Cricket Cove (21 page)

Chapter Thirty-Three

T
he world outside the apartment was muffled and silent the next morning when Amelia awoke. From the edges of the heavy curtains, bright white light peeked in, and she stretched happily. That light, she knew, meant snow.

Logan, who was wrapped around her from behind, shifted as she moved. He nuzzled her neck as his left hand pulled her closer into him.

“What time is it?” he asked, his voice rough with sleep.

She glanced at the digital clock beside the bed. “Almost eight.” Lifting his arm, she slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom, shutting the door softly behind her. Once she’d taken care of her pressing needs, she brushed her teeth and went back out to the bedroom. Logan was standing beside the window, shirtless, looking out onto the world beyond.

Amelia crossed to him and slid her arms around his waist as she peered out. There were at least six inches of snow on the ground and more was falling. The road, which was about thirty feet away from the apartment building, was solid white. As they watched, a snowplow went by slowly, shooting a column of slushy snow at least ten feet in the air. There was only a single car behind him, moving slow.

“Looks nasty out there.” She bit her lip, afraid to look at him. Though he’d embraced her when she’d come to him, he hadn’t said anything. What if he wanted her to leave? That was out of the question right now.

“That it does.” Before she could react, he turned and bent his knees, his arms locking around her hips as he stood. “And here I was, hoping it wouldn’t snow.”

She shrieked as he tossed her onto the bed, coming down on top of her before she could recover. His grin belied his words. With the day’s growth of beard shadowing his jaw, his eyes still soft with sleep, he was the most attractive man she’d ever seen in her life.

“Were you hoping that, now?” she asked, struggling a little against the grip he had on her wrists, which he’d pinned above her head.

“Oh, absolutely. We’re covering the basic principles of board drafting today, including how to lay out a drawing on paper. What could I possibly find to do here in this apartment that could compete with the excitement of paperwork?”

The harder she struggled, the more he smiled, and Amelia laughed, breathless. “What, indeed?” She wrapped her legs around him and arched into his erection.

Logan groaned and moved against her. “Witch.” His hold loosened, and she got her hands between them, reaching straight for him.

“Now that isn’t very nice,” she murmured as his eyes widened and flared. “And I think we can probably find
something
to do, don’t you?”

They didn’t leave the bed again until almost ten o’clock, when hunger finally drove them into the kitchen. The playful, flirtatious man who teased and kissed her as they fixed something to eat was a far cry from the dour and sullen man she’d first met months earlier. She didn’t quite know what to think.

Sourpuss Logan had been almost irresistibly attractive. This charming version? Oh, she didn’t have a prayer of a chance against him.

After they’d cleaned the kitchen up from their meal and then gotten cleaned up themselves, Amelia stripped the bed down and remade it. Logan stood in the doorway and watched, an admiring smile on his face every time the shirt he’d loaned her rode up to expose her panties.

“If I had known all I would have to do to get you to smile is show up one stormy night and seduce you, I would have tried this months ago.” She placed the last pillow in its spot and made her way around the bed to him.

Logan straightened and walked up to her, backing her into the bed, not stopping until she’d lost her balance. He straddled her legs, settling back on his haunches. “To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure that would have worked, not at first, anyhow.” He placed his hands on either side of her, then gently lowered his weight onto her.

Amelia traced his lips. “Probably not.”

“I am sorry. You know that, right?”

She rose up and kissed him softly, then wound her arms around his neck. “I do. And I forgave you a long time ago for that. At least a week or two, anyhow,” she teased softly. “You have to forgive yourself now.”

Logan brushed her hair back. “That isn’t easy.”

“I know.”

The phone rang, causing them both to jump. Though the radio was on in the kitchen, the volume low, the snow was insulating them from the sound of the outside world to the degree that Amelia had almost forgotten it existed.

Logan rolled over and reached for the receiver. “Hello? Oh, hey, Archer. No, I’m fine. I’ve got groceries, the power’s on, and I have the fireplace. I’m set. What about you?” He reclined back against the pillows as his brother answered.

He narrowed his eyes at her as Amelia got onto her knees and walked across the bed to him, where she swung one leg over his and settled in over his thighs. She sent him a wink that was full of mischief and started tugging at the tie of his flannel pants.

Logan sucked in a breath. “What? No, I’m fine. I just, uh… never mind. So how’s Sydney liking the snow?” He swatted at her hands as she traced the length of his growing erection through the fabric and sent her a warning glare.

Amelia wasn’t intimidated in the least. Deciding to push him a bit, she bent over and ever so gently nipped him with her teeth. Logan sat up so fast, he dislodged her, sending her back onto the bed.

“Damn it, I’m on the phone. Stop that, you minx,” he growled, his cheeks flushing. She barely managed to get a pillow over her head in time to keep her shriek of laughter from escaping into the room. If Archer heard that, the game would be over almost before it had begun.

