Fifteen
~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~
Logan dropped Sam at her apartment and then drove the thirty minutes back to his house. She needed a little time to shower and get ready for their date and probably a little time to think. He’d much rather have taken her back to his house and taken a shower with her, but he knew the appropriate thing to do was let her have some time to herself.
For the first time, in far too long, Logan didn’t look forward to being away from a woman. Not Samantha. Since the first day he laid eyes on her, he’d known there was something different about her. What he hadn’t expected was how quickly or how hard he would have fallen for her. And that’s exactly what he had done.
Fallen for her.
Maybe the sex was blurring his thoughts; after all, it had been off the charts. Logan figured Sam was a little freaked out about the amount of control he’d taken. What she didn’t realize was that she was in control. More in control of him than he ever would be again. She could break him with a breath, and he only prayed she reciprocated what he was already beginning to feel for her.
The last time he’d felt something even remotely close had been for Heather. Logan had known at the time that he hadn’t been in love with her, but she had represented everything he thought he needed in his life. Boy had he been so very wrong.
Heather was pretty; a woman who didn’t mind hanging on his arm, mingling with those Logan had known would get him far in his company. She was smart too. And they’d been happy, yet Logan had never felt complete with Heather.
Granted, the sex had been good. Not spectacular, but it had been good. He might not have seen fireworks when they made love, the way he did with Sam, but he was satisfied.
And he thought she had been too.
That was until he overheard her on the phone with her mother talking about his finances and what that would mean when they were finally married. According to that one phone call, Heather had already planned out what would happen after they got married. Her plan had included talking him into having children.
To this day, Logan wasn’t sure he wanted to have children. He didn’t have anything against kids, he just wasn’t sure it was a path he wanted to take in his life. But Heather had seemed pretty convinced that she could change his mind.
Logan knew that having money changed the way people acted toward him. He was the strategic operations president of a highly successful company. With that position came money, prestige, and a shitload of responsibility. But, he was born for this job. He knew what it needed, and he gave it 150%, sometimes more.
What didn’t come along with it was a woman who needed him to take care of them. He wasn’t interested in being the sole provider, or having a trophy on his arm who spent her days spending his money.
That wasn’t to say that one day he’d have a wife who chose to stay home and raise their children, if they decided to have any. If that’s what she wanted to do, that’s what she’d do. Not because she married him for his money though.
Those concerns didn’t seem to matter when it came to Sam. Logan was pretty sure that if he tried to take away her independence, she wouldn’t be around for long. The last thing he wanted was to change anything about Samantha Kielty, and he liked that she seemed to feel the same.
With Heather, Logan learned some hard lessons. She’d taken him by surprise with her well thought out plans and her devious manipulations. Luckily, he quickly realized that his heart wasn’t as invested in the relationship as he had originally thought. Though he tried to let her down easy, their breakup wasn’t pleasant. Logan hadn’t looked back since.
Eight years later, Logan had been with a lot of women, and until recently, he didn’t have any intentions of getting into anything serious. Then, he saw Sam during a brief conversation through a video conference, and he felt something inside of him shift.
It wasn’t until he watched her walk across the third floor of the Dallas office that he knew there was going to be something entirely different about this woman. And after a few interactions and one smoking hot romp on his boat, Logan knew he just wanted her in his life, and it didn’t all boil down to just the sex.
He wanted to see her smile and hear her voice every day. Now, she had blown his mind with the fire that burned deep inside of her and he was lost.
The key question was whether he told her or not. The rational part of him said he should keep his mouth shut. They had only known each other for a couple of months, spending remarkably little time together during that time. Only in the last few days had they gotten closer, but Logan had known since the first day they had lunch when she was in Dallas that he was in deep trouble. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her since. And he knew he wouldn’t stop thinking about her until he had her all to himself.
Logan wanted her in the most basic, primitive way, and he wanted everyone to know that she belonged to him.
~*~*~
Sam made a beeline for the shower as soon as she got back to her apartment. Part of her wished Logan would have just taken her back to his place, or even joined her at hers. Either way, as she stood in the shower, completely alone, she was left with too much time to think. Funny that. Just a short time ago, she’d wanted to be left alone so she could do just that. Not so much anymore.
During the drive home, Sam’s heart almost melted when Logan had reached across the center console of his truck just to hold her hand. He kept their fingers linked together for the entire drive, neither of them saying much. The gesture was so genuine and sweet, it made her long to be near him now.
As she let the water rinse the conditioner from her hair, Sam closed her eyes, remembering the look on Logan’s face when she had pulled that little stunt on his boat.
