Chapter 20 Logan
LOGAN
Ihovered in the skybrary doorway, listening to Nina read a story about a band of thieving kittens to Noah.
He was still interested in dinosaurs, but cats had been taking over since we welcomed Ariel into our lives.
The kitten was his shadow, and when I peeked my head in the room, I wasn’t surprised to see her curled up on his lap.
What did surprise me was the wave of tenderness that swept through me at the sight of the three of them cuddled together. While I still wasn’t sure how to define what was happening between Nina and me, I couldn’t deny that what I was seeing was very, very real. She was good for Noah.
If I was honest with myself, I’d admit she was good for both of us.
Nina raised her eyes and met mine like she could feel me watching them.
“Hey there,” she said.
“Daddy!” Noah cheered when he saw me. “We’re reading Kitten Capers with Ariel. Come see!”
I walked over and let him explain the honor code of shoplifting kittens.
“And the next book is about how they start a gang with stray dogs,” he finished. “It’s called Bad Dogs and the Outlaw Kittens.”
“Wow,” I mused. “Street justice. I love it.”
I reached down to pet Ariel, and the kitten cracked an eye to stare at me like I was bothering her.
“Noey, do you remember Mrs. Miller?” I asked him. “She used to watch you a long time ago.”
He nodded. “Yup. She’s fun.”
She was indeed, and in another world, she would’ve stepped up to be his full-time nanny, but her grandmothering responsibilities didn’t allow enough time for the position.
“Well, she’s going to come over and hang out with you tonight so Nina and I can have a meeting.”
I’d learned the hard way that he wanted to be involved in everything Nina and I did together, unless it was work. Of course, we included him in our family-friendly PR visits to the zoo and the park, but it made him think we were a dedicated trio for everything.
“Meeting?” Nina asked, concerned. “After hours?”
I winked at her. “Consider it President’s Club for a job well done.”
Mentioning the cruise line’s reward for high-achieving employees helped her understand that I was giving her a much-deserved night off.
“Got it,” she nodded. She rubbed Noah’s back. “Yeah, bud, this meeting is going to be super boring. You’ll have more fun here with Mrs. Miller. Maybe you two can try out those new glow-in-the-dark paints we bought?”
“Okay!”
Noah gently moved Ariel to the floor and took off running.
“President’s Club, huh?” Nina mused. “You really think I deserve it?”
“Hell yes. I think we both have earned some fun.”
We locked eyes for a moment, because the last time we’d had fun together, we wound up married.
“Well okay then. What should I wear?”
I had to force myself to keep from blurting out something inappropriate. “Nothing fancy. I want you to be comfortable tonight.”
“Hmm,” she mused. “Let me think.”
One of our family excursions had been a shopping spree to help round out her limited wardrobe.
“Is this event in a group setting?”
I shook my head.
“What kind of footwear?”
“No heels.”
She twisted up her mouth adorably. “Okay, give me twenty minutes.”
I noticed that Nina didn’t ask me where we were going.
It was one of the many things I appreciated about her: she was up for everything, although tonight wouldn’t be that much of a stretch for her.
She showed up in the entry hall in an oversized white button-down and black leggings, looking appropriately comfy for the night ahead.
The drive to the marina took a little more than thirty minutes, and I lost count of the times I glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Are you kidding me?” She laughed when we finally arrived at our destination.
“What? Boats are my life,” I said as I pulled the car into my usual parking space.
“You’re sort of an addict.”
I laughed at her on-the-nose take. “Guilty.”
We boarded my mid-sized yacht, greeted the crew, and made our way to the top deck.
“Gorgeous view,” Nina said. She walked to the railing and gazed out at the setting sun in a blazing pink sky. “Are we staying in the harbor?”
“Absolutely not. We’re doing a little dinner cruise out on the high seas.”
Her eyes went soft as she gazed up at me. “All of this is just for me?”
“You deserve it, Nina,” I said in a quiet voice. “You’ve been pulling double duty, working with Noah and keeping up our little marriage charade. I appreciate all of it.”
