With slow, deliberate movements, he stood and made his way toward me. When he reached out, I stepped aside. I couldn’t bear his hands on me. I ached for them too much.
It didn’t stop him. He captured my hands, holding them in his despite my every attempt to tug them away. “Cassandra, just tell me why you kept this from me. Do you not trust me?”
My brows shot up. “Are you seriously asking me that after everything we’ve been through? Screw you!” Fully insulted, I was successful at tearing myself away that time.
“What am I supposed to think? You kept a huge secret from me, which makes me wonder what others there might be.”
“It wasn’t my secret to tell, Logan!” I all but screamed. “It was between Caleb and Hilary. You think I liked not being able to confide in you? I wanted to—God, I’ve never been more torn. She’s my best friend. If I told you she was thinking about running off to hand his child over to strangers, you can’t honestly stand there and expect me to believe that you’d have been able to keep that from him.”
“For you, I would have.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Right, I forgot—you’re a saint. Never hidden anything from me, correct?”
His head tipped slightly to the side, eyes locked fiercely on mine. “I’m far from a saint, but I tell you everything you need to know.”
“Need to know?” My voice shot up an octave. “Is that some new rule your arrogant ass created just to piss me off?” My words were explosive as I stepped into him. Despite his towering height, I felt anything but intimidated. “Well, then let me make myself very clear when I say you did not need to know Hilary’s secret. But me? I did deserve to know that you were paying guards to beat the crap out of Kurt—especially considering the reason he attacked me was because of it!”
I blanched the moment the words rolled off my tongue, and his eyes flashed. No longer were they bright blue, but almost black as his pupils dilated.
My body went slack on a heavy sigh, no longer able to hold the pressure of my defensive stance. “I didn’t mean you’re to blame, just…”
My attempt to backtrack faded as I watched Logan’s lips part, his expression shifting to almost impassive. Any spark of concern that’d leaked through his features was now gone, leaving no signs of regret. And the longer he remained silent, the more loudly the truth rang between us. The allegation of the guards was true.
“I didn’t pay them,” Logan said roughly.
I needed more. “But—”
“Kurt had to be punished for hurting you that night outside Haven. I called in a favor. That was all.”
“A favor?” I whispered. “From a guard?”
“Yes.” He reached for me again, but I scooted around him and across the room, in need of air. “I never considered it a secret from you, Cassandra. He hurt you that night, and—”
“What about the other day?” I interrupted.
“When?”
“You were having lunch with those two guards. Why?” My voice trembled. I was afraid of his reply.
He shook his head. “I didn’t ask them to touch Kurt. I swear to you. I just wanted them to help me get on the visitors’ list.”
“You want to go see him!?” I blew out, outraged.
Logan advanced toward me. “I needed him to know, to fully understand, that if he ever comes near you again, I will kill him.”
I blinked, tears brimming in my eyes at the wrath radiating off him. “He can’t hurt me. He’s locked up.”
“For now. But one day, he’ll get out, and I don’t ever want you worried about him coming for you again.” His thumb grazed my jaw gently. “I’ll always protect you with everything I have, Cassandra. I’ll fight dirty if I have to, and I’ll never apologize for it.”
“Logan…” I murmured, closing my eyes as I sagged against him.
“When it comes to your safety…I may not always be upfront with you if I think it will protect you not to be, but I’ll never lie to you.”
What did that mean? He’d lie by omission? It wasn’t how I preferred communication to work in our relationship, but for the moment, I’d let the subject drop. We’d tackle that issue when I wasn’t on a timeline for work, because something told me it wouldn’t be an easy battle.
His arms encased me, drawing me in, palms splayed flat against my backside. “You have to trust me.”
“Ditto,” I whispered, resting my head against his hard chest. He smelled like my Logan: of soap, mint, and virility.
There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. “I’m sorry. Natasha’s been under my skin; I want her gone, and adding the Caleb and Hilary shit just overloaded me. I should have never allowed you to walk out yesterday. That was my fuckup, but Caleb and I had some things to finish up before he could leave.” He tilted my chin up with his fingertip. “I spent the night regretting not stopping you. Never again. Forgive me.”
I smiled, moistening my lips. “You know I do. I love you. Just tell me one thing.”
“Anything.” He was already pressing his lips to my cheek, peppering kisses down toward my neck.
“Can I bitch slap Natasha the next time I see her?”
He pulled back, his brows lifting in amusement. “Bitch slap?”
“You heard me.” I grinned, biting my bottom lip to contain my giggle.
“I love it when your gorgeous mouth surprises me. Such a naughty little angel.”
“She was pissed, and you know why,” I said, still smiling as I thought about the enormous painting hanging above his fireplace.
“Yes, I imagine I do, but I don’t care. I hung that canvas hoping to surprise you when we woke. Never imagined the day would take such a dreadful turn.”
My hands slipped up to the collar of his shirt and tugged him forward. “It’s beautiful. Massive and extremely unexpected, but by far the best piece of art I’ve ever seen.”
“Just you wait. There will be plenty more.” A smirk appeared on his lips.
“When did you paint it?” I asked, intrigued.
