Page 75 of One Night Seduction

He smiles, though, because he already knows that I’m caving.

“I’m persistent.”

“You’re a tad manipulative,” I counter.

His hand moves from my chest to my jaw, cupping it gently as he looks down at me reverently.

“Only when I’m doing what’s best for us. You know that, right? You trust me to take care of you, to take care of us?”

My nod comes immediately. I trust him more than I’ve trusted any other person. Whether he has earned or coerced that trust, it’s hard to say. Our entire relationship started with a lust drunk night and damn near every moment spent together has continued that way. Moments filled with tension, heat, and passion.

I mean, there are worse ways to live life.

“I do,” I say.

Saying those words seems to physically do something to Logan. Like I’ve just given him the most precious gift he’s ever received. Like he could die a happy man from this moment on.He is the one who is always so in control, so dominant, but right now, I feel like the one with all of the influence, and it’s an incredibly empowering moment.

“Then I’ll call movers once I’m done with my call. Your things will be here tonight, ready for your classes in the morning, okay?”

I smile softly, my heart beating wildly in my chest as I prepare to agree to perhaps the craziest and stupidest thing I’ve ever done.

“Okay.”

His lips come to mine and my chest immediately fills with butterflies. My arms wind around his neck when he breaks apart.

“We’ll be celebrating properly soon. I need to finish this call. Come,” he says easily.

I do, of course. I follow along willingly as he laces our fingers together and pulls me towards his desk. Taking a seat, he pats his lap gently, and I take the cue. I perch myself onto one of his legs and his hand reaches out, pulling my legs all the way over his lap so I’m curled up on him completely.

He presses a soft kiss to my forehead as he turns his phone onto speaker and begins mindlessly stroking the sensitive skin of my ankle. I rest my head against his chest and his other hand comes up, running his fingers through my hair as he begins speaking.

“Sorry about that. Where was I?” he asks.

An older sounding man begins talking, both falling into a heavy conversation about an upcoming trial. My mind quickly wanders off, lost in the feel and sound of his deep rumbling voice. I haven’t heard from Aunt Marissa, not that I’d expect to. She’s grieving a horrific betrayal, and who knows what’s going on between her and Uncle Tom. By the sounds of it, he’s notsorry or looking for reconciliation, which is disgusting because she deserves so much better.

I still can’t believe my mother has been betraying her own sister for years. She cheated on Logan with…him? For years. I’m speechless. And then my mother had the audacity to be mad at Marissa because she thought she did the same with her ex-husband? It would have been better if she did! Of course, she can’t see that, though. She’s never in the wrong.

I realize that this weekend permanently cemented her out of my life, and I know I should be sad about that. Maybe one day I will be, but not today.

Since we left the lake house, I also haven’t spoken to Ty. There was no real need, I guess. Logan and I have been more than a little preoccupied, but the reminder of him has me feeling the need to check-in. I didn’t realize how much I adored him until this week. I missed him in my life, and I don’t want another three years to go by before I see him next. Then again, if I’m living with his brother now, I’ll bet that I’ll be seeing him sooner than later. I hope things will be okay between us when everything…settles. Lines were blurred on that lake, things got messy, but I hope out of the rubble, that can be one relationship that’s salvaged.

I glance up to see Logan already looking down at me, smiling softly as he talks on the phone. It still doesn’t feel real. That I’m here, that we’re together. The gravity of our situation is so heavy, you’d think I’d be suffocating. When in reality, I’ve never felt more free.

Chapter Twenty Six

Arianna

I’m rushing into my advanced photography class at seven on the dot. The professor gives me a look but doesn’t say anything as he shuts the door behind me. Cassi and Naomi wave at me from the corner where an empty seat is beside them.

Thank god.

They took this class because they thought it would be an easy pass. Depending on the surliness of our professor, I’m not sure how easy any of this is about to be.

“Dude, you live right across the street. How can you be the last person here?” Cassi laughs under her breath.

Shit. Yeah, we all really haven’t caught up in…fuck too long.

“Uhm, yeah. So, I’m kind of not living there anymore.”

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