The Long Road Home Read online

  Moving one hand lower, he cupped her bottom, holding her snug as he squirmed just enough to ease pressure off his stump. Too bad clothes impeded his touch. He would love to trace her soft body up and down, discover every single hot spot, gaze upon her naked beauty, and pay homage to her feminine parts with kisses, licks, and suckles. His groin immediately tightened, his cock fast filling with blood.

  Logan bit back a groan. Way to go, soldier. Now he had a throbbing erection to deal with. Unless she woke, then the small ache would be the least of his problems, especially if she discovered his rampant arousal. Think of a definite turn-off. Women in beards, rashes, boobs to the knees…

  "Logan?" Gwen's sleepy voice whispered against his neck.

  "Hmmm?"

  "What time is it?"

  A small grin appeared on his face. "Let's see what your watch says." He unfolded her arm enough to lightly turn her wrist. The sunlight streaming through the window gave enough light to see the small device. "Seven fifteen."

  "Oh." She stretched, then rolled, shoving him onto his back until she settled on top. Folding her arms, she rested her chin on the back of her hands, which covered his chest. "There. Much better."

  Her hips brushed against his awake and interested cock, pushing him from semi-hard to granite in a flash. He sucked in a deep breath, wrapped his arms around her, and savored this new position.

  "Glad I make a good pillow."

  Her hair stuck up on one side while flattened down on the other even as his sweatshirt swallowed her in a mini-dress. Yet despite no makeup and the ruffled appearance, she could outshine the angels with her loveliness.

  "Mmm. You do. Very comfortable." She laid her cheek on his chest and relaxed.

  "You going back to sleep?" He rubbed her back softly with one hand, the other a loose band on her waist.

  "Uh huh."

  He grinned as she proceeded to do just that.

  * * * *

  Gwen woke in lazy delight, soaking in the warmth and comfort of her current position draped over Logan's muscular frame. In all honesty, she should be embarrassed and slide off him immediately, but the position felt simply too good. What prodded her to climb on top earlier, she'd never know, but she had no regrets. Not when she could lay in contentment and peer down upon the face of a man she had developed feelings for years ago. Those same emotions had only resurged and strengthened with her stay the past couple of days.

  His short blond hair stayed in perfect place, probably related to the fact that, with a slowly growing out buzz cut, you couldn't mess up such short spikes easily. While not a classically beautiful face such as a movie star might possess, Logan's features spoke of honesty, hard work, and a rugged handsomeness that snared her attention and stole her breath. A dimple in his chin caught her eye as did the tiny bump at the bridge of his nose, which hinted at an old fracture. Most likely from sports as, she recalled from a short conversation back in their ballroom dancing class, he had enjoyed a lifetime of various athletic games.

  The furnace kicked on. Absently, she realized the room indeed had warmed, to a much more temperate level. The addition of their body heat along with a few blankets made their little nest almost too toasty. Definitely a big improvement over chattering teeth and icicle fingers.

  "Good morning." Blue eyes opened and met her gaze.

  She grinned down at him. "Good morning to you, too. The power's back."

  "Thank goodness. As much as I enjoyed snuggling to keep warm, I'm ready for some hot food."

  "That sounds lovely." His hands roamed her back, stroking and caressing. Gwen bit back a purr at the marvelous sensation. "Mmm."

  "Feel good?"

  "Oh, yeah. You've got wonderful hands."

  He shot her a grin and continued his light massage, moving from her lower back, up to her shoulders in long strokes. "You're the beautiful one. Full of spunk, fun, and quirkiness."

  The compliment sent a hot wave across her face. "I'm just me."

  "And 'just me' is one remarkable woman."

  They stared at one another for a few seconds before one of his hands cupped the back of her head, encouraging her to meet his lips. Unable to look away, she welcomed the moment, gently meshing her lips with his. Soft and tender, he grasped control of the affectionate embrace, tugging her higher on his chest, which positioned her at a better angle for lip-lock. Gwen braced her arms on the bed and threw herself into the kiss. He widened his mouth and licked across her lower lip as if asking entrance. Eagerly, she opened. His tongue delved inside, searching and tasting thoroughly even as his magical hands continued to ply her body with soothing touches. Passion rose between them fast.

  Ring. Ring. Logan's cell phone on the bedside table warbled loudly across the silent room. Gwen startled and pulled back, her wide eyes focused on the man beneath her. "Ummm. I think that's your phone."

  "Yeah."

  The ringtone sounded again, spurring her into action. "Oh, dumb me. You can't answer if I'm sitting on top of you." Carefully climbing off her bedmate, she crawled to the edge of the bed, grabbed the phone and handed it over.

