Safer Outside (A Mature YA Romance) (The Outside Series) (12 page)

The corners of his lips twitched as he tried to hold back a smile.
“Trouble in paradise already? You looking to trade up?”

“Ha ha.”
I smirked and rolled my eyes. “I want deets. Is he just a friend? More?
Straight?
” I whispered the last word so no one would overhear.

“Just a friend, for the most part.”
Adam finally gave me his toothy smile. “But Bryant’s even more worried about keeping it quiet than I am so you have to swear you won’t tell anyone.” He was more serious than I’d ever seen him.

“I swear.” I put my hand over his. Then I remembered the other reason for my interest. “But, there is a bit of a situation.”

“What?”

“Allie like
s him. I guess they have some classes together. We were talking about the winter formal and she mentioned his name.”

Adam tossed his head back and let it hang there for a few seconds. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Has he talked about going or are you guys going together?”

Adam barked out a laugh.
“Definitely not. I don’t think either of us would even consider that but...” He looked forward for a minute, deep in thought. “That could work out. It’s a little weird to set up my sister with a guy I like but at least I know he won’t try anything with her.”

“I don’t know.” I shook my head
, worried about what that might do to Allie’s ego. “Unless we tell her why he’s not interested, it’s not fair to let her think that there’s something wrong with her.”

“Let me talk to him and see wha
t he thinks.” He rested his chin on his hand and looked back at me. “Then, I’ll tell her the truth. I can’t avoid her forever and I actually miss her being a pain in my ass.”

~**~

Three nights before the winter formal, Logan took me to his house after work. The dance was on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and we had tests on Thursday and Friday before our week off.

“So are you ready for your oral in French?” Logan was fluent in French and an excellent teacher. At first I was self-conscious about speaking in front of him but he was pat
ient and encouraging. I learned more in the few weeks of studying with him than I had in three years of classes. Maybe I just studied his mouth more than I had with any of my previous teachers.

“As ready as I’m gonna be.” I glanced at my watch. “Are you hungry?”

“Starved. Want to go out?” He started gathering up his books and stacking mine into my bag.

“It’s up to you. We can probably make something here.” I hated making him
spend money on me, especially for food, but I was past arguing about it.

“How about we compromise and order delivery?”

“Chinese?” I had gotten addicted to a little family restaurant at the bottom of the hill.

“Veg
etable Lo Mein and Orange Chicken?”

“Perfect.”

He called in our order and we went to the family room to wait for it.

“I got you something for Saturday.” He pulled a small box off the end table behind me. I didn’t even notice it when we sat down but once I saw it, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

“You did?” I knew by the small blue box what it was. I didn’t own anything from Tiffany but I’d seen the boxes in Kim’s room often enough to recognize it immediately.

“I would have waited to give it to you then but since we won’t be alone, I thought now was better.”

I slowly lifted the lid and held my breath as I took in the contents. It was a sterling silver band that had the words
I love you
repeated around the face of the narrow ring. I gently lifted it from its cottony nest.

I turned it
around and read the words over and over. Logan’s fingers covered mine and he held them in place. I lifted my eyes to his and saw the pure adoration he held there.

“Liz,”
he pulled my right hand to his cheek and pressed my left palm against his heart, “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

“Logan—”

“Shh. I need to say this.”

I held my breath
while he gathered his thoughts.

“I’ve known since the first day I met you that you were someone special. What I didn’t realize then was that I could love you as much as I do.”

I choked back a sob as he moved my left hand to his lips and kissed the base of my ring finger. “I’d like you to wear this as a promise from me to you that I’ll do anything for you.”

The tears were streaming
down my face despite the grin on my face. I nodded. With those three words, Logan made my whole world drop away. Only he existed. My heart existed only for him.

Logan slid the precious metal
onto my left ring finger and we both stared at it for a moment.

“What does this mean?” It felt like an engageme
nt ring and the thought caused my breath to catch.

“Just what I said.
I love you and I promise to be there for you. Only for you.” His lips brushed against mine, softly pressing against me until his teeth pulled my lower lip out and sucked it into his mouth. He released it and pulled back to look me in the eye. “No matter what. I’ll always be there for you.”

“I love you
too, Logan.” I’d known it for a while but it wasn’t until he said the words that I was able to admit them out loud too.

There were still s
o many reasons why it was dangerous for him and I to stay together. I was beyond worrying about myself but Logan was at risk every day he was with me. It was selfish to let him love me but hearing it and seeing that feeling reflected in his eyes made all rational thoughts disappear.

The only thing I cared about was making Logan Cooper happy for as long as I could. He made me happier in the few months I’d known him than I
’d ever been. And more than being happy, he made me feel safe. I couldn’t even remember the last time I felt safe before Logan came along.

