Chapter 31 Nina
NINA
My now-real sisters-in-law cornered me once we made it back to the house. The movie was over, and the pint-sized chaos was in full swing, so we retreated to the patio as Noah got ready to start opening a pile of presents.
“So?” Gwen squealed. She glanced down at my hand and literally bounced up and down in her excitement. “You said yes!”
She pulled me into a hug and Emilia joined in, laughing.
“What a whirlwind,” Emilia said quietly when we finally drew apart. “Fake marriage to real separation to real remarriage? Is that how it goes?”
I laughed. “I guess? The separation paperwork was still in process, so as far as the legal record is concerned, we’re still married. I guess we’ll just stay married, but this time around we’re going to have a reception to make it official.”
“Floofy white dress and everything?” Emilia asked.
“Princess City,” I joked. “So big that you’ll both have to help me in the bathroom.”
“So I hear we’re celebrating good news?” Candace asked as she joined us. She looked me up and down, her gaze landing on my hand. “Yep, we definitely are!”
She gave me a hug.
“I’m so happy,” I whispered, tearing up a little as we pulled apart, and I looked at the three of them. “I’m sort of in shock.”
It was hard to believe that these amazing women were now my family. After a lifetime of being on my own, I finally had a real support system. And the home of my dreams.
“Oliver is ecstatic,” Candace continued. “Now he can’t move out fast enough. As soon as Logan came in to tell him, he went straight to the phone to call his realtor, trying to speed the process.”
Gwen placed her hand over her heart. “Aw, I love that. And I’m so happy that Sophia and Noah will get to keep making memories here.”
I craned my neck to look around the crowded space. “Speaking of, where is that sweet little one? I need some snuggles.”
“Please,” Gwen swiped her hand at me. “With her father. He’s on duty all day today.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Why, do you have baby fever or something?”
Candace and Emilia leaned closer to me to study my face.
“I mean…maybe?” I squeaked out.
The three of them erupted in cheers.
“And Logan hinted that he’s more than ready,” I added.
The admission got even more cheers.
“So much joy,” Candace said, her eyes shining as she glanced between us. “What an honor to be a part of it.”
Gwen reached out to clasp Candace’s forearm. “You are. I hope you feel it.”
She nodded. “I do. At last.”
We all shared a moment of understanding. Our individual journeys into the Ashford family had been bumpy in different ways, but we were all finally where we belonged.
“What’s going on over here?” a deep voice asked, and we jumped.
“Logan, the man of the hour!” Emilia cheered. “Congrats!”
They all took turns hugging him while he blushed.
“Noah’s opening up gifts now, come watch,” he said. Logan took my hand and pulled me to the part of the patio where the gifts were stacked high. Noah was eyeballing them with his hands clasped under his chin.
We joined the group and watched Noah tear through present after present on a sugar high from the cake and ice cream. He paused when he got to mine.
“What is it?” Logan asked out of the corner of his mouth.
“Watch and learn,” I joked.
It might not have been the most expensive gift in the stack—that honor went to Drew’s 3D printer—but I knew it got right to the heart of what was important to Noah.
He tore into the box and pulled out the first part of the gift. “Wow! The new Slimy Kid book! It’s not even out yet.”
It turned out that Ashley’s sister worked for the author’s PR firm and pulled some strings to get an early copy.
“Look inside,” I called out.
“He signed it?” Noah’s eyes went wide as he read the inscription. “It says, Keep drawing, I can’t wait to see your graphic novels at the bookshop someday. Wow, Nina, thank you!”
“There’s more,” I said. “Mr. Cantwell said I should get you the exact notebook and pens he uses to do the Slimy Kid books. He said they’re the absolute best.”
Noah pulled them out of the box with wide eyes. “These are what he draws with?”
I nodded, grinning.
“Thank you, Nina!”
He jumped off the chair, ran over to me, and wrapped his arms around my waist. Everyone awwed in unison, and I felt myself tearing up.
How much joy could one person take?
I was excited to find out.
Josie came out once Noah was finished with the tower of presents. She clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we still have more than half a sheet cake left, and a pint of ice cream. Please eat more.”
The kids hooted and took off for the dessert table.
Logan and I looked at each other.
“Guess we’re off duty for a bit,” he said. He slid his arm around my waist and gave me a squeeze. We were at the back of the rapidly dispersing group, standing against the hedgerow that separated the patio from the yard.
My yard. It still didn’t make sense to me.
“They’re having a blast,” I said. “What a great day.”
Logan leaned closer to me, his lips brushing against my ear. “I can think of a way to make it even better.”
A shiver ran through my body, but I played it off. “Are you serious? Now?”
“Can you think of a better time? The kids are all occupied with round two of dessert, and the magician is getting set up, so everyone will be focused on him for the next twenty minutes.”
I stuck out my bottom lip and gazed up at him. “You really think twenty minutes is enough time?”
He glanced around to make sure no one was watching us, slid his hand under the back of my shirt, and reached around so that he could cup the underside of my breast.
“I’ll never have enough of you—but if all we can have right now is thirty seconds, I’d still take it. I just need to get you alone.”
His thumb brushed a little higher, and I caught my breath. He leaned closer to whisper in my ear.
“Is that a yes?”
He stroked me again, and my knees almost gave out. I leaned into the sensation of Logan’s warm fingertips exploring me through the thin lace of my bra.
“Say it,” he whispered again.
I scanned the area to make sure no one was watching us.
“Yes,” I finally whispered back, my voice shaking on the single syllable.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him, retreating around the side of the house to the door that led to the laundry area.
“In here?” I protested as I eyeballed the dryer.
“Hardly,” he laughed. “We’re going up the service steps, so no one catches us.”
“Let’s make one of my fantasies come true,” Logan said as he pulled me down the hallway to his old bedroom.
