Long, Lonely Nights (18 page)

“Why not?”

“I...I because,” she stammered over what she was trying to say.

“Look, I’ll behave myself. I know I overstepped the boundaries, but it won’t happen again.”

“You weren’t the only one there. I didn’t exactly try and stop you.” She hesitated, then said, ”It’s just that it can’t happen again. We aren’t good for each other.”

“Why do you say that?” Logan asked.

“I’m not your type of woman.”

“And what sort of woman is my type of woman?”

“I don’t know. Adventurous,” Tina said.

“I see. Well, nothing will happen. I’m not leaving you over there alone again.”

Tina shrugged. “Well, I won’t be alone most of the night, anyway.”

Logan looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“I’m going out with Jenna tonight.”

“And do what?” he asked.

“We are going to eat out, and then maybe go to a club. She about had a fit for me to go with her. I said, I would,” she said.

Logan didn’t like this one bit. The idea of her out at a club didn’t sit well with him. She would be unprotected and the stalker wasn’t the only one out there who could hurt her.

“Fine, I’m coming with you. I’ll be your and Jenna’s escort.”

“You don’t have to do that. We’ll be fine.” Tina nibbled on her lower lip.

“No trouble.”

“We used to go out clubbing all the time,” she tried again.

“I’m coming. What time are you leaving?”

He watched her debate on telling him. He smiled when she lost the battle and gave in.

“We’re leaving at seven,” she said frowning.

“I’ll be ready for you then.”

She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her fingers as if she had a headache.

“Do you have a headache?” he asked.

“No, just not awake all the way, I guess.”

Logan checked the soup and dipped up two bowls to cool. He made his sandwiches as she watched. They ate in silence. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She was so beautiful in a quiet sort of way. He loved the way her hair floated around her when she moved. He liked the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled.

Once they finished eating, she insisted on rinsing out the dishes and loading the dishwasher. He let her, but hovered near her the entire time. He couldn’t seem to leave her alone. When she told him she was ready to go home, he nearly stopped her. She would be okay in broad daylight, and he was next door. He followed her to her garage and after checking the house for her, watched until she was inside. Then he walked back to his house to call Riley back. There would be a change in plans.

* * * *

Tina had a difficult time talking herself into taking a shower and washing her hair. Even though she knew it was still light outside, she was afraid. It was barely five thirty. Finally, after shoving a chair in front of the bedroom door Tina stripped out of her clothes. She jumped into the shower, quickly bathing. It seemed to take forever to dry her hair.

She put on a pale green bra and the matching panties and garter belt. She added stockings and then slipped on the forest green dress she had already picked out the night before. She hesitated. It had only been a few hours since last night. She shivered and continued dressing.

The green dress would show off her curves, but she wasn’t worried about how she looked. She wasn’t trying to find a man. She needed one of those like she needed a hole in her head. She already had too much man living next door to her. Instead, she needed to figure out how to keep him at arm’s length. At a quarter till seven, the doorbell rang. Usually Jenna was late. When she opened the door, she found that it wasn’t Jenna but Logan and Riley. They stepped inside and shut the door.

“Um, hi?” she said. What was Riley doing there?

They both stared at her for a full thirty seconds before anyone said anything.

“I brought Riley with me. That way there are two of us, since Jenna is coming, too. It will make it easier to watch both of you.”

“She doesn’t already have a date does she?” Riley asked.

“Uh, no.”

“She does now,” he said.

“I don’t think she is going to like this anymore than I do,” Tina said with a sigh.

“She can get over it,” Riley said.

“I have someone watching the house. Morgan is another army buddy of mine.”

“I think maybe you’re making too big a deal out of my going out tonight.” Tina shook her head.

“I don’t think so.”

Tina shrugged, and the doorbell rang again. Riley answered it before Tina could. Jenna stood on the doorstep staring at Riley.

Riley opened the door wider. “You coming in or staying out there all night?”

Jenna opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

“Come in, Jenna,” Tina said. “There has been a slight change of plans. It seems we have escorts tonight. Logan won’t let us go alone. So, they are going with us.”

Jenna appeared to be in shock. Then her brows drew together, and she appointed at Tina.

“Something happened again, didn’t it?” she asked.

Tina started to deny it, but one look at Jenna told her she wouldn’t be fooled. So, Tina told her about the break in the night before. She left out the parts about jumping all over Logan in her underwear while he only had boxers on. She was still so embarrassed about that.

“See, you should have stayed with me like I asked. You could have slept on the couch,” Jenna said.

“I can’t spend my life sleeping on your couch, Jenna.”

“It would just be until Mom went home,” she said.

“Speaking of your mom, where is she tonight?” Tina asked.

“She’s making an early night of it. She leaves tomorrow morning.”

