Your Captivating Love (26 page)

“Here are my girls.” Alice hugs us briefly. “I love you all, but you’re standing in everyone’s way.”

“Alice, you can relax now and hand the reins over to Nadine,” Ava tells her. When Alice merely raises her eyebrows, she adds, “Since it’s her party.”

“Which is why she’ll be talking to a lot of important people, and leave the organization to me,” Alice replies sweetly.

“I didn’t realize your catering services came along with organization, but I’ll take you up on this. Thank you.” Alice saved me. I’ll have to talk to plenty of people. Three reporters from national magazines will be here, along with four bloggers.

“Oh, they don’t usually. Only for family.”

“Thank you, Alice.”

In the next half hour, Sebastian and Summer arrive. Summer’s wearing a floor-length yellow dress I know only too well.

“I know that dress,” I say conspiratorially.

Summer giggles. “I couldn’t help it. I stayed in here after closing one evening, trying on all your dresses. I bought three more, including this one. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Mind? I’m over the moon.”

“I loved taking care of your shop,” she whispers to me. “I’m
super
inspired right now to paint again.”

I adore her energy. The door opens again, and my palms sweat as I scan the small crowd walking in. Logan’s parents, Blake, and Daniel have arrived. No Logan, though. My heart constricts.
Isn’t he back from his trip?

I want him here tonight. There is no one else I would rather share this night with. I wouldn’t be celebrating anything if it weren’t for him. Yes, I worked hard, but he helped me. He was there for me every step of the way.

More guests arrive, milling around the foyer. Blake glances around and grabs a glass of champagne without waiting for an invitation.

I eye him suspiciously, because he seems even more arrogant than usual. Walking over to him, I ask, “Why so smug?”

“I have my reasons.” He holds up his glass then takes a sip.

“Is Logan coming tonight?”

He grins. “I’m not allowed to say anything.”

“This is a Bennett-wide conspiracy, isn’t it? The kidnapping, Logan’s trip?”

He doesn’t reply, just winks.

The bell at the door rings again, alerting me that new guests have arrived. I swirl on my heels, intending to head to the door and greet them, but I freeze in place. Mom and Brian are inside my store. I told them about the opening, of course, but the notice was too short for them to be able to take time off from work, and the plane tickets were expensive.
What is going on?

They wave at me from the doorway, as though they’re unsure if it’s okay to come in. I hurry to them.

“Mom, Brian, what are you doing here?”

“We’ve come to support our daughter at her opening party,” Brian says. Speechless, I kiss both of them on their cheeks. Mom pulls me into a tight hug. After letting me go, she looks around with wide eyes.

“This place is so fancy,” she whispers, as if she can’t quite believe it.

“I’m so happy you’re here. I can show you around. We still have a bit of time until the rest of the guests arrive.”

The tour takes longer than I anticipate because Mom touches every shelf and decor piece. Once or twice, she makes a grab for a dress, and then quickly retracts her hand, as if she’s afraid she’ll damage it.

“You did this all by yourself?” Mom asks.

“The Bennett family helped me a lot. I’ll introduce you to them as soon as we finish the tour.”

“Oh, we met Logan,” Brian says casually.

“What? When?”

“He came to our house to talk to us,” Mom explains, and the pieces in the Bennett conspiracy start falling into place. “He’s a very nice man, and he loves you. He said you’ll be having important people here tonight, but what would make you truly happy would be if we were here too.”

I swallow hard, my eyes watering. “He’s right.”

“He also explained to us how hard you worked and how far you’ve come,” Brian says.

“We’re very proud of you, dear,” Mom continues.

“I... Wow. I still can’t believe you’re here. ”

“That young man seemed to be ready to do anything to see you happy, including dragging us here if we said no.” Brian winks at me.

Mom chuckles. “He didn’t say that last part out loud, but it was very apparent from his body language how fiercely he feels about you. I have no idea what he said to our bosses, but neither of them objected when we said we needed to take a few days off.” Taking my hands in hers, Mom leads me a few feet away from everyone. “Nadine, hon, I want to thank you.”

“For what?” I ask, not really following.

