Waiting For Forever (Beautiful Surrender, Part Four) (3 page)

“
I may
have
way
underestimated what it would be like to date you, but I’m not
naïve.” Her voice took on the strength that drew me to her when we
met. “I know figuring this out won’t be easy, but I haven’t backed
away from a challenge yet.” She reached around me and released the
lever. “You’re worth it, Logan.”

Her words made my heart soar from my
chest to my throat. No one had ever said such a thing to me.
Growing up, my mother made me feel like I was a punishment from a
cruel God, proof that the man upstairs had a sick sense of humor.
The family that adopted me said all the right things and went
through the motions, but I never let any of them close enough to
believe it when they said they loved me. I couldn’t bring myself to
believe I deserved it. But Melissa said it so simply, like it was
an obvious, irrefutable fact. I knew that she meant it, and I
wanted to believe it.

My throat constricted, my body’s involuntary reaction
to the storm of emotions sweeping through me. These feelings
weren’t altogether foreign to me. The buzzing excitement, the warm
twinge in my gut took me back to another time. Another woman I’d
said those words to.

Remember how that turned out.

We hit the penthouse level and I put the darkness
behind me, bathing in the sunlight that streamed into the
elevator.

Melissa’s eyes widened in awe. I gauged her reaction,
half expecting her to squeal and dash down the corridor like a kid
during Christmas. That was the usual response when someone saw my
place for the first time. It was the reason I spared no expense.
The foyer, brightened by the skylight, was enhanced by the custom
mahogany floors. The light shone down on my collection of rare,
original art prints. The artwork was behind glass and carefully
curated.

She stopped in front of each one, studying each piece
in silence. Without a word, she continued to the main room, pausing
in the entryway. I mirrored her smile when her gaze darted to and
fro, not sure where to begin.

“
It’s a conceptual studio
layout-”

“
Studio?” she snorted, arching an
eyebrow my way.

“
I suppose it’s slightly larger
than the traditional studio that comes to mind,” I
smirked.

“
By a lot,” she muttered with a
chuckle. She started in the living room area.

“
It has a continuous flow.” I
followed her, watching her fingers glide over the back of the
leather sectional. I ticked off the 60” flat screen TV, the
state-of-the-art Bose sound system, the imported, one-of-a-kind
table from Italy. She barely even looked at any of it.

She turned her attention to the dining area.

“
All custom made.” I patted the
sturdy, solid surface. When she said nothing, I pulled off my tie.
Tough crowd.

She had to at least appreciate the sunroom that led
out to the balcony and the priceless view of the city. But she
walked right past it, sliding onto one of the barstools that lined
the granite countertop. She peeled off her jacket, draping it on
the seat beside her.

“
You have a beautiful place,
Logan,” she said finally. “Breathtaking, even.”

“
And you haven’t even seen the
bedroom,” I joked, hoping for a smile. An eye roll. Something. The
sides of her mouth lifted slightly then dropped.

“
Okay.” I swiveled her to face me,
going serious. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

Her eyes glittered like crystal. “Nothing. I mean-”
She drew a shuddering breath. “I feel like I’m in a movie. The
view, how perfect and unique everything is.” She left me hanging,
biting her lip instead of finishing her thought.

“
Talk to me,” I repeated tersely.
When she raised her chin defiantly I changed tactics, stifling the
frustration and trying tenderness. “I’m supposed to be the dark and
mysterious one, remember?”

Her eyes sparkled, her lips spreading into a grin.
“True.” Her internal debate continued for a few moments more, then
she sat up straight, crossing one leg over the other. “Okay. Your
place is gorgeous. That’s obvious. I can see the care and money
that went into every square inch of this place, from the floor to
the skylight. But none of it feels like home. I don’t see the
warmth that lights up a room when you walk in.” She hopped from the
stool, her eyes piercing to the bone. “It just doesn’t feel like
you.”

