Sweet Jayne (32 page)

I need that damn file.

“Tomorrow I’ll get with Donovan. I’ll take a look at the file and confront Logan. Then, I’ll help Donovan get her out of there. You’re right,” I say with a sigh. “If it were Kasey, I’d be infuriated. Now that I’ve gotten to know Nadia over the past couple of weeks, I know she doesn’t deserve what Logan does to her. No woman does. She won’t speak of it at all—believe me, I’ve tried—but I’ve seen the bruises and lacerations. He controls her with his glares and menacing attitude.”

“Thank you,” Ames says, petting my hair. “You’re a good cop. And a good man.”

I lift up and quirk an eyebrow at her. “I don’t know how good of a cop I was tonight. Don’t good cops punish criminals?”

She scrunches her nose at me, looking too fucking cute for this world. “Are you saying I’m a criminal?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying, pyro. Maybe I should arrest you.” My dick twitches in agreement.

“What if I try and escape, Kaspy?” she taunts.

“I’ll catch you, and get to see my cuffs on you, Lames.”

The little hitch in her breath tells me she likes that idea as much as I do. Which is a fuck of a lot. She squirms in my arms, but I quickly flip her onto her stomach and pin both of her wrists at the small of her back. With my free hand, I slide my dick between her thighs until I find her slick opening. She moans when I push into her perfect pussy from behind. Her legs are pushed together and I love the way she feels from this position. Ames is becoming the perfect distraction from my crappy life. She’s a bright fire that I want warming my cold, busted up heart.

“Oh, God,” she gasps, her voice muffled as she buries her face into the comforter.

I thrust into her deep and slow. When she squirms and moans loudly, I slap at her pale ass. Her pussy clenches around me so I slap her ass again and again until she’s coming all over my cock.

“You’re all mine, Lames.”

When I feel like I’m about to come, I pull out quickly and yank off the condom. I grip her ass with one hand while I fist my dick with the other. Soon, a thick, ropy shot of my semen splatters on her ass. Her red bottom glistens with my cum. So fucking hot.

“You’re such a caveman,” she groans, but I hear the smile in her voice.

I chuckle. “Just making sure you won’t forget this in the morning, criminal.”

Once we’re cleaned up and I have her wrapped in my arms, she speaks again. All jokes and amazing sex are a thing of the past.

“I’m serious about what I said. Tonight, it was nice to find a distraction in you. But I can’t promise tomorrow I won’t be struggling.” Her words aren’t sad or broken. Simply resigned.

I drag my fingertip along her arm and kiss her shoulder. “Stop thinking about tomorrow. I’ll be here when you’re ready. I’m not going anywhere.”

And it’s true.

This woman has cracked open my blackened heart and seeped her light inside of it, brightening the dark, hate-filled parts of it. Now that I know the damn thing is capable of beating in my chest, I’m not eager to let that sensation go. If she needs to go slow, I can be a fucking turtle.

But this?

There’s no stopping this…

“T
alk to me, baby.”

I’ve stood here for far too long simply staring at him with my back pressed against the door. What am I doing here? What happens when Logan discovers I slipped away?

Donovan checks his phone and smiles. It’s his wicked, evil grin he reserves for the business deals he completes, properties he buys, and assholes he fucks over. I love that smile.

“Looks like we’ve been bought some time. There was just an unfortunate fire involving Logan’s Tahoe.”

My eyes bug out of my head as he approaches me. I don’t flinch or run. No, I simply melt when his arms envelop me. It feels like being home being back in Donovan’s arms. Seeing him tonight, at the lodge of all places, was already messing with my head. Reminding me of better times. More innocent times. Times
before
Logan Baldwin and his wrath came into my life. For a moment, I want to pretend that it is just he and I here, up on his mountain, away from the world. Nothing but our love surrounding us. Like old times. “Get out of your head, Nadia. Please. I need you here with me right now.”

Tears swim in my eyes and I meet his gaze. His silvery eyes are glittering with shards of bright blue. Determination is a sexy look on Donovan Jayne. He cups my cheeks and slips his thumbs over my bottom lip. His gentle touch is something I’ve craved for a long time. I want him to hand me a shovel and help me dig myself out of this gigantic hole I’ve burrowed into.

“Baby…”

“I should leave.”

Pain flashes in his eyes and my throat seizes. I hate that look in his eyes. I hate even more that I am the one who put it there. If it were up to me, I’d never see that look again for as long as I live.

His mouth descends upon mine and he kisses me tenderly. I want his lips all over my body erasing the past three years.

“Tell me how I can fix this,” he begs, his hot breath tickling my lips.

“You can’t,” I tell him simply. “Unless you can get inside Logan’s head and give me something I need.”

His body stiffens as he pulls away, eyebrows pinched together in confusion. “That’s all you want? Information? All of this is for information on Kasey.”

I laugh bitterly. “Something like that.”

“Come on, talk to me. Stop shutting me out, baby.”

My lip wobbles. “I’m so sorry. I just…”

An animalistic growl that makes its way straight to my core rips through him as he kisses me again, harder. His mouth claims mine. He makes nonverbal promises to right all of the wrongs. I wish it were so simple.

