"That's not what I meant."
"Sure it is." She laughed. "Are you taking a coat?"
"And cover this up?" I shook my head. "It's a short walk to the SUB."
She went to my desk, poured a shot of tequila, and handed it to me. "Then you'll need an alcohol blanket, honey."
"Thanks, Mom."
She took another drink of her vodka. "Slam it, baby."
As I downed my shot, my phone buzzed. I glanced at it. "Logan's here."
She raised her glass to me. "Have fun."
I grabbed my keys. As I turned around, I saw Logan in the door to my dorm room, looking hotter than any guy had a right to.
As his gaze slid down me and lingered on my bellybutton ring, every muscle I owned tightened with longing. "Wow, El." He was holding a single red rose.
"How do you get in here?" I said.
"Is that any kind of greeting?" His eyes danced. "I have powers of persuasion."
"Do you?"
"Yeah. I'll show you later."
Three steps and I was in his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck, pressing into him, his lips hot on mine.
"I guess I'll be going," Tay said, trying to squeeze past us with her drink in her hand.
Logan broke the kiss. "Taylor. Be careful with that in the hall." He nodded toward her drink. "No open containers."
"Logan. Look who's talking." Tay raised her glass to us. "Behave yourselves tonight."
"I thought you said to have fun?" I said.
She smiled, shrugged, and left.
I took the rose from Logan. "It's beautiful."
"Happy anniversary." He kissed me again.
I ran the backs of my fingers along his cheek. "Keep that up and we'll never leave my room."
"Would that be so bad?" His voice was sultry.
I smiled. "I'm looking forward to some magic."
"So am I." He took my hand. "I have a surprise for you. At my place." He took the flower and set it on my desk. "Let's go."
The SUB pulsed with music as we approached, hand in hand. Throngs of people were filing in. We joined the crowd, weaving our way inside.
"What do you want to do first?" he asked me.
"Dance."
"Dance?" His eyes sparkled. "I thought maybe another piercing."
I grinned back at him. "You this time?"
He laughed again.
"There is no piercing tonight, you tease. We'll just have to dance. I'm dying to see your moves."
We made our way through the crowd to the second-floor ballroom.
"The place we first met," he said as we reached the top of the stairs. "Bring back any memories?"
"Yeah, something about a pool ball comes to mind."
He slid his hot hand down my bare midriff and traced my bellybutton provocatively until I felt a clenching longing between my legs.
I gently touched his healing eye. "This is a nice, reminiscent touch."
He laughed. "I'd do anything for you, El. You know that."
I kissed him. "Let's dance."
As we made our way to the center of the ballroom dance floor, the bass of the music throbbed. The strobe lights pulsed. I smiled at Logan and danced for him, gyrating to the music, hands above my head, breaking into hip waves.
Logan put his hands on my hips, squeezing, holding them like he owned me, moving with me, and the game was on. I removed his hands from my hip and pole walked around him, sliding my arm around him, touching his cheek, looking into his eyes, daring him to keep up with me. Daring him not to get turned on. Treating him like he was a stripper pole I could wrap myself around and never let go of.
I stopped with my back to him and began body waving, sticking my butt into him. He pulsed with me, rubbing his hard crotch against me, turning me on. I broke into a booty shake. Slid into a sexy squat with my hands above my head. Logan grabbed my hands, pulled me to a stand and spun me into him. He put his hand at the base of my head and pulled me into a kiss, pressing me so tightly against me I ached with wanting him.
The song ended.
"Shit," Logan said, stroking my face. "You know how to move." His voice was ragged.
The lights came up. "Take ten, everyone." The DJ stepped down from his platform.
"Bad timing," I said.
"We'll have to make the best of it." Logan took my hand "Want something to drink? I'm parched."
I had the feeling he wasn't just thirsty. I nodded. "Sure."
He took my hand as we went to the drink bar. Nothing alcoholic here. Just mixers. If you cared enough, you could sneak your own liquor in. Logan got me a cola with a cherry in it.
