CHAPTER THIRTEEN – LOGAN #2
When I hesitate, she grabs my arms, which are more than ready to wrap around her and pull her close.
She’s still biting her lip as she stares up at me, and the uncertainty in her gaze tugs at my heart.
Lily has had plenty of reason to doubt me over the years, but I can’t resist stealing a kiss.
Her lips are soft and eager under mine, her scent so potent it makes my head spin.
I’ve been tasting her perfect mouth since she was seventeen.
I picked her up from a high school party and when she bumped her funny bone on my truck door, I insisted on kissing her better.
The fact that the bump was on her elbow instead of her mouth didn’t slow me down a bit, and while it wasn’t the first time I looked at her in awe, it was the moment that I knew she was mine.
I had a lot of growing up to do to get to this point, but no other person has ever filled me with the same mix of longing and admiration.
“I'm wherever you want me, Lily,” I tell her, feathering kisses across her pale cheeks. “Whatever you need, it’s yours.”
“I need you, Logan.” There’s a rawness to her voice I haven’t heard before and she shivers, pressing closer.
I can’t resist kissing her again, taking all the sweetness she’s offering until we’re both flushed and panting.
Her lips glisten as she looks at me through her lashes, her hands clutching my shirt at the small of my back.
There’s no mistaking the scent of her arousal in the air, or the way my erection is trying to drill through my jeans.
When she rubs her hips against mine, a groan rattles in my chest, and she smiles at my torment.
“You promised you’d sleep over, remember? ”
“You think that slipped my mind?” I cup the back of her neck as I gently grind against her eager warmth.
It’s like sinking into a hot bath after a lifetime of cold showers, and I shudder at the sensation.
“Those vultures out there might have forced a change of venue, but I still plan on sharing your bed tonight.”
Although, I’m not sure how that’s going to play out once she’s under the same roof as her scent matches and their beautiful beta. “If you’ll still have me, I mean.”
She pulls back to meet my gaze. “Nothing’s changed for me, Logan. I want us to bond, and I don’t need to wait until the end of summer to do it. You’ve been mine in my heart for years, anyway.”
Pure possessive bliss zips through my blood. Even worn out and sleep rumpled, Lily Percy is the most alluring thing I’ve ever seen, and this time my groan is all frustration. “Shit. If the guys weren’t waiting downstairs…”
“Guys?” Her eyes widen, the haze of lust gone in a startled blink. “Who exactly is downstairs?”
I’m tempted to bite off my stupid tongue, but I step back with a sigh.
“Otley and Tristan. Ellis wanted to come by too, but they managed to convince him to stay put.” Lily looks surprised, and I smooth the creases on her brow with my thumb.
“Babe, they were worried about you. We all were. That’s why they want to see you safely under their roof. ”
Usually, at this point, she’d shake her head and insist everything was fine, but she just curls against my chest, clinging to my back. “Okay,” she says finally. “What do I need to pack?”
“I’ve grabbed a few things,” I tell her, nodding at the duffle bag by the door. “Marion said she’d talk to you tomorrow and send over anything I’ve missed.”
She gives a tired nod, watching quietly as I grab the bag and turn off the lights.
We wait for Leo on the landing, her eyes narrowing on the suitcase he wheels out of his room.
I know she’s twitching to go through it to check the clothes-to-toys ratio, but when I steer her downstairs, she doesn’t resist. Both Otley and Tristan are already on their feet, drawn by the thump of the suitcase wheels on the stairs.
Otley catches my eye, and I give him a subtle nod, while Tristan bounds forward and pulls Lily into his arms. “I’m so sorry about the scare, sweetheart. ”
“It’s not your fault,” Lily insists, flushing an adorable shade of pink. “And I overreacted. I think half the reason I passed out was from dehydration.”
Tristan is too polite to contradict her, even though we can all smell the fear still clinging to her clothes. “Well, Ot gave Della a tongue-lashing he won’t forget in a hurry.”
She pulls a face, but Otley steps forward and gently cups her arm.
I watch him closely, since he’s the hardest to read of the packmates.
I’ve looked into his background, and while there are plenty of articles online about his business dealings, there’s not a lot about his personal life.
But there’s no mistaking the heat that throbs between them as he studies Lily’s face.
She seems just as entranced, and their scents thicken in the air until the room smells like a cherry pie bake-off.