“For taking care of me all those years. I’ve never said this out loud, so thank you, and I’m sorry I never did take care of you the way I should have. You’ve always been strong, Nadine. But even the strongest can’t do it all alone.”

“Mom—”

“I’m happy you ran into this family and their wonderful son.”

“Me too.”

She pulls me into a tight hug, and I welcome her warmth, patting her hair. I love her perfume. She smells like oranges. As a kid, I longed for her hugs, but between her illness and our hardships, they were hard to come by. Still, she was always Mom. Pippa said being around her mom makes her feel like she’s sixteen again, but I feel like I’m six. I’ll never be too old for a hug.

As the door opens again, I see a few reporters arriving, and then Logan. He smiles my favorite smile: wide and heartfelt. He points at the reporters, as if saying, “They’re all yours.”

***

T
he party lasts until the early hours of the morning. It’s easily the best night of my life, surrounded by the people who matter most to me: my parents, Ava, and the Bennetts. One Bennett specifically. It was all I could do not to drag Logan in the back room, but I knew if I did that, we wouldn’t come out anytime soon. The Bennetts and my parents are the last to leave. Logan stays behind, watching my every move as I bid everyone goodbye.

The second we’re alone, the air charges with our sexual tension. I take my time to appreciate Logan fully for the first time tonight. He’s wearing a suit that highlights his strong, imposing figure. I then dim the lights until it’s dark, so no one from outside can see us.

Turning to him, I say, “Hi there.”

“Hi back.” Logan’s gaze travels over my body slowly.

I join him by the bar. “Business trip, huh?”

His lip curls into a delicious smile. “Yeah, I got lost in the airport and somehow ended up at your parents’ house.”

“Thank you for bringing Mom and Brian.”

“They are quite a pair.”

“You went to them, and brought them here.” My voice is filled with emotion and gratitude. “Thank you.”

“I want you to be happy, Nadine. Always.”

Logan pulls me to him, wrapping an arm around my waist. After days apart, being this close to him is intoxicating. His cologne, his scent—all man—clouds my mind, ensnaring my senses.

“I missed you,” he says.

“I missed you too.”

Logan tilts my chin up. He kisses me hard, first sweeping his tongue over my lips, then slipping it inside my mouth. He fists my hair, deepening the kiss. A bolt of heat courses through me, right through my center.

“Let’s talk,” he says after we pull apart.

“Mmm, I liked that kiss. But you’re right. Let’s get the words out of the way first.”

“I’m sorry I got carried away with Archer and the bank,” he begins. “But I will always want to protect you, love you, and make sure you are safe and happy in every way. It’s who I am.”

His speech steals my breath away. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I know he did everything to protect me, and it’s time for me to accept that allowing the man I love to watch over me isn’t a vulnerability. Trusting him is a strength.

“I’m your guy, remember?”

I laugh softly. “You’re my guy.”

“So, I’m forgiven?” he asks.

I smile against his cheek. “You are. But you have to promise me you won’t keep things from me anymore.”

Logan adopts a serious demeanor. “I was advised by a certain brother not to make promises I can’t keep. So, I can only promise I’ll
try
to do that.” Pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, he drags his fingers down my cheek. “I can make a different promise, though. I promise always to love you and make you happy. How about that?”

“Works for me,” I whisper.

Throughout this conversation, he hasn’t kept his hands off me. He touches my lips, dragging his fingers down my neck and my cleavage.

“You’re beautiful tonight, Nadine.”

My breath comes out in quick exhales, desire overtaking me. “People can still see inside the store if they try hard enough.”

Logan chuckles, though his eyes are hooded with desire. “I won’t make love to you here. I want you all to myself. It’s bad enough Blake saw you in my office; I don’t want to give any late-night lunatics a peep show. I will take you home and make love to you the entire weekend.”

“What now?”

Logan smiles. “Now, we go home.”

We leave the store and walk all the way to his apartment hand in hand. Once inside, I take in the familiar sight with a smile, grateful to be back here with him.

“Did you have fun with Pippa and Ava at the spa?” Logan asks.

“Oh, we had too much fun. It involved tequila, and massages,” I tease.

