Trusted Bond

deep, rich, and blanketed me in warmth.
    ―Logan, are you—‖
    ―What‘d you do, rehearse that?‖
    ―I‘m sorry?‖
    ―What the hell am I gonna do with you?‖
    ―No,‖ I almost whined, tired and hurt and not at all ready to fight
    with him a second more. ―Just lis—‖
    ―Love,‖ he said, exhaling, ―we‘re not gonna date.‖ He chuckled.
    ―Why?‖
    ―Because you‘re already my whole life.‖
    ―Logan—‖
    ―Can I just tell you that there is no one else in my life that makes me
    happy just to look at even though you give me so much crap?‖ he said, his
    fingers tracing the curve of my face. ―I mean, Christ—just you not being
    here when I got home tonight nearly killed me.‖
    I turned away because I didn‘t want him to see my tears. But when
    the light on his nightstand flipped on, I rolled my head back to look at
    him.
    ―All my life I‘d had everything I wanted, I‘ve had everything my
    way but you…. I swear to God, fighting with you will keep me young.‖
    What could I say?
    ―Do you have any idea how frustrating you are?‖
    He was ignoring the fact that I had tears welling up in my eyes,
    trying to divert my thoughts to tangling with him instead. It was really
    very thoughtful.
    ―You drive me crazy, and everybody I know—my family, all my
    friends, the whole tribe, for crissakes—everyone thinks that you‘re the
    best thing that ever happened to me.‖
    Trusted Bond

    57

    I swallowed hard.
    ―Because when you‘re around, I‘m a better man.‖
    The way he was looking at me, the love I saw there, it was
    overwhelming.
    ―And you make everything fun.‖
    I smiled through my tears.
    ―Hell, just getting groceries with you is an adventure. I mean—no
    one needs four kinds of cereal.‖
    I rolled sideways into him, hooking my right arm around his neck,
    hugging him tight.
    ―And don‘t gimme that crap that you‘re buying it for everyone; you
    buy it for you.‖ He snickered, giving me a zerbert on the neck and causing
    goose bumps.
    I squirmed closer, and he clutched me to him, sitting up and then
    leaning back against the headboard, lifting me into his lap, yanking me
    forward so I was straddling his thighs. He was so strong, my slight weight
    was of no consequence to him.
    ―What?‖ He smiled warmly, his eyes molten gold.
    ―I love you so.‖
    ―Yes, I know,‖ he said, chuckling, ―but it doesn‘t excuse the cereal.‖
    I nodded, unable to speak. The man had me speechless over a
    discussion of Frosted Flakes.
    His hands slid up and down my back, sliding over my bare skin.
    ―And all the different kinds of coffee and the damn creamer… who needs
    that many flavored creamers?‖
    The man had beautiful lips, and they were there, beckoning, ready to
    be kissed.
    ―All the crap you buy.‖
    ―I don‘t buy crap,‖ I sniffled, my voice nasal.
    ―Okay,‖ he said, kissing the curve of my shoulder. ―Whatever you
    say, just….‖ He squeezed me tighter, molding my half-naked body to his.
    ―Could you just please… please let me take care of you, all right?‖
    And I wanted to, but…. ―I don‘t need to be saved or rescued—I‘m
    not some damsel in distress. I‘m a guy, and I have to be strong on my
    own.‖
    58

    Mary Calmes

    His hand slid down over my ass, cupping it before gently pulling me
    forward which pressed my lengthening cock against his own hardening
    flesh. The friction felt amazing, and I caught my breath.
    ―I don‘t want to save you—you don‘t need saving. You hardly need
    anything, which is why I‘m so crazy about you.‖ Hands that had been
    stroking my ass clamped tight, making sure I couldn‘t get away, rocking
    me forward so that his straining cock settled snuggly between my ass
    cheeks. He moved under me, rubbing, grinding, his eyes narrowing to
    slits, his mouth opening, tasting the air between us. ―You‘re stubborn and
    cold sometimes, and you don‘t trust me with all your secrets, but when
    you‘re in my arms, I can see in your eyes that there‘s nothing or no one
    you want more than me.‖
    It was true. Before I met Logan Church, I didn‘t know anything
    about love.
    I saw the muscles in his jaw clench and heard the huff of sharply
    released breath. ―God, Jin, you love so hard, it‘s assaulting and possessive
    and downright scary.‖
    I put my hand down between us, slipping it under the elastic
    waistband of his pajama bottoms to stroke him. ―Yeah, so?‖
    ―Oh God,‖ he groaned, like he was in real