Three
~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~
To think, Logan McCoy was actually human.
What had she expected?
Sam felt lower than ever, realizing throughout this entire ordeal, she’d given no thought to Logan or his feelings. She’d been selfish, believing she was the only one who could be hurt. She had been so wrapped up in protecting herself and being prepared for the worst that she didn’t even stop to think about how he felt.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered, once again pressing her face against the fabric of his shirt. He smelled terrific. Like fabric softener and some sort of spicy musk.
“I don’t want you to be sorry. The real lesson, that we both need to learn, is we’ve both been burned, so it’s alright to be cautious, but we have to give each other a chance.”
Looking up into his hazel eyes, seeing the furrow in his brow, Sam contemplated the wisdom of his words. He was right, though she didn’t want to admit it. Holding on to the fear, even the anger, was so much easier than giving herself over unconditionally to this man. “Now what?”
“If you’ll let me, I’d like to explain exactly what happened this weekend.”
With minimal reluctance, all of the fight officially drained out of her, Sam agreed to hear him out. Logan talked, answering her questions when she had them, and not only did he tell her the logistics, he admitted to the way he felt.
As the conversation wound down, Sam couldn’t stifle her yawn. Despite her earlier nap, she was exhausted, wanting nothing more than to curl up in Logan’s arms and sleep for hours. Maybe days.
When he glanced at his watch, Sam knew they were about to call it a night. She was torn between how it might end.
“I need to go. I’ve kept you up long enough, and you need some sleep.”
“I don’t want you to go.”
Logan smiled, gifting Sam with a peek of his sexy dimple. “Does that mean you want me to stay?”
No more beating around the bush. It was after midnight, and Sam didn’t want to waste another minute. “Yes. I want you to stay.”
“Then I’ll stay.”
Taking his hand in hers, Sam led him to her bedroom, suddenly revived and no longer anxious for sleep. As they neared the bed, he turned to face her, pulling her against him, their bodies aligning like they were made for one another.
Sam loved the way she fit against him, his sheer size making her feel small. And compared to him, she was small, but when his arms wrapped around her, she fit perfectly inside of them, but more importantly, his mouth seemed made for hers.
When he brushed his lips over hers, the soft warmth sent tingles down her arms. As he pursued her tongue, a sweet, sensual mating ensued, and a desperate hunger took flight inside of her.
She loved kissing this man, her body eager to feel more of him. When he leaned her over, slowly lowering her to the mattress, Sam kept her mouth crushed to his. As his body came down to cover hers, she groaned at the sweet pressure between her thighs. She wanted more, and she wanted it now.
She spread her legs further, allowing him to ease between them, the steel hard edge of his erection aligning exactly where she wanted him. Trying to pull him closer, she wrapped one leg around behind him, pressing intimately against his thigh, letting the friction ignite a sensual firestorm between her legs.
“That’s it, baby.” Logan’s voice thundered, sending heat reverberating through her.
Momentarily, the heat left her as Logan quickly shed both of their clothes, but when he pressed down into her once more, skin to skin, Sam knew it had been worth the wait. Every nerve ending lit up like the 4th of July, as she tried to get closer.
“Make love to me, Logan.” She was begging, sliding her hands over his smooth back, down to his ass so she could pull him closer, despite the fact that he didn’t seem to budge. “I need you now.”
Before Sam knew what happened, she was astride Logan, slowly lowering herself down on him, feeling the velvety length of his cock as he slid inside of her.
“Damn that’s good. So fucking good.” Logan groaned, and his erotic words spurred her on, increasing her pace as she continued to take him deeper, then reversing her movement until he was nearly all the way out.
“Baby, I won’t last long if you keep that up.”
Sam smiled a greedy smile. She didn’t want Logan to last long. She wanted him to lose control the way she was.
White hot flames licked at her body as his hands firmly gripped her waist, trying to control the pace. She continued to slide up and down his shaft, the friction pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
“I love watching you ride my cock.”