And I thought that she’d gush over my
state-of-the-art furnishings. Melissa showed me just how foolish
I’d been to expect her to be like any other woman I’d brought
here.

“
Warmth? Not many people would use
that word to describe me.” I listed a few greatest hits. “Cold.
Vicious. Calculating-”

She crushed her lips against mine. Her taste lingered
when she pulled back.

“
Then they don’t know
you.”

She said it so simply. Effortlessly.

I almost believed it.

“
Besides, where are the pictures?”
she continued, faking confusion as she searched high and low. “Is
this a ‘studio’ or a museum?”

I pulled her into my arms, an idea
springing to mind. I whipped my cell out, bringing up the camera. I
extended my arm, getting both of us in the frame.

The guy on the screen was happier that I’d ever seen
him. She fit in my arms like a missing piece clicking into place,
counting down the seconds until we made the moment last
forever.

“
1, 2, 3-”

The screen changed, my assistant’s name flashing
across the screen. My thumb hovered at the decline button until
Melissa elbowed me.

“
Maybe it’s an
emergency!”

“
Then she’ll leave a message.” When
Melissa shook her head with disappointment, I conceded, eyes
rolling to the ceiling. “Yes, Amanda?”

“
Mr. Mason!” Her voice was breathy,
like she’d just run a marathon. “I-I know you didn’t want to be
disturbed-”

“
Yet here we are.” Melissa glowered
at me and I tried to dial down my annoyance. “What is
it?”

“
It’s about Delilah.”

Here we go.

“
She reached out and is interested
in meeting with you.”

Hope sparked, but I didn’t whip out the champagne.
There was always a catch with Delilah James. “So you’re telling me
she’ll sit down with me without the media?”

Melissa’s face brightened. I didn’t have the heart to
tell her not to get her hopes up.

“
No media, no drama,” Amanda
confirmed with a sigh. “She does have two conditions
though.”

“
Of course she does,” I growled,
slicing a hand through my hair. “What does she want?”

“
She wants to meet at your studio,
and she wants Melissa to be there.”

Anger roared through me, shredding any goodwill
Delilah garnered by finally cutting the crap. She was up to
something. I could feel it.

Chest heaving, I bit off a “stay available” and ended
the call.

Melissa came to me, putting both hands against my
chest. She waited until I calmed down before she spoke. “Isn’t
Delilah meeting with you good news?”

“
Not when she’s demanding for you
to be there.” I swept my fingers through Melissa’s locks, cupping
her cheek. “I don’t trust her. And I won’t put you in harm’s
way.”

Melissa looked troubled, clouds rolling through her
blue eyes. “Neither do I, but I can take care of myself.” She stood
taller, her voice strong. “Let’s do it.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Melissa

I was pretty sure Logan was more nervous about
Delilah coming over than I was. It made sense on one level–they
hadn’t talked since Delilah went public about her pregnancy–but he
was stealing glances at me, like he was worried I’d melt down at
any moment.

He stopped pacing, his eyes narrowed with concern.
“You need more water?”

I raised my half full glass. “I’m
fine. Maybe you should have a drink?”
Something to calm you down?

“
Oh, I’d love a drink,” he said
wistfully. “But I’m sure whatever hidden camera she’ll have in tow
will pick up on the alcohol on my breath. I don’t want to add any
fuel to the fire she’s created.” He gripped the counter. His anger
was as bright and blinding as a camera flash. “And now she wants to
drag you into this mess.”

I reached over and put my hand over his. “I came
back. I chose to be with you. That means I dragged myself into the
mess.”

My words didn’t alleviate the tension pulled tight
across his face and body. He was dangerously close to snapping.

I squeezed his hand. “Maybe she’ll play nice.”

“
Right,” he said sarcastically.
“Because she doesn’t do anything without an ulterior
motive.”

“
Calculating, just like you, huh?”
I said pointedly, shrugging off his scowl. “People are wrong about
you. Maybe you’re wrong about her.”

A buzzing sound reverberated from the foyer.

