More Than Him (22 page)

"You're still pouting," he said. I didn't know I was. He sighed again, softer this time. "Are you being grumpy because you didn't get enough sleep?"

He knew me too damn well. I nodded again. He chuckled lightly under his breath. "Let's get you to sleep then, pretty girl." He pulled me by my arms until I was standing, and then slowly unbuttoned my jeans and slid them past my hips until they were down to my ankles. He didn't wait for me to kick them off before he started removing my top. He let it drop to the floor before raking his eyes all over my body, slowly, so fucking slowly, from head to toe.

I swear, time stood still. I closed my eyes and balled my fists at my sides. I did everything I could to not cover myself. I wanted to give him this moment, give him time to remember me, just like he said in the closet of his dad's house.

He blew out a breath. My eyes snapped open. He was no longer there. But then I felt his arm snake around my bare stomach, pulling me down until I was sitting on his lap. I could feel his hardness against my ass. He started kissing my back, his lips soft. He nibbled lightly on my bare shoulder before moving up to my neck. My nipples ached against my bra. I wanted it off, but he beat me to it, the material falling down my arms and onto the floor in front me.

I moved on him, my ass grinding against him. He cursed when his fingers brushed against my nipple. They were stiff with arousal. Cut through glass type stiff. Just like his dick beneath me. He gently cupped my breast with one hand, and the other moved down my stomach, under my panties. Exactly where I wanted him. He cursed again when his finger ran between the folds, my wetness coating it.

I panted. My mouth was dry. I needed water. Air.
Logan
. I needed Logan. Turning my head, and wrapping my arm around his neck, I bought his mouth to mine. It was the exact same moment his finger slid deep inside me. Our teeth clanked together with the roughness of our kiss. We were rushed, needy, and desperate for each other.

"Fuck, baby," he moaned into my mouth. Then he pressed up against me, just once, but it was all I needed to lose control. I started grinding harder into him. His thrusts became faster. I wanted more. I wanted him.
All of him.

I released his neck and shifted my hands to the band of his boxers and sweats. 

"Stop." He pulled away, cursed again, and then moved me to the side. Standing up, he rubbed both his palms against his jaw. "Fuck," he spat. He eyed me again, that same fire in his eyes from earlier. His jaw was tense, and the muscles kept moving, like he was contemplating something.

Then, it happened. Something in him snapped. A decision was made. He stood between my legs, put two fingers from each hand against my shoulders and slowly, and carefully, pushed me until my back was flat on the bed with my legs hanging off the edge. I closed my eyes. My body shook. The idea of what was about to happen was too overwhelming. I was too turned on.

The throbbing between my legs magnified. I felt the warmth of his fingers curl around my panties, and then cold air hit against my warm center. I gazed down over my body to see him at the end of the bed, his palms flat against my thighs, spreading them further for him. I must have made a sound, because his eyes snapped to mine. "Do you know how many times I got off thinking about you? Exactly like this."

I sucked in a breath, but didn't say a word. I had none. He stood up, now, his huge, hard dick tenting his boxers. "No," he said. He was talking to himself. He reached down, grabbed both my hands and placed them on my breasts. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was too dry. He stood between my legs again, his eyes roamed from my spread legs up to my breasts, lingered there, then up to my eyes.

"Squeeze," he whispered softly, but it was an order. It turned me on more. I dropped my head back onto the bed and did what he said. I heard him grunt, right before I
felt
him. My hips jerked at the instant pleasure of his lips on me. His fingers moved inside me, his tongue made laps, back and forth, up and down, in and around. I felt myself building. It was too soon.

Then his fingers slowed, and his mouth was gone. I lifted my head, wanting to see what was happening. His eyes were trained on my hands: one hand squeezing, the other pulling at my nipple. I didn't know I was doing it. I cleared my throat. His eyes locked with mine, only for second, before he went back to business.

Seconds later, it happened. The climb was just as mind-blowing as the fall. He never stopped, not until the last shudder had vibrated through me.

