Chapter Twelve

To pass time and take everyone’s mind off the brewing tempest, Jade led them in singing silly songs. Bella entertained them by crooning the alphabet song about a dozen times. They stayed in the room until they were sure the threat had passed. By the time they opened the door, the lights had popped back on but it was now pitch black outside.

While Logan escorted Mrs. Harper home, Jade offered to stay with Isabella and Fiji. The little girl was adorable and obviously loved her father. Every other word out of her mouth was “My daddy did this,” or “My daddy can do that.”

Isabella wanted Jade to give her a bath and though she'd never done it before, Jade had no problem attempting the task. Fiji lay curled on a rug beside the pool-sized tub as Bella splashed in the water and played with her plethora of toys. Jade squirted a dollop of shampoo on her hand and sniffed the liquid.

“One of my favorite smells in the world.”

Jade sucked in a breath and spun, falling on her butt in the process. Shampoo went flying from her hand. A hank of wilted hair fell across her eyes and she blew it out of the way.

“Daddy, Daddy,” Bella crooned.

Logan stood with one shoulder propped against the doorway, his arms braced over his chest and his feet crossed. His sexier than sin lips quirked with humor. Jade sighed and used the back of one sudsy hand to push the stubborn strand hair off her face. Somehow she managed to get more water on her than actually filled the tub.

Reading her mind, Logan confessed, “It’s a messy job. Bella is as wiggly as a fish on a hook.” He picked up the baby shampoo and squeezed some in his palm before lathering up Bella’s hair. Jade’s insides fluttered at seeing his big, strong hands massaging Bella’s delicate head. He scrubbed his fingers along her scalp and gently shook her head, making her squeal with laughter. After he rinsed the suds out, he reached over and grabbed a blue fluffy towel off a rack and held it open. Bella launched herself in it and he proceeded to shimmy her dry.

At that moment, Jade had never wanted to be a part of something as desperately as she did a warm, loving family of her own. Something touched her hand and she jerked. Logan passed her a bottle of baby lotion. Her eyes flew to his and she had to swallow the lump that threatened to choke her. Somehow, he'd read her mind again.

A naked Bella came to stand in front of her with a child’s trust. She was standing so her flat little tummy pooched out.

“Let’s get you all soft and smooth, Bella.”

“That’s what my daddy calls me.”

Jade realized it was the first time she'd called the little girl by anything other than her full name. Bella just seemed to fit.

Once Jade had slathered the lotion all over her body, Logan held up a yellow nightgown with Disney princesses on the front. Bella hoisted her arms high in the air and he slipped it over her head and tugged it into place. Then he held a little pair of pink panties out and she stepped into them, her little hand braced on his big shoulder for balance. Once they were in place, she held her arms up again and Logan swept her up and deposited her on the counter. He withdrew a black hairdryer from a drawer and snapped an attachment on the end. He grinned sheepishly at Jade and held up the tool. “I’d never even heard of a diffuser before Bella, let alone how to use one.” He flipped the switch to low, grabbed a pick and began drying her hair.

“How did you learn about them,” she asked, genuinely curious and totally enchanted.

He turned his head to the side to talk to her, not taking his eyes from his task. “The first time I washed her hair, I used a flat brush and the dryer. She looked like a miniature Tina Turner when I got done.”

Jade laughed, charmed. His big hands kept moving easily and soon, black ringlets danced around her head.

“My Aunt Trudy literally doubled over in laughter when she saw the mess I made of Bella’s hair. She ran out and bought the diffuser and taught me how to use it correctly.”

“Daddy, can Jade wead a story with us tonight?”

“Oh, baby, we’ve kept her here long enough. I’m sure she has things she needs to do.”

There was no place she would rather be than with this man and this child.

“Please Daddy?”

“Bella…”

“I’d love to read a story with you, Isabella.”

Bella clapped her hands, a wide smile crinkling her eyes. Logan lifted her off the counter and she scurried to her room to pick out a book.

Logan gathered the wet towels and draped them over a rack. “You really don’t have to stay.”

Jade touched his arm. Sparks flew from the spot of contact and traveled throughout her body. Jerking her hand back, she struggled for composure. “I’d really like to, if you don’t mind.”

Logan gifted her with one of his gorgeous dimpled smiles and motioned for her to precede him from the room. He flipped off the bathroom light and guided her to Bella’s room with one hand on the small of her back.

