Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
Dane
Iwake up screaming, “Kendall!”
I’m sweating through my shirt. I pop my body up, and I realize I’m in my office. Searching for my phone, I pick it up and look at the screen. She hasn’t texted me about being home. Maybe that’s why my subconscious played out my worst fear.
No text from her makes my heart beat out of my chest. I find her name and call her. Yes, I’m calling her at two o’clock in the morning. Hearing her voice is the only way to calm me, knowing she is home safe and sound.
“Hello?”
Oh, thank fucking god, she answered the phone. “Are you home? Are you okay?”
“Dane? It’s—I don’t know what time it is in the middle of the night. Why are you calling? And yes, I’m home and okay. Are you okay? You sound out of breath?”
Shaking my head at myself, I say, “You didn’t text me. I fell asleep and woke up, still in a sleep fog, with no text from you; I was concerned. So I called. I’m sorry to wake you, sweetheart.”
Pulling myself together, this woman has dread running through my body, thinking something bad happened to her. It’s at this moment that I know what I need to do.
“Well, I’m home safe, exhausted, and need to go back to sleep.” I hear her yawn. These last couple of days have been taxing for her. “Will I see you tomorrow, I mean today?”
“Yes, sweetheart. I’ll make it a point to leave the office on time, and I’ll bring us dinner. I’ll text you around noon. Sleep well.” I rub the ache in my chest, hoping for relief, but it doesn’t subside.
“Okay, see you later. Night.” And she hangs up the phone.
I take a few breaths and continue to rub my chest. My heart rate is finally evening out as my brother comes flying into my office like a freight train out of control. “You okay? I heard you scream.”
“Yeah, I had a dream that Kendall was shot by her ex.”
He stands there staring at me with sleepy eyes, like he is trying to process what I said. “You’re telling me you had a nightmare?” And it doesn’t take long for him to be keeled over laughing his ass off at me.
“It wasn’t a nightmare, asshole. It was a dream,” I say. As I speak the words, it becomes clear I’m trying to convince myself, too.
As he continues laughing, he says, “Yeah, yeah, just a dream.”
“Fuck off.”
“It’s the middle of the night, and you have me laughing so hard my stomach hurts. Did you want to talk about it?” he asks in a sarcastic tone.
“No, I don’t want to talk about it. But for the record, she is safe at home and in bed.”
“Good to know. You going back to sleep?”
“Nope.”
“Me either. Let’s get back to it.”
We spent the next few hours running through witness testimonies and pages of documents. Tossing theories back and forth, we work well together and usually develop a working theory quickly.
My phone rings, and I look at the screen. It’s the judge calling us back at eight o’clock on the dot.
“Hello, Your Honor.”
We talk back and forth to figure out how we can make this guy pay for what he did to Kendall.
He owes me a favor, and right now, all I need is for Kendall to never have to worry about that dickface, Jake, again.
Since he has some outstanding warrants, it appears he will be in state custody for a while.
He’ll update me once it’s a done deal. But he reminds me that there’s only so much time he can navigate around.
“Thank you, Your Honor. I’ll get on it.”
Right now, all I can think about is how much I’m missing her—like crazy.
“Logan, I’m heading out for a bit. You should head home too. We can come back later and keep working.”
“My eyes keep crossing, so I need a break. Meet you back here later.”
We both leave the office before anyone else arrives. I hop in my car and text Kendall.
Dane:
I’m on my way over. Don’t make coffee…I’m bringing it from the coffeehouse.
Turning the ignition, the engine roars to life. I love this car. I have only a few hours, and I know she is off work today. Knowing her, she has plans today, but with a busy week and weekend, maybe she decided to relax.
Kendall:
You have a thing about waking me. Is it your mission in life?
Dane:
Sweetheart, I have a mission for you, and it has nothing to do with sleep.
Kendall:
Ring the doorbell, and I’ll come down.
Dane:
You don’t even need to leave your room. Let me in through the garage.
Kendall:
Smart guy…while I’m over here half asleep.
Dane:
Be there in a few minutes.
I drive to the coffeehouse. When I pull up to the curb to park, I realize I’ve been daydreaming the entire time.
I don’t remember the drive at all. Kendall is all I can think about.
Sliding the shifter into park, I lift myself out and order our coffees and a couple of breakfast sandwiches.
She had a cinnamon roll the last time I saw her here, so I opt to grab a couple of those too.
Taking the coffees, I put them in my cup holders, and then place the food on the floor of my car. The last thing I need is to slam on my brakes and have the food fly all over the floor. How do I know this is possible? It’s happened before, more than once.
As I turn into her driveway, she must have been watching for me, or her camera signaled I had arrived. The garage door opens, and I park my car in my spot. My spot, I laugh at myself. Already claiming a parking spot. Why not? I claimed her as mine, so a parking spot seems appropriate.