“Yeah, I… I have a guest. I’d better go. Call if you need me.” He hung up the phone and pulled the pillow off her face, looking down at her with outrage. Amelia was almost sure he was pretending to be angry. She didn’t bother trying to stifle her giggles.

“Woman, you just about got us caught. I thought you wanted to keep this a clandestine rendezvous. Now he’s going to drive me nuts until he finds out who’s here.”

Amelia wrapped arms and legs around him with a happy sigh. “I do want to keep this a secret, at least for a little while. I know we can’t hide it forever, but for right now? Can it just be us and not the rest of the world?”

Logan rolled them so that she was on top of him, and Amelia let herself relax into his body. His hands went under the Army T-shirt she was wearing to caress her back. “Just tell me you aren’t ashamed of us.”

She shook her head. “Not in the least. I promise.”

Across town, Archer hung the phone up with a bemused smile. Emma, who was playing on the floor with Sydney, looked up and saw his expression.

“What?”

“Logan.”

“Is he okay?” she asked.

He scratched his jaw. “He has a guest.”

Emma sat up, her own smile growing. “Really?”

Archer nodded. “A female guest.”

“
Really
?”

“And if I’m guessing correctly, they aren’t playing board games.”

They looked at each other for long moments, unspoken words passing between them.

“Who do you think it is?” Emma asked with a soft laugh.

Archer shrugged and joined his wife and daughter on the floor. “I have no idea, but he sounded almost… happy.”

“
Logan
sounded happy?”

“Yeah, he did.” He glanced at the window where the snow was coming down in waves of fat snowflakes so thick he couldn’t see the house across the street. “If it weren’t so bad out there…”

Emma leaned into him. “You would
not
go down there, so get that out of your head. Give him some privacy.”

“But, Em. He has a girl in his apartment,” he whispered, grinning. “Aren’t you curious?”

She goosed him. “As curious as I can be. Which is why I’m going to interrogate him the first chance I get.” She kept tickling him, and soon Sydney joined in the fray. Archer let them take him to the floor, and he spared a thought for Logan, hoping he was enjoying the snow day just as much.

Chapter Thirty-Four

T
he wintry weather didn’t last long. By late Thursday night, a warm front had moved in and started melting the foot of snow that had fallen. Logan hated to see it go, as he knew Amelia would go with it.

“I don’t want you to leave tomorrow morning,” he told her. They were on the couch, the TV on low. She was seated between his legs, resting back against him. Logan moved her hair to one side, pulling his fingers through the soft lengths. “I’ve never said that before, in case you wondered.”

She tipped her head back to accept his kiss. “Never?”

“No.”

She turned a little so she could get a better look at him. “Haven’t you ever… You’ve never been seriously involved with anyone?”

Logan traced her hairline, the spot where her ear joined her face, and shook his head. “You’re the first.”

He didn’t know what to do with all the emotions he felt. His affection for her had morphed into something bigger than simple attraction and respect. As much as he was starting to explore the feelings, he knew better than to express too much to her just yet. She wasn’t ready.

Amelia’s head dipped to the side, and she clasped his hand, rubbing her face against his palm, eyes closed. “Are we seriously involved?” she whispered.

In answer, he kissed her. He eased back against the cushions, drawing her with him. The kiss continued, Logan teasing her lips with his for several minutes. The loving was easy, slow, worshipful. He kept his hands light as he touched her. He kissed her as though they had all the time in the world to spend on the couch.

When Amelia’s hands went under his T-shirt to skim his abdomen, lifting the fabric up as she flattened her palms against his chest, Logan rose up and let her slip the shirt over his head. Hers soon followed, and he eased her panties down her legs. There was an understated urgency as he shoved his own pants down. They both went breathless as she settled down over him, taking him in.

Logan pulled her down to lie against his chest, resuming their kiss as they slowly rocked together. Amelia came apart first, the waves of her orgasm triggering his own.

It was so powerful, so poignant, Logan felt close to tears when he came back down. For a man who did not cry, the shock to his system was disconcerting, to say the least.

They didn’t speak, but held each other. Logan grabbed his T-shirt and used it to take care of the mess, then pulled the quilt down from the back of the sofa and draped it over them. Amelia rested on top of him, her head on his chest.

He couldn’t stop touching her. He knew he was falling in love, and he wanted to make every second count. For the rest of his life, he would remember this night, the connection he felt to her right now. No one had ever reached so deep inside him. He’d never let them.

When the clock went off the next morning at five, Amelia groaned and covered her head. The last thing she wanted to do was get out of bed, but she didn’t have a choice. Today was her birthday, and the roads had cleared enough that she could safely get back to London. Besides, she knew her parents and siblings would be calling to wish her a happy birthday, and unless she wanted to make what she knew would be awkward explanations, she had best get back to Eli’s farm.

Logan reached across her to slap the clock, then curled back up with her with a heavy sigh. “I hate this morning.”

