Chapter Twelve
~Logan~
“God, Logan, would you stop fidgeting? It’s going to be fine,” Clare said as I pulled into the packed driveway of the upscale neighborhood.
Fine. Sure, whatever.
“Dad was very kind to Ethan when they first met. His black eye healed quite quickly,” she assured me, completely serious, as my eyes widened in horror. She was silent for what seemed like forever before she broke out into explosive laughter, actually grabbing her side and doubling over.
“Not funny, Clare,” I muttered.
“Oh my God. Not true. That was hilarious! Maddie, that was funny right?”
I heard Maddie giggle from the backseat.
Evil women.
“You seriously have no idea what I’m going through, do you?” I wailed, shaking my head in disbelief.
“Logan, they're going to love you. You need to calm down. It’s not like my Dad is going to take one look at you and know every single sordid detail of our relationship,” she said with a wink.
Thank God for that. I don’t think I would be living if he knew the things I had done with Clare. To Clare. In Clare.
Okay. New train of thought. Definitely didn’t want to be walking in there with a hard-on.
Bad, bad idea.
“Okay, let’s do this,” I said, grabbing the bottle of wine Clare had picked out as a hostess gift.
We got Maddie out of her bright pink car seat that had now taken residence in my SUV for the past two weeks. After installing it one afternoon when we were headed for the movies, it just stayed. I think Clare actually went out and bought another one so we wouldn’t have to switch. Seeing that permanent fixture in my car did something to me, and made me feel important to Maddie’s life in a small way. It felt like we were taking a stepping stone to something bigger.
As we made our way to the front door, Maddie grabbed both of our hands, yelled “One, Two, Three!!” as we lifted her up, one arm each and swung her, laughing as she squealed with delight. Three months ago I would never have known how to play this little game, and now it had become second nature.
Clare didn’t bother knocking, just opened her parents front door yelling “Mom! We’re here!” She got a response back from the backyard telling her everyone was outside. We sat the bottle of wine down in the updated kitchen decorated in muted tans, cherry wood and stainless steel.
“Nice kitchen,” I commented.
“My parents’ present to each other now that they are finally tuition free for the first time in years.”
“Speaking of which, is your brother going to be here?” I asked, wanting to meet the elusive brother with the very demanding job.
“I think so. Mom said he should be, assuming he doesn’t have any last minute assignments. I haven’t seen him in ages.”
Clare opened the slider to the backyard. Maddie immediately took off, headed for the swing set that I’m assumed was placed in the corner of the lot especially for her. I don’t know how my parents would react to me having a child, but I know they wouldn’t build a swing set or take her overnight if needed. That was what Nannies were for.
The large yard was filled with quite a few people for the afternoon cookout, including Leah who joined Maddie at the swings.
When I asked Clare what the occasion was, she just looked at me confused and said, “No occasion, just a cookout.”
Apparently they had them all the time. My family needed a reason to gather, otherwise why bother?
Clare pulled us towards an older couple standing near the center of the yard, chatting with several guests.
Clare fell naturally into the woman’s arms, and they embraced lovingly. “Hi Mom.”
“Hey, sweetheart,” Clare’s mom said in reply.
She exchanged similar greetings with her father, the man’s eyes never leaving mine. Clare was kidding about her dad roughing me up, right? Because right now, he looked like he was holding back a right hook.
“Mom, Dad. This is Logan Matthews. Logan, these are my parents. Thomas and Laura Finnegan.”
I offered my hand, but Clare’s mother surprised me and gathered me up in a hug.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Logan,” she said.
She pulled back, and her eyes, the same green eyes I’d become addicted to, were brimming with unshed tears. Panicked for a moment, thinking I had upset her, I searched her face and found her smiling.
Happy tears. She’s happy.
I was speechless.
“Mom, you okay?” Clare asked, wrapping an arm around her mother.
“Oh yes, honey. I’m wonderful.”
Dad, on the other hand, didn’t look quite so approving of me as he turned to Laura and Clare.
“Ladies, do you mind giving Logan and me a minute to get to know each other?”
Clare gave me an encouraging smile before nodding to her father and exiting with her mom.
F*ck. I’m screwed.
“Logan, why don’t you join me for a beer?”
Uh, okay. Not how I expected this to go, but I’d go with it.
“I’d be happy to, Mr. Finnegan,” I said cheerfully.
“Call me Tom, Mr. Finnegan always makes me think my father’s around,” he joked. He was relaxed, but there was still that look in his eye. That appraising, calculating, judging look.