When my body stopped trembling, my mind cleared, and the buzz had faded, I opened my eyes. He was standing again at the edge of the bed with his hand down his pants. My eyes travelled up his body. A sheen of sweat coated him. "Hey." He smirked at me. Then he started to walk away. I sat up, and pulled on his pants to stop him. "What's up?" he asked, his eyebrows drawn in.

I dropped to my knees, and yanked down his pants and boxers in one swift move. His eyes widened when he worked out what was about to happen.

It didn't take him long at all. When we were done, we showered and brushed our teeth. We climbed back into his bed, naked and exhausted. His arms circled me. "You haven't even said hello to me yet," he said. It's true. I hadn't spoken a single word since I’d gotten here.

23

Logan

"Our sleep pattern is going to be screwed," I told her. We'd slept until three in the afternoon.

We'd planned to stay overnight at Dad's house after the bonfire. She'd packed an overnight bag, so she'd changed from her jeans and top into a dress. I told her she didn't have to dress up. She said she wanted to. Not because she was seeing my friends, but because she was seeing me. I told her I loved her regardless, clothes on or off. We started to make out again, but stopped ourselves before it got too far. My dick was still hard. She knew it, too, because her bare feet kept rubbing against it.

We were in my truck, driving to Lucy's cabin. Amanda sat sideways, her long tanned legs covering the entire bench seat. She chewed her lip with a smirk on her face as she felt my dick get harder and harder. "Stop it," I warned, running my hand up the inside of her thigh. "This can quickly turn into a two-player game."

She squeezed her thighs tight, trapping my hand between them. Giggling, she removed it and sat up straighter. She moved to the middle of the seat, pressed her body against me and maneuvered my arm around her shoulders. "I love you," she said.

You couldn't wipe the grin off my face.

"What?" she asked, watching me.

"Those words—leaving your lips—I don't think I could ever get enough of it."

She kissed my cheek, and then moved to my ear. "I love you," she whispered, and nibbled gently there, at the same time running her hand over my dick.

I pushed her away. "Quit it," I warned again.

She laughed, that all-consuming, stomach-holding, head thrown back laugh. I pulled over, just so I could watch it. Remember it. Savor it. When she finally settled down, she wiped at her eyes.

"Are you done?" I asked. Honestly, I didn't care if she was, I could watch her like that for the rest of my life and it still wouldn't be enough.

She nodded, but then, seriousness took over her features. "Are you nervous, babe?"

I pulled back onto the road. "What do you mean?"

"Seeing your friends again? I mean Jake—he's your best friend. You only called him once. You didn't even tell him you were back. You think he'll be pissed?"

I hadn't even thought about it. "If he is, I'll talk to him. I need to talk to him anyway, tell him all of it, you know?"

She nodded, and placed my hand on her leg. "If I were him, I'd just be glad you're here. Back
home.
Where you belong."

Home,
I thought to myself. I looked down at her hand, now covering mine. "You're my home," I told her. Truth.

***

"No. Fucking. Way!" Was Jake's reaction. He basically threw Micky off his lap and stomped towards me. His eyes were huge, almost as big as his grin. He kissed Amanda on the cheek first, and then stood in front of me. "Wait," he said, looking around the bonfire. He eyed Cam. "You knew he was back?" He sounded pissed.

Cam grimaced as his shoulders lifted in a shrug. Then Jake's gaze came back to me. "I don't even fucking care, I'm just so glad you’re home." We did that one-arm bro hug-handshake thing. When we pulled apart, he faced Amanda. "Mind if I borrow him for a while?" he asked her.

Amanda shrugged. "He's all yours. I'm kinda sick of him, anyway."

That got laughs.

Jake and I walked near the private dock, closer to Lucy's main house. I couldn't even remember the amount of times we’d come here during summers once her and Cameron had started dating. "Remember that time Cameron did that back flip, and smacked his head on the edge?" Jake asked.

"Yeah." I laughed. "Remember how Lucy panicked because we'd all been drinking, and she didn't want to tell her dad?"

Jake laughed too, and then mimicked Lucy's voice. "If papa comes out and sees y'all been drinkin' he's gon' whoop your be-hunds, that's if he dun get the shotgun first."