“I wish this wasn’t happening to you, Lily,” he murmurs, “but I’m glad you’re coming with us. ”
“Thanks for offering,” she says in a husky voice I feel in the pit of my gut. “We’ll just stay until things die down.”
Otley frowns like that’s not part of his master plan, but Tristan steps into the breach. “Cooper has the cars waiting out back. Leo, you want to sneak out with me? I wasn’t an official boy scout, but I think I’ve earned my ninja badge over the years.”
Leo grins and abandons his suitcase into my care. “Yeah, let’s go before anyone catches us.” He starts to creep towards the door in what I assume is stealth mode but then glances back at Lily. “You okay, Mom?”
“I’m fine, hun.” She stands up straighter, the moment of vulnerability wiped from her face. “You go with Tristan while we lock up.”
She shoots the beta a grateful look as he steers Leo outside, but as soon as they’re gone, she steps back into my arms. Her head rests against my chest, and there’s no mistaking the look of envy on Otley’s face as she murmurs, “What do I need to do, Logan?”
“Nothing,” I tell her, stroking a hand over her hair. “Clay is staying at my place, and he’ll take care of Bloomer and the chickens until we’re back.”
He’ll also scare the shit out of anyone who trespasses on her property, but I figure she doesn’t need to know that about the guy our unit calls The Smiling Assassin.
She stays nestled in my arms as Otley grabs the bags and turns off the lights.
I’ve already double-checked the locks and had a terse conversation with the security guys Otley is leaving behind.
The property is as safe as we can make it, and Lily only lingers long enough to grab a photo album off the bureau before we head out the back.
Cooper is waiting in the SUV, engine running but lights off, and we stow the luggage while Lily climbs inside.
We’ve agreed to use the service road that runs behind my house for our getaway, and we sit in a charged silence until we hit the highway.
“This is so surreal,” Lily says quietly, her gaze turned to the window. She’s tucked under my arm, with Otley in the front with Cooper, and Tristan and Leo in the wayback seat behind us. “I was so worried about how we were going to manage the summer rush and now it’s just…”
Her voice fades and Otley turns to meet her gaze, his expression fierce. “We’ll fix this, Lily. Tristan’s cancelled the Eros contract and Ellis’ agent will release a statement that he’s taking a break from acting and will be in San Francisco for the rest of the summer.”
“What?” She sounds dismayed as she twists in her seat to face Tristan. “But you really wanted this job! You were so excited about it.”
“It’s not worth making your life harder,” Tristan replies, looking resolute. “You’re too polite to say it, but this mess is on us. I’m sorry Della turned up and made it worse.”
“No.” Her voice catches, and she has to clear it before she can go on. “I mean, the balloon thing wasn’t great, but if he promises to park it in someone else’s field, you can use the farm for your campaign.”
“Seriously?” Tristan bites his lip, clearly torn. “Don’t let Della pressure you into anything.”
Lily gives a weary laugh. “Tristan, the guy is a pain in my alfalfa, but he offered me crazy money for a week of shooting. I’d kick myself if I let a chance like that go by.”
He still looks conflicted, but a small smile slowly peeks past his hesitation. “Well, that would be amazing, obviously. But we can see how things go, okay? It’s not a problem if you change your mind.”
“Just as long as everyone’s safe, I’m good with it.” She flicks a glance at Leo, who’s watching her with an angelic expression. “That means be on your best behavior, and maybe Tristan will let you watch him work sometime.”
“Promise, mom,” Leo chirps, already wriggling with excitement. “I’ll be so good, no one will know I’m there!”
Lily just gives a rueful shake of her head and subsides back against my side, her hand creeping into mine. “I’ll believe that when I see it,” she murmurs.
I can’t resist kissing her head. “He’s a great kid. Between us all, we’ll keep his wings clipped.”
“No, I want him to fly,” she says softly, her eyes meeting mine in a look that settles in my bones. “We just need to make sure he always has a soft landing, okay?”
“I’ll make it my mission, LeeLee.”
She smiles at me, but we’re distracted by the security check as we pull up to the private road leading to Willow Manor.
Cooper buzzes down his window to check in with the guys stationed on the gate, and then we’re cutting through black cottonwoods and coyote willows until the lake comes into view.
There’s another couple of guys waiting on the porch of the rambling house, which looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie with its pointy towers and quirky windows.
I’ve never been this close to the place, and I have to admit, it’s impressively large and twice as creepy as I thought it’d be.