Logan’s low growl was like a command that woke every nerve in my bod
y. I was anxious and desperate for his touch. He gently pushed me back so I lay on the sofa. With his knee between my thighs and his foot planted on the ground, Logan brought his lips to mine.

Within seconds, his soft kiss was devouring my mouth. His tongue poked and danced with mine, glidin
g along my teeth then sucking my tongue as his hands trailed up my sides and under my shirt.

I was hyper sensitive to his touch so when his
left hand changed course, dragging his fingertips down my belly and under the waistband of my leggings, I couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped my throat. I wanted Logan to have all of me and I wanted all of him.

His fingers passed over the top of my panties and gently pushed down, sending pulses of heat to my core. I’d never experienced those sensations before
and I wanted more. I arched my back and pushed into his hand, giving him the signal he was waiting for. His teeth nipped across my jaw until he was at my ear.

“Is this okay?”
He was breathing heavily and I could feel his heartbeat pounding just as quickly as mine.

“Yes.” My brain wasn’t functioning with all the endorphins flooding my system. I just wanted more.

Logan pressed his fingers against my center and held the pressure there. He looked me in the eye. “Say it, Liz.”

“I want you, Logan.”
I panted and squirmed under him, not sure how to get the relief that seemed so close but so far away.

“You’ve got me, love.”
His hot mouth found mine again as his fingers brushed past the thin cotton barrier and slid into my moisture.

His fingers moved into me, a previously unexplored area. I was shaking, melting. The combination of his lips and his touch left me feeling so high I was dizzy. Everything about Logan was sexy. I couldn’t decide what I loved more. His tongue separated my lips as he kissed me, but my lips were immobile as I fought for breath, unable to control the amazing feelings circulating through me. Was it always like this or was Logan just exceptional?
Maybe neither. Maybe I was just madly in love with him.

I bucked hard into his hand at the connection. I didn’t know exactly what he was doing but he seemed to have the situation under control so I just closed my eyes and let him fill me with bliss.
After a few minutes of amazing torture, my body started trembling. My instinct was to pull back because it was so intense. The pleasure was indescribable. I knew I was having an orgasm but I was still a little shocked. Almost afraid.

I whimpered and curled away from Logan but he didn’t let up. “Just
let go, love. Just feel it. Feel me.”

It was better than I could have ever imagined.

Once my body recovered, I opened my eyes and looked down at Logan. He had a satisfied smirk on his face. I knew the flush covering my body was mostly from what had just occurred but my shy side also kept it there a bit longer. I wanted to be embarrassed but it was too late for that. And, I didn’t think that was the reaction he wanted anyway.

“Wow,” I whispered. “Is it always like that?”

He unleashed his full grin, dimples and all. “With me it always will be.”

Chapter Twelve

Big Night

Allie and Adam fin
ally had the heart to heart they both needed. When he explained that he and Bryant were kinda together, Allie was actually happy for her brother. She had suspected Adam was gay for a while but she needed to hear it from him. She needed to know he trusted her to keep his secret until he was ready to share it with others. He gave her permission to tell us and I didn’t let on that I already knew.

Bryant was worried about people finding out about him but after spending some time with Allie, he r
ealized she could be trusted.

Adam said was okay to share
, so once Allie told us everything, she was back to her old self, bragging about her big brother and excited to see him happy. They agreed that Bryant would take Allie to the dance and Adam would come with us—solo.

Randy and Austin scoffed at having a ninth wheel along for the night but they were all friends so it wasn’t a big deal. Logan never questioned it, which made me think he suspected more than he let on.

Regardless, we were all going together and it was looking to be one of the most memorable nights of my life.

~**~

I stood in front of a full length mirror and didn’t recognize myself. Mrs. Curtner brought in two hair stylists and two makeup artists to get the four of us ready.  We were set up in the master suite for over three hours while we took turns at each station.

I settled on
a red strapless gown with tightly draped satin that ran to my knees in the front and to the floor in the back. I loved it. I had planned on wearing a simple black dress but Kim and I went shopping together and when I tried on that red dress, she insisted that her mom buy it for me. I hated to accept such an expensive gift but it was so beautiful that I reluctantly agreed.

With my hair artfully arranged on top of my head, I actually felt beautiful for the first time in my life. There was a pound of makeup and
hairspray helping me feel that way but it was a moment I’ll never forget. I finally felt like I might be good enough for Logan.

Kim walked up beside me and put her arm on my shoulder. “You are gorgeous.”

“Thanks.” In a short black dress, she looked as beautiful as ever. Her long legs were tan and silky even though she wasn’t wearing nylons. She was perfect. I gave her a squeeze back. “You look amazing. Austin is gonna love that dress.”

