Torn from You (38 page)

When I walked downstairs, following the
sound of voices out onto patio that now had a huge white canvas
tent over it, I was feeling ... well beautiful. I couldn’t remember
the last time I truly felt attractive. I mean, I definitely didn’t
when I was a girl growing up with my mother’s constant
belligerence.

Logan was staring at me.

Our eyes locked. The guy he was chatting
with stopped talking and turned to look at me too. Yeah, I felt
beautiful. Logan had always made me feel that way. No matter what
crap my mother spilled, it was all lies. The only way to make
herself feel better was to put someone else down, and that someone
happened to be her daughter.

My dress fit perfectly, a simple
asymmetrical white chiffon skirt, plunging neckline top with a
dipped back that contrasted with a subtle black lining. Logan had
laid out a pair of stunning white and black strappy heels which,
surprisingly, fit too. I wondered if Kat had anything to do with
it.

Then there was the box he left wrapped with
a yellow bow on top of my makeup bag. I gasped when I opened it,
eyes filling with tears as I saw the pendant necklace laid in blue
velvet. The tasteful diamonds hung on a solid, thin gold chain.
When I put it on, the necklace fit snug to my neck, the pendant
touching the center of my throat so that you could see my skin
through the center of the diamonds. It was striking, and for a few
minutes I admired it in the mirror as it nestled against my skin. I
wasn’t sure where he had the money for it, but it was from him, and
he’d been thinking about me.

When I saw the note folded neatly below the
box, I smiled.

It said,

“
No panties tonight, Emily. I want to be
on stage knowing you’re naked beneath that dress. I love every part
of you.”

Now he was standing in front of me and I
felt like we were the only two people in the room.

“Emily,” Logan looped his arm around my
waist as he leaned in and whispered in my ear “You make me
breathless.”

“Thank you for the necklace.”

“Did you do as I requested?”

I wanted to laugh at him using the word
“requested.” Logan rarely requested; he spoke, and it was done, and
that wasn’t only with me. I nodded, and he swore and groaned then
kissed me. “Good girl.”

Then we were pulled apart by a voice. “Now I
understand what kept you away from my office this week.”

Logan squeezed me in tight. It was
possessive and was saying something to the guy. “Emily, this is our
new manager Daryl. Daryl, Emily.”

I shook his hand and instantly felt the
warmth emanating from him. He wore a suit and tie that fit his
lean, tall form, and his hair was kept short and styled close.
There was no rock star look in him. He was controlled, yet he had
this casual air that made me feel relaxed.

We chatted for several minutes until the
crowds started to arrive, and I was swept up into the fray as Logan
introduced me to people I recognized from Avalanche, but mostly the
guests were strangers. I caught a glimpse of Deck at one point, but
he was in work mode, prowling the grounds and making certain the
security was tight.

“Emily!” Georgie called as she pushed aside
the throes of guests and came toward me.

She looked me up and down. “Damn, you look
like you’re ready to be fucked or were just fucked.” She shrugged.
“Whatever, it’s smacking hot. Logan, what the hell? You tying this
girl up all week or what? Haven’t heard a peep from her.”

I felt my cheeks heat up at the mention of
being tied up, and typical Georgie didn’t let it pass.

“Ha, well strap me down.” She grabbed me by
the shoulders and pulled me in to whisper, “Rock star fighter who
likes a little extracurricular activity in bed? Damn, he is one
hell of a cupcake. Wonder if he likes spanking?”

Matt and Kat arrived, Kat looking stunning
with her little black dress and blonde hair falling down over her
slim shoulders. She was nearly as tall as Matt since she was
wearing her spikey black heels, and she towered over me.

Logan leaned in and squeezed my ass. “Stay
close to Matt. He knows what’s going on. You’re safer in a crowd,
so don’t leave the party. I mean it, Eme. Not for a second.” I knew
he was concerned about Alfonzo even though Deck and his men had the
place covered. “You need to go the bathroom or freshen up, call
Deck. He will have his phone on. No one else.”

I nodded.

“I hate to be away from you even for a
second.”

I caressed his cheek and he took my hand and
kissed my palm. “My heart is repaired, Logan. You did that.”

“Baby.” He pulled me into his arms, his
hands on either side of my head as he kissed me. It was hard and
intense and made me forget that we were surrounded by people. “You
obliterated the bad in my life.” He kissed my forehead then drew
back. “I have some suits to impress. You good?”

“Yeah, honey.”

He chin-lifted to Matt, and there was a look
between them. And then Matt was beside me, his hand on the small of
my back. Logan nodded then disappeared through the crowd. I saw him
stop and talk to Ream who was with a cute little blonde, and then
they were walking toward the stage.

It was another ten minutes before the band
came on stage, and I was able to see Logan again. He was
comfortable as he stood in front of the crowds, his confidence was
natural, like being on stage was where he belonged.

And he did. There was no doubt that Tear
Asunder was making it big, and Daryl obviously thought so, too.

Logan said a few words to the crowd and had
them laughing and instantly falling under his spell. It was
incredible that this man who oozed authority and power could have a
group of posh executives melt at his feet. When Logan was on stage,
it was like no one spoke unless he told them to.

He turned me on, but it was so much more
powerful than that. It was like he was inside me, making my heart
beat, my lungs breathe. He made me feel like whole again.

He did repair us.

Logan’s eyes found mine. I waited breathless
then he winked, and I felt like he’d just swept his hands over my
heated skin.

“This is a new song we’re playing tonight
called ‘Torn from You.’” He closed his eyes and nodded his head
three times then Kite clicked his sticks together.

They brought it, real and raw with each
cord, each note rushing a thrill through the crowd. Logan’s voice
was powerful, graveled and crass with the chorus, then seeking the
soft deepness that sent shivers across my flesh during the
verses.

