Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Macie stood with her hands on her hips. “Alright. Let’s have it.”
Lacy looked at her cousin, wondering what she’d forgotten. “Have what?”
“Who is he?”
Lacy bit her lower lip, especially when Evan’s head popped up as he dipped one of his fries in ketchup.
“He?” Evan asked.
Lacy shook her head and fought like the devil not to cry. “There is no he.”
She was able to say the words with confidence because they were true. Logan hadn’t returned a single one of her calls in five days and, despite her efforts to get him alone, the man somehow always managed to have customers in his shop.
She’d stopped by his place after hours the last two nights, but he either wasn’t in or he wasn’t answering the door.
He had told her when he left Friday that it was over. He’d blown her world away with the clamps, plug, and dildo. Given her the greatest sexual experience of her life and then, at the end, he’d simply walked away.
Once he said he was leaving, she hadn’t bothered to beg or plead. One look at his determined face told her all she needed to know. He wouldn’t be swayed.
As a result, he’d left her with a big freaking hole in her chest where he had ripped her heart out.
“There’s no one.”
Her cousin studied her face too closely for Lacy’s comfort, so she worked hard to keep her expression impassive.
“Only guy troubles would explain your behavior the last few weeks.”
Lacy rolled her eyes. “I’m behaving like I always do.”
Macie made an annoying buzzer sound, as if Lacy had given the wrong answer on a game show.
“Nope. You’ve been all over the charts. Testy as hell one day, then the next you’re walking on air.
Spent the better part of a week yelling your name until you finally managed to pull your head out of your daydreaming ass long enough to answer me.
During that phase, I had to brush my teeth twelve times a day while trying not to get a toothache looking at that sappy, sweet, can’t-wipe-the-grin-off-your-face look.
Now you’ve spent the last few days moping around here like you lost your best friend.
If that’s not some man fucking with your head, then I don’t know what else it could be. You’ve got all the classic symptoms.”
“Lace?” Evan asked. She hated seeing the worry in his eyes.
“No one is jerking me around, Evan.” Logan had been a straight shooter from the start, telling her they could only have a short-lived affair. She was the one who’d pushed for more than he was willing to give.
Her brother nodded and she was relieved that he appeared to accept her words. “Maybe what you have is catching.”
“What do you mean?”
“Logan’s down in the dumps too.”
Lacy was very careful not to look too interested in that tidbit, but Macie picked it up like it was a hundred dollar bill on the ground. “Really?”
Though she was responding to Evan’s comment, Macie’s gaze had zoomed in on Lacy—big time. The last thing she needed was for Macie to put two and two together. That wouldn’t be good for anyone.
Lacy needed to get out of here. Her head was pounding, her throat closing, and she was in serious danger of falling apart in the middle of the restaurant.
“Listen, Mace. Things are slow around here tonight. Do you mind covering for me? I’ve got a wicked headache.”
Macie nodded slowly, still studying her face too intently. “Sure. If things get busy, I’ll call Gia or Adele to come in and help out.”
“Thanks.” Lacy grabbed her purse from the storage closet then gave Evan a quick kiss on the cheek on her way out.
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
She nodded. “Pinkie swear.”
He smiled and said goodbye.
Lacy waved then rushed outside. Glancing toward the sky, she saw a dark cloud forming in the distance. Looked like they were in for a storm tonight. Strangely, Lacy found some comfort in that thought. She wasn’t in the mood for sunshine.
Besides, maybe a good old-fashioned, noisy thunderstorm would drown out her crying.
Because she had every intention of throwing one hell of a temper tantrum the second she got home.
For days, she’d walked around in a haze of pent-up sorrow.
She’d held her depression in, afraid to let it out.
Now her skin felt as if it would crack from the pressure.
She stared at her feet as she pounded the pavement, walking the five blocks from the restaurant to her apartment in record time. She’d been so focused on the ground, she hadn’t noticed Logan’s truck parked on the street out front until she’d passed it. Then she glanced from the vehicle to the door.
Logan sat on the front stoop, his face stoic, unemotional. She hated the way he could tuck away his feelings so easily. It took all the strength she had not to go over and punch him in the stomach the way he had Bucky.