She smiled.
“Allie’s just finishing her hair and Jen is panicking about tonight but other than that, I think we’re all ready.”

“What tim
e will the limo be here?” I grabbed my phone off the bed and glanced at the time. It was five twenty.

“They said they’d be here at five thirty but Austin just texted that they’re running late.” She leaned closer so no one would hear her. “Bryant is having second thoughts.”

“What?” I pulled her deeper into the walk-in closet we were standing in so the other girls wouldn’t hear. “What does that mean? He’s coming, right?”

“Now he is
.” She tucked a hanger string under my armpit. “I guess he felt weird about going with Allie as a friend. But they’ve talked him off the ledge and he’s getting ready now. They shouldn’t be too late.”

“So, does that mean Austin knows?”

“Yeah, I think they all do.” She bounced one of the loose curls that rested on my shoulder. “But they’re cool. They won’t say anything.”

“I hope not.” It would break my heart if something happened to Adam or Bryant. They were both so sweet
. Neither should have had to hide but going public wouldn’t have been easy in a school like Anderson. Last names were important in most social circles and Adam’s dad wouldn’t put up with any scandal that could tarnish the Fischer name. Getting a divorce was bad enough but having people know his son was gay would have destroyed the right-wing bubble he lived in.

By the time the four of us were fully dressed and done with pictures, the doorbell rang. Mr. Curtner opened the door and let the five guys in.

Logan walked to me and just stared. His eyes were hungry as he pulled my face to his. “You look absolutely amazing.”

“Thank you.” In four inch heels, I was much closer to his face than usual. It was nice. I didn’t have to lean as far up to see him. “You look very handsome, yourself.”

Logan captured my lips with his and wouldn’t have let go if Mr. Curtner didn’t clear his throat.

“I think we need a few more pictures before we let you leave,” he said.

Logan raised my left hand to his mouth and kissed my ring. “I don’t know if I can wait until tonight to get you alone.”

Just hearing his low voice say something so suggestive made my stomach flutter. I wanted him in every way and planned to give myself to him later that night. We just had to get through dinner and a few dances before we could sneak up to our room.

“You’re gonna have to wait a little bit longer,” I said quietly, stepping in front of him. I could feel his body tense as I backed into him and wiggled a little.

He growled in my ear, exciting every part of me. “Don’t tease me, love.”

I laughed.
“Or what?”

“Or I’ll tease you later.” He nibbled on my ear. “And you’ll be begging me to stop.”

My breath hitched as the first flash went off. We posed for a few more pix before filing out to the driveway.

A ginormous Hummer limo waited to take us to dinner. It seated twenty so the nine of us fit comfortably. There was a bar down the left side
and a bench along the right side with sweetheart seating. Allie, Bryant and Adam sat across the back, facing the front of the car. I snapped a picture of the three of them. I cropped it so one copy was of Allie and Bryant and another was of Bryant and Adam. Someday they would appreciate it.

We were dropped off in front of one of the few Michelin starred restaurants in Los Gatos. Dio Deka is a Greek and Mediterranean restaurant that I’d heard about but never imagined going to. 

The dimly lit room buzzed with quiet conversation. Once we were shown to a table, Logan pulled out my chair and took the black velvet shawl that was draped over my shoulders. He sat down in the chair to my left as everyone else settled in their seats. Adam sat at one end of the table and Randy sat at the other. 

The food was delicious but I spent most of the meal
thinking about how the rest of the night would go. I was both anxious and terrified to get to the hotel room. I was ready to give myself completely to Logan but a part of me worried that he would lose interest afterwards.

We
finished dinner and headed back to the limo. The dance was being held in the San Jose Fairmont Hotel. We blasted the music in the limo for the twenty minute drive to get into the dancing mood. It worked.

By the time we were ushered out of the car and into the hotel lobby, we were all ready to party. We found the ballroom on the second floor and got in line to take pictures at the door. We all took pictures as couples first, then sets with just the girls and just the guys.

As we entered the main room, the music was just changing to a slow song. Logan placed his hand on the center of my back and nudged me straight to the dance floor.

Working our way through the crowd so we were in the middle, Logan pulled me to his chest and held me as we swayed to the soft beat. Resting my head on his shoulder, I nuzzled into his neck and kissed him softly.

He leaned down and kissed my temple. “I’m so glad you’re here with me tonight.”

I smiled. “You just want to get me into that hotel room.”

“Yeah, well, that too.” His lips brushed mine and lingered there for a moment. “But, we don’t have to do anything.”

I gave him a smirk.
“Right. So we’ll just watch movies and order room service?”