We grabbed two beers and planted ourselves in some nearby chairs, silently watching everyone mill about in the backyard. I watched as Clare greeted several of the guests, hugging various friends of the family. Tom wasn’t what I expected, although my perceived notions of a father figure were slightly skewed. In every single memory of my own father, he wore a suit. I’d never seen him in anything else. He was always straight-laced and rigid, never a hair out of place. Clare’s father was relaxed, wearing shorts and polo. He seemed warm and approachable. Well to everyone else at least.
“So Logan, tell me about yourself, ‘cause I’ve heard and seen plenty,” Tom said, his opinion of me clear in voice.
Well, shit. That explained the look. I didn’t have a chance with this man from the very start. My father’s name and money followed me wherever I go, but it’s my lifestyle, the one I chose to live he was questioning. The women, the alcohol, the endless partying. I always wanted to blame my father for everything, but all those choices were my own. No one to blame but myself.
“Well, if you know everything, there’s not much to say. Do you want me to deny it? Because I’m not. My choices, my mistakes, my past. But that’s exactly what it is, my past. I gave it all up the moment I saw her, because Clare and Maddie, they’re my future.”
Clare’s father didn’t say anything for a long time, just remained quiet, slowly nursing his beer, and thinking. I waited, because I had nothing else to say. I had already laid my cards on the table. All of them. I couldn’t change who I was in the past, but I could change who I was now, and would be for Clare and Maddie.
Finally, he turned to me. “Good. Very good, son. Welcome to the family.”
He stood and pulled me into his arms, hugging me like a father would a son.
Or at least, how I always imagined it would be.
And just like that, I was family.
~Clare~
I watched as my father and Logan embraced and I felt my knees grow weak. Knowing the importance of this moment for both men brought tears to my eyes that I quickly brushed away. My father had lost a son, and Logan had never had a father. It was a beautiful moment.
“Looks like you have your father’s blessing,” my mother said.
I nodded, unable to speak, watching the two men.
My father leaned in and whispered something in Logan’s ear. Logan’s masculine laughter filled the backyard, and he nodded, saying something back to my dad. My father, smiling, gave Logan a swift pat on the back before walking back into the house.
Like gravity, I moved toward him, my hands finding his.
“What was that about?” I asked, wondering what my father and Logan were planning.
“Nothing. Nothing,” he said with a wink.
“Jerk,” I muttered. I hate surprises.
“Everything went well?” I asked, knowing it had but wanting to hear him say it.
“Everything was perfect. Thank you, Clare.”
He didn’t elaborate on what, but he didn’t have to. I know what that moment must have meant to him, and I just nodded. Arm in arm, we walked over to the swings to find Maddie and Leah. I joined Leah at the swings, while Logan began pushing Maddie, making her giggle and scream.
“So, meeting the parents, huh?” Leah asked as I pushed off, swinging my legs back and forth, gaining momentum. The swing felt about ten sizes too small and made my butt feel gigantic, but I loved the feeling of weightlessly soaring through the air. It made me feel like a kid.
“Yep. He was nervous as hell,” I admitted with a slight smirk.
“Ah man, I would have loved to see that,” she said sincerely. She loved seeing people squirm. I think it was such a foreign concept to her that it left her completely fascinated. Nothing made Leah squirm.
She was fearless. Well, so far at least.
“Didn’t you take care of him before hand?” she asked, confusing me.
I had no idea what she was talking about. Leah was a mystery I had never quite solved.
“Say what?”
“I take that as a no. You sent him in to meet your family, fully loaded? No wonder he’s a nervous wreck. The least you could have done was jacked him off before you left so he’d relax a little.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present, Leah Morgan, my best friend.
“You’re serious?” I said.
“Yep. Men are way calmer after they’ve cleared the barrel.”
“Oh my God. You are ridiculous. And by the way, Maddie is not that far away. She can probably hear you.”
“I know I sure can!” Logan interrupted us, speaking loudly from several swings down.
My pale skin tone had me turning the color of a tomato as Leah started heaving with laughter in her swing. She was laughing so hard she had to stop swinging all together.
“I really, really think you should take Leah’s advice on this one, babe. She’s a smart girl,” Logan advised with a crooked grin, still pushing an oblivious Maddie who was currently singing at the top of her lungs.
I rolled my eyes, still recovering from my massive embarrassment when my Dad opened the door and yelled, “Hey Clare, you’ve got company.”
I turned to see Colin and Ella come through the slider, right on time.
Logan looked at Colin and Ella before looking back at me confused, as I rose from the swing to greet our new guests.