“Not like it’s hard,” she snorted. “Noah is making incredible progress, and pretending to be married to you is…”
“Not what you signed on for,” I finished her sentence.
“No, it’s not,” she mused, her eyes on the horizon. “But I’ve come to appreciate it. You’re a surprisingly good temporary husband.”
I was taken aback by the compliment. “Thank you.”
Nina turned to focus on me, and the intensity of her gaze felt familiar. I was pretty sure she’d looked at me like this before, but the memory of the specifics was hazy.
I hated that I couldn’t remember every second of our night together.
“Your future real wife is very lucky.”
Her comment landed like a gut punch. The words were kind, but not at all what I was expecting.
They were a reminder of another bit of housekeeping in our arrangement.
“Speaking of…” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a tiny black velvet bag. “This is way past due.”
She took a step back. “You didn’t.”
“I had to. People were asking questions about your missing engagement ring, so let’s make it even more faux official.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw my staff bustling around inside the cabin. “It feels weird to get down on my knee since we’re already married, but…”
I fumbled with the bag then pulled out a ring that I hoped would work for her.
Nina froze with her mouth hanging open.
“Logan,” she finally gasped. “What the actual hell?”
“I’m guessing you like it,” I chuckled. “It’s a six-carat flawless emerald cut on a gold band. Normally, I prefer platinum, but since you already have the gold wedding band…”
“It’s so big that I’m afraid of it.” She let out an embarrassed giggle. “Hold on, that sounded dirty. I meant the stone is big.”
I laughed with her. “Hey, I’ll take it, whichever way you mean. Give me your hand, please.”
Nina glanced around, then held out her trembling hand.
“Are you nervous?” I asked her softly.
“I mean, yeah? You’re about to put a ring on me that’s probably worth a couple years of my salary. I’m terrified. What happens if I lose it or damage it?”
“Stop,” I scolded her gently. “If something happens, it happens. That’s what insurance is for, so please don’t worry. Now let’s make this official.”
I slid the ring on her slim finger and twisted it so that the stone was perfectly centered.
“Wow,” she sighed. She held her hand up and swiveled it in the air, admiring the ring from all angles. “I’m in love.”
Hearing her speak the words made my heart stutter out of rhythm. It was silly to be impacted by the throwaway comment—she’d said she was in love with the organic peanut butter we’d bought at a farmers’ market—but I couldn’t deny that hearing the word “love” from her lips did something to me.
“I’m glad it works for you,” I finally said.
“Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Ashford?”
We turned to find Peter, the steward, smiling at us from the doorway.
“We’re ready to begin dinner service whenever you are.”
“This view is gorgeous, but I’m sort of starving,” Nina whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
I snorted softly at her eagerness.
“Thank you, Peter. Now works.”
“What can I bring you to drink?” Peter asked. “A cocktail? Glass of wine?”
“Just sparkling water for me,” I said.
I wanted to stay lucid for this night. And besides, just being with Nina put me in an altered state.
“Same,” she agreed quickly.
Were we on the same page?
We laughed our way through the meal, especially detailing all of Noah’s hijinks.
The kid was finally finding balance, a change I attributed to Nina’s stabilizing presence.
But we talked about other things too. About our travels—places we’d been, places we wanted to go, places we’d never willingly set foot in again, and places we couldn’t wait to get back to.
And about random things: favorite superhero, favorite cartoon from when we were kids, favorite breakfast cereal.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d smiled so much. My cheeks actually started to hurt by the time we got to dessert.
“Can we go out on the deck for a bit?” Nina asked as she scooped up the last of her strawberry sorbet. “It’s such a beautiful night.”
“Of course.”
I jumped up to pull out her chair and relished the fact that I had a clear head. Everything that happened from this point on would be deliberate.
I hoped I wasn’t misreading the signals I’d been getting throughout the meal, like when I caught her watching me. And the moment when our legs had bumped beneath the table and neither of us had rushed to untangle them.
We made our way outside. As always, the stars seemed brighter over the water than they ever were on land, and the moon looked like it was close enough to touch.
Nina let out a long sigh as she leaned on the railing. “This was a perfect night. Thank you, Logan. You didn’t have to do it.”