He stopped our movement and placed both palms on my face. “Yes, we can.”

I waited for the smartass remark but it never came.

“I mean it, Liz. I’ll wait as long as you need. We don’t have to do anything tonight. I just want to hold you in my arms and wake up to your beautiful face.”

“I’m ready.”

His eyes darkened as he looked at my lips. “You’re killing me, babe.” His hot mouth hit mine and my insides tingled. Hearing him call me babe was hot. I was ready to drag him up to the room right then.

“Now?”

Logan laughed.
“Soon. You hang out here and I’ll go get our room key.” When a fast song came on, Logan walked me toward the table Adam was seated at. “Why don’t you dance with Adam?”

I looked at him in shock.
“Really? You don’t mind?”

He smiled. “I don’t mind. Just don’t let Bryant see you guys.”

I pulled his arm until he was looking at me. “You know you can’t tell anyone, right? They’ll tell people when they’re ready.”

“Relax, love. It’s his story to tell.
” He kissed the tip of my nose. “I’m just glad to know he’s not after you.”

“There’s no competition.” I pinched his ass as we reached the table. “You run along while Adam keeps me company.”

His hand fell to my ass and he gripped my cheek briefly. “I warned you not to tease, love.” He leaned forward and nipped my lower lip before pulling away and walking out of the room.

I just stood there, watching him walk away in his tailored tux.

Adam whistled, bringing me back to the moment.

“He does look good, doesn’t he?
” I sat next to Adam and looked out at the dance floor. “Is everyone out there?”

“Yup.”
He gestured to the placeholders left at each seat. “I’m watching jackets. Ya know, so no one had to make the trek to the coat check at the back of the room.”

“Oh, stop feeling sorry for yourself. You’re here and your
friend
is here so, let’s dance.” I pulled him by the arm and we fought through the crowd til we found Allie and Bryant. They were dancing in a large group so I positioned us so Adam was right in front of Bryant and Allie was basically dancing with me.

We were three songs in when I decided
I needed some water. Sweating and worried that Logan might be looking for me, I walked toward the drink table and grabbed a cup. I was just about to head out to the foyer when Becky stepped in front of me.

“So he actually brought you.” I looked up just as she took a drink from her cup. Based on her crazy eyes and slightly slurred speech, I was sure she had something very different in her cup than I did in mine.

“Uh, hi.” I took a step back to put some space between us. “You look good, Becky.”

“Of course, I do.” She adjusted her boobs so her cleavage was
front and center.

I couldn’t help glancing down quickly. She laughed and took another step toward me. “Yeah, that’s right. This is what he likes.” She cocked her head to inspect my chest. “Logan is
a boob man so don’t get too comfortable with him. Unless you grow like three sizes, and I mean in your bra not your ass, you won’t be around long.”

I felt my fist clench and unclench then a warm hand wrapped around it. “There you are.” Logan pulled me into his arms. “I was looking for you, love.”

Becky snorted. It wasn’t pretty and I loved it. “Seriously, Lo. You can do so much better than this.” She ran her fingernail up his chest. “I might even throw you a bone if you ask nicely.”

Logan grabbed her wrist and held it away from us like it was on fire. “I think you need to walk away, Bec.”

My hand trailed up Logan’s chest and came to a stop inside his jacket. I pressed tightly into his side. “She was just telling me how much you like boobs.” I laughed.

“
I like yours.” He kissed me, pressing his tongue against mine and rolling it before pulling back. I didn’t even hear Becky leave but when I finally opened my eyes and took a breath, she was gone. “I’m sorry about her. She’s a bitchy drunk.”

“It’s true though.” I felt my old insecurities creep back in as I looked down. “I’m nothing like her.”

He tipped my chin up so I was looking at him. “That part is true. You’re nothing like her...and that’s why I love you. You’re perfectly you.”

“Do you want to dance or head upstairs?” I asked.

“Let’s find your friends and hang out for a few more minutes.” He kissed my forehead. “Then I’m taking you to our room.”

~**~

We walked into a beautiful room that had many amenities like a flat screen TV, designer toiletries and a beautiful city view but my eyes zeroed in on the large, king size bed in the middle of the room.

Logan walked me to the side of the bed and took off his jacket. He looked sexy in the slim tux but I was anxious to see how sexy he looked out of it. He’d felt my body but hadn’t actually seen it and I couldn’t even say that. I had only explored Logan’s body over his pants so this was going to be
a night of many firsts. Firsts I was eager to get past so we could get to the seconds.

Standing awkwardly beside the bed, I watched as Logan hung up his coat then undid the buttons of his shirt. He pulled off his
dress shirt and tie and hung them up too. In only his undershirt and pants, he walked back to me.