Logan's Woman (6 page)

“Do you want anything to eat? Drink?” he asked.
His voice was unsure, as if he didn’t know what to do.

She nodded. “Water sounds really
good.”

“Alright. I’ll show you where you’ll be
sleeping after.”

He went through a door on the right and she
followed, wishing he had given her a chance to say thank
you.

Claire could hear her aunt’s voice in her head.
Lessens upon lessons of etiquette and how to stay safe all
colliding with each other.

The moments in the kitchen were awkward. He
couldn’t stop watching her and she couldn’t stop avoiding him. He
asked her if there was anything else she needed. All she really
wanted was to sleep and then wake up and explore his ranch. She
hadn’t seen any stables so she assumed they were behind the house.
Would he let her see horses, if he had any?

She looked at him, setting down the
cup.

“Logan?”

He took her cup and put it in the sink.
“Yeah.”

“Do you have horses?”

His chuckle rang through the airy kitchen. “I
live on a ranch. Of course I have some.”

Feeling slightly stupid over the question, she
nodded silently and didn’t look at him.

It was silent for a second.

“Do you want to see them?”

She looked at him and nodded her head
vigorously.

Logan smiled slightly. “Tomorrow, bright and
early, I’ll take you to see them.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “But I’m beat and I’m pretty sure
you are. Your room is just across the hall from mine if you need
anything.” Logan started to lead her to where she assumed she was
going to be sleeping for the night. Claire followed him, and at the
door to her room, had to force herself not to stare at
him.

“Night,” he said. She looked up at the sudden
reserve in his voice.

He opened the door for her then walked across
the hall, not sparing her a second glance before entering his room
and then closing it off.

Claire stared at the door for a long time
before she finally went into her own room, sighing
softly.

Chapter 4

Logan was awake long before Claire was. At
five, he showered and dressed, then went to the kitchen to start on
breakfast. He normally had his cook, Glenda, prepare his meals for
him but it was a weekend and she was off. He always let her have
off days for her family and didn’t mind that she took so many. Her
daughter, at twenty-three, had a rare form of breast cancer and
they could barely afford the treatment. While Glenda took off time
to care for her daughter, Logan gave her a paid vacation. He
wouldn’t miss the money and knew that they needed it more than he
did.

He thought that maybe the sweet scent of bacon
and eggs would wake up Claire so that he didn’t have to, but it was
almost a half hour later and she still hadn’t come downstairs.
Sighing and frowning, he went upstairs and pounded on her
door.

It was silent.

His frown worsened, and he pounded on it
again.

Still silent.

“Claire,” he started warningly, opening the
door. “It’s time to get up, I have --”

He paused mid-sentence. The window was open,
blowing soft air through he curtains and sifting through the room.
Rays of light shot through the room, emphasizing the pale walls and
blue bedspread.

It wasn’t the open window that caused him to
pause though.

No, it was so much worse.

Claire had one leg out from under
the blanket, her body was stretched out across the bed and the
comforter was falling halfway off. She was laying on her stomach,
arm over her head, long blonde hair spread around her in a golden
halo. His body hardened as he realized that she was
really
naked.

“Holy...” She moved, making a soft mew, turning
onto her back partially. Her breast was full and big enough to fit
his hand. “Fuck.”

He turned away sharply, backing out and closing
the door. He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. He’d had
women before, and all of them had had amazing bodies. But that one
small glimpse that he’d gotten of hers was enough to make him
realize that just a night with her wouldn’t be enough and that she
was, quite possibly, the most beautiful creature he’d ever
seen.

It took him a while to calm himself. When he
did, though, he braced himself and opened the door, quickly
grabbing the blanket and covering her fully, trying to give her
some modesty. Logan quickly shook her awake, desperate for her to
open her eyes. He didn’t want to take his hands from her - her
shoulder was soft and warm and...

Her pale blue eyes squeezed, and then she
yawned and stretched. He took his hands away from her body quickly,
almost hating himself.

“What?” she asked, her voice rough yet sweetly
sleep-influenced. “What is it?” Her eyes got impossibly wide and
then alarmed. Then, just as quickly, her face flamed pink and she
grabbed the covers in a death-grip and pulled it over her body
completely.

He stared at her, forgetting how to move. He
swore he forgot how to breathe.

“Get out!” she squeaked, shoving herself under
the covers.

Logan would have. He really, honestly would
have, if she hadn’t been panicking so much that the covers slipped
and revealed a tan, plush breast. “God,” he whispered, eyes locked
on her.

She stopped moving abruptly.

Their eyes locked on each other and he slowly
moved to sit on the bed, his brain screaming at him to leave while
his body told him to stay and touch her, kiss her, take her breast
into his mouth and taste how sweet he knew should be.

She didn’t cover her breast again, and heat
entered her eyes. It was the most amazing thing he’d ever
seen.

Her eyes darkened to a near ocean blue and a
flush came over her body. Her nipple, the one not covered by the
bedding, hardened.

His control snapped.

Logan leaned down and kissed her neck roughly,
relief that she didn’t fight him but even leaned her head back
coursing through him. Her hands grabbed at his shoulders and in
less than a second, he had her breast in his hand and her lips
parting under his. He dominated, pushing her into the bed and
kissing her with rough desire. His hand kneaded her breast and he
could hear her moaning under his lips. His mouth left her lips,
trailing down to her throat, and her hot breath caressed his skin.
He nuzzled her neck, kissing lightly. His hand trailed from her
breast to her stomach, his mouth moving to replace it. She made a
high, precious keening sound and his body raged with
desire.

