Page 70 of Unmistakably Us

Twenty-Three

The ride back was another new experience for January. She took in the scenery from the back of a bike for the first time. She could see the appeal. Her hands wrapped around Logan with her attention focused on simply taking in the sights.

The closer they got to the Gulf of Mexico, the calmer her soul felt. It didn’t take long for me to get attached to the ocean. She expected Logan to turn off onto Shoreline Drive to head to his room, but he headed east, right down Pirate’s Cove.

“Frank and Francis’? Why?” she shouted over his shoulder. Logan slowed Demon before answering as he was pulling into the drive.

“Because my phone was blowing up this morning with pleas to come here first, so I decided to comply.” After dropping the kickstand and shutting down the engine, Logan tossed his leg over the seat and deposited his helmet on the handlebar.

Logan pulled her helmet off her head and hung it from the other handlebar. Then he picked her up off the bike and relieved her of the backpack.

“The sooner I let them do their ‘ohhing’ and ‘ahhing’ thing, the sooner I can braid rope into your hair and get my cock sucked.”

The chuckling sound he made caught her a little off guard. His words were typical Logan, but his mood was lighter.

January adopted a semi-fake pout. “But I was looking forward to naked Tuesdays.”

Logan groaned, cupped her right cheek, and rolled his head back. Score a hit for me. He was sexy as fuck when he was just being himself. Especially when his desire for her radiated from him.

“You’re killing me here. It was your idea to do this whole family thing. You encouraged me to embrace it, and I fucking did.” Logan’s kiss was deep and binding. He tasted faintly of the designer coffee he’d had that morning. But it was his emotions she tasted most of all.

When his lips left hers and his whiskey eyes shone with love, she knew she’d never doubt where his heart lay. It was firmly in her hands, and she’d never harm it.

January made a silent vow right there in the Reid’s driveway, to not only protect his heart with everything she was and would ever be, but to ensure that not a day went by where he would ever doubt that it wasn’t an even exchange.

“My heart for your heart,” she absently mumbled.

January heard a, “Damn skippy, Rabbit,” a microsecond before Logan was everywhere. Lips, teeth, hands, tongue. January was about to wrap her legs around him and dry hump him until he agreed to skip family time for today when a voice reached through the lust cloud that was swirling around them.

“If you two are going to fuck in the open like that, at least let’s get it on film and make some bank.” January’s feet touched the ground, and she accepted that their little make-out session was firmly on hold until after the family had their time.

“Walker,” Logan greeted the figure up on the porch before turning to January and playfully slapping her ass. “Let’s get on with it then so we can get it on sooner rather than later.”

This was the first time January noticed all the cars in the drive and yard. Shit, the whole fucking family was here. “Is that Jewel’s car…and Precious?” Logan turned his head toward the cars in question.

He shrugged and brushed off her question. She was about to say something snarky when a blur came and launched at her. If Logan hadn’t steadied them, both she and Gus would’ve ended up on the ground.

“Jan! I’m so sorry about Mom and all the bull crap. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let it continue. I really thought they were done.” Augusta was babbling and blubbering, and January let her. They were words that Gus needed to say even if there was nothing for her to be sorry about.

Gus disengaged and held Jan by her biceps. “I’m the big sister, not you. You should’ve let me help you. Let me worry about my fate. You—”

January finally cut her off. She didn’t argue; she knew it was useless. Instead, she said what she felt would appease Gus the most.

“You’re right, sis. I underestimated you and didn’t think and it was damn near a disaster. I’ll never keep secrets from you again.” Gus nodded once and embraced her again.

It wasn’t that Gus needed to be right. She wasn’t the type. It was simple; Gus believed in forgiveness and learning from mistakes made. If January would’ve tried to explain, Gus would hold onto her guilt. She would try to ensure her little sister didn’t repeat her mistakes. This way, everyone won. Gus could forgive them both, and January could forgive herself for choosing poorly, too.

Another figure emerged from the house, this one in heels and a pinstripe short suit. How anyone could look dressed up in shorts was beyond her, but Stacy managed. “Jesus H. Christ, you people hug more than a hippie commune doing a love-in. Can we break this shit up and get inside, some of us have…things to do.” January noticed Stacy’s eyes glance back to where Dax stood in the foyer behind her.

“TMI,” Gus yelled back.

“What, Pixie?” Stacy’s tone was laced with over-the-top innocence. “If you inferred anything from my statement that wasn’t there, well, that’s on you and your filthy little mind.”

Her smile was radiant as she teased Gus, and it was returned. January wasn’t jealous of Stacy’s bond with her sister; she was thankful Gus had someone that helped her out of her shell and was there for her when January couldn’t be.

Another vow went up in a matter of minutes. This one to somehow repay Stacy for all she’d done for her sister, and for her. It was partly Stacy who made her future with Logan possible. Had she not delivered the paper, Logan may never have come for her. He wouldn’t have known he was chosen.

When they reached the porch, Walker and Logan locked hands and clapped each other on the back. Wow, he really did embrace this whole family thing.

---