"Wow! A mocktail," I said. "Impressive."
"Anything for my girl."
My heart did a little flop at that—his girl.
Logan got a pop for himself. We found a table to sit at. We were both still breathing hard, and it wasn't from exertion.
"Want to see what I can do with my tongue?" Logan pulled the cherry out of his pop by the stem.
"Are you propositioning me right here?"
He laughed. "No, just teasing you with a promise for later. Showing you how talented I am." He popped the cherry into his mouth, stem and all.
I watched as he made funny faces, like he was really working hard on something. Finally, he opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, wiggling it in a way that made me laugh. He'd tied the stem into a knot.
He wiggled his tongue again.
"Is that for me?" I took the stem from him. "Such an anniversary gift."
"Now you can't say I never gave you anything. I have more tongue tricks to show you later—in private."
I set the stem on my napkin. "I'll treasure this always." I pulled the cherry out of my glass and held it over my mouth.
"You think you can do that trick?"
"I think I'd like to see a mouth-to-mouth stem tie." I made a show of balancing the cherry on my tongue. "Huh."
"You are too bad." He reached over, grabbed my head, covered my tongue with his mouth, and tried to steal my cherry.
I fought him, protecting it with my tongue. But Logan had a way of teasing me with his that made me surrender. He got the cherry. I had to keep up with him, moving to stay connected at the lips, probing with my tongue to feel what he was doing and tease him into tripping up. But finally, his tongue put a tied stem on mine. He pulled away and gave me a triumphant look as I pulled the tied stem out of my mouth.
"Wow, you are talented." I put the stem in the napkin with its twin.
Before he could answer, an announcement came over the loud speakers. "The next hypnosis show starts in five minutes on the first floor."
Logan popped out of his chair and grabbed my hand. "We have to see that show, El. It's the same guy as last year. He's epic. Really funny. You should see what he can make people do."
I raced to keep up with Logan as he led the way, dragging me along. He found us seats in the front just as the hypnotist took the stage.
"Welcome, everyone. I'm Bob Allen, hypnotist extraordinaire. The hypnotic quality of my voice is insured by Lloyd's of London. Just in the time I've been speaking, I can see some of you are already nodding. I have to get a less boring stage name."
I laughed with the crowd.
"This is an audience participation show," Bob said. "My first job is to find susceptible, willing victims. Not everyone is equally suggestible and I take only easiest, I mean, the most challenging candidates. I'm going to start talking. Just listen to the sound of my voice." He went into a comedic patter, pulled a pocket watch out, and began swinging it. "You're getting very sleepy."
Logan leaned in and whispered, "I'd love to be in the show. But he never picks me. El?"
I was already relaxed and happy, so calm. The sound of Bob's voice was like a pleasant lullaby. Bob worked his way through the crowd, tapping people to come on stage.
He stopped right in front of me. "What's your name, lovely lady?"
"Ellie."
Bob made an aside to the crowd. "Yo
u may have noticed—I go for the hot chicks if I can."
Logan, always the charmer, made a show of putting his arm around me.
"Whoa! Looks like I have a jealous boyfriend. The hot ones are always taken." Bob kneeled next to me. "Do you want to come on stage, Ellie?" He hitched a thumb at Logan. "He won't beat me up, will he? He looks tough, like a fighter."
"No, he won't. I can't."
"Come on, El, go!" Logan nudged me. "I want to see you up there. It'll be fun."
My heart was pounding. I didn't want to make a fool out of myself.
I hesitated.
"You want to, Ellie, I can see that. But you're afraid. I promise to be gentle." Bob's voice was so reassuring and calming, I relented and nodded.
Bob stood and took my hand to help me from the chair.
When Bob had all his victims, he ran us through another screening, weeding out people until only ten of us were left. Then he began talking and I began drifting, all my fears and worries vanished. The next thing I knew…
I'm driving down Stadium Way, going way too fast. Isn't the speed limit something absurdly slow, like twenty? I don't care. My window is open and the wind is streaming in. I'm having fun.
