Anything He Desires (3 page)

*

             
Logan was confused. He hadn’t meant to bite her and show her that side of him so early. He had only wanted to know if he could trust her and he had risked a lot to have that answer. His response to her wasn’t what he had expected. He knew he needed to stop before it was too late, but he had tasted her and she was now irrevocably his.

*

             
Kristen tried to go through the week without thinking of Logan. The bite on her arm made that very difficult. Every time she looked at it, she thought about him and the feelings came rushing back.

They were not bad feelings and she knew it was crazy.

The bite and the mark were so intimate, and in a way they made her feel like she did belong to him.

She was a strong, independent and educated woman and she knew it was stupid to feel the way she did. A couple of her friends had seen the bite and they had asked about it. She evaded their questions and made excuses. However, every time they mentioned it, she blushed, which only made them more curious. How could she explain something to them that she didn’t understand? How could she say it was a turn on that he’d marked her and called her his? They would think she had gone off the deep end and they would probably tell her not to see him again.

             
She spent most of her time working on her dream. He had transferred the money as he’d promised and she put it to good use.

She rented the building and started having it fixed to suit her purpose. He had been more than generous and had promised to continue with his generosity. She knew he had a genuine interest in the project because he had committed the money before they even met. His heart was in the right place when it came to the youth and this made her happy. She’d had to be careful because the kids had trust issues and she didn’t want to diminish their trust in her by picking the wrong person to help her.

She’d known Logan was the right choice. He had money—success—and had been in prison. He also had a less-than-perfect home life even though she didn’t know the details. Maybe one day, he would share it with her but she knew she couldn’t push things.

The week passed quickly and when Saturday arrived she was both incredibly excited and nervous at the same time. She wanted to see him but she needed to gain some control over the situation. She had dressed more professionally. She regretted it a little when she got to the prison. She looked ridiculous and stood out among the other visitors. She should have just worn jeans and a t-shirt. The lady from the week before smiled when she saw Kristen in her pantsuit.

“Trying to set some boundaries, huh? You know those clothes ain't gonna help you. I saw the way that man looked at you. You could be dressed in a nun’s habit and he would still want you.”

“We have a business relationship and I was just trying to get us back on track,” Kristen attempted to explain.

“Honey, you got chemistry. Just go with it. Life is too short for all this denial you have. Just enjoy his sexy self.”

“Thank you,” Kristen mumbled. She didn’t know what to say. The woman was right and how could you argue with her logic?

“What kind of work are you doing?” the woman asked.

“I have a program to help at-risk youth in the community and keep them out of here. Logan is helping me.”

“Sounds like something we need around here. If you ever need help, let me know. I’m always looking for a job. My current one is a dead end and I’d love to be able to do something important that helps the community. By the way, my name is Shanna. I live close to the place you rented for the center. Logan told my man about your program and I saw the sign go up.”

“I need an assistant. Would you be interested?” Kristen asked.

“Are you crazy?” Shanna was grinning. “Of course I’m interested. Do you want me to come by on Monday?”

“That would be great. I can also talk to Logan about it today. We are partners and I have to make sure it’s okay with him as well.” Kristen would love to have Shanna around to help. Because she was from the neighbourhood, she would be able to provide all kinds of useful information. She was quite delighted and she couldn’t wait to tell Logan. Though he probably wouldn’t care much because he’d allowed her to hire and fire.

They were escorted into the visitation area to wait.

             
Kristen was amazed at the love in the visitation room. She had never really understood a prison relationship but now she had a better view of things, literally and figuratively. Many of her kids had family members in prison. She felt like she wasn’t as clueless as she’d been before. She had all these mature thoughts until Logan walked in and then rationality vanished. He walked towards her and just like that, her brain’s synapses short-circuited.

“If you think your dress will keep me from this, then you couldn’t be more wrong.” And then he pulled her to his arms.

*

He had thought of her all week and she wouldn’t deny him this pleasure. He had already decided he couldn’t deny the sparks always sizzling between them and he needed to find out where it would take them.

He kissed her and she kissed him back. Their tongues met and made a thorough acquaintance. When she tried to pull away, he caged her in his arms. She needed to know he was in control.

An officer came over and tapped him on the shoulder. Logan let Kristen go. For the moment.

*

They sat down and Kristen worked hard to rein in her emotions. As if they hadn’t just put on a show, she cleared her throat and started in on what she had accomplished this week. When she told him about Shanna, he agreed with her. He said he knew Shanna’s ‘old man’ and they were good people. It was an endorsement from him and it made her happy.

“I get out next Friday so you won’t have to visit me here again. How will you be when you don’t have correctional officers to protect you?” he asked with a small smile.

“I can hold my own. I'm not afraid of you.” That was an outright lie but she would never admit it to him.

“You keep telling yourself that. When you truly believe it, let me know. Not that you have to be afraid.” He pulled her arm to him and looked at her. “You are mine. Do I have to mark you again to make you understand?” he said.

Her heart was racing and she knew she should tell him wasn’t to bite her again but she couldn’t form the words.