Sam sat up further, her eyes locked on the place where they were joined as he assisted by lifting and lowering her while she watched his thick, hard cock fill her completely. Then he gripped her hips tighter, holding her just above him as he began thrusting upward, harder, faster, inside of her.
“Take all of me, Sam.” Logan grunted, ramming into her.
She hovered just on the edge, holding out as the glorious friction, the pounding of his cock inside of her, threatened to send her into another realm where only ecstasy existed. When he raked his thumb over her clit, Sam screamed his name, her orgasm ripping through her as her eyes locked with his in time to see him follow her over.
If she hadn’t known before, Sam knew now. She was irrevocably in love with this man, and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.
When Logan eased out of bed a few minutes later, Sam was too tired to move. She was also too tired to sleep, her brain flooded with thoughts. While she heard the shower water run, she knew he’d disappeared to give her a few minutes to herself. Not that she needed them this time.
What just happened between them confirmed the fact that this, whatever it was, was so much more than just sex. So much more than anything she had ever known. The question was, what did she do about it?
Should she tell Logan how she felt about him? Put her heart on the line, risk finding out he cared for her, but he wasn’t looking for love?
A few minutes ago, when they were in the throes of a spectacular orgasm, she’d choked on the words, wanting to tell him how she felt, but fearing she’d ruin what they had just repaired. Instead, she’d just made a mental connection with him, sending all of her feelings at him, praying he could understand just by looking in her eyes.
Lying in her bed alone, even if he would be back shortly, was the most lonesome she’d been since she met him. Having just had him buried deep inside of her, looking at her as though she could somehow make everything right in the world, had been both exquisite and unnerving at the same time.
He was right about what he said earlier, they’d both been burned, and they had a lot to learn when it came to love. Logan wanted her unconditional trust, and Sam wanted to give it to him. He’d carried her to new heights, pushed her to limits she hadn’t known she could reach, and in turn, she wanted to do the same for him.
The shower water turned off, and Sam knew he’d be back any second, so she turned onto her side, staring at the wall, hoping he’d slide up under the covers and cuddle with her. She needed to feel his warmth, his strength, at least through tonight. Tomorrow she’d have to worry about the rest.
~*~*~
Logan showered, letting his mind reel from what just happened. Whatever it was, he didn’t want the feeling to ever end. They’d made love with a ferocity that rivaled his darkest desires.
After the night when he and Luke shared her, being only the two of them tonight, Logan expected the sex to be good, but honestly, he hadn’t expected phenomenal.
Logan admitted his desires, those things that pushed his sexuality and extended his pleasure. He accepted them.
Then, tonight, with Sam, Logan realized he didn’t have to have those things. Sex had always been sex, and without a third, or some other carnal activity, Logan struggled. Not tonight. Not in Sam’s arms. She alone brought out a tender side of him he hadn’t known existed.
Sam was salacious, seductive, even when she wasn’t trying, and Logan found he couldn’t keep his hands off of her. Even after the cold shower, standing in the middle of her bathroom, drying his body, Logan’s dick was hard again. He wanted to be inside of her, hell, he wanted to stay inside of her.
They’d made love, but when she’d come, there had been a connection so strong, so forceful, he’d been lost in the throes of an orgasm so powerful, he didn’t think he’d survive. And yet, here he was, alone in the bathroom, while she probably slept in the very next room.
He needed a moment to get his head on straight. This was foreign to him, and until tonight, Logan had known his feelings for her were deep, even bordered on love. But now, there was no border. He was, beyond any doubt, in love with her. She owned him. And that scared the living hell out of him.
Realizing he truly did have a lot to learn when it came to love, he decided to table his thoughts for another day. Right now he was missing out on being with Sam. Grabbing a washcloth from the small shelf by the sink, Logan let the water get warm. Hanging his towel back on the hook on the door, he flipped off the light and went back to the bedroom.
Seeing the beautiful woman lying peacefully on the bed, nearly waylaid him. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing softly, sleeping soundly. He’d wanted her to fall asleep on top of him after they’d made love, but he had wanted to give her a moment of space, and take one of his own.