Suddenly, I hear a siren. Behind me I see lights. A cop! He signals to me. I pull over. He gets out of his car and comes over to me, big and intimidating, carrying something. He's going to give me a ticket. I know he is. I can't afford a ticket.
"Ma'am, are you aware you were doing fifty in a twenty zone? I'll need to see your license."
"I was? Officer, I'm so sorry." I turn on the charm and try to look vulnerable and helpless, really apologetic. "It's these shoes—see the heels?" I show him my sexy four-inch platform heels. "They make it hard to feel the accelerator. I'll take them off." I reach down and pull one off. "I'll drive home in bare feet. I promise not to drive in heels again." I bat my eyes at him. "Please, I can't afford a ticket. I didn't mean to speed."
The officer hesitates. He starts to put his ticket pad away. I smile at him.
He points to something. "Is that an open container?"
I turn to look at my cup holder. There's an open can of beer. "How did that get there?" I'm genuinely confused. And now I'm scared. How will I talk myself out of this one?
"We have an open-container law. I'm going to have to take you in. Please step out of the car."
"No! No, please!"
He takes me to jail. "You're allowed one phone call."
"But I have my cell phone—"
He takes it from me. I cry harder.
"Who are you going to call?"
"Logan, my boyfriend."
"The bruiser with the black eye? He's out of town. He can't come. Is there anyone else? Someone right here."
I put my face in my hands and sob. "My dad. Jason. I want my dad! Call Jason!"
"It's all right. It's okay. I won't lock you up." Suddenly I'm relaxed and happy, like I'm floating on a cloud.
Someone snapped his fingers right in front of my face. I blinked in the lights. It took me a second to realize where I was—on stage with Bob the Hypnotist.
"Thanks, all of you, for being such terrific sports. Give my participants a big hand!"
The audience roared with approval.
"That's our show for tonight. Thank you all for coming." Bob waved and left the stage.
Logan ran up and gave me a hug. "You were awesome, El."
I didn't feel awesome. I felt anxious and cold, panicky.
"El? Are you okay?" Logan took my arm.
A snatch of a memory came back to me—calling out for my dad, for Jason. I paled.
"El?"
I turned a wondering, dreading look on him. "I was in jail. He put me in jail. What did I say up there, Logan? What did I say?"
Logan took me by the arms. "It's okay. You were great." Logan explained the skit and how much the crowd loved me and felt for me. The way I'd cried had been so convincing. "Hell, half the guys in the audience wanted to comfort you."
"Who did I ask for?" The dread was so deep I cold barely speak.
"Me. But Bob told you I couldn't come bail you out. Then you asked for your dad. And Jason."
My heart stopped. My mouth went dry. The jig was up. I was sure it was. I waited for the recrimination. I waited for Logan to grasp that I'd been lying to him. I waited for the anger and his sense of betrayal.
Instead, he smiled and hugged me. "It's okay. You don't have a dad. You improvised and asked for your boss. I'm sure Jason would be flattered to know you think of him as a father figure."
Chapter Ten
I couldn't believe what Logan had just said—he didn't grasp the truth he'd just heard. I'd been given a second chance. I needed to talk to Jason. We needed to do something about this soon. We needed to come clean. I had to find a way to do it so I wouldn't lose Logan. I needed to think.
Logan pressed my head to his chest as the crowd thinned out around us. His arms felt so right around me. I never wanted to leave them and the reassuring thumping of his heart. I wanted it to always beat for me.
"I'm sorry, El." He kissed the top of my head. "I wouldn't have encouraged you if I'd known this was going to upset you. That's the last thing I wanted."
I had to buck up or I'd really blow things. "I'm fine. Just embarrassed I'm so suggestible. Did I really act outrageously?"
"You were completely adorable." He kissed the top of my head. "Do you want to dance again?"
I forced myself to smile as I looked up at him. "Don't you have a surprise for me at your place?"
"You want to go?"
"I've had enough excitement for one night."