“Fuck. They rock.” Georgie was nodding her
head to the beat, and as I looked across the crowd, everyone was
riveted to Logan. “Thinking maybe I need to get some of that.”

My mouth dropped open.

Georgie laughed. “Not your man, girl.
Crisis. That tongue could do me wonders.”

I rolled my eyes, and Matt grunted,
obviously hating to hear anything about Crisis, tongue, and Georgie
in the same sentence.

The rest of the night, I didn’t see much of
Logan, but who I did see a lot of was Deck. He was always within
eye sight of me, and Matt never left my side.

It was one in the morning by the time
everyone cleared out except the band, Georgie, Matt, and Kat. Deck
appeared out of nowhere as we hung by the pool. He nodded to each
of us then spoke quietly to Logan for a few minutes before he
walked down the path toward the front of the house.

When Logan came back to me I looked up at
him and he knew exactly what I wanted to know before I even had to
ask. “No sign of him. Deck says it’s highly unlikely Alfonzo can
find out about the farm unless he’s been following any of us, which
I told you, Deck’s men has made certain he hasn’t. We’re just
taking precautions until he’s located. There is no reason he’d even
want to come after you, Eme. It would be stupid if he did. He knows
Deck’s after him.”

Deck shouted, “Georgie. We’re leaving.”

Georgie came up beside me and threw her arm
around my shoulders. She was slurring her words, and her weight was
on me. “I’m staying here.”

“Georgie. Get your ass over here.” Deck’s
voice was harsh and a little annoyed. Okay super annoyed.

“Pooh. No fun. I’m not going with ... you.”
Georgie stumbled forward right into Crisis’s chest. “Going to get
fucked by Mr. Delicious here.”

Crisis’s eyes widened then he put his arm
around Georgie. I wasn’t certain if that was to keep her from
falling or because he was going to screw with Deck and take Georgie
to bed.

“Fuck.” Logan swore under his breath as Deck
came striding toward Georgie. “Let up, Crisis.”

“Yep. Not fucking with that.” Crisis
whispered something into Georgie’s ear, and her smile faded, and
her lips pursed together in a drunken pout.

She must not have heard Deck’s approach, but
we all saw it, and suddenly, she was being picked up and carried
over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

He never said a word as he left with a
dangling Georgie that was laughing and cursing at the same
time.

Logan watched them leave then without even
looking at me he said, “Eme. Bed. Now.”

Oh, caveman Logan. No more rock star with
the sexy wink and to-die-for grin.

We said goodnight to everyone, and then as
soon as we were out of sight, Logan was slamming me up against the
wall and kissing me. “Fuck. I’ve wanted to kiss you all goddamn
night.”

His cock pressed into me as his hands weaved
into my hair, and we devoured one another. It was wild and raw with
nothing but raging need between us. I didn’t think we’d make it to
the bedroom, but we stumbled up the stairs, and I had him half
naked by the time we got there and slammed the door.

Logan didn’t wait to take my dress off. He
yanked it up, and then had me against the door, lifting me up.
“Legs,” he demanded.

I wrapped my legs around him, hooking my
ankles, and then he plunged inside me.

My head hit the wall hard with each thrust
as he groaned and took me without mercy, and I wanted it.

“Harder, Logan.”

His hips pushed back then shoved forward
harder, and I felt him sink even further into me. “Oh, God. Yes.
Logan.”

He rested his head against my shoulder,
teeth biting my flesh as he groaned and thrust. “Now, baby.
Now.”

I was there already. Each thrust putting me
closer to the top until he shouted my name and I crashed and
shouted with him.

“Fuck.” He was sunk deep inside me, and I
could feel his cock twitching. He raised his head from my shoulder
and kissed me, hard and relentless.

He carried me to bed where he slowly
undressed me, and then we made love until early morning. We fell
asleep with tangled naked limbs.

When I woke, Logan was gone, but there was a
note on the pillow, and I smiled as I unfolded it.

“
Love you baby. In the city at the studio
with the guys. Don’t leave the farm, Emily. Matt’s staying with you
for the day. Dinner tonight, my mom’s coming over.”

Oh, shit
, I thought, then finished
reading.

“
Don’t panic, Mouse. She’ll love you. And
I’m cooking. Call me when you’re awake.”

His mom was coming over, and that felt
serious, because Logan hadn’t shared his mom with anyone except
maybe Kite. I realized that we were going to be together, but I
still needed my own place. This was Logan’s farm, and I know he’d
say different, but it felt like his, not mine. It wasn’t my home,
and regardless of what was happening to us, I still needed that.
The question was when and how was I going to bring that up to
Logan.

I reached for my phone and already there
were three messages: one from Georgie asking what the hell happened
last night and how did she end up sleeping in her bra and panties
on Deck’s bed, another from Kat about ten minutes ago asking for
help rounding up the horses in the east field who broke through the
fence—my guess it was Havoc reacting to all the noise last night,
then a text from Logan saying good morning and to call him.

I quickly dressed, a little sore from last
night’s marathon. I texted Georgie back first as I went to wake up
Matt.

Drunk. Deck took you home. And he didn’t
look happy.

Georgie immediately texted back.

Not drunk. Sloshed. LOL. Feel like Deck
plowed my head into the side of his car. Did he?

I laughed. No doubt Deck felt like doing
that.

Not that I know of. Text you later. Horses
broke out last night, party must have scared them.

Georgie sent me a sad face.

Matt was passed out in the spare bedroom
next to my old one. I nudged his shoulder. “Hey. Horses are out. I
need to go help your sister round them up.”

Matt groaned then rolled over and threw the
covers back. He still was wearing what he had on last night. “Fuck.
How’d they do that?”