Page 90 of Risky Game

“Logan…”

“It’s my birthday.” The manipulation made my stomach churn, but hell… would we ever have a night where we could share the same bed? Where I could wrap my arms around her and we could watch a show, fall asleep in each other’s arms?

“You don’t have to convince me. As long as you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.” I kissed her nose.

“Then let me run upstairs and brush my teeth, wash my face. I’ll be back in ten?”

“I’ll lock up the house.”

Less than ten minutes later, she was curled in my bed, the taste of mint on her lips and wearing her standard oversized shirt and shorts.

“Just in case,” she’d said, tugging at the hem of her shirt when she stepped back into my room.

I kissed her temple and held her tight to me. “Thank you, again, for tonight. It was incredible.”

“It was,” she hummed, “and maybe I shouldn’t have skipped past all those anal toys in the store earlier.”

She said it with a laugh.

“You like that.” I could tell she had, but she seemed nervous to admit it.

“I think I like everything you’ve done to me, Logan.”

“Then maybe someday I’ll make my own trip.”

She hummed again, getting sleepy, and my mind was racing with ideas. Other things we could try. Now that she’d awakened some sort of animalistic beast, I wasn’t sure he could be caged. I didn’t want him to be.

Her body was limp in my arms, and her breathing slowed. I assumed she was falling asleep, until she whispered, “I lived with this guy in Portland.”

I flinched from the surprise. That she was opening up.

“Yeah?” I moved my hand at her stomach, to the curve of her hip, down her thigh, and back up.

“He was a dick. Well, he ended up being a supreme dick, but until I learned that, I’d thought he was perfect.”

Her voice was thick with emotion. My chest tightened. As much as I didn’t want to hear about other men she’d been with, her brother’s concerns and her own brief mentions had me interested. “What happened?”

She laughed, but it was a sad sound. She reached up, clasped my hand on her hip with her own, and tangled our fingers together.

“He moved in with me in my junior year of college. I thought he was the one. He was so perfect, so kind. He traveled a lot, but when he was there, he was the perfect boyfriend.”

I stayed silent even though I was already envisioning beating the guy who hurt her. That wouldn’t help.

“He was married with kids.”

“What?”

“I didn’t know. I swear, I didn’t know. But Paulie, God, he was such a scammer. Jassen and Molly met him and they adored him. He was only a few years older… not old, but older.”

“Like me.” Shit.

“No.” She chuckled then. “He was only twenty-six. You’re way older.”

“And better,” I teased her to keep the mood light, but inside, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear any more.

“Definitely better,” she agreed, then yawned. “Anyway, Paulie was married. And he apparently didn’t even travel for work. He traveled up to Seattle to see his wife and kids. I was so stupid, so naïve. Even when things started to not feel right, I stayed with him. He made me believe he loved me, that he was working hard to help pay for my grad school, and God, I was an idiot.”

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