Gathering up the coffees and food, I walk to the door and open it. “Sweetheart, I’m home,” I yell in a soft tone.
No response. I take everything upstairs to her, my feet padding on the hardwood floors down the hall to her bedroom. Walking in, I see her lying in bed with her red hair splayed over her pillow. She looks like a queen, all mine. I stroll in and say, “Good morning.”
“Good morning…you’re in a good mood.”
“Only because I’m able to see your gorgeous face this morning.
I can’t stay too long, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to bring you coffee and some food, since I woke you twice in less than a few hours.
” I shrug and give her my best smile, hoping she’ll forgive me.
With coffees in hand, I pass one over to her and a bag with her breakfast sandwich.
She sits up in bed, sips her coffee, and eyes the bags. “You brought me food, too?”
I lower myself onto the bed and lean over to kiss her sweet lips. “I figured you’d be starving.” I slowly bring the other bag to her—the one with the cinnamon rolls. “And a little sweet treat for later.”
“What is in here?” she says and gazes at me. Her piercing emerald green eyes send a jolt through my entire body. Consuming me from the inside out, I kiss her again.
“Cinnamon rolls. You’re the best!” she says, throwing her arms around my neck.
She’s the best, the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
It’s way too soon to even utter those words out loud.
So they stay in my heart until the time is right.
This week at the office will be brutal. I hope she’ll be as understanding as she was yesterday.
It feels good to have someone support me rather than tear me down.
I’ve worked hard to be one of the best defense attorneys.
Interrupting my thoughts, she says, “You know you didn’t have to leave the office to do this, right?”
“I know I didn't have to, but I sure wanted to. I wanted to see you even if it was for thirty minutes because that’s probably all I have today.” I kiss her neck as she chews her bite of cinnamon roll and moans. Her and that fucking moan when she eats.
She has a hold on my heart, and I can’t escape it, not that I want to.
Watching her sip her coffee, I’m mesmerized by her reaction to this simple act.
My chest expands. Then she scooches her butt back further, and the blanket falls off her legs as she crosses them.
She’s wearing a T-shirt and nothing else.
Oh hell, all I see is red lace flashing at me.
If she realizes it, she’s not doing a damn thing about it.
Willing my dick to stand down, this is not the time. Focus on her face, focus on her face. What is she saying?
“Well, it makes me feel special that you would do this for me, so thank you.”
“Anything for you, sweetheart. What’s on your agenda for today?”
“These past few weeks have been intense, and with this past weekend, I’m looking forward to catching up on laundry and grocery shopping. Very exciting life over here, I know. Then if I still have some energy this afternoon, I’ll hit the gym.”
“That sounds low-key for you. Anything I can do to help you?” I reach over and rub her arms.
“No, I’ll put in a grocery order and pick it up.”
“We’d have fun working out together, as long as you’re not an angry workout person.” She giggles and takes a sip of her coffee.
Maggie wouldn’t step foot in a gym and complained that I prioritized gym time over her. The more time I spend with Kendall, the more I see why Grams thought she was right for me.
We sip our coffee together and talk about our gym routines. I want to soak up everything she tells me, given the little time we have left today.
She finishes her coffee and places it on the nightstand, and asks me, “Do you mind dropping me off at my car when you head back to the office? I left it at Faith’s last night. I was too tired to drive, so Joel drove me home.”
I take a quick look at my watch and realize it’s been an hour already. “Yes, but we need to leave in five minutes so I can get back to the office. I’m surprised my phone isn’t ringing off the hook with my brother nagging me to get back.”
The laugh that comes out of her makes me want to hear it again. Gazing at her and all her morning glory, I want to spend all of my free time with her, even doing all the mundane things in life.
“Okay, let me get dressed, and then I’ll be ready.”
She slides off the bed and stands up. That t-shirt is not covering her ass, and those red underwear aren’t your regular lacy underwear; no, it’s a g-string.
Fuck me! I rub the back of my neck. This is harder than I thought.
I can’t help myself. I jump off the bed and wrap my arms around her waist as her back leans against my chest. Tucking my head in the crook of her neck, I whisper in her ear, “You’re fucking killing me with this outfit you have going on.
” I suck her neck, and she leans to the side so I have better access.
My cock is like steel. There’s no more willing it down. It has a mind of its own, and it’s poking into her back. Ever so slightly, I feel her pushing her ass back into me.
I stick my nose in her hair and say, “I love the smell of your shampoo. Never change it.”
“I love it too, so I won’t be changing it anytime soon. But if we need to leave, let me go.”
“What if I don’t want to?” I rattle off. But knowing I need to get back to the office, I smile anyway.