Page 18 of Twisted Love

“Oh, now that sounds like a good idea. After something to eat first. We missed lunch and I’m starving.” Keily got back up, headed to the stainless-steel fridge, and opened it up again. “Looks like a sandwich is the only thing I have the patience to make at the moment.”

“I’ll make it, why don’t you get settled and head out to the pool? I’ll bring it out to you.”

“You’re pampering me?” There was something pleased in her that made her smile girlish, even if she was a grown woman. She could feel it as she looked at him, standing there in black shorts and a black t-shirt, black sandals on his feet.

“I might be. Go on now, get relaxed. Six hours of traveling is a long day, we both deserve a rest.”

There was a softness to his voice that made Keily pause for a moment, her eyes searching his face. Logan could be funny, authoritative, even nice but sweet and soft? That wasn’t something she was used to with him. Turning away, she hid the frown that marred her features and walked to the bedroom they’d chosen on the second floor. Something was up with him.

Wind blew the white cotton curtains gently against the walls with a soft rustle, but it didn’t bother Keily. She liked the sound and looked forward to sleeping in such an oasis of comfort. Amongst other things, she thought with a smirk as she removed the tiny denim shorts and white tank top she’d worn on the journey. On anyone else, the outfit would have looked less than classy, but on Keily? She knew she looked the epitome of class, especially with some of the expensive accessories he’d given her over the last few months added to the ensemble.

In the past, that would have mattered for her own ego, to make her feel above others but now, it was all about making sure Logan looked good. That meant the woman on his arm had to make those that looked at him wish they were him. Even if he still wouldn’t call her his girlfriend.

Keily took off the jewelry next, grabbed a towel big enough to cover the bed from a linen closet she’d discovered in the bathroom earlier, and headed out to the pool. It wasn’t massive but the aqua-colored water was enticing. Nestled in between trees and the hillside, the pool was square, dropped off at one end to create a waterfall effect, and looked out over the ocean. It was, in a word, amazing.

Dropping the towel, Keily walked into the cool water, instantly quenching the heat on her skin. It had been hot in South Carolina, but this was heat fueled by humidity that created a haze around the islands in the distance. The cool water felt like heaven and she never wanted to get out of it. Logan said they were here alone on the island, which meant it didn’t matter that she was naked in the pool, completely free as she floated on the surface of the water.

She floated there for ages, her mind blank, body sprawled out, until a voice intruded on her peace and she startled to an almost crouch.

“Now that is one very fuckable body.” Logan chuckled as she glared at him. “It’s a shame you’re hiding it.”

“You scared me, asshole.” She muttered but then changed her glare to a smile designed to seduce. “Coming to join me?”

“Not if you’re going to call me an asshole and glare at me.” Logan’s eyebrows came down and his mouth pursed.

Was he pouting? She almost laughed at the idea but lifted an eyebrow instead. “You kind of deserved it, scaring me like that. Maybe I don’t want you in the water with me now.”

“There’s one thing I know about you, Keily, more than anything else, and that’s the fact that you want me, any time you can have me.” Logan’s frown eased into a devilish smile that made her heart race and her nipples go tight.

She wasn’t going to give in to him so easily, not yet.

“If that’s what you think, Logan.” She swam to the other end of the pool, the deeper end, and put her arms up on the tiled edges to stare at him. “I think the opposite is true, I think you want me any way you can have me, any time you can have me.”

Her intense gaze was a dare. A dare to prove her wrong, but it was also a dare to prove her right. She so wanted him to prove her right, even if she couldn’t admit that out loud. Only in her mind could she admit such things, things that she’d never dare say to anyone, especially him. That would give him too much power over her.

“You’ll never know.” He muttered as he put his hands over her shoulders onto the edge of the pool to hold his body against her. “But you’ll want to.”

He wasn’t wrong.

“Tell you what, why don’t you go in, have a little rest, get showered, and then I’ll take you somewhere really...” He paused to run a finger down from her right eye all the way to her chin, captivating her with promises he’d never say out loud “...nice.”

She couldn’t breathe, not when he was looking at her like that, not when her heart was racing so fast it felt like her lungs couldn’t keep up. All she could do was nod and climb out of the pool. He really fucked with her when he did things like that.

For a moment she could have sworn there was more than lust in his eyes and she hated herself for it, but she wanted to see more of that. She wanted to see this Logan that was always so in control unable to hold in emotions that neither of them was supposed to feel.

She was in so much trouble. She’d known that for a long time, but this sealed it. She was in over her head, but she didn’t want to get out of it the same way she’d climbed out of the pool. For once in her life, Keily wanted to take something more than material things. She wanted to take something that might be…love?

All she could do was shrug as she wrapped a towel around her body and headed into the bedroom.

Losing her head now would be a mistake, she thought as she headed into the shower and let hot water rinse the chlorine off her skin. It was impossible to get him out of her head, but she tried as she rinsed the soap off and then got out.

Where was he taking her tonight? she wondered to distract herself. He’d suggested she rest up, so did that mean he was taking her out to dance or something? It wasn’t something they’d done before, but there was always a first time for everything, right?

She sprawled out under a cotton sheet that was probably more expensive than some people’s televisions and tried to relax enough to fall asleep. It was impossible though and the only thing that happened was the sun went down a little more. Logan made slight noises in the living room, but they were so faint that she wouldn’t have heard anything if she’d actually been asleep. With a resigned sigh, she reached for her phone and pulled up a book to read.

She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until Logan came in to wake her up with a gentle touch on her shoulder.

“Wake up, sleepy head.” He smiled down at her and all she could do was smile back.