He had given himself over to her. He allowed her to take control and to pleasure him however she felt necessary, and she knew for a man like Logan that was a huge step. But, would it always be like that? Was he going to stay interested in her past this point? She didn’t understand what the fear was that clutched at her, but she couldn’t seem to shake the uncertainty.
Despite her better judgment, she let herself think back to her relationship with Nick. Sam had naively believed he had been the man of her dreams. Tall, dark, and handsome, successful, and he seemed to have genuinely cared for her. Being that he was the second of only two men she had ever slept with, Sam had thought they were sexually compatible even. Not to the same extent she and Logan were by any means, but the sex had been satisfactory.
However, she was young and stupid back then, and she whole heartedly believed he would make her happy. The relationship had quickly blossomed, the two of them spending day and night together.
It wasn’t until six months into the relationship when she stopped by his apartment after work for dinner that she realized she’d been wearing rose colored glasses.
Nick had given her a key a few months before, and she had given him one to her apartment, as well. The night she had shown up at his door, they hadn’t made any plans to see each other, but she wanted to surprise him with dinner. That day had been especially stressful at work, and she needed someone to talk to, someone who would let her vent and not judge her.
Arriving at his apartment just after dark, Sam knocked twice, but when he didn’t answer, she decided to go inside and wait for him, figuring he might be at the gym.
Well, Nick was getting a workout, but he definitely wasn’t at the gym, and she quickly forgot about the need to talk to him because clearly, talking wasn’t on Nick’s agenda for the night.
It hadn’t taken long to hear the noises coming from inside once she inserted the key into the lock. As soon as she opened the door, she saw them, Nick and Jennifer, her boyfriend and her best friend, fucking like long lost lovers in the middle of his living room floor.
The look on their faces when she walked in and caught them in the middle of their little rendezvous was priceless. Jennifer looked almost remorseful, but not Nick. He didn’t even bother to stop thrusting into Jennifer as Sam stood in the doorway, her mouth wide open, her jaw almost to the floor.
She dropped the food in the middle of the foyer and turned and walked out. She didn’t even shut the door behind her when she left. Even through her own sobbing she heard the moans and groans as the two continued with what they were doing. She hated herself for trusting someone so much. Someone who would make a fool out of her.
For a solid week, Jennifer had tried to contact her, but Sam refused her calls. Nick, on the other hand, never called and she never called him. The relationship was over immediately. Samantha packed up the few things he had left at her apartment and she mailed them to him, avoiding him at all costs. Nick never did send any of her things back, but she didn’t care.
Whatever it was she might have left there wasn’t worth the pain she would have had to endure all over again. It had taken months for her to get over what happened, and when she did, she found she couldn’t trust anymore.
Not until Logan.
There didn’t seem to be ulterior motives with Logan McCoy. He was straight forward and open about what he wanted and what he expected. The only hiccup was when she had found him talking to Brittany, but even then he had been honest with her about it. He admitted his mistake, gave her his reasons and promised her it wouldn’t happen again.
She knew that if it did she would walk in a minute. Regardless of how much she was beginning to care for him. Had it happened a few years ago, she wouldn’t have given him a second chance.
Sam had finally found someone she felt she could trust.
The only concern was related to work. He was her boss. He was an executive at the company, and she had a reputation to uphold; a very strong, highly reliable reputation that she had worked hard to build. She didn’t want anyone believing she seduced the boss to get her job. She didn’t want others to look at her and not believe she knew what she was doing.
On the other hand, Sam knew what was happening between them didn’t occur every day. The opportunity to explore the crazy feelings stirring deep inside presented itself, and she’d be damned if she was going to pass it up. He scared her, but she needed to be scared. She needed to feel again and until she met Logan she hadn’t felt anything for a long time.
Going through the motions day after day, living her life for her job, had gotten her a whole lot of nothing. She didn’t have dates or boyfriends. Hell, she barely had any friends because she learned that lesson the hard way too.
When she was with Logan, she felt alive. She felt like a woman. A very feminine, extremely sexy woman. She needed something from Logan, and it had nothing to do with finances and everything to do with love. Her body heated just by looking at him, her heart beat faster just by being close to him. The net of it was, she felt something for him.
Something strong. Something foreign.
Sam finished showering, paying attention to every last detail. She even curled her hair, letting it hang loose down her back. He told her to wear something sexy, and she had just the thing. She wasn’t sure what prompted her to put on the little black dress, her sexiest black lace demi bra, thigh high black stockings and a garter belt, but she knew it was the perfect outfit.
Aside from those things, she wore her black heels and left off one key piece of clothing, but she did it on purpose. She knew that she was tempting the beast, and to hell with whatever reservations she might have had about what happened earlier, Sam couldn’t resist.
~*~*~
“You look amazing.” Logan took a double take when Sam answered the door.