“Back in the fall. I was at the window of my office watching you with Oliver and couldn’t help myself. I snapped a picture and spent that week working on it after Oliver went to bed. I was afraid if he saw it, he’d tell you, and the last thing I wanted to do was freak you out.”
My laughter bubbled up. “Since when did you care about freaking me out, Mr. Invite Me to Join you for a Threesome?”
His hands slipped behind my neck as his mouth slanted over mine.
“Hm, good point.”
He took control of the kiss as I parted my lips, feeling his tongue sink inside my mouth, caressing and stroking the contours of my own. My fingers dug into his arms, and I felt addicted to his embrace, savoring the decadent growl he released.
He tasted of lust, sex, love—everything I’d ever need to survive. My fingers sank into his hair and my body fell flush against his, begging for more.
My brain somehow found its way back from the fog, and with one annoying glance at the clock, I was reminded that there was no time.
“I need to get dressed. I can’t be late,” I said, breaking the kiss before it led to something I knew neither of us would be able to stop.
He released me reluctantly and stared down at his cock, which strained against the designer fabric of his trousers.
I stroked my hand over him and grinned. “If I wasn’t in a hurry, I’d surprise you with my mouth again.”
His thumb traced my lip. “Tonight, I expect to enjoy just that.”
“We’ll see how good you are till then,” I teased.
He grinned, totally relaxed—the polar opposite from how he’d looked when he’d arrived. “I have to get Oliver ready for school.” He stole another nip at my lips as his hands explored down my back and over my ass, squeezing. “You want me to give you a ride there?”
“I do love the rides you take me on,” I murmured against his skin, my lips skating over the scruff of his jaw as my arousal began to boil. Someone need
ed to stop us. He was an addiction.
“Tonight, I’m all yours.” He placed one more kiss to my forehead, then strode to the doorway. “And if you hear from Hilary, let Caleb know. The man’s a mess. He’d make a damn good father. It’s a shame she didn’t have more faith in him and their relationship.”
“I’ve been trying to reach her, but she’s not answering,” I explained, sobering.
The tightness in Logan’s features returned when he turned to face me. “Caleb flew to her aunt’s house last night. She’ll be sorry when he finds her—and trust me, he will find her.”
The blood drained from my face. “If he hurts her…”
Logan leaned against the doorframe, a wicked smile curving his lips. “Oh, he’ll hurt her, but she’ll love every minute of it. That is, unless she’s done the unthinkable, in which case…” Logan’s voice lowered with grief. “She’ll break him, and I don’t know what he’ll do. He loves her. I’ve never seen him so distraught.”
“She would never abort the baby.” The words rushed out as though I needed to reassure myself, but I knew they were true. Despite her recent actions, I knew where her heart was. “That was never her plan, and she wouldn’t do it now.”
“Hilary doesn’t strike me as a fool. There’s no way she honestly believed she’d have been able to put the child up for adoption without Caleb finding out.”
I fell onto my bed, exhausted, not wanting to discuss it further. Not then, anyway. “I don’t know. She was scared and didn’t think it all out.”
His hand scrubbed through his hair. “She’d need his permission to do such a thing, even in Canada, and I can assure you Caleb would never allow it.”
“Can we just talk about this later? Please, I can’t be late today.”
“Of course. Get dressed and I’ll meet you out front in thirty to drop you at school.”
“Thanks, but I haven’t had a chance to drive my car yet. I just want a little normalcy today. How about you and Oliver come to dinner and I can cook for you for once?”
His eyes brightened. “Mmm, you in the kitchen preparing my meal. I do like the image that presents.”
“Pig!” I giggled.
“I can’t tell you what it did to me when I walked in on you covered in flour the day you watched Oliver after school. I still think about it from all those months ago.”
After dragging myself back up, I sauntered toward him, fueled by my unyielding desire to taste him just once more. He watched me, his eyes bright as I dragged my fingers gently up his chest. “You liked that, huh?”
His lips curled up into a smirk. “You have no idea. But you will…very soon.”
“All these promises…”
“So many I plan to deliver on.” He swathed me in his arms, then swatted my backside. “Now go get that fine ass dressed, and I’ll see you later.”
As I stood outside my classroom, my life came back into view. Greeting students and parents was exhilarating. I felt useful—needed. Their words were supportive and caring. They were genuinely happy about my return, wishing me well and explaining how they’d kept me in their thoughts and prayers. It was nice to be back in my element.
The crowd in the hall thinned as the clock ticked closer to class time. My students put their coats and book bags in their cubbies and shuffled to their seats while I watched from my door, my smile unwavering.
As I was about to enter the room, I paused when I noticed Logan walking past with Oliver. His eyes locked on mine.
Be professional, I reminded myself, giving him a friendly nod. Oliver waved before entering his classroom, and Logan turned my way as another of my students appeared with her mother.
“Miss Clarke, you’re back!” the little girl, Victoria, exclaimed.
“I sure am, and I can’t wait to see what you guys have been up to while I was gone.”
“We made you a giant picture on the wall.”
