"So go to sleep," she said, stroking his beard.
He glanced down at her. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. Do you want to leave this bed right now?"
"Not for all the money in the world."
"So give in. Go to sleep." She kissed his cheek and added in a whisper, "It's okay."
Suddenly overcome by exhaustion, he kissed her once more and closed his eyes.
He woke with a start in a dark room. Disoriented, he tried to piece together where he was . . . Hair tickled his chest. Tess's warm body was aligned with his. He had no idea what time it was. She slept soundly, curled into his side. He listened to her slow, deep breathing, letting it hypnotize him back to sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, there was light. Dark gray light poured in from the floor-to-ceiling glass wall of Tess's bedroom. The forest and mountains were barely visible outside, but still a stunning view. He lifted his head to look over Tess's sleeping body to the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was just past six in the morning. This was usually when he woke for the day, but he felt tired deep in his bones. He let himself give in and closed his eyes once more.
Movement on his arm jostled him out of sleep . . . a tiny wet tongue on his face. Sputtering, he raised up on his elbows, then laughed. Tess wasn't licking him awake, Bubbles was.
"Naughty girl," Tess reprimanded the dog. "Let him sleep!" She gave Bubbles a gentle push away from Logan.
"It's fine," he said, flopping back down. Sunlight peeked from between thick clouds over the mountains. Again, he gazed at the view, enjoying it. Then he realized he was waking up in that big cozy bed beside Tess for the first time, and he wanted to savor it. The bed felt as amazing as he'd always suspected it would, but waking up with her was even more amazing. Warmth stole through him. He pulled her in close and lightly kissed her lips. "Good morning, beautiful."
"Good morning." She smiled, a lazy, sweet curve of her mouth. "How'd you sleep?"
"Both like a rock, and restlessly," he said. "It was weird. When I was asleep, it was so deep, I didn't even dream. But I woke up a few times . . . Guess my brain wouldn't let me be."
"I'm not surprised." She gripped his chin and pressed kisses to his mouth. "Glad you slept at all. You needed it."
"Yeah, I did." He trailed a fingertip along her cheek. "Thanks for letting me stay over."
"Thanks for not arguing with me. I could see you needed to pass out."
"I did. I . . . I needed to be here with you." He only realized just how much as he said the words. His throat got a little thick. "You gave me the comfort I needed last night. Thank you. You're an incredible friend."
"I'm glad I could give you what you needed," she murmured. She kissed him once more, then sat up. "How about coffee? Can I make you some breakfast?"
"Yes to the coffee," he said. "But I'm making you breakfast. Time to treat you with my culinary skills."
"On top of your already incredible bedroom skills? You're a man of many talents." She got out of bed and he relished the view of her lithe naked body. He tried to ignore his morning wood as she crossed the room to grab her soft red robe. But as she pushed her feet into the matching slippers, she eyed his growing erection. "How about after breakfast, we take care of that . . . ?"
His cock twitched at the thought. "I like how you think, lady."
He pulled on his jeans, didn't bother with the sweater, then made himself comfortable in her kitchen. Enjoying the space and high-end appliances, it was a pleasure to make omelets with onions, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese. She toasted some whole wheat bread and made coffee. They sat at the kitchen table and ate together in quiet comfort.
"This is really nice," he said.
"It is." She smiled. "And you're a great cook. Thanks for this."
"That's nothing," he asserted. "I really can cook, you know. I need to cook for you more often."
"Then do it. Stay over more often and cook for me." Her eyes sparkled.
The words were playful, but they set off something inside him.
Being with her felt so natural, so right, because it was. Yesterday, when his world teetered off its axis, he'd gone running to her. She'd been like a beacon in the storm . . . and she'd given him exactly what he needed, and so much more.
Somehow, she'd become the best, brightest part of his life. She understood him, was there for him without hesitation, and appreciated him. She made him laugh. She made him burn with desire. She was a supportive friend, a sensual lover, a smart and insightful woman he had utmost respect for. She brought out the best in him, things in him he'd buried so deep, so long ago, he'd forgotten they existed. He gazed at her now, realizing the quiet but unavoidable truth: He loved her.
How the hell had that happened? It was supposed to be a deal, plain and simple. A carefully planned arrangement. Friends with benefits, not deep true love. He didn't do relationships, dammit. He kept himself isolated on purpose; he wanted no ties to people . . . so he'd never get hurt again like he had before. This was shattering.
"You just disappeared into your head," she said gently. "Want to share?"
He cleared his throat, suddenly dry. No, he didn't want to share. He needed time to wrap his head around this. He needed to stomp it down where it belonged, into the ground. She was counting on him to be only her friend, no strings attached. To get her pregnant, with a baby he'd already signed away his rights to, so she could go back to New York and live her life, with him in the rearview mirror, an appreciated footnote in the long story of her life.
She touched his hand, a feather's touch, leaning in to peer harder. It made his heart skip a beat. This beautiful woman . . . God, she owned his heart. Holy fuck, his head was spinning.
"Hey. Logan." She frowned, eyes searching. "You okay?"
He had to say something. To at least tell her she meant the world to him. If he started now, maybe one day she could look back and know how much he'd cared, and he'd have that much. Because loving her, having anything more with her than what they had now, wasn't an option. "Tess, I-"
There were voices, the jangling of keys, and the front door closed. Both of their heads swiveled toward it in alarm. Tess's hand tightened on his. "Someone's here."
"What the hell-?" Logan began, but his question died in the air.
"Hello?" a familiar male voice called out. "Tess?"
"Oh my God," she breathed, eyes round with horror. Her eyes flickered over Logan's shirtless torso, her own robe-clad body. But there was no time. A few seconds later, her three brothers stood in the kitchen doorway. Tall, strong men, frozen in their tracks, three pairs of bright blue eyes wide with shock.
Logan drew a long sigh.
"Thought I smelled something cooking," Pierce quipped.
Chapter Twenty
"What are you guys doing here?" Tess asked. Her heart pounded in her ribs. This was not how she'd wanted them to find out about her plans. Oh God, this was going to be something.
"We thought we'd surprise you," Dane said.
"Feels more like an ambush," she said flatly.
"Not at all!" Dane exclaimed. "But yeah . . . this is awkward. Fuck."
"Hello, Logan," Charles said. His voice was calm, but sharp. "So . . . you've been keeping Tess company. Interesting."
Logan nodded to all three of them in greeting, then turned to Tess and murmured, "I'll stay if you want, but I think you need to talk to them without me here."
"That's probably best," she agreed. "Thanks."
He rose from his seat. He was a few inches taller than any of her brothers, and twice as built, a solid wall of muscle. Looking especially strong without any shirt on, his jeans slung low on his narrow hips, she marveled at him for the thousandth time.
"Take it easy on her, okay?" he said to them. "Let her talk."
A muscle twitched under Charles's eye as he said curtly, "Don't tell us how to handle our sister."
"She doesn't need handling," Logan said, a little terse. "That's the point."
"Thanks for the tip," Pierce said. "But we know that."
"I love getting advice on how to deal with my sister," Dane said, "from someone who barely knows her."
"I don't know what I love more," Tess said from her seat. "When people talk about me like I'm not right here, or when my clueless brothers are rude to my friends."