His face froze over. I almost pitied Delilah or
anyone that had the misfortune of coming face to face with Logan
Mason after crossing him.

When the elevator finally opened, the nervousness I’d
kept at bay stampeded over me. My mouth was painfully dry, my
throat felt swollen shut, and my hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Sure,
Delilah and I squared off in Pleasure Point and I let her know I
wasn’t afraid of her, but things were different now. She wasn’t
just an ex anymore. She was the mother of Logan’s child.

I prepared myself for the same loud, obnoxious entity
to come strutting in like she owned the place, but that wasn’t the
Delilah James walking my way.

She wore an oversized white t-shirt, leg-hugging
jeans, and nude colored flats. Her red hair was mostly hidden by a
floral scarf, shades hiding her eyes. She pulled them from her
face, her other hand shooting to her belly.

Her voice was low and somber. “I appreciate you
seeing me, Logan.”

He and I exchanged a look, both of us surprised by
the woman before us. He recovered smoothly, silently moving through
the foyer toward the dining area where I stood. I watched Delilah
waddle behind him like she was about to pop at any moment. I
stifled my eye roll and forced a smile. At the end of the day, I’d
take the actress over the diva.

“
I know we started off on the wrong
foot, but I’d like for us to at least respect each other.” I held
out my hand. A part of me expected her to laugh at my olive branch.
I braced myself for her righteous indignation, reminding me that
she was an award-winning actress and I was just Jane Nobody.
Instead, she shook my hand, a tight, painful smile stretching
across her face.

“
I truly want us all to start
over.” Delilah released my hand and stroked her tummy. “For this
little guy or girl, I’m willing to forget that you were fucking my
boyfriend.”

That didn’t last long. Good to know the crazy is
alive and well.

I didn’t speak the obvious, but the cat most
certainly didn’t have Logan’s tongue. “I have no time for nonsense,
Delilah.”

She looked calm, but the insanity
was plain in her wide eyes. And she was still smiling. A
crazed-looking thing that would have made the Joker run for
cover.

“
It’s fine, Logan,” she said
solemnly. She even held a hand over her heart. “I forgive you. I
even forgive your whore.”

“
Whore?” Was this really happening?
Could she be that deluded? “Look, I’m just trying to be rational
about all of this-”

“
Bravo!” She clapped her hands
furiously before whirling back to face Logan. He was gaping at her
like she was a wreck unfolding in slow motion. “A round of applause
for the skank who stole you away from me. She’s trying to be
rational, after all. Very grown up of her. Never mind the fact that
she snaked her way into your bed-”

“
Stop. Right. There.” Logan cut
through Delilah’s rant. His voice sent chills down my spine, the
authority in it making it impossible to disobey. She went several
shades paler, backing up toward the elevator. Both hands on her
belly.

In that moment, I truly felt sorry for her. Not
because she clearly had a screw or five loose, but because she
never really had Logan at all. To have him was to know him, and
there was genuine fear in her eyes, like she thought he’d strike
her. Hurt her. Logan would never do such a thing. She was
infatuated with him, maybe even in love. How could she love him and
not know him at all?

“
You said you wanted to talk,”
Logan said tersely. “But it’s clear you’re still intent on playing
games. This meeting is over.”

She raised her chin, red locks sticking out wildly.
“Now wait a second-”

“
I’m talking,” he
snapped.

She zipped her lips, nostrils flaring.

“
This is how it’s gonna be,” Logan
proclaimed. “I want to know who your obstetrician is. If they are
determined inadequate, we will find a new one. I will accompany you
to your appointments. I will be a part of our child’s
life.”

Delilah squealed with delight, busting out a few
moves from her happy dance. “Babe, this is going to be-”

The look of sheer disdain on Logan’s face shut her
up.

“
Don’t mistake my desire to be
involved with all matters related to our child as a move towards
reconciliation. There was no us. There is no us. I want no contact
with you outside of our child – “

Delilah gasped. “But I – “