I’d already seen it when I’d come in, and had taken multiple photos of the masterpiece. A large canvas of paper covered the wall, and the substitute had had all the kids paint flowers and rainbows however they chose. It was the cutest piece of art I’d ever seen, and the perfect start to my day.
“Welcome back,” her mother said.
I smiled. “Thank you.”
I watched her leave after kissing her daughter’s cheek. As I turned to enter the room, I saw Logan standing across the hall, as still and silent as a predator, watching me.
Hi, I mouthed.
His stare was penetrating and primal. Gorgeous, he mouthed in reply.
“Hi, Miss Clarke!” another student exclaimed as she entered the room. I smiled at her, then looked back to Logan.
He strode over and dipped his head to my neck, his lips brushing my ear. “Keep that dress on tonight,” he whispered before walking away.
The day went better than I’d expected. My students were happy to have me back, and eager to help my day run smoothly. It was nice, but I wasn’t naïve enough to believe it would last. I’d just enjoy it until they got comfortable again and made me work to hold their attention.
As I left my class at the end of the day, part of me hoped to see Logan waiting. It wasn’t the plan, but I knew he’d be there to pick up Oliver, so there was a chance. But no such luck.
I was heading to my car when my phone pinged to life in my coat pocket. It was the first sound it had made in almost two days. With a rush of hope, I stopped mid-step a few feet from my car to retrieve it.
With one look, my heart jolted. Hilary’s name lit my screen. It was a text and not a call, but it was a start.
I rushed to my car, unlocked the door, and shoved my tote in the backseat, taking shelter from the deep chill.
With a nervous hand, I opened the text.
I just need some time to think. Tell Caleb I’ll call him soon
No way! I needed more than that. Irritated, I twisted my hair up in a knot, then replied.
He knows! You have to call.
There’s no way he hadn’t texted her that he’d found out about the baby, but just in case, I felt I should let her know.
My phone lit up with an incoming call. Thank God.
“Hilary, where are you?” I blurted out the second I answered.
“How could you tell him, Cassandra!?” she screamed hysterically, sobs dominating her speech.
“I didn’t get a chance to. Natasha had that honor. Now where are you?”
“Natasha! That bitch!” she hissed.
“What did she say to you in the bathroom at Haven, exactly?” I cranked on the heat.
“Nothing I didn’t already know.”
“Don’t lie to me, Hilary. You left me in a real crappy position here. Caleb’s furious, hurt, and…I don’t know what he’s going to do when he finds you. So you need to just call him and explain—or, better yet, come home.”
“I really screwed up.” She sounded dejected.
I blew out a breath, forcing myself to calm down. She needed my support, not a bombardment of demands. “You panicked. He’ll forgive you, but you need to call him.”
“What if I’m a shit mother like Natasha was? What if I forget to feed the baby, or leave it somewhere? Oh God, I can’t.” Alarm rang through her voice.
“First of all, we’re talking about a baby, not an object. You’ll feed him or her, and if you forget, they’ll cry and remind you. And I’ll be there any time you need me, day or night.”
She continued as though in a fog, my words lost on her. “Caleb hates me. He has to. I just left him, Cassandra—snuck out! What the hell is the matter with me? He’s everything I could ever want or need, and I lied to him—betrayed him. Oh my God. Oh my God. I can’t breathe.”
“Hilary, listen to me: You have to calm down, okay?”
“I love him. I love him so much, Cassandra.” Her words were broken between sobs and pants.
I hated not knowing where she was. I needed to find out and go to her. “I know you do. Has he texted?”
 
; “Not since yesterday morning. He stopped and now it’s only been calls, about every hour. I can’t answer, though. What is there to say? He’s gonna see me—the real me. I’m not good enough for him, and he’s finally going to figure that out. I’m not a fighter like you, Cassandra. I’m weak and pathetic, obviously, and now he knows. The only man I’ve ever loved now sees me for what I’ve become: a coward.”
“Hilary, he—”
“Oh God,” she gasped, her words slurred. “What if he takes the baby?”
“Let’s worry about that later, all right?”
“You think he will, don’t you?”
Obviously, my attempt to pacify her had failed. Hoping the truth would at least knock some sense into her, I said, “He has the right to—it’s his child. You can’t go ahead with an adoption when the father is there waiting in the wings, and honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if he does. I mean, if you don’t work it out with him, anyway.”
“He’s calling now,” she whispered, as though he could hear.
“Answer it. Be honest with him. He’ll understand.”
“Yeah, right. I know Caleb, Cassandra. He has a temper.”
“Yeah, I saw it,” I said, remembering how Caleb’s fists had redecorated Logan’s living room.
“He’d never lay a hand on me,” she added quickly, “but he would shut me out…remove me from his life. I can’t even imagine it. It hurts too much.”
“Listen, whether you answer his call or not, he left for your aunt’s house yesterday. He should be there by now.”
She sighed into the phone. “I’m not there. I wasn’t ready to go…I just needed to think.”
“Then where are you?”
“I should go.” I could feel her numbness setting in through the phone. “I don’t want to put you in the middle of this.”
“Too late for that! Hilary, just tell me where you are. I’ll come to you. Caleb doesn’t have to know, I promise.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll call you soon. Love you.”