Riley cleared his throat. “Ladies, are we ready to go now?”

Jenna looked at Tina and shrugged. “I guess.”

Riley opened the door for them.

“You’re dress is pretty. It becomes you,” Riley said with a smile.

Jenna’s red dress had spaghetti straps and a scoop back. It looked good on her with her lithe figure. Riley obviously appreciated it on her.

They walked over to Logan’s house. Logan opened the truck door and helped Tina step up into the cab. Riley did the same with Jenna in the back. The men hadn’t asked where they wanted to eat, so it looked like Italian was out. They pulled into the parking lot of a nice steak house. Tina hadn’t been to it before, but knew it was a fancy place. The men helped them out of the truck. She was surprised to find that they had reservations as well. Logan had obviously planned everything for the night. It was nice, she decided.

She and Jenna split a steak and each had a salad. The men ate the largest steaks she’d ever seen. She couldn’t figure out where they put it all. Evidently having muscles, like they did, burned it off. Jenna asked questions all through the meal about the break in and what Tina planned to do about it. Logan assured Jenna he would watch out for Tina.

“I can’t believe you talked Tina into letting you stay at the house. That’s great. I won’t worry so much with you there.” Jenna finished her tea.

“I didn’t agree to it. He is forcing it on me,” Tina explained.

“Well, I think it’s the best plan. No one will get in with him there.”

“Are you two finished? We should probably get going,” Logan said.

They settled the bill and left the restaurant. The club lay across town, so it took a while to reach it. It was nine-thirty by the time they arrived. The place was already jumping. Tina breathed out a sigh of relief to know that Jenna had passes, and they didn’t have to wait in line.

The moment the door opened, the music escaped into the night. They stepped inside, and the door closed behind them. It took Tina a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the dimmer flashing lights. The music vibrated all down her body with the
boom, boom, boom
of the base lodged in her throat. It felt like her heart beat along with it.

The place was cram packed. The men pulled them into the thick of the crowd, and it closed in around them.

Logan yelled into Tina’s ear, “Let’s find a table, and then one of us will see about drinks.”

It was fine with her, though she wasn’t planning to drink anything anyway. She might drink a ginger ale. They circled the dance floor before finding a booth near the back.

It wasn’t far from the bathrooms which made it convenient for them. It was also, where a lot of the couples were making out. It seemed too intimate in the back, but it would have to do. Riley took their drink orders and headed for the bar while Logan remained behind with them. Several men came up to ask them to dance. Logan told them maybe later. They were waiting on their drinks right now.

Jenna glared at him. “I want to dance. It’s why we came.”

“You can dance once Riley gets back. I can’t watch both of you at one time,” he said.

“We don’t need watching,” Tina put in.

“Yes, you do.”

Tina huffed out a breath, and Jenna rolled her eyes at him. They both turned to watch the dance floor. Several minutes later, Riley returned with two beers, a margarita, and a ginger ale in his big hands. He sat them down on the table and sat next to Jenna. A short man, compared to the two in the booth, came up and asked Jenna if she wanted to dance. Riley quickly stood up and reached for Jenna’s hand.

“She’s dancing with me first. Maybe later,” he said dismissing the man.

Jenna gave him a dirty look which he ignored and pulled her towards the dance floor. They were swallowed by the crowd almost as soon as they left the booth.

“We can dance as soon as they get back,” Logan said. “I don’t want to leave the drinks unattended or lose the booth.”

“We don’t have to dance at all. I can find my own partners,” she said.

“I know, but we are going to dance first. I brought you. I think I should get the first dance, don’t you?”

“I didn’t invite you. You invited yourselves.”

“You can’t go out alone while some crazy bastard is stalking you. The police can’t watch you all the time, so that leaves me and the others,” Logan growled.

“Why are you doing this? I don’t get it. You don’t really even like me.”

“Oh, I like you. I like you too damn much, but I do like you.”

Tina shook her head. “It still doesn’t explain why you are risking your life and that of your friends to help me.”

He drew in a deep breath as if to calm himself. “It’s because you don’t seem to mind that I walk around outside at night in my underwear. Anyone else would have called the police to make me get dressed. I don’t want to break in a new neighbor.”

“Yeah, right. Fine, whatever. Just don’t think you can boss me around,” Tina said. “I’ll let you help me because I don’t have a lot of choice. I’m scared. I’ll admit it.”

Logan ran a hand up and down her arm. “We’ll watch out for you. Don’t let him ruin your evening. You came to have fun. So have fun.”

Tina forced a smile and nodded. About that time, Jenna and Riley came back. Jenna was flushed and subdued. She slid across the booth and Riley slid in next to her. Before Tina could ask if Jenna was okay, Logan stood up and pulled Tina out of the booth.