I think you remember what my dick thinks about you.”
Nicole felt herself getting hot all over. Yes, she remembered well what had happened the last time they were in her apartment together. Logan’s smile turned smug when he saw her expression.
“You are good for the ego, Nicole, I’ll tell you that. But all this… this need to protect you. I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like my dick talking.”
Nicole kept her arms crossed, mainly because she was itching to throw herself at him again, hold onto him without ever letting go. She was having trouble managing her emotions. She was scared of Clay, grateful to Logan, worried for her dad. It was all too much. She wanted to hit the brakes on her life. Just for a second.
Logan closed the distance between them, took her arms and coaxed them apart, wrapped them back around him. It was like he’d read her mind, like he knew this was exactly what she’d wanted to do. His hands rested on her lower back.
“You’re thinking too hard,” he murmured.
“I have a lot to think about.”
“Not right now. You’ve got too much on your shoulders, way more than any one person should handle. Let me help. Let me take some of that burden.”
Nicole couldn’t help herself. She pushed up onto her tiptoes and kissed him for all she was worth. He returned the kiss in kind, his hands moving down to her rear, lifting her so he could have better access to her. Nicole helped him by jumping a little. He caught her underneath her thighs, holding her up without effort. She let out a satisfied moan when his tongue slipped into her mouth. He pulled back and nipped at her lower lip, then took a moment to catch his breath. Nicole realized there were tears in her eyes. Logan smiled sadly, leaned down to rub his rough jaw over the soft skin of her cheek in a long caress. His beard tickled her skin, sending tingles all throughout her body.
“You keep looking at me with those pretty sad eyes, I’m gonna forget how much I want you and go take care of Clay.”
“You can’t,” Nicole said. At his incredulous look, she amended her statement. “You can take him in a fight. I mean you can’t fight my battles for me, Logan. Clay is my problem, and I’m going to take care of it, just as soon as I figure out what his game is. The worm’s got something going on, and I want to know what it is. You have to let me handle this. Please.”
Logan sighed with disappointment. “Damn it. How can I say no to that?”
Nicole rested her head against his shoulder. “Thank you for understanding.”
“I understand that you’ve got a fire in you that I respect, but I’m gonna need a distraction. All I can think about is that bastard’s hands on you.”
Nicole unhooked her ankles and slid her legs slowly down his as she lowered herself to the floor.
“Let’s go out,” she whispered.
“What?”
She pulled back so she could look up at him. “I’m gonna go crazy if I have to sit around in my tiny apartment. Let’s go somewhere. There’s gotta be somewhere fun that’s still open this late.”
A slow smile spread over Logan’s face. “Yeah, I can think of a place.”
Logan couldn’t shake the memory of Nicole’s body pressed against his, her lips pulling urgently at his own. He had refused to tell her where he was taking her for their date, so she’d given up and gone to her bedroom to get dressed. He lowered himself onto her couch and waited, his hands balled into fists on his knees. Every time he thought about that bruise on her cheek, his control was tested. All he wanted to do was find Clay and tear him to pieces. Better yet, he could drag the weasel back to the clubhouse, tell the boys what had happened. The New Crusaders did not take kindly to violence against women. If Clay survived the encounter – doubtful – he’d