He tipped my chin up to so he could look me in the eye. "The excitement hasn't even begun."
The drive to Logan's apartment took less than ten minutes. The snow had all melted and the roads were clear. He let us into a silent apartment and flipped on the lights.
"Where are Zave and Collin?" I asked as I walked to the console table by the door. I ran my finger along their betta fish's bowl, getting Spartacus to follow my finger.
"Out." The way he said it gave me shivers of pleasure.
"Zave hasn't killed Spartacus yet. He looks pretty happy. He's making a bubble nest."
"Yeah. And he likes you." Logan nestled up behind me. "Not as much as I do, though."
I spun around, into Logan's arms. "I like you, too."
"Do you?" He kissed the tip of my nose. "Wanna show me how much?" His lips were inches from mine.
I leaned into him and sucked his lower lip, then nibbled gently until he shuddered.
"Shit, El." He swept me into his arms and carried me to his bedroom, closing the door behind us with his foot.
In front of the bed, I slid out of his arms to my feet. I knew what I wanted. And I knew what I couldn't have. But I was going to get as close as I could come. I slid my hands beneath his shirt and ran them over the hard planes of his abs and chest. I slid his shirt up his chest, slowly, as tantalizingly as I could, tracing his skin with my fingertips until I pulled the shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. "I want to see you," I whispered.
He leaned over, flipped the covers of the bed back and flicked a lighter, lighting a candle on the desk next to his bed. It flickered to life, casting a dancing glow on the picture of Logan in his high school baseball jersey.
"How romantic. You're prepared." I laced my voice with seduction and need.
"You have no idea," he said.
I wanted to drive him crazy with desire. I wanted to make him shudder and moan and feel the way I felt. I ran my tongue down the hollow of his neck, down the chiseled line between his pecs, down his very fine abs to the top of his jeans. As I unzipped them, he grabbed me.
"Not so fast." He kicked his shoes off and reached to unzip my boots.
I fell into a sit on the bed while he pulled them off for me. Then I fell onto my back and he fell into me. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He pressed his mouth on mine and his hard crotch into my buddin
g wet one.
I wanted him. I wanted him to make love to me so bad. But in the back of my mind, I was still calling for dad. I still had a secret that could rip us apart. Until Logan knew, until I knew he wouldn't leave me because of it, I couldn't.
He was kissing my neck, sliding his hands beneath my sweater. I held my arms over my head while he slipped it off. I wore my lace front-hook bra and matching thong panties. Yes, I was prepared, too. I arched my back, pressing my breasts toward him, letting him know what I wanted.
He unhooked the bra as deftly as if he were a well-practiced lover. My budded breasts burst into the cool air of the bedroom and into Logan's hot mouth one at time. As he sucked, he circled his tongue around them, toying with me as the ache between my legs built. He hadn't been kidding about being talented with his tongue.
I ran my hands over his biceps as he let go of my breast and traced a path of hot kisses down my abs. His tongue found my bellybutton and circled it before thrusting into it. My breathing was shallow and excited. I'd never known a bellybutton was so erogenous.
His mouth slid to the top of my jeans. I gasped as he undid the top button and slid down the zipper. He slid one finger down my lace panty and then pulled back. "I have a present for you."
"Now?"
He just grinned and reached for a small package on the desk. He held it out to me, watching as I opened it.
"A bellybutton ring." I was touched as I looked at the jeweled ring. The jewel on the knob of it sparkled in the candlelight.
"It's hard to see in this light. It's green, a peridot, August's birthstone, for the birth of our relationship."
"It's beautiful." I hesitated. I still had another several months to go before I could swap out my original ring. "I'll save it and wear it as soon as I can." I started to put the lid back on the box.
"You can wear it now." He grabbed my hand and took the box from me. "Don't panic. I know you can't swap it all the way out for a while." He took the ring out of the box and unscrewed the jewel on the top. "Watch this." Pressing one hand reassuringly on my abs, he unscrewed my existing jewel with the other hand and screwed the new jewel on. "A perfect fit."