She stepped inside Bella’s domain and stopped, causing Logan to bump into her back. The large room was a magical fairy kingdom, complete with Princess Bella. Walls painted pink, white mesh covering her canopy bed, stuffed animals spread about, an abundance of toys and gadgets and electronics and enough frilly goodies to make a real princess jealous. It was a dream retreat for any little girl.

“I get a headache every time I walk in here,” Logan muttered in her ear. Jade chuckled.

“This one, Daddy.” Bella shook a book from her outstretched hand.

“The Princess Knight, I never would've guessed,” Logan teased.

“Daddy lays here,” Bella pointed to one side of her bed. “Fiji here. You bewong here, Jade.”

Jade’s heart lurched at the innocent words. She would give about anything to really belong. She blinked back tears and positioned herself as Bella directed. The three of them proceeded to read the story about Violetta the Princess three times. Logan read first, then Bella insisted Jade read before it was Logan’s turn again. Bella drifted off during the third reading. Logan tucked the covers around her small body and arranged her teddy bear in her arms. Fiji settled in beside her. Logan brushed a curl from her forehead and bent to kiss her cheek. Everything inside Jade melted.

Logan grabbed what looked to be a small walkie-talkie and turned on a monitor. He glanced up and caught Jade gazing at him, no telling what kind of look she had on her face. He smiled again and her stomach somersaulted. This man fascinated her too much.

She followed him out of the room and they both turned to glance at Bella one more time before he switched out the light and pulled the door closed.

“I’ll walk you back to your place,” he offered as they descended the stairs.

“You don’t have to do that, Logan. It’s right next door.”

He gave her a look that said “humor me” and dropped the baby monitor in the front pocket of his black shirt.

They maneuvered from his house to the back of her rental. She spun when they reached the sliding glass door. “I never did get the chance to thank you for rescuing me from the storm. I had no idea it would be such a big one.” They both scanned the area. Several branches were scattered around the yard and a tree in the woods behind the house took a hit, but otherwise, the neighborhood survived relatively unscathed.

A slight breeze kicked up, carrying the scent of freshly mowed grass and a touch of honeysuckle. Logan’s gaze moved from her cheeks to her chin to her forehead, as if he were studying her face. When he reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, Jade inhaled sharply. Her body strained closer to his warm, masculine one.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured, his voice husky and deep. “Thanks for helping with Bella.” His hand was still touching her, tracing a line from one collarbone to the other.

It'd been so long since she'd felt this way, since she actually wanted a man this badly. Although she usually played sexy, confident women in the movies, she'd never felt that way in real life. She'd never been the aggressor. But Jade couldn’t take it any longer.

She threw her arms around Logan’s neck and sealed her lips to his.

Logan grabbed her waist and took a step backwards, obviously startled by her bold move. It took him less than two seconds to recover. He growled deeply and slanted his mouth over hers to devour her. He crushed her to him and slid his tongue deep into her mouth. She met his passion eagerly, tangling her tongue with his. This was no sweet, soft kiss. It was pure, raw sex. She'd been kissing men, famous men, sexy men, international men, talented men on screen for years.

She'd never been kissed like this.

Jade’s legs buckled and she dug her nails into his rock hard shoulders to anchor herself. He growled again and reached down to cup her bottom and lift her higher against him so their bodies aligned. He lunged forward and pinned her against the glass door. She felt him like steel against her stomach, and wrapped her legs around his waist. It was like wrapping herself around a solid brick wall. He was so tall and strong and thick. Every feminine instinct inside her jumped for joy. When he ground against her, Jade was mortified and excited all at once to realize she was about to explode from this alone.

He tore his mouth from hers and they both panted wildly. He trailed a line of kisses down her throat and stopped to nibble the spot where neck and shoulder met. She tugged the shirt from the waistband of his shorts, desperate to feel naked skin.

“You are so hot…taste so sweet.” He licked the spot where her heartbeat pounded madly and nipped the tendon running along her neck. Jade gasped, her hips jerking in response. She couldn’t have spoken if her life depended on it. She was so close. Just a second more and…

“Yo, Logan.”

“Dammit.” Logan pulled her off him and deposited her on the patio. He stepped back, his chest heaving. He scrubbed his hands over his face and then forked one through his shortly cropped hair. He appeared dazed when he faced her again, his lips shiny and red.