“God, you’re beautiful –“ he stopped talking
when his lips came in contact with her breast. She gasped, arching
under him, and his hand slid to her thigh, tracing her, teasing
her. He swirled his tongue around her nipple and listened to her
pleasured whimpers.

He cupped her at her core. Then
froze.

She was smooth, slick, burning his hand because
she was so hot.

Claire’s head turned on the pillows, her hips
moving while she tried to make him touch her more. He growled and
slid one finger into her, into her wetness, and bit her breast
gently.

She cried out softly, her hands grasping his
hair and pulling, her movements frantic, almost desperate
–

“Marshal?”

Her hips cradled his, even as another finger
slid into her, adding to the other. God, she was hot. Silken and
pure liquid heat and –

“Marshal!”

Logan froze.

Claire gasped, her body starting to convulse.
He didn’t want to stop. Who the fuck… Claire bit his neck lightly,
urging him to continue. Logan groaned and moved his hand against
her, pushing his fingers deep and –

He jerked back like something had burned
him.

“You’re a virg—“

“Logan, where the hell are you!”

Claire’s eyes were wide and shocked, a look of
displacement in them. And then, as if she suddenly remembered
everything, she pulled back and then, with sudden clarity, shame
and embarrassment entered her eyes and her face flamed red. “Get
out,” she said, her voice nothing but a squeak. He sat there,
hearing her but not listening. He was too horrified at what he had
done to her and what he had just learned.

“Claire…you’re a fucking virg –“

“Goddamnit, Logan, I’m not playing around here!
Come the fuck out, Ricky got ‘imself hurt and you need to get
‘im.”

Claire heared the voice. Logan
didn’t know how it was possible but she managed to look even
more
terrified.
“Get
out
,” she
hissed, shoving him off of the bed. She pulled the covers over her
and ran like hell was on her heels to the adjourning
bathroom.

Right then, his man Frank walked in and glared
at him. “What are you doin’ in here? You heard me screaming for
you! Come on, get up and go out there. Dog got ‘imself kicked by
Bucky and he won’t let no one else touch ‘im.”

Logan barely heard him. He was too shocked. Too
disgusted. To…everything. He got to his feet numbly, fisting his
hands. “I’ll be right out.”

Frank gave him a dubious look but nodded.
“We’ll be waitin’ for you. Poor pup is whimperin’ like the world is
endin’.” He left the room and Logan would have followed after him,
but he couldn’t. His feet wouldn’t let him leave the room. Claire
was still in the bathroom…

Walking over to it, he rapped on the door
softly. He didn’t hear anything in response.

“Claire, I’ll be back in a little bit. If you
want to explore, you can. Just stay out of the way if someone is
doing something. If any of the guys say something to you, tell
Frank. He’s kind old and missing a finger on his left hand. He’s
also wearing a blue cap.”

He waited for her to say something.

All he heard was silence.

Grinding his teeth, he tried one more
time.

“Claire.”

It wasn’t a question, but a demand that she
answer him.

At first, he thought she wouldn’t answer him.
But then he heard a shuffle and then the door peaked open. He
swallowed.

Her head popped out of the bathroom and her
eyes latched onto his. There was a vulnerability to them that made
him feel terrible. Remorse rode him hard. “Did you hear me?” he
asked, forcing himself not to seek out the lush curves of her body
hidden behind the door.

“Yes, I did.” She lowered her eyes, looking
away from him.

Logan backed away from the door, shoving his
hands in his pockets. “I’ll have someone bring up your suitcase so
don’t worry about carrying it around. Ah… Later, after lunch, I can
take you to see the horses – Wait. Ah, what do you have planned for
--” He paused, feeling like his tongue had stopped it’s normal
routine of talking and producing sound. “Lunch. At noon?” Her eyes
flipped to him.

“What?”

Logan could have kicked himself. First he
practically rapes her, and then asks to have lunch with her. He
couldn’t think of any other reason that she’d say yes besides
obligation, and even then she probably wouldn’t –

“I will. Should I wear something nice?” There
was a small blush to her face, as if she found asking the question
ridiculous.

Logan was stunned that she’d said yes, but
still nodded. “Wear jeans, though. I’ll be back at twelve; it’s
seven right now.”

She nodded, face turning even
pinker. A strand of hair fell past her ear, curling around her
cheek. It took everything in him to not push it back as tenderly as
he could. He would make up for what had happened this morning and
then figure out what to do from there. He wanted her – shit,
he
needed
her, but
he couldn’t take her like a rutting dog. She didn’t deserve
that.

He was already starting to notice how she acted
around certain people and how she had a sort of…façade.

He’d have to get past that and reach down to
the pure innocence and kindness he knew she had. She acted prime
and proper in front of others, but when she was vulnerable that
true child-likeness shown. It was different from what he normally
saw – in fact, everyone around here was either closed off or just
way nosy, and he liked the change, was intrigued by it. His ex-wife
hadn’t been like that – she’d been cold and distant to the very
end, the only thing she wanted being his money.

Claire hadn’t made a comment about his obvious
wealth. Actually, she acted like she didn’t even notice it. Last
night, when he’d come out to get her, he’d seen the look of
complete awe in her eyes when she’d looked at the plants and
gardens that his mother had created.

No, he didn’t have to worry about her wanting
money. An even better testament to that was how she’d stayed in a
crappy hotel agaist the choice of a better one for a cheaper price.
She seemed conservitive, except for her name-brand sports clothes.
He made his way from the room and found himself wondering what she
was going to wear, and how she was going to do her hair. Maybe he
should have Frank tell her to leave it down if he saw
her.