Love of Steel [The Callens 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (5 page)

Inwardly, she smiled, believing this might have been a special time for him. The waiter came by and asked for their drink orders.

“For the lady?”

“I’ll have the house merlot.”

Logan picked up the wine list. “How about if we split a carafe?”

“Sure.” She loved when he took charge.

He asked the waiter a few questions before settling on one. Once the man disappeared, he faced her. “So how do you like the town so far?”

“You have to ask? It’s like a fairy tale to me.”

“Me, too.” His gaze held hers for far too long. She had to look away to avoid the embarrassment. He placed his hands on the table, palms up.

The invitation was clear. She clasped her hands in his and prayed he wasn’t put off by the strength in her fingers. The pink fingernail polish only went so far to soften them.

He dragged a thumb across to top of hands. “I like these.”

“You do?”

“They represent who you are. I can tell you’re a bit self-conscious about your body, but don’t be. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

His speech scattered her thoughts in a thousand directions. “Thank you.”

He withdrew his hands. “Tell me how you got into the business.”

She’d been asked that question a lot but was surprised he cared. “When I was little, Dakota’s dad would come to the ranch to shoe the horses. He’d drag her with him. She’s about a year and a half younger, but we got to be best friends. She was the adventuresome one, whereas I was often out and about by myself communing with nature.”

He smiled. “I can see that, but I bet there’s a daredevil hidden inside.”

That was true, but she’d tried to hide that half. “We hung out a lot after school, and I spent time with her at her house. Her father had a shop in back. Being bored and curious, we’d sit and watch him. That was when I became fascinated with what he did. As we got older, he decided to train us.”

“Why didn’t Dakota get into blacksmithing?”

Once again, she got asked that a lot. Normally, she made the standard comment about Dakota being too small to wield an anvil. “In truth, Dakota never thought of herself as good enough.”

“I do seem to recall she’s gone through a lot of phases.”

That was putting it politely. “Yeah. She was anorexic then chunky and next became a Goth. She then got all her piercings and a few subtle tattoos. When she dyed her hair all those different colors, I didn’t even know what to make of it.”

“You’re so put together, I’m surprised the two of you stayed friends.”

A slash of joy filled her at his assessment. “I love Dakota. She’s faithful and wonderful. I’d give anything for her to love herself.”

The waiter came by at that moment and placed the wine on the table. Logan picked up his glass for a toast. “To creativity and friendship.”

She hoped the friendship was the one between her and Dakota and not between them. She wanted to be a lot more than friends.

* * * *

The evening couldn’t have gone any better. After a fabulous dinner, they took a cab to where the Canal Street Ferry crossed the Mississippi River. The trip across and back was truly romantic with the moon glistening on the water and the low hum of the motor vibrating the boat. Because of the chill in the air, Logan had kept her warm by wrapping his arms around her. To her, she’d traveled to heaven and back.

Close to ten, they arrived back to their rooms. With keycards in hand, he stood at his door and she at hers.
Will he ask me to join him?

“I really enjoyed myself tonight, Jade.”

“So did I.” She put the key card in the slot. “Good night.”

Once inside she plastered her back against the door, closed her eyes, and relived the day. Nothing could have been more perfect, except for how it ended. Knowing she’d never be able to sleep, she pushed off from the door and stepped outside onto the balcony for some quiet time. The second-floor terrace overlooked a now-deserted street. Thank goodness he hadn’t booked a hotel on Bourbon Street. She bet the noise would go on for hours.

Wrapping her jacket around her shoulders, she sat on one of the balcony chairs, leaned back, and let her muscles relax.

“Hello.”

She jerked at the unexpected voice. Logan had come out on his balcony and was leaning against the railing that overlooked the street.

“I see you had the same idea as I did.”
Will you ask me to your balcony?

She should give up the role-playing and ask him to join her. When he kept his gaze on the street below, she decided to go for it. All he could say was no.

“You want to join me?” Her breath hitched.

In a flash, Logan vaulted over their divide. She pulled back a chair for him to sit. Instead, he lifted her hands and pulled her to a stand.

“Let’s go inside.”

The ramification of what he suggested made her skin moisten and her pussy take notice. Her heart had lodged in her throat, making it impossible to respond. Good thing Logan didn’t seem to need her to answer. He held her hands and led her to the bed.

Inside, he peeled off her jacket, and his gaze never left her face. She wanted to strip him naked, but was too mesmerized by what he was doing to move.

He leaned forward until his nose touched her neck. “I love how you smell.” His hands slid over her waist to her hips. “And how you feel.”

Oh, my God.
This couldn’t be happening. She could hear Dakota prodding her.
Go for it.

She was so overwhelmed that she didn’t remember sliding her hands around his neck and pulling him tight. With a turn of his head, his lips found hers. Sheer bliss descended. The kiss started off tender, as if he was afraid she’d resist. She’d dreamed too long, and waited what seemed to be a lifetime for this happen, to even think about saying no.

Not wanting to regret missing out on anything, she made her move. Her tongue pressed against his sealed lips. When he opened up, her heart caught. Taking the initiative this time, he dove in, tasting a bit like merlot and steak.

Their tongues darted around each other’s as if to test the other person’s need and desire. Logan pulled back.

His eyes had turned glassy. “I truly love this dress, but I’d like to see what’s underneath it.”

He waited only a second before sliding the zipper down her back. She could have asked him to stop, but then she would have been speaking a lie. Slowly, he dragged the sleeves down her arms. She watched his eyes to see if he’d be put off by her small breasts or muscled shoulders. When a full smile filled his face, her knees lost some of their strength. The relief emboldened her.

