Temptation in Texas: Logan and Lauren(4)

Lauren glanced at the clock. She had roughly thirty minutes left to fix her hair, make-up and to pack whatever she could manage. Thank God she'd done all the laundry the day before.





The flight was on time and went without a hitch. Once they boarded, the frantic morning caught up with them and they napped for a while. Lauren woke to Logan's hand running up and down her leg, making lazy circles under the hem of her sundress. He ordered mimosas and they sipped them, holding hands. She'd had to get up once and use the facilities, and even though they sat in first class and were only feet from the restroom, Logan stood to his feet and escorted her there and waited for her to come out. Did he think something would happen to her within the confines of the airplane?



They sat back down, and after the flight attendant brought them a blanket at Logan's request, he spread it out over them and pulled her head onto his shoulder. She let the glow from the champagne and the warmth from his hand on her thigh slide down and sizzle through her system. She forced everything from her mind that was even remotely upsetting, and focused on the one thing that made her so happy.



Logan.



This trip was so unlike him. Logan wasn't spontaneous in any way, shape or form. He was the consummate planner. He planned out everything to the nth degree. Sometimes it made her crazy, he was so anal. But damn, they had the cleanest garage in the neighborhood. Her girlfriends couldn't believe what a clean freak he was, and everything, absolutely everything, had a place. He'd accused her of taking his things a few times when he couldn't find something exactly where it was supposed to be, and although she'd denied it the few times it had happened, damned if he hadn't been right. She'd realize it when she found the object he was looking for somewhere that absolutely made her guilty, like on her vanity or someplace like that.



Yeah. He was organization personified, and a spontaneous trip like this wasn't anywhere in his psyche. This was only happening because he was upset . . . and his being upset was upsetting to her. She reached down and squeezed the hand on her thigh and turned her head so she could see into his eyes. He was looking down at her, and emotion, strong and intense, glowed from the dark brown orbs. She cleared her throat. "I love you."



He hesitated a moment. "Do you?"



"You know I do," she responded softly.



"Hmm. A couple of days ago, I knew you did. But now. . . not so much."



That response tore at her insides. "Logan. Don't say that."



He stared at her steadily. "Something's up with you."



"What do you want me to say?"



"I want you to tell me what you're hiding from me."



Lauren studied him; his emotional upheaval was easy to read. It cut her deeply that he was unhappy, and knowing that it was her fault made it doubly hard to take. Abruptly, she realized that now that they'd left home, she should be safe telling Logan the truth. He wouldn't be able to get in his car and drive to Jillian's house and threaten her husband. Lauren didn't have to wait the entire three days that she'd promised Jillian. The relief was all-consuming. She so desperately wanted to put Logan out of his misery and now she could, this very second. "I have been keeping a secret from you and I'm so sorry."



He stared back at her, the lines of his face becoming rigid and Lauren didn't give him anytime to get even angrier. "But it doesn't have anything to do with me, babe." She touched his cheek, and felt tears well in her eyes. "I'd never in a million years do anything to hurt you. We're solid, I promise."



Relief, immediate and fierce came from his eyes as they held hers. His hand reached up and grabbed hers. He linked his fingers with hers so tightly that the blood drained from their hands and their knuckles turned white. "Who the hell were you talking to then? And why the fuck didn't you tell me this last night?" he asked quickly, in a whispered, angry hiss.



Lauren took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "You're not going to like the answer. You're going to be upset."



His eyes flared. "Quit stalling, Lauren. Spit it out."



She swallowed hard. "Steve is messing around on Jillian."



Logan was quiet for so long that Lauren began to think he hadn't heard her, but that was impossible. His shoulders became rigid, and the accusation she read in his eyes rendered her helpless. Why would he be looking at her as if it were her fault? Shouldn't his anger at her have disappeared and been redirected toward Steve?



His mouth flattened. "So why'd you put me through hell last night? Why didn't you tell me? You knew I was worried . . . and you fucking let me worry?"



"Jillian made me promise not to tell you. She begged me to let her have three days. . . to let her have the weekend before I told you. I didn't want to keep it from you, but I didn't feel like it was my secret to tell."