“I can’t believe I get to sleep in a haunted house!” Leo crows, his nose pressed to the glass. “Wait until I tell Cody. He’s gonna be so bummed he’s not here too.”
While I’m scolding him for his language, Tristan looks at him in astonishment. “Did you say haunted?”
“Uh-huh.” Leo’s face glows with glee. “This place is crammed with ghosts!”
He’s already opening the door and scooting out, and Lily gives a weary chuckle at the look Tristan shoots Otley. “Did your realtor forget to mention that minor detail?”
“I didn’t really ask her a lot of questions,” Otley mutters, his stiff pose betraying his discomfort as he climbs out.
I’m tempted to laugh at the thought of Sue Ellen with the apple pie smile getting one over the property tycoon – until Lily slides off the seat and almost falls out the door.
Otley, luckily, is there in a flash, cradling her in his arms, and I feel a stab of that jealousy Leo was talking about.
It only grows stronger as I join them and get another whiff of their mingled scents, like warm cherry pie and vanilla ice cream.
But then Otley is shifting Lily towards me, his gaze dipping to her pale face as I lift her into my arms. “Hey, I got you, sweetheart.”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbles into my neck. “I don’t know why I’m so wiped out.”
I do, but I’m not about to give her the field manual on the crippling aftereffects of a panic attack. “It’s fine. Just rest. Everything’s fine now.”
Or at least I think it is until we mount the porch steps, and I see Ellis Castle’s pale face on the other side of the door.
He looks nearly as wrecked as Lily, his hair hanging in his eyes, which are glassy with distress.
When he zones in on Lily, I’ve seen more devastated looks from Bloomer when confronted by his empty kibble bowl.
“Lily. Are you okay? I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help.
” He pauses, like he’s waiting for Lily to reassure him, but she curls tighter against my chest, and he rubs helplessly at the back of his neck.
“I shouldn’t have left you at the coffee shop,” he mutters, his scent like burned caramel as he stares at her averted face.
“I didn’t want to, obviously, but I had to make a call.
Another thing I fucked up, to be honest, and then my agent said she’s flying out, which is a whole other drama… ”
I give him a slight nudge with my shoulder, both to shut him up and get us through the damn doorway. “How about we save the apologies for tomorrow?” I suggest, stepping into the hallway and looking around. “You got a spare room in this place, or should we grab the couch?”
“No!” he exclaims, looking even more flustered. “I mean, you’re welcome to the couch, but of course we have a spare room. A suite, in fact, for all three of you…”
“Is it haunted?” Leo asks, peeking around me with a ghoulish gleam in his eyes. “If it’s in the tower part, can I sleep in Joey the Wrench’s bed? They say that on a full moon, you can see his headless body smoking his cigar from the bedroom window.”
Ellis’ expression hovers somewhere between rapture and alarm as he stares down at Leo’s glowing face. “Joey who now?”
“Original owner,” I explain, trying to cut the gory details of his decapitation off at the neck – so to speak. “He was a mobster out of Chicago. You can hear all about it tomorrow, too.”
I give them both a pointed look and Ellis must take the hint, because he quickly backs towards a huge carved staircase. “The suite is on the next floor, so you can use the service elevator if it’s easier.”
I give that comment the derisive grunt it deserves, herding Leo ahead of me as I start up the stairs with Ellis on our heels.
The place smells like wood polish and peppermint, and I feel some of my tension ease when Tristan meets us on the landing.
He gives Lily one of his sweet smiles, then rests a hand on Leo’s shoulder as he leads us to the suite door.
“We thought you might like this one, since the rooms are connected by the bathroom.” His kind eyes lift to my face.
“Why don’t Ellis and I help Leo unpack while you both settle in? ”
I give him a grateful nod, and when Lily doesn’t object, I carry her over the threshold of the fanciest room I’ve ever been in.
It still has a whisper of the gothic about it with the dark floorboards and heavy furniture, but the four-poster bed is decked out in crisp white linen and tasseled pillows, and the chandelier casts a soft glow over the pale blue silk walls.
To top it off, a framed picture of me, Lily, and Leo is propped on the dresser next to a vase of lilies.
“Nice place,” I murmur as I settle Lily on the edge of the bed.
“Ghosts aside, you think you’ll be able to get some rest? ”
She barely looks around the room before she kicks off her shoes and scoots back against the pillows, her gaze fixed on me. “Well, that depends on what you plan to do to tire me out.”