Logan - Lane Hart Page 0,16
her gratitude since I bitched and complained about making the trip down here. Now I’m glad I did, because it means Brayden is going to be sleeping in a soft, comfy bed tonight with her belly full instead of curled up and hungry in a cement cell.
“So what do you want to do tomorrow?” I ask. “I mean, assuming we find you something suitable to wear out in public?”
Smiling before she answers, Brayden says, “How about we go to the beach? All I need is a bikini for that, and they probably sell those here at the hotel or in one of the stores across the street.”
“I’ll get you one before I head out tomorrow in case you want to start sunbathing without me,” I assure her.
“No, that’s okay,” she says in a rush. And it takes me seeing the panic on her face before I realize that she’s terrified of going out alone.
“Will you be okay to stay here in the room tomorrow?” I ask.
She nods and then swallows deeply. “Yeah, I think so. Try and hurry back, okay?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“And maybe put the do not disturb sign on the door so that no one knocks?”
“Definitely,” I agree.
“Ugh,” she groans and covers her face with both hands. “You must think I’m fucking crazy.”
“No,” I reply truthfully. “I think you had a few bad days and it’s gonna take you some time before you get back to normal.”
“I don’t even remember what normal is,” she says sadly with a sigh and drops her hands.
Seeing her upset is the worst, so I tell her, “How about we get some sleep for now and dream happy thoughts about spending the day at the beach? You know, I don’t even remember how long it’s been since I was on vacation.”
“Really?” Brayden asks with a small smile. “Then we should make this a good vacation for you. One you won’t forget.”
“Sure,” I agree. Getting up from the bed, I go around the room and turn off the lights. I’m reaching for the last one, the bedside lamp when Brayden speaks up.
“Can we leave that one on? I was in the dark the entire time…”
Letting my arm fall, I say, “It was pitch black the whole time, not just at night?”
“Yeah,” she answers wearily. “I had no idea what day or time it was until I asked you.”
“Jesus. That’s awful,” I mutter in anger on her behalf. While I was complaining to myself about being cramped in an airplane for a few hours, she was sitting alone in the darkness, probably wondering if she would ever see the light again.
“It’s done and over. I’m trying to forget it happened,” she says as she stares down at her hands. “But it’s gonna take some time.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her.
When she doesn’t say anything else, I walk over to the top of the staircase and rest my hand on the banister.
“I’ll be down here if you need me,” I say.
“Hey, Logan?” she asks before I take the first step.
“Yeah?” I reply, looking at her over my shoulder.
“Could you stay up here?”
“You want to switch and take the sofa?” I ask.
“No, I mean, can you sleep in the bed with me?”
“Oh,” I mutter, freezing in understanding.
So not only is she walking around in a shirt with no bra and my boxers with no panties, now she wants me in the same bed with all of her temptation just inches away? God help me.
“Yeah, sure,” I say since I can’t deny her anything after finding out how rough she’s had it the last few days.
Heading back to the bed, I slip under the cover on the empty side, making sure I stay on the edge of the mattress, as far as I possibly can get from her without falling out. I even roll to my side, facing the wall instead of Brayden, who climbs underneath the sheets on her side. I know when she’s settling down because the mattress shifts, and then I can feel her body heat against my backside. It’s not that big of a bed.
And how fucked up is it that I’m aroused just from knowing she’s close to me and not wearing panties between her skin and my boxer briefs. Not just aroused, but I’m growing hard enough to hammer nails through concrete. All my skin feels too tight. Too warm. I think I’m even starting to sweat a little.
I’m an awful human being.
See, this is what happens when you go too long