“Of course I did,” I replied quickly. “I want you to know exactly how much I appreciate everything you’re doing for us.” I paused. “For me.”
Nina shivered and hugged herself.
“Cold?” I asked. I wished I had a coat to wrap around her shoulders. Taking her into my arms and pressing her against me would be presumptuous, but it was all I could think about.
She nodded, looking up at me with her eyes filled with…what? Expectation?
Hope?
I waited for the spell to be broken, for one of us to look away, but we remained there as the wind whipped her curls around her face. I reached out to smooth a tendril off her cheek and felt her relax beneath my palm.
She closed her eyes, seeming to savor my touch.
“I wish this night wouldn’t end,” she murmured as she nestled closer.
It was now or never.
“It doesn’t have to,” I said.
She opened her eyes. “But what about—”
“Mrs. Miller is on call to stay the night. She packed to stay over.”
Nina looked confused for a moment, glancing back at the interior of the boat. “So, you’re saying we could…”
I nodded and held my breath. I wanted her so fucking bad, but I wasn’t about to push.
“Yes,” she sighed with obvious relief and desire. “Oh my God, yes.”
I swept her into my arms right away. My mouth found hers, and she kissed me back so greedily I almost laughed.
Thankfully, the crew had already cleared away the remnants of our meal and disappeared below deck, so no one was there to witness our clumsy stumble through the cabin and into my quarters. Nina walked backward, clinging to my neck as I paused to pick her up and carry her down the hallway.
I needed to get her naked now.
“I’ve been dying for you,” I rasped, kissing my way down her throat.
“Same,” she whispered.
I finally kicked the door open and placed her down on my bed. She stared up at me, her chest heaving like she’d just finished a race.
“You are so goddamn beautiful.”
“Then stop staring at me and fuck me,” she begged.
My cock was about to burst out of my pants.
Nina slipped out of the shirt that was already halfway off her body and then wriggled out of her leggings, leaving her in a neon pink bra and panties set that made her skin glow.
“Are you kidding me?” I choked out.
She giggled. “I snuck these into the pile during our last shopping trip. I hoped you’d get to see them.”
I couldn’t rip off my own clothing fast enough. Nina’s hands caressed her body as she watched me struggle with my boxer briefs, which made me feel even clumsier. When she slid her hand between her legs, I finally managed to pull them over my painful hard-on.
“No. Let me,” I growled as I lowered myself on top of her.
I pushed her hand away and found the delicious warmth between her legs. Just the hint of my touch was enough to coax a little whimper from her.
I leaned closer to her ear. “Tell me what you want me to do to you.”
“Anything you want,” she whispered in a shaky voice. “I’m yours.”
It was all I needed to hear.
I reached over to the dresser, grabbed a condom, and slid it on. I hooked my hands under the elastic of her underwear and yanked, and the delicate fabric pulled away.
When I looked down at her beautiful body, it hit me that I didn’t need to rush. I had all night to enjoy her.
“Why did you stop?” Nina demanded, raising up on one elbow looking adorably disgruntled.
“I was being greedy,” I admitted. “I’m trying to force myself to slow down and enjoy this. Because I want to remember every second of what we’re about to do.”
Nina let her legs fall apart, exposing herself even more to tease me.
I took it as an invitation and dropped to my knees in front of her.
“Logan,” she inhaled sharply as my mouth connected with her sweet nub.
She draped her legs over my shoulders as I made love to her with my tongue while she moaned my name over and over. Just hearing her come was almost enough to send me over the edge, but I forced myself to hold on.
I needed to bury myself inside of her, to fully experience all of the sensations that up until now, I’d only been able to taste through fragments of hazy memories.
“More,” she whispered. “I want you, Logan. All of you.”
I was still on my knees in front of her, so I gave her one last kiss, then prowled my way up her body.
“Are you ready?” I asked, my cock tickling her wet seam.
She whimpered her answer.
I plunged inside of her, and we both inhaled sharply. There was a flash of a sense memory—we’d done this before—but the reality of what I was experiencing was better than I’d even dreamed it.
And from that moment on, I realized I would never be the same.