Logan pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Do I want to know more details?”

“Depends. Don’t you have anything better to do than questioning me about the escapade with the girls?”

With a mischievous smile, Logan lifts me off my feet. He carries me in his arms all the way to the bedroom, laying me on the bed. He lies next to me, propping himself on an elbow, and cupping my cheek with his other hand.

“I want you with me every day of my life, Nadine. I want to hear you sing obnoxiously loud in the shower in the morning, and see you scratch the headboard when we make love.”

“I only did that once.”

We look in unison at the scratched headboard and laugh.

“You make me a happy man, and for that I love you.”

My heart leaps in my chest. “I love you too, Logan Bennett. For knowing the importance of chocolate, laughter, orgasms, and for always being here for me.” Grinning at him, I lean into him, searching his lips. “Now, make me scratch that headboard.”

––––––––

“W
here are we going?” I ask for the millionth time. Logan came to pick me up from the store today. After I entered his car, the man
blindfolded
me.

“I’m not telling you. Even if you keep asking another twenty times.”

“This is ridiculous,” I inform him. I drum my fingers on my knees in my anticipation, while we drive and drive and drive. I can’t be sure if the trip actually
is
long, or I’m just impatient, but it seems that an eternity passes until the car slows down. Logan takes off my blindfold without any words. I see he’s parked the car in front of a beautiful, two-story villa.

“I don’t understand,” I say. “Are we invited here?”

He chuckles. “No, we’re looking at it as prospective buyers.”

I swear to God my heart stops. “What?”

“The backyard has an old oak tree.”

“Logan,” I whisper. “I told you about my dream house during our first date.”

“Exactly,” he declares proudly. “I searched for months for a house that came as close to your description as possible.”

“But you love your pad, and being in the middle of the hustle and bustle,” I state.

“Well, this is close enough to downtown. Come on, let’s check it out.”

I’m speechless as I get out of the car. When I look at the house again, I see it with different eyes than before. It’s perfect, with large windows, allowing in plenty of sun.

“I’ll give you a tour,” Logan says with excitement in his voice. As we walk toward the main entrance, I inspect the porch. I can already picture decorating it for Halloween and then for Christmas. Logan unlocks the door, pushes it open, and takes my hand. A smell of something new welcomes me inside, and I adore it. The walls must have been painted recently. The house is empty on the inside, but in my mind I already see what kind of furniture and matching carpets I would bring in.

“The house has an electric fireplace,” Logan says when we reach the enormous living room. “We can have it changed to a real one. Do you want to see the kitchen?”

“Maybe we can go upstairs?” I ask excitedly.

“Ah, I see someone won’t spend much time in the kitchen.”

“You barely let me cook, anyway.”

Logan winks, taking my hand and leading me up a large, wooden spiral staircase. I run my free hand on the balustrade. There are five rooms upstairs, and we peek quickly inside the first four before reaching the last.

“This can be your small workshop,” Logan announces when we step in the fifth room, smiling brightly. “You have a direct view of the backyard. We can put your sewing machines by the window.”

I step closer to the window, glancing outside. The backyard is perfect; we can easily fit in a table and some lounge chairs. The oak tree is old and massive. I wonder how many generations it has witnessed living in this house. I’m glad no one cut it down.

“I love you, Logan.”

He walks up behind me, takes me in his arms, and kisses my neck tenderly.

“I love you too.”

I turn to face him, caressing his cheek. “This is such a nice surprise.”

“First, I wanted to buy it directly and surprise you that way, but then I thought we should decide. . . You know. Together.”

“Very thoughtful of you.” I grin. “When can we move in?”

“As soon as you want to.”

“I can’t wait to bring my sewing machine in here. I still have so much work to do on Ava’s wedding dress, and on the bridesmaids’ dresses.”

“Speaking of Ava, on a scale of one to ten, how upset would she be if you weren’t her maid of honor?”

“One hundred. In what universe would that happen?”

“In a universe where we’d marry before Ava and Sebastian.”

“Did you—” My voice is so coarse, I have to clear my throat. “Did you just propose to me?”