Cleaning her gently with the washcloth, Logan let his eyes travel the length of her, gliding over her soft, supple curves. After tossing the washcloth back in the bathroom, he slid into bed beside her, pulling the blankets up over them both. Once she was up against him, her body tucked warmly against his, he was able to close his eyes.
This was exactly where he wanted to be. Next to the woman he loved. It wasn’t a revelation because he knew he had fallen for her and though he had some concerns over how they would move forward, what exactly that meant, he wasn’t scared. He just had to convince her she didn’t need to be scared either.
That was going to be the hard part.
~*~*~
The next three weeks went by without incident… well mostly.
Sam either spent the night with Logan, or he spent the night with her, with the exception of the weekend her parents came down. That weekend had been a long one, though Logan enjoyed himself.
He offered to take the three of them out on the boat and not surprisingly, her father was the first one to jump at the opportunity. He picked up on Sam’s reluctance to spend the day with both him and her parents, but the end of the day, they were getting along easily.
Since the night of their argument, Logan offered Sam little time to brood, or dwell on her thoughts. He made sure to see her every day, even convincing her to go to lunch at least three times a week. Now, he just wondered what the next step in the relationship was. Taking things one day at a time was much easier said than done, and Logan never considered himself an impatient man.
He half expected some of the newness to wear off of the relationship. So far, it hadn’t. Each morning when he woke up, Sam beside him, his body still hardened at the mere sight of her.
When he heard her voice outside of his office door, usually speaking to Deanna, he couldn’t help but smile, or try to sneak a glance. There was an easiness to the way they were when they were together, though still intense.
Oh, and the sex was still off the charts.
Realizing the time, Logan opened his IM, so he could check in with her to see what time she’d be finished.
[McCoy, Logan – 4:43pm] What are your plans for tonight?
[Kielty, Samantha – 4:43pm] At this point, I don’t have any. Why, what’s up?
[McCoy, Logan – 4:43pm] I was thinking dinner and a movie. After all, our last movie date was ruined.
[Kielty, Samantha – 4:44pm] Sounds good. What time? I only have a few more things to finish up and I’ll be ready to go.
Logan had driven them to the office that morning since Sam had stayed the night. For the last couple of weekends, they hadn’t made any plans; they simply spent the time together and did whatever came to mind.
[McCoy, Logan – 4:44pm] Give me about thirty minutes and I’ll be ready.
[Kielty, Samantha – 4:45pm] Ok, just let me know.
Once his report was finished, Logan logged off of his computer, grabbing his cell phone on the way out the door. He dialed the last number on his missed call list, and it was quickly answered.
“Xavier, I noticed you called earlier. Just wanted to give you a call back. What’s up?” Logan listened intently as Xavier told him that he needed to meet with him. Today.
“Are you in the building?” He waited briefly for his boss’ confirmation, and once given, he replied with a quick, “See you in ten”, then hung up the phone.
It was highly unusual for Xavier to meet Logan at his office this late in the day, but Xavier was on his way.
According to his boss, he had something urgent to discuss, which meant only one thing. Whatever he had to say would probably pertain to his relationship with Sam.
A couple of his V.P.’s had made offhanded comments in passing a couple of times, so he knew their relationship hadn’t gone unnoticed like they’d hoped. Since he hadn’t let them bait him, they must have gone to Xavier with their grievances.
Stopping at Sam’s office, he pushed open her door and forced a smile.
“Hey.” Her smile brightened her face, and he hated what he had to tell her next.
“Hey back. Are you already done?” She asked, her attention back on her computer.
“Not quite. Xavier wants to talk to me.”
Sam jerked her head in his direction, her eyes wide, her face pale. “About?”
He had already told Sam about Larry and Abigail’s comments regarding their relationship, and he knew she suspected the same thing he did.
“I’m not sure just yet. He’s on his way now. Wait for me.” His lips turned upward, but he knew the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I’ll be here. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Remembering that he had driven her to work that day, Logan almost offered her to take his car. Selfishly, he opted not to, wanting to see her as soon as this conversation was over.