“You invited my friends to your parents’ house?” he asked, his eyes taking on a younger, more rounded look than I’d ever seen, making me wonder what he looked like as a boy.
I nodded, and said, “They’re your family, Logan. I want our families to know each other.”
Taking one quick stride, I was immediately in his arms, completely engulfed in Logan.
“Thank you,” he said fiercely.
“Dude, it’s just us. No need to flipping cry or anything,” Colin joked over my shoulder.
“Flipping?” Logan grinned, turning around to arch his brow in question at his friend’s choice of word.
“Ah, yeah. Ella won’t let me swear in front of the belly anymore,” he confessed, placing emphasis on the word belly as if it were a name or a thing.
“She swears the little monster in there can hear us, and she doesn’t want our baby to have a sailor mouth like me. But that hasn’t stopped her from screaming like a banshee when we’re going at it like – ow!”
I covered my mouth, trying to hold back a laugh as Ella’s elbow found its way into Colin’s ribs.
“What the hell, I mean heck did you do that for?” he asked as if telling a crowd about his wife’s bedroom behavior is totally normal.
“You are impossible,” she huffed, folding her arms over her swollen belly. I could see a trace of a smile sneak its way up before she broke out giggling. Colin was a hard guy to stay mad at. He was just so damn cute. The few times Logan and I had gone out with them, I constantly wondered how the hell Ella put up with him. He was high maintenance, had an ego the size of Texas, and the body to back it up. Being a highly successful lawyer didn’t help. He never backed down from a fight. They complemented each other and obviously made it work.
My brother chose this moment to arrive and we all stood around and introduced everyone. When the women started cooing over Ella’s belly, the men disappeared to go do “guy stuff”. My guess was they were going to play around with the grill for a while, nurse some beers and then eventually throw around a football and talk sports.
“So Ella, how much longer do you have?” Leah asked, her nursing instincts kicking in.
“Two months. Two miserable, long months. Next time he tries to knock me up, make sure I do the math first. Being pregnant in the summer sucks.” Watching her sit in the hot summer heat, I could commiserate. Ella was tiny, barely topping off at five foot two inches, she looked like a dwarf standing next to Colin’s six and a half foot frame. But she was tiny, complaining that she had to shop in the kids department sometimes to find clothing that fit her. Right now, she looked like she was going to topple over. She had a giant belly and two little legs to hold herself upright and we all wondered how she was going to make it to the end without falling over.
“Maddie was born August 11th, so I know exactly how you feel,” I said.
Our baby conversation went on from there. We talked about everything from showers to diapers to breast pumps.
Leah, completely out of her element, excused herself and joined Maddie again who had now moved on to hula hoops. She kept swiveling her hips, but the stubborn hoop fell to the ground every time. Leah picked one up, trying to help, and of course mastered it in one try.
Since her night with Declan James, Leah was different. She said it wasn’t a big deal, but I think she’s still trying to convince herself of that. I tried bringing it up on occasion, but she always managed to change the subject or remind me that it was a one night stand, no big deal. But I think Declan was a much bigger deal than she was willing to admit.
“I wanted to thank you, Clare,” Ella said, bringing my attention away from Leah and Maddie and back to her.
“Why?”
“You’ve gave us back Logan,” she said.
Confused, I asked, “What do you mean?”
“I haven’t known him as long as Colin. They have a friendship that goes way back, and I know Colin has said that even though they’re best friends, there has always been an unreachable part of Logan. But Colin accepted that. He took what Logan was willing to give, and gave back what Logan had always wanted. A family of sorts.”
I could see how much this woman loved Logan, and how many years she and Colin had spent worrying over him. After the childhood he had, he needed people who loved him and I was grateful Ella and Colin had stuck by him.
She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, before continuing. “But after the divorce, we lost all of him. He became cold, emotionless. When he called and said he was moving here to be closer to us, we were ecstatic. We thought we’d be able to snap him out of whatever funk he was in and get him back on track. But he just got worse. He’d stop by less and less, and our calls would go unanswered. He check in every once in a while, but we knew he’d given up on everything.”
Pausing, she said, “But you,” she continued. “You brought him back to us.”
Ella’s words drifted around in my head hours after as we pulled into my driveway. Maddie had fallen asleep in the backseat on the short ride home and Logan helped lift her out as I noticed a familiar car across the street.
“Leah’s here?”
“Yep,” Logan said.
“Do you know why she’s here?” I inquired.
“Sure do,” he answered with a sly grin as we entered the house.