“You never snuck a girl into your room?” I asked, incredulous.
He snorted. “Are you kidding me? My mom ran this place like Fort Knox. No one got in or out without her knowing, and when they upgraded the surveillance cameras? I didn’t stand a chance.” He bumped against the door, and we both stumbled into his room. “But now? Let’s make some memories.”
I pounced on him before he finished speaking, kissing the words out of his mouth while my hands worked at the zipper on his jeans.
“Whoa, whoa,” he laughed against my mouth and reached out to stop me.
I slapped his hands away, ripped down his zipper, and dropped to my knees in front of him. “You said you want me to make your fantasy come true, so let me.”
Logan groaned as I wrenched down his pants and boxers and freed his hard length. I ran my tongue along the tip of his dick while holding his gaze.
“Nina.” He closed his eyes as I took as much of his length as I could into my mouth. “You’re killing me.”
I closed my lips around him and let my tongue do the talking. Logan threaded his fingertips through my hair and wrapped his fist in my curls. He gave a little tug and groaned again as I reached up to caress his balls.
I took my time worshipping him. Teasing him, drawing my mouth up and down his cock, alternating fast and slow rhythms, keeping him guessing.
I could tell he was holding back, trying not to push too deeply into my oh-so-willing mouth, but I wasn’t having any of that.
I wanted all of him. I finally placed my hands on his ass and pulled him deep inside my mouth, to prove to him that I could take every inch of his glorious cock.
It was the green light he was waiting for, and he started pumping with increasing desperation. I could tell he was straining, getting closer to release, until he pulled away with a frustrated groan.
“You. On the bed,” he said in a strangled voice, gripping his gleaming cock at the root.
“One second,” I said. I smiled mischievously as I stripped off my T-shirt, then my jean shorts, and finally my panties and bra until I was standing naked in front of him.
He let out a guttural groan as he crashed into me and landed on top of me on the bed. His mouth and hands raced over me, like he was trying to make up for lost time. I giggled until his fingertips found the heat between my legs.
“You’re soaked already,” he whispered in my ear.
I couldn’t answer because he was already working me to a fever pitch, stroking and caressing my clit so expertly that he had me whimpering in no time.
“Let go,” he coached in a hoarse whisper. “I wanna make you come three times before they even notice we’re gone.”
He continued making delicious little swirling motions against my swollen nub.
I pressed against his hand, panting. How was it possible that he could make me feel this out of control this quickly?
But it wasn’t a straight shot into orgasm.
Logan teased me, edging me closer to the brink then slowing his pace or pressure until I was practically begging him to put me out of my misery.
“You ready, baby?” he whispered.
Logan dropped his head to take my nipple into his mouth, and I almost screamed.
I bit my lip and closed my eyes as the waves started to build. Strangely, I felt like I was about to cry. I couldn’t focus as the explosions started going off throughout my body. I shuddered even harder as he slipped his fingers inside of me.
“There she is,” Logan whispered as I rode out the final ripples of pleasure.
I was wrung out, and it had only taken him a few minutes to get me to this point.
He pressed his lips to my neck as I found my way back to consciousness. “Ready for more?”
I couldn’t form words, so I nodded. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed.
“Hold on,” he muttered, sounding more frustrated than he should’ve considering he had a naked and happy me pressed against him. “This isn’t good.”
That pushed the post-orgasm haze back far enough for me to speak. “What do you mean?”
“Condoms,” he growled as he glanced around the room. He sat halfway up. “I don’t have any in here.”
I stroked his back, daring myself to say out loud the words ricocheting in my brain.
“Well…do we really need them?” I finally asked.
Logan froze, then pulled back to look at my face.
“Are you serious?”
I shrugged, hiding a smile. I didn’t want to influence him one way or the other.
“Not if you’re not comfortable with the idea. I know this isn’t exactly something you’re planning for right now. And I know how much you love to plan,” I giggled. “You probably haven’t created a spreadsheet that includes this, uh, possibility.”
Logan pulled me close again and rested his cheek against the top of my head. “Yeah, well meet the new me. The one who’s open to letting fate take the wheel now and then. Because I’ve learned something since you came into my life.”
“Something, or things?” I teased.
He laughed. “Point taken. Things, plural. But the most important? Knowing where I need to keep my focus. That’s my family.” He paused. “My potentially growing family.” He nuzzled into my neck. “So yeah, let’s get rid of the guardrails and see what happens.”
Logan kicked off his pants, which were still hanging around his knees, then sat up to pull his shirt over his head.
We stared at each other as we processed what we were about to do.
Not just make love as a real husband and wife. Depending on how nature took its course, this moment could change everything. Or it could just be an incredible fuck, as always.
Either way, we were both ready for whatever adventure was to come. Logan rolled on top of me and slid a pillow under my hips.
He stared down at me. “Are you ready?”
I answered by locking my hands behind his neck and pulling him into a kiss. He reached down between us to position himself and slowly slid inside of me.
Truly and totally naked.
We paused in that delicious moment of connection. As much as we both wanted to make some friction, it was clear that our union was the beginning of something bigger than both of us, and the moment felt too important for us to just let it go. We needed to savor it. Appreciate it.
The official beginning of our marriage. A promise of forever.
And the shared hope that our magical spark would alter the shape of our family.
Logan finally rolled his hips against mine. I was already primed and ready for another orgasm, and when he slipped his hand down between our bodies to find my heat again, I knew I was going to explode within seconds.
Based on Logan’s furrowed brow, I wasn’t the only one.
“You’re so fucking perfect,” he whispered into my ear.
I couldn’t answer because the man was magic.
We moved together, harder, faster.
Logan gritted his teeth. “I can’t…hold out…”
And then he proved himself wrong by continuing to fuck me senseless for God knows how long.