He reached down and kissed her arm where the bite had bruised. He kissed it and nibbled for a moment. She held her breath thinking he would bite her again but he didn’t.

She was surprised she felt disappointed he didn’t mark her again.

She heard the announcement that visits were over and they both rose. She decided to beat him to the punch. She pulled him to her and kissed him. She was feeling in control until he sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit until they both tasted blood. When she pulled away she licked the blood from her lip and he smiled.

“Don’t tempt me. You won’t win.” He bent down and kissed the blood from her lip.

She stood there for a moment staring up at him until she noticed other people going out. She followed like a mindless sleepwalker.

*

             
Logan watched her go and thought of Friday. His freedom meant he would also be able to see Kristen without people around. He looked forward to having her to himself. A part of him thought he should leave her alone but it was too late for that now.

Chapter Three

Freedom

             
Logan had arranged for his driver to pick him up. He’d considered asking Kristen, but he wasn’t sure how she would have responded to such a request.

His driver and overall assistant, Ed, had taken care of his properties and cars while he had been incarcerated. Logan had people to oversee his businesses but Ed was the one he trusted with his personal life. They had formed a bond when they were both in the foster care system and it had landed both of them in the same group home for a short period of time. They had a lot in common and it had followed them into their adulthood.

“Hey, boss. Great to have you back,” Ed said with a huge smile, which Logan returned as he got into the car. There were not a lot of people who left prison in a limo so he knew this would be talked about among the staff. They could talk all they wanted. He was away from their control. Money had bought him certain luxuries in prison but he had still been in a cell and forced to live with people who were true criminals.

His early life had taught him how to deal with criminals. He had been where most of them were now.

It was interesting that the police had waited until he was done with that kind of life before finding something to stick him with.

But he wouldn’t allow all that to cloud his homecoming so he sat back and enjoyed the ride to his apartment in the city.

He had a meeting with Kristen tomorrow. Tonight, he could rest and consider his next move with her and the program.

She had consumed his thoughts lately and he wanted to figure out what had made her so memorable to him. He needed to find out so he could get it out of his system and then move on.

             
When Ed pulled up in front of his apartment, Logan suddenly wished he had someone waiting for him. It would have been easy to arrange but that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted someone there who was truly happy he was home, not paid to do so.

He made his way up the steps and gave Ed the schedule for the next day. He was meeting Kristen early and he didn’t want to be late.

He walked through his front door and he had to admit it felt strange. His home was chrome, silk sheets, white walls and extravagant things, not a greying blanket on a sagging cot.  Ed had shopped for him so he also had food and all the basics, but what he wanted wasn’t in the refrigerator.

*

             
Kristen had thought about asking Logan if he wanted to have dinner. It had to be hard to come home alone after his ordeal.

Well, she assumed he was alone but probably not. His money and good looks attracted scores of women. She knew he didn’t need her company.

It bothered her a little that he might be with another woman. Ridiculous. He didn’t belong to her and he never would.

She busied herself with small tasks at work. She wanted everything to be perfect when he came in the morning. She wanted him to know his money was well spent and she was serious about this project.

It took her mind off things. She was soon deep in the zone. She didn’t hear someone come in. She wasn’t expecting anyone and when he spoke, she jumped.

“Working late, I see. I guess you want to impress the boss.” Logan was smiling at her.

“I always work late and I couldn’t care less if the boss is impressed or not,” she said with a small smile, or maybe she was grimacing. Her stomach had got to quit getting wonky on her whenever he was near.

“I think you do but we won’t squabble over the details,” he said.

“I thought you would have big plans tonight.” She raised her eyebrows a bit.

“I couldn’t think of anywhere else I would rather be than with you so I came here.”

He closed the distance between them. Her instincts told her to back away but her body betrayed her. She stood her ground and didn’t pull away when he reached for her.

Once again, like all those times in the visitation area, he didn’t ask. She knew in her heart he would never ask. He was a taker and she needed to walk away while she still could. He was weakening her resolve and she had to work with him.

But when he touched her, she was lost.

*

He gave her a minute to refuse and when she didn’t, he kissed her hard on the mouth. She was like a drug to him. He almost obsessed about her and this had never happened to him before. She was an addiction he would have to purge from himself and then perhaps he could be around her without this absolute hunger swirling around them.

*

             
Kristen was lost in the kiss, in his touch. She felt his hands on her lower back, and still lower. When he moved his hands around and upwards, reaching beneath her shirt, she felt her skin ignite and her heart thump against her chest.

She had never done this before and she tried to find the words to tell him. Would he think her a silly school girl—a child—for being a virgin?  She had never been embarrassed by her inexperience, but suddenly she was. She pulled away from him and he looked at her with puzzled eyes.

“I want you,” he said simply.

“I know, but—”

He reached down and kissed her again.

“Does that feel good to you?” he asked.

“Yes.”

His hand moved beneath the fabric of her bra and touched her breast.

“Does that feel good to you?” he asked again.

“Yes.”

He rubbed her nipple between his fingers. It was bliss. He pulled her shirt off—she hadn’t even realized when he’d unbuttoned it—and then unhooked her bra. He caressed her breasts in his hands.