Waiting For You (Beautiful Surrender #1)(6)
Author: Ava Claire

I accepted his hand, even though I knew it was too late for all that. Electricity shot through me in a powerful, undeniable current when we touched. I was already tied up and bound to him.

Chapter Five

I told Logan walking me to the door was more than enough, but he was adamant, gently guiding me to the main house. My beach studio was nicer than my one bedroom apartment back in Sacramento. It had hardwood floors throughout and a tropical meets industrial vibe with plantation shutters, exposed wooden beams, and all chrome appliances. It wasn’t like an interior design magazine’s center spread; gorgeous but sterile. Instead, it was chic yet warm and inviting. It spelled home away from home.

The main house was the same but on a grander scale. Everything gleamed and glittered, and I quickly kicked off my flip-flops even though he made no such request. I knew that he was wealthy; he carried himself in the confident way of someone who came from money, but being in his space, surrounded by gorgeous, expensive things reminded me of just how out of place I was. I grew up somewhere between middle and upper-middle class. I never wanted for anything, within reason. Logan strode to a fridge with a touchscreen on the front and tapped out a request, which the machine echoed in that perfect machine-like voice. I had a feeling he never wanted for anything, period.

He passed me the water and clinked our glasses together. “Bottoms up – and then we can get down to business.”

I nearly choked. “Is everything about sex with you?”

His eyes twinkled deviously. “I’m fairly certain I haven’t mentioned the word ‘sex’ once.”

“You don’t have to say it out loud.” I took a solid gulp for strength and put it down, eyeing him defiantly. “You say it with your eyes. You say it with your–” I cleared my throat and glanced at his crotch. He was in khakis, but he may as well have been naked. I could make out every swollen contour of him.

He cocked his head to the side, peering at me curiously. “Is it so bad that I’m attracted to you?”

“Yes. I mean, no. I mean…I just got out of a relationship, and I don’t want to be hurt again.” I moved to twist my hair. Big mistake. As soon as my hair touched my sunburned skin, daggers of pain sliced through me. “Ow,” I moaned, going rigid. I didn’t want to move or breathe for fear I’d make it worse.

“C’mere.” He beckoned at me to follow him. “I have something that will work wonders.”

“Is it your penis?”

He let out a chuckle that was dripping with amusement and a sexual current that made me tingle. “But I’m the sex obsessed one, eh?” Before I could make a face, he continued. “It’s a cream for sunburns. I swear by it.”

I followed him without further protest. Even if it didn’t have the Logan Mason stamp of approval, I would have been all over it. I would have rubbed just about anything all over my body if it would dull the pain.

I trailed him up the stairs and through a set of double doors that led to his bedroom. The gravity of our destination made my heart stall in my chest. What was I expecting? Logan Mason was a man who got what he wanted, and for some unknown reason, he wanted me.

My hands felt clammy, my skin flushed (not that you could tell) as I backed up. I let out a squeak as I collided with the edge of his bed. How fitting.

“Before you get any ideas…” I trailed off as he disappeared into the bathroom. When he re-emerged, he was holding a white, unmarked cylindrical container.

“Sit down,” he ordered, gesturing to the bed.

I swallowed my pride and sank on the mattress, lip stuck out until the feather soft cushion massaged my rear. I thought my bed was comfortable, a top of the line Serta that I had to save up for. It was little more than a bed of rocks compared to this. “I’m pretty sure I’d never leave my bed if this was what I slept on every night.”

He unscrewed the cap, his eyes working up and down my body before they returned to my face. “I’m pretty sure I’d never leave my bed if you were who I slept with every night.”

My heart sang, and that throb? If I got any wetter, I’d slide right off this amazing bed and crash to the floor. Logan had a special talent of simultaneously making me want fall in love again and screw his brains out.

Even though my heart told me to run like my life depended on it, I stayed. And once the cream touched my skin, I was glad I ignored the urge. It was cool and soft, stroking my tight skin and giving it a small measure of relief. Logan was gentle, and when I chanced a peek at his eyes, I saw the last thing I was expecting. Not pure, unbridled lust; not the tease and promise of mischief and moans in octaves I didn’t even know existed. There was a care, a devotion. He didn’t mean me any harm – in fact, those deep green eyes were narrowed with concern that made my defenses tumble down. How was this possible? I didn’t know him, but when our eyes met, it felt like going home. It felt safe.

So I did something stupid.

I hooked his collar and pulled him to me. The sting of the sunburn didn’t compare to the fire that burned in me. His lips were my answer – they caressed me, stroked against my lips, and waited for me to take the lead and dip my tongue into his mouth. He was cautious, and when I pulled back to read him, I saw that the Logan Mason I knew and lusted for was waiting, holding back. I almost asked him why. I was all but saying ‘Take me now!’. And then I remembered.

I grabbed a pillow and hurled it at his head. He deflected the blow easily, flashing the panty-dropping smile that was equal parts endearing and frustrating. A man like Logan lusting after me felt like heaven, but at the same time, I hated how powerless I felt under his gaze. Like I had no choice but to fall into his arms from the start. To fall into his bed.

His voice was dark and erotic. “I’m waiting.”

Oh, but my body wasn’t. It had been begging for him from the start. The words tingled on my tongue. “I want you to take me–” The key word hung on the edge and I let go. “Please.”

Caution was thrown to the wind as he reclaimed my mouth. His hands raked through my hair and clutched a fistful of it. The pain was sharp and immediate, rippling across my scalp and fanning the desire inside me. I’d told Jason I wanted aggression; to be taken hard and rough. He’d always looked at me like I’d spoken a foreign language. This was what I meant. I wanted to be kissed with reckless abandon. I wanted lust to drum in my ears and possess my body. I wanted to lose myself.

Logan forced me on my back, his body muscled and delicious above me. Biting my lip, I surprised us both by bucking my h*ps and swapping places. His face registered something like surprise, but his hardened length pressing against the crotch of my swimsuit bottoms approved wholeheartedly.