gasping.
He releases himself from his pants, grunting as he fumbles with the buttons, and I help him. I wrap my hand around his base, and he groans, too loud.
“Shh.” I clap a hand over his mouth, and he moans again as I guide him inside me.
He thrusts up into me, sliding me up the wall. “Logan. Oh, God.”
“Let them hear it, princess. Let them hear how much you want me.”
I choke out a moan, but it’s quiet, and Logan starts to fuck me harder.
I go limp when I come, clenching around him, and Logan groans against my throat, biting a mark there that will probably bruise.
I reach a second orgasm, and a third, before he’s finished, moaning into my mouth as he kisses me, spilling inside me with a pulse and a gasp.
He slowly lowers me to the ground, breathing hard, staring down into my face.
I adjust myself slowly, and Logan’s eyes have fire in them.
“Get out.”
“What? We just?—”
“Get out, Meredith. If you don’t, I’ll interrogate you about who he is again. I need some time.”
“Time? We work together?—”
“We don’t have to see each other. I’ll stay in my office. You stay at her desk.”
I stand there for a moment, shocked.
He really just fucked me up against his office door, and now he’s telling me to get out?
Well, I’m not going to wait for him to change his mind. I storm out and back to my desk.
Dina looks up at me. “What happened?—”
“Not now,” I hiss, and she throws her hands up.
I sigh.
I seem to be pushing everyone away, but I don’t know how to deal with all of this.