She felt a tear slide down her cheek, but she didn’t bother to dash it away. Ordinarily, she’d rather eat dirt than let someone see her cry. That didn’t apply this time. She wanted Logan to see her pain, to understand exactly how bad he’d hurt her.
Logan stood as she approached him. “Lacy.”
She simply stared at him as another tear fell. She was unable to speak, too afraid she’d rain down a torrent of horrible words on his head.
“Please don’t cry.”
Her jaw tightened, her teeth clenched. It was on the tip of her tongue to scream the words “Fuck you!” He didn’t get to tell her what to do. How to feel. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m going to break my promise to Evan.”
She frowned. “What?”
“Get upstairs.”
Her body responded before her brain could engage. She started upstairs. She hesitated briefly, but Logan was there, urging her to keep moving.
Lacy’s tears evaporated, her head whirling over what he’d said.
Broken promise.
She allowed him to propel her forward as she struggled to figure out what the hell was going on. Why was he here? Was he collecting on the last night? Did he still intend for this to be the end? Maybe his hormones had finally gotten the better of him.
God knew she’d been fighting some seriously hardcore sexual needs, employing her vibrator far more than was probably healthy.
What was worse was the whole time she sought to assuage her needs, her heart was shattered.
She missed him even as she cursed his name, and then screamed it during her self-inflicted orgasms.
She was a fucking mess.
If he’d simply come here to use her for sex, she’d…what?
Kick him out?
She wouldn’t do that. All he’d had to do was tell her to move and she was all but running to her bedroom. She should hate him for that.
Or maybe she should hate herself.
Once she unlocked her door and entered, Logan was right behind her.
“Bedroom.”
“Logan—”
“We’re going to talk, Lace. We’re going to say every single fucking thing that needs to be said. I promise. But if I’m not inside you in the next five minutes, I can’t be held responsible for my own actions.”
Every ounce of pain she’d felt in the past five days vanished. She wasn’t going to let him leave again without that conversation. But he was right. The physical aches needed to be quenched first or she wouldn’t be able to say anything coherent.
“Fine.” She grabbed his hand and led him to her bedroom quickly. It sounded as if he had turned the corner on whatever had been holding him back.
At least she hoped he had.
If not, she was making the mother of all mistakes.
Not that it mattered. She was diving into this fire feet first, aching for the burn, because as much as her heart ached, her body was currently suffering more.
As they entered the room, she lost no time. She turned to face him and unbuckled his belt, her fingers grazing his erection as she worked. He was rock hard. How long had he been suffering with that condition? The petty part of her that was still pissed he’d made her wait hoped it had been a while.
She unbuttoned his jeans, slid the zipper down, wrapped her hands around his cock and stroked it slowly. She shuddered as she considered how full she would feel with him inside her.
“I want you so much, Lace.”
She smiled and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “I’m right here.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “For the way things ended last time.”
He had promised her they would talk. After. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. “It’s okay.”
He shook his head as if to disagree, so she forced him to look at her. His apology had gone a long way toward soothing her anger, her pain. So had the fact he’d shown up here tonight. They would discuss whatever had compelled him to leave, but not right now.
“I mean it. It’s okay.”
Logan gripped her cheeks in his large palms and gave her a kiss so passionate it took her breath away. This was what she’d hoped for on her eighteen birthday. There was nothing on earth so magical as being kissed by someone who clearly adored you.
“God, I missed you.”
She grinned at his confession. “Ditto.”
He was obviously trying to hold back, giving her the chance to tell him to take a hike.
“It’s time.”
His jeans hung on his hips, so he reached back, trying to dig out his wallet. Lacy gripped his upper arm to stop him.
“Don’t. I’m on the Pill.”
“Lacy—”
She pressed her cheek against his. “Please. I want you to come inside me.”
He didn’t respond for several moments. Then he cupped her cheek affectionately. “I find it impossible to say no to you.”
She laughed softly. “That’s good. That’s very good. Hold on to that thought and we’ll always be happy.”
He twisted her away from him with one quick motion and swatted her ass. “Minx.”
“Wait,” she said, unfastening her own pants. “Let me get these silly jeans out of the way and you can try that again properly.”
“If I wasn’t in agony, I’d gag you for trying to run the show, but as it is…”
Together, they got each other out of their clothing. When Lacy climbed onto the mattress, Logan was right there behind her.
She turned, lying down on her back as he came over her.