In the time it had taken her to look like that, he had gone home, showered, changed and then headed right back. He felt like a teenager, giddy with excitement about seeing her again and he hadn’t wanted to be gone for too long.
All in all, he had rushed. That resulted in him sitting in the parking lot for an additional twenty minutes, hoping he would give her enough time to get ready.
“Thank you. Let me get my purse.”
Logan watched her walk away, admiring the view a little too much. She grabbed a small, black clutch purse from the counter and a set of keys.
He took the keys from her as she joined him on the small second floor landing, and he locked the door behind her. The surprised look on her face made him laugh. As they descended the stairs, he took her hand, holding a single red rose in the other. Once again, she gave him an astonished look, but this time, he merely smiled. Who said chivalry was dead?
When they reached the parking lot, Logan led her toward his car, this time he’d selected his pride and joy. A sleek, black Corvette that he rarely drove.
“It figures you’d have a Corvette.” Sam teased as he held the door for her.
As he walked around the back of the car, he let out a low whistle. This was going to be one hell of a night. With a woman who looked that damned hot, Logan wasn’t sure they’d make it through dinner.
When he told her to wear something sexy, he had no clue it would be that. He didn’t know if he would be able to keep his hands off of her so that they could have dinner.
When he got himself situated in the driver’s seat, he glanced over, noticing the dress she wore was short, and it was midway up her thigh, revealing a hint of the top of her black stockings and what appeared to be a garter attached.
“Holy hell.”
“What’s the matter?” She asked innocently, but Logan could tell by the look in her translucent green eyes that she knew exactly what was the matter.
“Absolutely nothing.” He whispered as he started the car and put it in reverse to back out of the parking space. As he turned the car around, he noticed a fire red Camaro sitting in the parking space beside her building. “Damn that’s a nice car.”
“You like it? It was an impulse buy.” She said as she leaned back in her seat, getting more comfortable.
“You have got to be kidding.” He glanced over at her as he put his foot to the floor and tore out of the parking lot. “Baby, you just get better and better.”
The conversation was light as they headed downtown. Logan gave her a brief overview of the area as they passed through the main drag that hadn’t been closed off yet. When they pulled up to the restaurant, Logan eased into the valet lane.
Knowing he’d better hurry, Logan exited the car and waved off the man heading over to the passenger door. He wasn’t about to let another man help his lady out of the car. She was with him, and he wanted everyone to know it.
Logan reached out and took her hand, helping her out of the car and then handed the keys and a twenty dollar bill over to the valet attendant as they headed to the front entrance.
Once inside, the hostess greeted them immediately.
“Good evening, Mr. McCoy. We have your table ready.”
He nodded, took Sam’s hand and placed it in the crook of his arm as they followed the woman to the back of the restaurant.
He’d manage to keep Sam off guard every step of the way, and he could see the question in her eyes. Yes, the hostess knew him by sight. When you are one of the highest ranking employees for one of the largest companies in the city, those things happened. XTX was fond of entertaining clients at this particular establishment, so he was seen in here often.
He also got a little ego boost when Sam gave the young hostess a glare after the woman eyed him up and down. He liked that she was possessive. He liked it a hell of a lot.
Logan had reserved a table in a secluded section in the back, insisting that he didn’t want other patrons sitting in the vicinity. When he had called earlier that day, he’d instructed the maître’d that he wanted a romantic dinner for two, without interruption. That was exactly what he got. The only light shining was that from the numerous candles gracing the table and the couple of wall sconces around them.
The hostess stepped back while Logan pulled out Sam’s chair for her and allowed her to sit down before he walked to the chair beside her, not across from her, and followed suit. Once he was seated, the hostess extracted a bottle from a nearby ice bucket, and proceeded to fill the two glasses already on the table. When the hostess walked away, Sam finally spoke.
“Does this always happen?”
Logan laughed, keeping his voice low. “This is our first date. One that I hope you will always remember.”
“Well, I think it’s safe to say I will.”
Logan leaned in a little closer and chose his words carefully. “I’m hoping this will be your last first date.”
Instead of panicking like Logan suspected she would, Sam’s grin was full of mischief. “You think rather highly of yourself don’t you?”
He watched, fascinated as she took a sip of her wine, waiting to see her reaction. Her face lit up with a smile so bright, Logan nearly groaned.
“I think rather highly of you.” He answered her, then took a sip of his own wine. “I hope you like steak because the entire meal is already planned out.”
~*~*~
As Sam processed what he was saying, she realized there weren’t any menus on the table either; nor had a waitress come by to ask for their order. “I’m from Texas, of course I like steak.”