“That shouldn’t have happened—” His eyes narrowed and he felt his chin. His voice softened and he took a step forward. “Ah, hell.” Fingertips traced her cheeks, her chin and down her neck. “I’m sorry, honey.”

“Hey, bro, where are you?”

Both heads jerked around at the sound of the voice growing closer and closer. “That’s my brother. I’ve got to go.” He stared at her a few moments more, his hand still caressing the whisker burn on her face. With a tender smile he turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Jade’s hand covered the spot his just deserted. She could feel the heat of his touch branded into her skin. Grabbing the handle for the door, she caught her reflection in the glass. Her lips were moist and swollen from his mouth, her cheeks pink from his dark stubble.

Jade decided she was a very good actress. She was acting like a woman in love.

#

Logan grabbed the top of the iron fence and vaulted over to his yard.

“Hey bro, where the heck were you,” Dan asked coming up beside him.

“Walking the new neighbor home.”

“New neighbor, eh? I didn’t know we had a new neighbor.” Dan craned his neck to peer at the house next door. “Female?”

Logan grabbed his shoulders and shoved him forward. “Why the hell would I walk a guy home?”

“Why are you walking a girl home, mister self-proclaimed monk? And what was she doing here so late, young man?” Dan asked with mock sternness.

“Never in my life have I proclaimed to be a monk, smart ass. And not that it's any of your business, but she, along with Mrs. Harper, waited out the storm in the basement with Bella and me.”

“So let me get this straight.” Dan pretended to make mental calculations. “The storm was hours ago, Mrs. Harper is probably six hours into sleep and our new neighbor is just now leaving?”

Logan clinched his jaw. “Bella likes her. She asked her to stay and help get her ready for bed. End of story.”

“Ah, so you are using the old ‘Bella likes her’ defense.”

“It’s not a defense, it’s the truth, asshole.”

They stopped at the edge of the pool and Logan removed the monitor from his pocket and placed it on a table where he could hear it. Grabbing the back of his shirt, he yanked it over his head. He didn’t need to pull it from his jeans, Jade had done that already. He toed off his shoes and unbuttoned his pants.

“Either she's a dog and you have no interest in her, or she's gorgeous and you still have no interest in her because you never let yourself get interested in any woman after Celeste.”

“No interest, don’t be mentioning Celeste’s name again and don’t you be getting any ideas about the neighbor.”

“Ah,” Dan nodded knowingly. “Already staked a claim, did ya?”

“No, smartass.”

“Wow, I went from a dumb ass to an asshole to a smartass in less than five minutes. I’m pretty impressed with my ass.”

“You should be, you are a big one,” Logan muttered. “And for your information, she'll only be staying here a couple of months.”

Dan waved his hand in a dismissive motion. “Plenty of time for her to get to know and love me.”

Logan paused in the act of stripping off his jeans. “She’s not your type…she looks nothing like Kaitlyn.”

“You sonofa—” Dan barreled forward and slammed into Logan, lofting them both into the water. “I have no interest in Kaitlyn Colton,” he sputtered with they both surfaced. He dunked Logan once more for good measure before stroking away and pulling himself out of the water. Logan’s wide smile as he tread water made Dan glare with malice. He grabbed Bella’s monitor off the table.

“For someone not interested in the girl next door, that looks an awful lot like claw marks to me, big brother,” he taunted.

Logan’s smile died as Dan stomped away. He tried to peer over his shoulder but couldn’t see any scratches. Had Jade marked him? If she did, he hadn’t felt it.

He felt nothing but the powerful need pumping through his body.

He peeled his now soaking-wet pants the rest of the way off and tossed them to the side. They landed with a wet splat. Good thing he removed his wallet before helping with Bella’s bath. He learned that lesson the hard way.

Though he'd thought about it enough, fantasized about doing it, he certainly hadn’t expected to kiss Jade tonight. But then she surprised him by initiating contact. It took only a second before the raging hunger took over and he tried to devour her. No woman had ever pushed him to the edge so fast. Heck, if Dan hadn’t appeared, he would have taken her right there, up against the sliding glass door.

Pushing off from the wall, Logan stoked through the water. He needed to get a grip, reign in his hormones. He didn’t want to get involved with any woman, especially one as beautiful and temporary as the lovely Ms. LaRossa.

In fact, he'd better steer clear of her until she left. He didn’t need Bella getting too close to her and then getting crushed when she left. Bella had had enough disappointment and desertion in her young life. He’d be damned if he would let it happen again.