She rolled over, pressing her face into his chest. “So do I.”

He held her quietly until the snooze went off. This time when he hit the clock, she feared for its continuing existence.

“What did that clock ever do to you?” she teased. “I guess I’d better get up.”

His arms tightened in reaction. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I have to.”

“I know.” He loosened his hold and Amelia rolled over to turn the lamp on. She sat up on the side of the bed, feeling weary. She didn’t look back at Logan as she got up and went to the bathroom. She couldn’t.

When she came out, dressed, he was sitting on the edge of the mattress. He held his hands out and she went to him.

“Happy birthday,” he told her, drawing her to sit on his lap, her knees on either side of his hips. He rested his head against her chest, and Amelia ran her hands through his hair. She eased his glasses off and set them on the nightstand, then dipped her head and placed soft kisses across his brows, his cheeks.

“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered as their lips met.

An edge of desperation filled their kiss. She needed him so much she wouldn’t have cared if he hadn’t brushed his teeth, but he’d gone into the kitchen while she was getting dressed.

“When can I see you again?” he asked.

Amelia smiled. “You mean when can you get me naked and play pinochle again.”

He shook his head, his face solemn. “No, I mean see you. Hear you, touch you, talk to you. Be in the same room with you.”

She almost felt like her heart was breaking, the pain was so intense. But it was the pain of parting, she knew, and not heartbreak. “I imagine everyone will come down to Eli’s this weekend for my birthday. Will you come?”

“Absolutely.”

“I wish I could stay,” she admitted as she stood. She started putting the last of her belongings in the overnight bag. “But I can’t.”

“Not this time, but maybe the next?” he asked as he put his glasses back on.

She met his gaze steadily, reading his expression. She wasn’t sure what to think about the fact that there might be a next time. “Maybe.”

He picked her bag up and carried it into the living room. “I can’t watch you leave,” he said, his voice low. “I won’t let you go if I have to watch you leave.”

“Okay.” She got into her coat and pulled her car keys from her purse. “I’ll call when I get there.”

“Be careful?”

Amelia tried to make her smile as steady and reassuring as she could, but it was difficult given how much she wanted to stay. “I will be. You’ll do the same?”

He nodded, not looking at her. Long, tense moments passed as they stood in the living room, a few feet apart from each other. Dropping her bag, Amelia closed the distance between them and kissed him.

Logan held her so tightly it was almost painful. She broke the kiss and pulled back. “See you this weekend.”

This time when she picked her bag up, she didn’t look back. She forced herself to go down the interior stairs to the garage, forced herself to press the button that would open the door. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as she started her car and backed out into the driveway. Once she was out, she beeped the horn and, making sure the road was clear, backed out onto the highway. Not looking back at Logan’s apartment was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but she knew she couldn’t. So she pointed her car toward London and started driving.

Two hours later, she was pulling up in Eli’s driveway. Caleb’s truck was parked next to Eli’s, and she groaned. Of all the people to have to put on a brave face for, he was one she didn’t know if she could or not. She grabbed her bags and made her way to the farmhouse.

Eliza met her at the door with a searching look and a welcoming smile. “How are you, sweetheart?”

Amelia hugged her grandmother. “I’m okay, Nonny. Where’s Caleb? I saw his truck.”

“He and Eli are in the barn. Bessie cut her rump somehow, and Caleb’s stitching her up. How was your trip?”

“Good. I need to call Logan, let him know I made it.”

Eliza smiled as she went back to stir the contents of a pot that was on the stove. “You know where the phone is.”

“I’ll call from upstairs. I’ll be right back.” Amelia hurried up to her bedroom, dumping her bag and purse on the bed. She hesitated before picking the phone up, though, trying to gather her emotions so that she wouldn’t dissolve into tears when she heard Logan’s voice. When she thought she was okay, she picked up the receiver and dialed.

He answered on the first ring.

“Hi. I’m safe.”

She heard him blow out a breath. “Good. Were the roads okay?”

“Pretty much. Are you getting ready to head to work?” The school had called an optional work day for support staff, and since Logan lived so close, he’d decided to go in.

“Yeah. I should probably be happier about that than I am,” he confessed with a small laugh.

“All that exciting paperwork is waiting for you,” she joked. “No more distractions.”

“I’d prefer the distractions.”

Amelia smiled. “We’ll have to see what we can do about providing you with more, then.”

“I hope so.”

“Have a good day.”

He groaned. “You do the same. Amelia?”

“Yes?”

There was a long pause. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I can hardly wait.” She eased the phone back onto the cradle, then sank down onto the bed. Her eyes closed, and she sent a prayer winging heavenward that the last few days hadn’t been a fluke. She swiped at the wetness on her cheeks, and when she heard the men’s voices coming from downstairs, she got up and went to the bathroom to repair her face.

“Time will tell,” she told her reflection. “I just hope it tells me good news.”