When she rested her arms on the table, Logan reached out and took one of her hands, twining his fingers with hers. Sam wasn’t used to public displays of affection, but with Logan, the small touches were endearing. Holding his hand across the table, seeing how small her hand was enveloped inside of his made her feel safe.
The conversation was comfortable as they both spoke of their parents and their upbringing. Logan told her more about his grandfather and about the memories he had of his parents. She did notice that he didn’t speak much of his brother, and she wasn’t going to ask. Not yet anyway.
Sam told him stories about her parents, even informing him they planned to come to visit in a couple of weeks. They talked about their high schools and college, as well as their first jobs.
She was surprised at how relaxed she was just sitting there, talking, while they shared an intimate, romantic dinner together. The only conversation was between the two of them. The waiter didn’t speak to them, only refilled the wine when needed and brought out all of the courses. Logan remained close to her through the entire dinner. His hand would brush over hers when he was talking, or he would play with her fingers.
Sam didn’t remember a time when she ever felt as though she was the focus of someone else’s attention if it wasn’t related to business. She also didn’t ever remember sitting in a romantic setting with a man as strikingly handsome and confident as the man sitting beside her.
When dinner and dessert were finished, Logan took her hand and led her from the restaurant. The bill was paid by his credit card on file, so there was no need for him to hassle with waiting on others.
“Thank you for dinner, Logan. It was wonderful.”
“It was my pleasure. Now, on to the remainder of the date.”
“And what would that be?”
“The hot tub, what else?” He smirked as he opened her door for her so she could get settled in the car. He closed the door after she was in and walked around to get into his side, tipping the valet attendant again as he passed by.
The hot tub?
Sam didn’t say anything because she didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t worn a bathing suit, or brought one, but she knew that wouldn’t be news to Logan. Nor would it probably be a problem. Not after their afternoon spent naked in broad daylight.
She wondered why he hadn’t forewarned her of his plans. She felt her body flush at the idea of being in the hot tub naked with Logan. She was just going to go with whatever happened. Tonight was just to relax and be with the man who seemed to be wiggling his way faster and faster into her heart.
Sam found herself sitting quietly, enjoying the scenery and the sexy, musky smell of Logan that filled the car. She’d worked to control her breathing for the last five minutes since Logan had decided to put his hand on her left thigh. The warmth spread like wildfire through her veins, causing her to flush with need. His fingers were tracing small circles just above the top of her stockings, and she found it rather difficult to breathe in and out. He was tormenting her, and he knew it.
“What’s the matter, baby? You look like something is on your mind.”
“You are just too funny for your own good.” She whispered as she felt his hand move further up her thigh. She knew he could see the stockings, but she would bet money he didn’t know she didn’t have on panties. If and when he decided to take this further, she was going to be in serious trouble.
Logan stopped at a red light and moved his hand higher on her thigh, her need flooding through the car. Her sharp intake of breath as he reached the top of her thigh caught her by surprise, and she knew he heard it too. Feeling just a little bold, maybe from too much wine, Sam parted her legs slightly, giving him more room to roam.
“Sonuvabitch.”
Yep, he’d realized she wasn’t wearing panties. Sam was nervous, and slightly disappointed when he only continued to tease her. His fingers swept across the soft, bare skin, but he didn’t linger. Instead, he moved his hand back down her thigh and accelerated through the green light.
“Sam, I think you’ll learn over time, but tonight, I’ll definitely be teaching you a lesson about tempting me.”
Should that sentence really turn her on so much? Sam fought the urge to squirm in her seat, to put his hand back where she really wanted it.
“Really? And what lesson would that be?” She spread her legs further apart, giving him a hint as to exactly what she wanted, giving him access to the core of all of her desire.
There was something sinfully erotic about driving down the road, other cars passing them by, while he touched her. It was taboo, very naughty, and the idea made her body burn hotter than ever before.
Logan thought he could pretend she wasn’t fazing him, but Sam could see by the strain on his facial muscles, and the tightness of his lips that he was, in fact, very aware of the situation.
Just when she thought he would ignore her advances, he slid a glance her way. Turning slightly in her seat, offering him better access, Sam watched as he rearranged his arm so he could get closer. A fire lit deep in her belly and tingles radiated from between her legs.
“Pull your dress up, baby. I want to see that pretty pussy while I finger it.”
His words were nearly as hot as his touch and Sam found she wanted to do exactly what he instructed. The black silk slid up her thighs with the help of her fingers, resting just beneath her hips, while his fingers outlined the soft folds, teasing her relentlessly.
She held her breath as he slowly parted her pussy lips, slipping his finger into her wetness. He rubbed her clit with the palm of his hand, slowly, incredibly slowly as his middle finger slid further into her. She gasped as she let her body take him in, his finger going deeper, her body burning brighter, hotter.