Leah was sitting on the couch, remote in hand, watching some gossip talk shop when we entered. Declan’s face flashed across the screen as he entered a Hollywood club with a beautiful blonde. Leah quickly turned off the TV, clearly not wanting to be caught spying on Declan.
“Hey, I’m gonna put princess to bed. You want to fill her in?” he said to Leah.
She nodded, a sly grin replacing the shock I had seen seconds early. What the hell is going on? Since when do Leah and Logan make plans behind my back?
I turned and kissed Maddie, who was still asleep in Logan’s arms. He gently carried her upstairs to her room.
“Okay, what is going on? Does this have anything to do with what Logan and my Dad were whispering about today?” I asked, still dying to know what my father and Logan were chumming it up about.
“Uh, no. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Right now my job is to take you upstairs and make you look and I quote, “f*cking hot” so your boyfriend can take you dancing,” she answered, guiding me up the stairs to my bedroom.
“We’re going dancing?” I asked, my voice full of glee. I hadn’t been dancing since college.
“Yep, lover boy is fan-f*cking-tastic. Let’s get you ready!” She walked over to my closet, and pulled out a dress I’d never seen. It was black, and from the looks of it, tight.
“Where did that come from?” I asked, running my hands down the designer fabric.
“I’ll give you two guesses.”
“He bought me a dress?”
“Yep, and shoes. And they’re definitely not from Target,” she added, holding up the patent leather pumps with the bright red soles. I jumped up and down, twirling my dress in my arms like a ridiculous little girl, but I didn’t care. I felt happy.
We rimmed my eyes with smoky eyeliner, making them look dark and sexy. I decided to leave my hair down, letting the natural curls run down my back untamed. I slipped into my dress and heels and took a peek in the mirror for the first time.
“Hot damn, I look good,” I announced, admiring how the dress fit my body like a glove. The black fabric was cinched and ruched down the center giving me cleavage and curves in all the right spots. Tiny straps held it in place, and as I gave myself a twirl in the mirror, I realized just how short it was. Like, don’t-bend-down-for-anything short.
“Ready to give him a heart attack?” Leah asked, looking me up and down.
“Do you think he’ll like it?”
“Shit, if he doesn’t, there’s something seriously wrong with him. Even I want to do you right now.”
Leave it to Leah to give it to you straight.
“Okay, let’s go.”
~Logan~
I had already changed into dark jeans, a black button down shirt and my favorite leather jacket. Just as I was congratulating myself on what a good idea this was and how I couldn’t wait to see Clare in that dress I bought her, I heard them coming down the stairs. I turned my head just in time to see her take the last step, and I was instantly aroused, miserable and panicked all at the same time.
“Holy f*cking Christ,” the words flew out of my mouth in a rush as I fought to breathe.
“Um, is he okay?” Clare asked.
Clare’s hand was on her hip and it drew my attention to her ass, which looked…damn.
“Oh God, this was a bad idea. Such a dumb idea. You’ve got to go change,” I pleaded.
“What? Why?” she asked, looking herself up and down like there was something wrong. There was nothing wrong. That was the God damn problem. She was absolutely flawless.
“I’m gonna kill every man that looks at you tonight,” I threatened, feeling my fists tighten and my teeth clench at the mere thought.
A wide grin spread across her face while she slowly walked over to me, gripping the edges of my jacket. Clare paused a moment to admire my clothing choice, her eyes roaming over the jacket I’d worn especially for her. I knew leather would drive her crazy.
“Well, I guess you’re just going to have to control yourself...cause I’m not changing,” she said, emphasizing the last part slowly, as she ran her finger down her my chest, causing me to groan.
“This is not going to be fun for me,” I muttered as she pulled me toward the door.
I prayed that I could make it through the night without having to kick anyone’s ass.
I weaved my way through the thick crowd, drinks in hand, back to our table in the VIP area of the club. It was a small area, and not very well blocked off from the rest of the club, but this wasn’t New York. You were basically paying for the table, and surprisingly, they didn’t come cheap. But I would pay anything to make Clare happy, and I wanted this night to be perfect. I had seen her dance around the house with Maddie, and I knew how much she loved it. I couldn’t wait to be the one she was dancing with.
As our table came into view, I saw Clare politely trying to decline an invitation to dance from a man who had approached the table. My vision blurred, my pace doubled and by the time I reached the table I was seeing red.
Mine.
Clare noticed me bee-lining it to the table, and her look of relief calmed me a bit, knowing she saw me as her savior.