As soon as he’d shut her office door behind him, Logan saw Xavier and Alex walking his way. Shit. This definitely couldn’t be good if Xavier had brought Alex along.
Since Alex wasn’t exactly employed by XTX, rather his company was contracted by XTX to provide security, Logan didn’t know what the other man might be able to contribute.
Xavier greeted when he and Alex fell into step with Logan on the way to his office. Thankfully Deanna had already left for the day. His sweet, spunky admin would probably panic at the sight the three of them probably made.
“Thanks for meeting me this late.” Xavier said when the office door finally shut behind them.
“Sure thing. Please have a seat.” Nodding at Alex, Logan greeted his friend, wondering what the other man was doing there. “Alex.”
Without hesitation, Xavier took one of the spare chairs in Logan’s office and directed his attention at him. “I’m going to get straight down to business since I know you probably have plans for the evening.”
Logan didn’t say anything; he simply sat down and looked back at the other two men.
“It seems we have a problem. Well, not quite a problem in my book, but it seems to be a problem with a couple of your employees.”
Unsurprised by his comment, Logan nodded his understanding. Despite Xavier’s laid back appearance, Alex looked a bit more concerned by where the conversation was headed.
“Abigail and Larry came to me this week in regards to you and your apparent relationship with Sam. It seems they have an issue with the fact that you’re dating one of your vice presidents, and they fear it will impact their jobs.”
“Sure. I spoke with both of them earlier in the week.” This wasn’t news to him, but, figuring Abigail’s original disapproval of Sam, he expected as much. Abigail had been rooting for Tricia Shoenrock for the position, and had been disappointed when Logan didn’t even consider the less tenured project manager for the role.
“Why didn’t you come to me?” Xavier asked, concerned.
“I didn’t think it would continue to be an issue, but I should have known. What do I need to do? Hand in my resignation?” Logan immediately jumped to the conclusion that the only answer would be to leave the company. It was instinct.
He was going to protect Sam at all costs. That was certainly a new and strange feeling for him, but for some reason, it no longer scared him. He had finally come to terms with his feelings for Sam and just short of telling her that he loved her, Logan had all but admitted how he felt.
“Hell no. That isn’t the answer.” Xavier exclaimed, using his hands to punctuate the statement. “That’s why we’re here, actually. Alex has come up with an idea that we think will work for all involved.”
Xavier looked to Alex and then back to Logan, apparently uncomfortable with the conversation. And what could Alex possibly do about the situation? He was the head of security, not exactly the career path either of them were leaning toward.
“It might sound strange, but it makes sense, and above all else, I think it’ll actually benefit everyone involved.” Alex contributed.
“How big is this problem, Xavier? Does it truly require change?” Logan questioned. He wanted to get Xavier’s perspective.
“Well, since they’ve both threatened to engage HR or walk, and I’m not exactly good with either of those choices, I think it does.”
Interesting. He knew Abigail pretty well, and he was actually surprised his tenured vice president would threaten to leave the company. He didn’t put it past Larry though since the man had always been aggressive when it came to his position.
“Alright. I’m listening.”
“As you and I previously discussed, I really don’t have a problem with you and Sam dating. Actually, I’m a little relieved you pulled the stick out of your ass and actually went after her.” Xavier responded, just as politically correct as always, making Logan laugh.
Logan noticed Alex’s grin. It definitely wasn’t the first time Xavier had come to the forefront with his honesty. The two of them shared that sort of relationship, and it was one Logan had come to appreciate.
“Alex’s idea involves Sam though. I wanted to run it by you before we presented her with the option.”
Option? What the hell?
“You have my attention.” Logan stated, uncomfortable now.
“The situation seems to stem from the fact that Sam is your employee, and you and she are… together.” Alex stated flatly. “It doesn’t appear to be going away, so we had to come up with a plan. Unless you tell me the two of you are calling it quits, I think this is our only option.”
“That’s not about to happen, so I hope you’ve got a good plan.”