“How about some reciprocation?”

“Go ahead.”

She undid his tie and tossed it on the bed. Next came his jacket. Since the fit was a bit tight, he helped. When she reached to unhook his belt, he stopped her.

“Ditch the shoes.”

Shit
. It took a moment for his command to register. She quickly flipped off her heels and her lips dropped to neck height.

He kissed the top of her head. “Better.”

He leaned over and nibbled her ear then placed tiny kisses on the sensitive hollow of her throat. He threaded her hands through the sleeves and let the dress hang on her hips. With his hands on her waist, he led her backward until her knees hit the edge of the bed.

“Let’s get comfortable.”

Her legs gave way and her butt dropped to the spread. Goose bumps covered her body, but they weren’t from the cold but rather from the anticipation. He knelt in front of her, and when he leaned forward, his lips came close to her breasts. Her nipples hardened and her pussy gushed. Was this really happening to her?

Don’t analyze. Just enjoy
.

The moment he slid her bra strap over her shoulders, the wonderment sunk in. She was about to make love with Logan Smithfield, the man she’d loved from afar for years. She didn’t want to say or do anything to spoil this moment, so she remained quiet.

“You are so beautiful.”

Don’t remark how small they are.
“Thank you.”

He stood, slid her up onto the bed, and straddled her. His looming presence took her breath away. With one finger, he pressed on her nipple, and all thoughts disappeared. She hadn’t had sex in a long time, but she knew making love with Logan would shatter all past experiences.

He leaned over and drew the nipple into his mouth. Gently, he swirled his tongue around the tip, and his soft touch elicited a groan.

“You like that, Iron Lady?”

Iron Lady?
She smiled that he’d given her a nickname. “Yes.”

His hesitation seemed to disappear. The next suck came out hard, creating streaks of erotic pain that quickly turned into pleasure. She had to touch his skin. As quickly as she could, she unbuttoned his shirt.

“I have to touch you.” The desperation in her voice was probably uncool, but she’d lost her ability to think the moment he’d slipped the dress down her shoulders.

“Touch all you want.”

She wanted to explore every inch of his gorgeous body, from his muscled chest to his tight ass, right down to his divine cock. Yes, the cock would be the last to get attention, because once she got a taste of him there, she’d never want to leave.

Once she peeled back his shirt, she ran her fingers up and down his chest, marveling at his strength. Needing to study him more, she pulled his shirt from his pants and lowered the sleeves, but the material got stuck at his wrists because he was busy playing with her tits.

He sat back up. “Let me help.”

In a flash, the shirt landed on the floor, as did his belt. Her gaze latched onto his fingers, willing him to finish the job. He scooted off the bed, ditched the shoes, and divested himself of his pants.

“You’re gorgeous.”

He chuckled, sounding as if he’d gotten that comment a thousand times. “Not as wonderful as you are.”

Even though she figured it was another one of his smooth lines, she bathed in the compliment. She lifted up on her elbows to study him. With every move, his rippled abs flexed.
Wow
. She almost wanted to pinch herself to see if this was a dream.

He picked up the slacks, stuck his hand in his pocket, extracted his wallet, and retrieved a condom that he tossed on the pillow. Her heart sang at the implication. He winked, and her pulse raced.

Even though he’d left on his boxer briefs, his big cock proudly pressed outward. She couldn’t turn her head.

“Let’s worry about him later. He’ll still be around. I want to please you first.”

He’d already pleased her by being with her. “Okay.” No other words formed.

He crawled back on the bed and tugged on her dress. Once she lifted her hips a bit, the dress slid down her legs. “If I didn’t say it enough, you looked fantastic in this dress.”

Where was all this praise coming from? He had her hooked the moment he leaped over the balcony like a knight coming to her rescue.

He slipped his hands behind her back and undid her bra. Instead of lifting it off and discarding it like the rest of her clothes, he used his thumbs to drag the bra cups over her breasts.

When she was nearly naked, he stretched out on his belly, supporting himself on his elbows, and lowered his head over her breasts.

The warm sensuality and care drove her wild. Each pluck and pull made her soar. She couldn’t imagine how she could get any more excited even though she understood there was so much more for him to explore. His thick, light brown hair begged for her fingers, and she dragged her thumbs down from his crown to his ears. Each silky strand worked wonders on her palms. Needing the skin-to-skin contact, she slid her hands to his rapidly changing, muscled shoulders.

With his tongue, he drew small circles around her nipples. Each swipe made her body sizzle with need. As a hint that she wanted more, she lifted her hips against his chest, but he continued to torment her with his constant play. His thumbs rubbed against the swollen tips. Then he sucked on them hard enough for the passion to explode inside her. Just as she neared a climax, he slid downward. His lips trailed a line down her belly.

Go, go, go
.

He stopped when he reached her panties. Praying he’d slide them off, she dug her nails into his skin. With one finger, he lowered the waistband.

He looked up and smiled. “You’re naked.”

She wasn’t going to explain the reason for getting waxed, but he seemed pleased, and that was all that mattered. “So you found out.”

He tugged her panties off. Her juices flowed as she thought about what his tongue could do to her. The first swipe nearly pushed her over the edge.

“You taste of pure sweetness.”

That was music to her ears. She lifted her hips for more. He ran his tongue across her opening before nipping at her sensitive clit. Explosions of pure ecstasy radiated down her body the moment his tongue sucked on the sensitive pearl. She bucked off the bed.