His face was a glowering mask of fury. "You made the wrong choice."



All emotion died from his voice and any remaining warmth left his eyes. It chilled Lauren to the bone. She tried to get her fevered brain to function. "She's your sister, Logan. Would you have me betray her confidence?"



"Instead of betraying me? Yeah." His words were sharp, almost sarcastic.



"I didn't betray you. I kept a secret from you."



His stare was penetrating and Lauren understood in that second that to Logan, secrets and betrayal went hand in hand. "I get that you want to be friends with my sister. But you understand she has faults, right? She's twenty-four years old and she's on her third husband. Does that tell you anything, babe?"



Lauren was quiet as his words sank in and he continued, "She's my sister and I love her, but she's not always innocent of all wrong-doing like she makes out to be. Not even close. Trust me, you don't want to let her and her array of problems come between us. I don't know what the hell you thought I was going to do . . . I'm sure as shit not going to barge in and kick Steve's ass. It's none of my damn business."



"Logan, I--"



"She's using you, Lauren. And that pisses me off, almost as much as you lying to me."



"Logan--"



He cut her off before she could speak. "We're landing. And I'm done with this conversation."





They caught a cab from the airport to the hotel and the entire ride was silent. Logan's face was implacable, tension pulsing through his body.



The hotel lobby was nice, but Lauren was too upset to notice anything about it. Logan made short work of getting them checked in, and while he was at it, her gaze landed on the gift shop only feet away. She made a move to wander in that direction, but without even glancing at her, Logan halted her escape with a firm hand on her elbow. The fingers of his left hand clamped around her arm while he signed the paperwork with his right, and Lauren realized that although his attention seemed to be focused on the check-in process, it wasn't. His attention was on her, and from the vise-like grip he had on her arm, she knew his focus wouldn't be leaving her anytime soon.



While they traveled up the elevator, Lauren's nerves totally went to hell. Logan leaned negligently against the wall, his legs crossed at the ankles in a position that should have been relaxed, but wasn't. She knew he wasn't relaxed. His eyes wouldn't meet hers, but he looked her over silently, from her feet to her neck, before landing on her lower torso and staying there. Even though he seemed to be trying, he couldn't hide the aggression that was like a force field around him. And it was totally, one hundred percent, directed at her.



The elevator doors opened and they found their room; Logan slipped the key card inside and turned the knob. He ushered her in before him, and then turned and bolted the lock, the clanging noise jarring her nerves even more.



She moved into the room, but he came after her, not even taking a second to glance around. Her breath came more rapidly as he stalked her across the limited area between the bed and the bureau. She backed up a few steps as she kept her eyes glued to his. All traces of vulnerability had left his face and his person; he was back in control, authority stamped across his features.



"Do you have any idea what you put me through?" His voice lashed out at her, pissed and impatient.



Her heart beat heavily in her chest as he started advancing on her. "I'm truly sorry, Logan. I won't do it again."



"You knew I heard your end of that conversation. You knew that, goddamnit. And you knew how bad it sounded. Do you think I'd ever do anything like that to you? Cause you worry like that?"



Oh, God. No, he wouldn't. He'd never hurt her, not in a million years. "No, I know you wouldn't. I should have told you right away. I should have told you it was your sister who is unhappy in her marriage. I should have trusted you to stay in control and not do anything crazy."



"You damn sure should have."



"I know."



He didn't let up. He didn't let it go. "It's been six years. Six fucking years and you still don't have a goddamn clue, do you babe?" His eyes narrowed on hers. "You have no fucking clue how much I love you. You have no idea that my world rotates around you. You know that, babe? Do you fucking realize that you're my sun, and without you I'd wither and die?"



The impact of his words hit her heart and tears came to her eyes. "Logan, I know. . . I feel the same way. I love you so much." As she spoke, he crowded into her personal space and fisted his hands around her wrists, taking her captive. Her heartbeat skipped a cadence, a rush of wet heat coming between her legs, but she continued to try to apologize. "I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I love you so much."