I laughed harder. Jake continued, "Luce always turns into a hick when she's anxious."

"I know, right?"

"You should hear her new thing." He picked up a few stones from the ground and started skipping them on the water. I did the same. "She's made friends with this black girl in one of her classes, so now, when she's been drinking, she says things like . . .
Hold up, ho, you ain't be talking shit about my man."

"No way." I said through a laugh.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "She even does that neck snap thing. It's so fucking funny."

We waited until our laughter died down before choosing to speak.

"Sorry," we said at the same time.

"What? Why?" Again, both of us at the same time.

He motioned for me to go first, and so I did. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving."

"I get it," he responded. "I mean—no, actually, I don't really get it. But I'm sure you have your reasons."

"Jake," I paused, waiting for the right words to come. I wanted him to know that it wasn't personal—me keeping things from him.

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling me from my thoughts. "I'm sorry that I was a shitty friend to you all those years."

His words surprised me. "What?"

"Yeah. I should've been around enough to know what was going on with you. We were boys, best friends—well, at least you were to me. I should have paid more attention. Not made shit about me all the time."

"Stop," I said quietly. He didn't need to apologize. He'd done nothing wrong.

"I mean it, man. Seriously, fuck my life. I have a great family, an amazing girlfriend, the major leagues knocking on my door. I have nothing at all in my life to worry about. I've never had to deal with anything. Ever.

"I always just thought you were this cocky asshole, gifted with brains. You never let it show, you know? How hard you worked, or the fact that your birth parents used to beat the shit—" He cut himself off with a grimace. Maybe he didn't mean to go that far.

I pulled us away from the awkward silence that would have ensued. "Yeah, my birth parents were assholes, Jake, but that's got nothing to do with you, or our friendship. It didn't show because I didn't let it. I could've easily told you—told the world. But that's not me, and you know that."

We kept on with the damn stones and the water. We weren't trying to skip anymore. Now, we were just throwing the fuckers in there.

"I dunno, man." He stopped with the stones and turned to me. Removing his cap, he rubbed the back of his head, and then replaced it, adjusting it until he was comfortable. "I just think I could've been a better friend. I shouldn't have just left when you didn't answer the door. I should've kept going, kept knocking, and kept coming back until you had no choice but to speak to me. I could've stopped you from leaving. I should have made you stay.

"Instead, I had to hear a week later from your dad that you were gone. I was a shit friend to you, Logan. But not anymore. You need to know that. I don't care where I am, or what I'm doing; if you ever need anything from me, tell me. I'm not going to let you disappear again."

I let his words sink in.

Silence filled the space around us.

"I appreciate it, man. I really do. The past is my past, though. I'm done with it. I just want to move on. Move forward."

He nodded once, and a slow smile developed on his face. "With Amanda?"

"Yup."

"How long have you been back?"

"A few weeks."

"Did she know where you were?"

"Nope."

"So you've been back a few weeks, and you already got the girl?"

I smirked at him, the cockiness in me returning. "Well," I puffed out my chest like the dick I was feigning to be. "I'm still Logan Matthews. That shit hasn't changed."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Fuck, I've missed having you around."

***

Amanda stood up when I returned to the bonfire; she'd been sitting on an abandoned log with a bottle of water in her hand. She’d told me that her not drinking wasn't a vow of any sort, it just wasn't something she was interested in right now. I respected her decision and never questioned it, even though I disagreed with the reasoning behind it. "Did you miss me?" I asked her, taking her newly emptied spot and bringing her back down on my lap.

She nodded, the corners of her lips lifting.

"Good," I rubbed my nose along her jaw. "I missed the shit out of you."

Lucy piped up, "Alright, Nicholas Sparks. Leave the girl alone." She lifted a can of beer in the air as an offering.

"It's okay, I'll drive back," Amanda said.

I nodded at Lucy, right before she threw the can right at my head. My catcher reflexes took action. "Holy shit, girl, you got a good arm." I shook out my hand from the pain caused by catching it.