“As you probably already know, Logan,” Xavier began, “I’m very fond of Samantha and don’t want to lose her expertise here at XTX, so Alex and I have discussed what options we have of keeping her and you, employed. Other employees feel as though they don’t have the same opportunities Sam has, due to the circumstances.”
“Although, we did tell Larry and Abigail they were free to ask you out anytime.” Alex smirked.
“Shut up, smart ass.” Logan glared back at him, not able to find humor in the situation. “What are the options?”
“Dylan and I have discussed –” Alex started, but was interrupted.
“Dylan? What the hell does Dylan have to do with this?” Logan looked at one man then back to the other.
“Since the last time we talked, Dylan has decided to relocate back to Dallas, mostly because Stacey was accepted to UTD, but also because he’s decided to go into business with Alex.”
Logan looked to Alex for confirmation. “Since Dylan and I agree that Sam is a tremendous asset to XTX and in order to keep her employed on the current project as well as to have her expertise in other areas, we’re willing to offer her a comparable position with CISS.”
Alex had worked for years to build his security agency from the ground up. He owned and operated the firm, and based on his knowledge, if Alex was serious, he would be able to offer Sam one hell of an opportunity.
With Dylan joining the ranks, Logan was comfortable they’d be able to take the company to the next level. To this point, they’d embedded inside of XTX and only offered some basic personal security outside, but Logan knew Alex wasn’t hurting for business.
As good of an opportunity as this presented for Sam, Logan didn’t think she’d see it that way.
“What’s the catch?” Logan asked as he kept his gaze on Alex.
“No catch. Actually, we would formally hire her and then contract her out to XTX for the remainder of the project. She wouldn’t report to you any longer, rather she would report directly in to Xavier.” Alex commented as he shifted in his chair.
Logan glanced back at Xavier to see the man still sitting quietly, his face expressionless as he waited for Logan’s input. The strange thing was, this was actually a brilliant idea, provided CISS was willing to offer her the same money she was making as well as a permanent position in the Dallas area. Sam might not require the permanent position, but Logan did.
“Have you taken into consideration the money she is making here at XTX?” Logan asked.
“All taken care of. We’d match her salary, and she’d keep an executive position, bonus included. And, to top it all off, we’re willing to offer her a permanent position here in Dallas. That doesn’t mean she won’t travel, but her home base would be right here.” Alex grinned. “Close to you.”
Logan could hear Sam now. She was going to give the two men hell, and he sure hoped he could sit by and watch it as it happened. Xavier and Alex knew Logan really didn’t have a say in the matter because the situation had already brought forth a human resource violation and, truthfully, XTX probably could lose the battle in court.
“Well, gentlemen, you both know I can’t make this decision for her. I have two questions, though. First, who will be the one to try to sell her this idea? And two, what is behind door number two if she chooses to decline?”
Xavier leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Logan, the only other option is to send her back to the San Antonio office.”
Logan saw the strain on Xavier’s face, heard the uncertainty in his voice as he shared that little tidbit of information.
“She’ll have the opportunity to get James’ job when he retires, but other than that, I don’t have much of a choice. And, we’ve designated you as the man to give her this information.”
“Me? Why the hell does it have to be me? She’s going to feel as if I’m not giving her a choice.”
“Logan, you’re close to her, and as of right now, she works for you. We truly need her to take this offer. It’s the best for both companies, as well as for you and her. This wasn’t something we took lightly.” Xavier ran his hand through his thick gray hair, a pained look on his face. “Son, I don’t want to have to do this. You know I’ve been supportive and hell, I really am glad you found someone to make you happy. This type of thing doesn’t happen but once and I don’t want the two of you to let something like this come between you.”
Logan looked down at his desk. He knew Xavier wasn’t speaking to him as an employee; he was speaking as if he were family. Just knowing he had his support and the fact that Xavier was willing to give them this opportunity was more than he could have ever hoped for.
Now came the hard part. He had to try and convince Sam.
Damn this wasn’t going to be easy.