“Hey, buddy,” I said to the jackass macking on my woman, “I’d appreciate you backing off my girlfriend a bit. She doesn’t want to dance with you,” I assured him, setting down the drinks and inserting myself between the guy and Clare.
“Hey Dickwad, I think the lady can speak for herself,” the jackass said.
Dickwad? Who said shit like that? This dude must have had the IQ of a turnip.
“Listen a*shole, you’ve got about five seconds to walk away before I kick your ass and you find yourself waking up in a dark alley, permanently walking lopsided if you know what I mean.”
Based on his assumed IQ, I was a little afraid he actually wouldn’t get what I was talking about, but his eyes grew wide and he nodded his head, walking quickly away.
“That was really freaking hot, Logan,” Clare practically purred in my ear.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she confirmed, her eyes roaming over my body again, making me ache and harden all at the same time.
“We need to dance. Now,” I demanded.
She agreed and I lead us to the dance floor. The music was loud, the bass low and vibrating against the walls, and there were bodies everywhere. I found an empty spot near the middle, spinning Clare around so her body was flush against mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck, as my hands found her waist, and we began to dance. Her hips slid against my hands as she moved up and down to the music, grinding her body against me. My hands found her ass, pulling her closer, as my mouth descended on hers.
I kissed her deeper, knowing we were going far beyond what should be done on a public dance floor, but I didn’t care. At this point the entire club could be watching and I couldn’t stop. At least the men would know she was mine and maybe leave her the f*ck alone.
Clare broke our kiss, turning around, so her back was to me while keeping my hands snaked around her. She never stopped dancing, swaying her hips, and grinding her ass against my rock hard cock. She brought her arms back up, pulling my head down to her, completely consumed by the music and lust.
We danced like this, in our own world, for what seemed like forever. Panting, glistening with sweat, Clare leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I’m going to go freshen up in the restroom real quick. I’ll be right back.”
I escorted her back to the table and she fled to the restroom, leaving me alone, horny and sporting a huge erection.
F*ck this.
I had some unfinished business to attend to. And she had just walked into the ladies restroom.
~Clare~
Just as I had finished drying my hands and checking my makeup, there was a knock on the bathroom door. The line was long, but seriously, I had been in here for two minutes tops. Give a girl a break. I needed a breather. If I hadn’t fled the dance floor, I was pretty sure Logan would have tackled me to the floor and started ripping off my clothes. I had taken a step back, as hard as it was, to keep us from being arrested for indecent exposure.
As I opened the door and walked out, I was suddenly pushed back in by a familiar set of hands.
“What the -“
Logan kissed me with the force of a windstorm and I could do nothing but willingly take the brunt of his attack. He locked the door, securing our privacy.
He broke away and looked at me. His eyes were heavy with desire.
“You ran away didn’t you? Did you think coming in here would save you?” he asked, his voice softly purring in my ear. His skin was still slick with sweat, and I was surrounded by the scent of him. I wanted nothing more than to strip him bare and lick every inch of rock hard body.
“You’re wrong, Clare. Nothing will ever keep me from you. I’ll never stop chasing you.”
His movements were hurried and frantic as he lifted me up, sat me on the sink counter and spread my legs wide. My dress was pushed up to my waist, as his hands found my center, rubbing me through the thin fabric of my panties.
“Always so ready for me,” he murmured before gripping my thong and shredding it with his fingers. He took the now destroyed undergarment and placed it in the side pocket of his coat and then began unlatching his belt. The whole scene had me hovering on the edge, so overcome with need that I could feel my legs shaking in anticipation. Unable to wait, I reached out, pushing Logan’s hand out the way so I could take over the task of undressing him. I wanted to see him, touch him, and feel him buried deep inside me.
Logan’s eyes darkened as he watched my hands undo the button of his jeans, pull down the zipper and let his hard length spring free. As I wrapped my hand around its silky smooth perfection, Logan groaned in response.
Spreading me further, he stepped in between my legs, pressing his body against mine, rubbing the head of his cock against my core, making me moan
“Tell me what you want Clare. I want to hear you say it,” he demanded.
“F*ck me,” I whispered the words he wanted to hear, and he went wild, burying himself in me with one powerful thrust. Pulling back, he drove in again harder, rattling me against the mirror. It was rough, primitive and God damn perfect. He thrust hard and fast, and I took it all, climbing closer and closer to ecstasy.
“You’re mine,” he growled, as I felt myself let go, screaming my release in tandem with Logan’s.
“I’m yours,” I answered, looking into his eyes, making sure he understood.
“I’m yours, Logan.”