“Let’s go. Tonight. We’ll leave all this shit behind and I’ll take you to Paris or Vancouver or wherever the fuck you want to go. It’ll just be us. I’ll marry you, we’ll have babies… Let it be our turn, Nadia. Please.”

His words slice me open and gut me. Tears roll down my cheeks as I sob. “I-I-I want that, Donovan. I truly do. But, it’s not always about me. There’s something I need from Logan. Let me get it and I swear to you we can be free together.”

He scrubs his face with one hand before staring at me with red eyes. I’ve never seen my love so broken in the entire decade I’ve known him. With a lingering look, he lets go of me and turns away, leaving me cold without his imposing presence there to cage me in. His fingers thread behind his neck and his body tenses as he says, “And how are you getting these answers out of Logan, Nadia? How much longer am I supposed to just stand on the sidelines and wait?”

Flinching, his words leave me raw. They’re exactly the reason I’d stayed away from Donovan for as long as I have. I feel the shame warming my cheeks. My knees give out, and in a second, he’s back at my side, like he’s always been, to catch me. His strong, capable arms scoop me up to carry me over to the bed. Once he lies me down, he crawls in beside me.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, baby.”

I shake my head at him. “D-Don’t be sorry. None of this is your fault. J-J-Just trust me I’ll sort it out. Then, I’ll come back to you. We can be a family like you said. Promise me you’ll love me, even when I’m broken and used.”

He holds me tight against him as I cry. “I swear to fucking God, I’ll wait for you. But I can’t just sit here and let him hurt you. He’s out of his mind. If he lays one hand on you, I’ll—”

“It’s too late, Donovan. He’s already crushed my body and my soul. But it was my decision. A part of my plan. I won’t let all this suffering and time lost between us be in vain. Let me finish what I started. Then, we can pick up the pieces together. I’ll never leave your side again, I swear.”

A choked cry rattles from him which successfully smashes the last bit of my being. I hold him against me, praying we can find a way to the other side of this. Together.

“Te amo con todo mi corazon. Mi amor. Mi unico.”
I love you with all my heart. My love. My only one.

He grows silent but digs his fingers into my ribs, pulling me closer to him. His warm lips drop kisses on my collar bone and throat. “Oh, sunshine. What a fucking unfair mess this is.” And he doesn’t even know the half of it.

His phone vibrates in his pocket and he grumbles when he pulls it out. With a curse, he shows me the screen.

Logan: Get Nadia back to me now. I know she’s with you. I know you’re behind tonight, too.

Swiping at my tears, I take a deep breath. “We need to do as he says, Donovan. Please.”

He clenches his jaw and unmasked fury darkens his features. “Only because you seem so adamant. Trusting you was always easy, baby. And that’s why I’m fucking going against every red bell ringing in my head right now.”

I throw my arms around him and kiss him. Our tongues tangle together as I straddle him. What I wouldn’t give to have one intimate moment with Donovan. Just one. I grind against his growing erection, the friction raising goose bumps all over my body. He clutches my ass with a death grip.

God, I miss this.

“I have to go,” I murmur against his mouth.

He sighs but nods. With reluctance, I climb off his lap. His eyes stay on mine as he stands and takes my hand. “I won’t let him continue with this charade for too much longer, baby,” he states and kisses the back of my hand. “I can barely keep from smashing in his face with my fists. If you don’t get this shit figured out soon, I’m going to intervene. I don’t know what this means for your plan or whatever it is you’re trying to protect or hide, but I will step in. It’s in my nature to look after you and keep you safe. Three years of fucking agony is what I endured without you by my side. I won’t let it continue on. If I have to slit his goddamned throat, I will. So be ready. I’m giving you a chance to save yourself before I come in and save you anyway.”

I throw my arms around his neck and press my lips to his throat. “Thank you, Donovan. I’m so close. Kasper’s helping me. Just let me fix this.”

Letting go of him, I hurry into the bathroom to fix my makeup. Once I’m fairly certain I look presentable, I turn to regard Donovan. He’s leaning on his shoulder against the doorjamb staring intently at me. His strong jaw clenches but he remains silent. If things were different, we’d both be naked and lost in each other.

But things are complicated.

And first things first.

Logan.

“We should hurry,” I tell him as I breeze past him.

His hands find my waist and he pulls my back up against his front. I let out a whimper when he kisses the side of my neck. “There’s not enough time. I wanted more time with you, baby.”

I turn slightly to accept a kiss from him. “We have all the time in the world…” I trail off with a sigh. “After this.”

He kisses me once more before reluctantly releasing me to lead me downstairs. When we turn the corner, Logan is pacing the entryway like a lion with no prey—starved and pissed at the unfairness of it all. I’m terrified of the rage rippling from him. His dark, hate-filled eyes meet mine, and I freeze in my tracks.

His eyes jerk to my side for a half a second, surely to Donovan, before settling back on me. “Time to go,” he barks and stalks over to me.

Donovan is tense beside me. I swear I can hear his teeth grinding together. Logan snatches my wrist in his brutal grip, hauling me behind him toward the parking lot.