Parker's Island (36 page)

“Oh, I thought maybe you did go jogging.”

“No
pe.  T
his time I
went straight for
a cold shower
,
”
he grinned.

“I didn’t mean to tease you
,
” I said.

“It’s not your
fault
.  Y
ou can’t help
the effect you have on me
.
”

“You must be
pretty
desperate to want a pregnant woman
,
” I said, looking down at my swollen be
lly, realizing my stomach had once again grown
over-night.

“There’s nothing I want more
,
”
h
e said
, longingly
.

I looked at him and knew he meant it.  “If you don’t stop looking at me like
that
,
then
I
’m
going to need a cold shower
.”

“Sorry
,
”
h
e said, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.  “
I thought we were going out?”
h
e
aske
d.

“I didn’t want to share you tonight.
  I promise to be good
,
though.
”  I said, handing him a salad.  “How was your meeting?” I asked.

“I’ll tell you all about it
,
after dinner
,
”
h
e smiled.

“What made you go in?  You said you hate it there
now
,
because…
she’s there.”

“I didn’t have to see
her
.  T
he
meeting was
somewhere else
.
”

“Oh?”
I asked,
even more
curious now.

“Let’s eat.  I promise to tell you all about it later.”

After dinner we washed the dishes together and then headed into the living room.  “Would you like to watch a movi
e?” I asked, curious about his
days’ event
s
, but
not wanting to pry
.

“Not tonight.  Come sit with me
.  W
e need to talk
,
”
h
e said and patted the seat next to him on the couch.

I assumed that what he wanted to talk
about
had something to do with my actions
from
the previous night.  I sighed and sat down next to him.

“Delaney, I…
”

“I’m sorry
,
Logan
,
”
I said, interrupting him.

“For what?”

“For what I put you through last night and for teasing you today.
  I had no right to ask you for…anything.  You were right
.
I know that.
”

“You don’t have to apologize.  You were honest
.
I can’t blame you for that.”

“Logan,
p
lease don’t think that I just wanted you to
get rid of
the i
mage of…him
.  I want
you
.
I always have.  I want you every time I see you
,” I blushed, “B
ut I’ll wait.  I promise I won’t throw myself at you
,
again.”
I meant every word
.
I just hoped that I could keep my promise
.

“I’m sorry to hear that
,
”
h
e said.

“What?”
I asked
, confused
.

“
Delaney,
I don’t want to go jogging tonight
,
”
h
e smiled at me
, and touched my cheek
.

“
I don’t understand
,
” I
said
, completely
lost now
.

“I filed for divorce today. 
Martina will
have the documents tomorrow.”

“What?  But
,
you’ll lose ever
ything
!”
I said, standing up,
and then
pacing the room.

“The only thing I can’t lose is you.”

“Please don’t do this!  You can’t put this on me!  I can’t take it!  I never should have come here.
  Your mother…
”

“STOP!  Right now!”
h
e said, grabbing my arms.  “I don’t care about the stupid company
,
anymore.  This was MY decision, MINE!  I love you and I can’t be without you ever again.
  I would have seen
my attorney
month
s ago to draw up the papers, but he’s been out of
the country
.  I made my decision long ago
,
Delaney.  I was going to do it when I came back to get you and found you with Brian.  You were absolutely right when you told me that my mother wouldn’t want me to hold onto her company and let the love of my life slip away.”
             
I was crying then, huge tears of joy.  “Are you sure you’re willing to give up everything
…for me
?” I asked.

“What am I giving up?  I have you, I don’t need anything else.  She can take my company, but she can’t touch
this
island or
my
trust fund.  We’re set for life
,
Delaney.  You won’t ever want for anything,
and
our child will never want for anything.”

“Our child?”

“She might as well be.  I’m already her father
,
Delaney.  I love
her
.  S
he’s a part of you.  You can’t look me in the eye and tell me you’re going to give her up.  I know you better than that.  You love her
,
too.”

“But she’s not
really
yours
,
” I sniffled.

“She will be after tonight
!
”
h
e said
breathlessly
and pulled me into his arms.
  I had never imagined a kiss being more wanted, more needed or more perfect.  I fell against him, finally able to taste those exquisite lips.
  Somehow we made it to his bed and after hours of making love, I finally fell
into a deep, peaceful
sleep wrapped in Logan’s arms
.  A
nd the only dream I had
,
made me smile when I awoke.

Chapter
Nine:
Martina

“Good morning
,
”
Logan
s
aid when I opened my eyes.

“
Yes it is
!
” I smiled.

“You look rested, finally.”

“I’m very
well
rested
, thank you
.  I
n fact
,
I think
I could use a little more exercise
now
.”
I reached up and kissed
him.

“
Y
ou want to go jogging with me?” h
e grinned and then kissed me again.

“I’m pretty sure that
you’re
going to be way too tired to go jogging
,
ever again.”
  I pulled him back down to me.

Kissing Logan was better than I had ever imagined.  I was completely lost in those lips when I heard a woman’s voice
:

“
DIVORCE
!  Are you sure she’s worth it?” Martina snarled from the bedroom doorway.

Logan
sa
w the look of terror in my
eyes
.  H
e
leaned over me and said, “
She can’t hurt me
,
Delaney.  Please don’t worry.  I knew she’d get the papers today, but I
never thought
she’d actually come here.  It’s okay
,
”
h
e said, looking directly into my eyes and gently
brushing
my hair
off of my face
.

“Logan
!
?”
t
he woman
snapped when
he didn’
t immediately acknowledge her.

He
still
didn’t move
.  H
e didn’t take his eyes off me
.
“What do you want
,
Martina?”
I was shaking
and he was stroking my arm
.

“I just wanted to introduce myself to ‘the other woman’!”

He sat up then and said, “She’s the
only
woma
n, Martina.  I don’t love you
.  Y
ou know that.”

“Well, since you’re being so rude, I’ll introduce myself.  H
ello
, I’m Martina BARNETT, Logan’s
wife
;
and you are?”
s
he said with a slight Spanish accent.

“Martina, I’ll meet you downstairs in a minute
,” h
e growled at her.

“O
h
, I think she should hear this
,
Darling
.”

“DOWNSTAIRS!”
h
e shouted.
  I had never heard him raise his voice.  I jumped.

She walked over to the bed then and I looked up at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. 
She had p
erfect features with high cheekbones and the longest, thickest
black
hair
imaginable
. 
She was rubbing her “pregnant
belly
”
as if she was
trying to convince me that she was carrying Logan’s baby.
  She had to be quite a bit older than Logan
;
25 or
so
, I thought.
 

I had the sheet pulled up high around me and was leaning into Logan.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t get your name?”
s
he
sneered.

“I’m
, um, I’m
Delaney Miller,
” I s
tammered
, finally finding my voice.

“Delaney, you do know that you’re sleeping with my husband
, don’t you
?”

“Martina, what do you want?”
Logan
asked
.

“I want you
,
Dear
. 
W
hat else?”

“Martina, please let me get dressed and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

“I’m going to take you to the c
leaners.  Y
ou know that
,
right?”
s
he told him,
with
a very ominous smile.

“Take the company, I don’t care!
  You can have it,
all of it!
”

“Oh, I’m going to take more than that.  You cheated on your very pregnant wife, with this
…
this
young girl.  What will everyone think?”
s
he
asked
, shaking her head gently and waving a finger in the air.

“
What are they going to think when
I ask for a paternity test
?
”
             
“Go
ahead
!  I
n fact, I dare you
!”

“Martina, please just go.  Our lawyers will take care of this.  I’m not fighting you for anything.”

“I don’t want your company!  You know what I want!”