  "Thanks." He smiled. "Hello? Oh, hi, Mom."

  Rolling out of the bed completely, Gwen readjusted her clothes and walked out of the bedroom, intent upon giving Logan privacy for his phone call. Automatically checking her watch, she blinked. Ten am. No way. The morning was all but gone, and she still had to get ready for the long drive home. Catching her reflection in the big windows, she cringed. First things first. A shower. She palmed the key to his sister's apartment and headed directly over.

  Chapter 15

  Logan punched the call off, slipped on his prosthesis, and walked into the living area of the apartment. For a split second, concern rippled over him when he found no sign of Gwen. A quick check found the key to his sister's apartment missing from the kitchen cabinet, answering the mystery. Her suitcase remained over there. Which means she probably decided to go shower, change clothes, then pack up to leave.

  A knot formed in his belly. He knew their time grew short but he found himself in no way prepared for her to simply walk out of his life. Not after the special time they'd shared, especially not after that fiery hot kiss. Hell, if his mother hadn't picked an inopportune time to call, he might still be kissing her breathless as they shucked their clothes. He could almost taste her rosebud nipples, feel her slippery channel as he sank his finger in deep, followed by his thick cock. Thrust fully into her depths until she cried out his name on a wave of rapture.

  Slow down, soldier. He shook his head at his risqué thoughts. While his libido appeared as healthy as ever, he didn't think Gwen would readily jump into a round of hot, heavy, and fast with the stopwatch clicking until his parents arrived. No. She deserved romance, courtship, a slow beautiful seduction. Three hours until his parents walked in the door wasn't near enough. That didn't even take into consideration his disability and whether he could cover her in a missionary position. Hell, for all he knew, he'd be stuck with her riding him. While the thought certainly had merits, he wanted more.

  But when? How? He strode to the bathroom, grabbed a couple of towels from under the sink, and turned the water on in the shower. Once the temperature reached steam-producing levels, he stepped in, still mulling the questions over in his head. Scrubbing away, he worked over his body, then quickly shampooed his hair. By the time he grabbed the conditioner, an inkling of an idea began to rise like cake in an oven.

  She had offered to let him stay with her during the duration of his rehab at Walter Reed. He'd never answered. He would just have to accept her offer and temporarily move in with her during the week. She worked during the day, he would go to therapy. They would have their nights free to learn more about one another, to date, to spend time together, and see if the feelings continued to bloom. Weekends, he could drive back home to see his family, and bring Gwen along for the ride.

  A genuine smile covered his face by the time he stepped from the hot water. This could just work.

  *
* * *

  Gwen finished showering, changed clothes, and collected her suitcase. With one more glance across the room, she locked the door behind her and rapped on Logan's door.

  He answered almost immediately with a grin. "Looks like we had the same idea."

  "Yep." Her breath caught as he stood before her in light gray sweats and a robin's egg blue sweatshirt that matched his twinkling eyes. The logo on the shirt, their old college, only added to the lure of his desirability. A whiff of food jingled her mind away from the prime specimen in front of her and down to her rumbling stomach. "You're cooking?"

  He waved her in, then shut the door behind her. "Yep. I wasn't sure what you'd like, but there's eggs, bacon, and toast."

  "From the homemade bread?" Her mouth began to water already.

  "Definitely." He headed back to the stove, checking on breakfast.

  Setting her belongings down, she followed along, digging out plates, glasses, and silverware for their first hot meal in way too long. She pulled side items from the fridge and cut up the bread into slices to fit in the toaster. By the time she toasted up several pieces, he set a pan filled with scrambled eggs and a plate of crispy bacon on the table.

  Gwen poured orange juice and milk, then sat down. "This looks delicious."

  "Not a Christmas feast, but it'll do." He grinned wide enough to show even white teeth.

  She snatched a piece of bacon and bit off a bite. "More than just do. It's perfect." They both dug in hungrily.

  Gwen sipped her milk. "What time will your parents arrive?" She hated to bring reality back into their winter wonderland, but she needed to make plans. Namely, digging out her car and driving the four hours home before dark fell.

  He shoveled a spoonful of eggs into his mouth and chewed, his expression turned more serious. "Their flight arrives at twelve fifty."

  "Oh." She checked her watch. "Almost eleven now."

  His gaze met hers. "You don't have to go. Maria's apartment will still be available if you don't feel comfortable here."

  She shook her head. "No. I can't. You need time with your parents."

  He lifted his glass of juice and peered over the rim at her. Taking a long drink, he replaced the cup on the table. "Does your offer still stand? Letting me stay with you while I'm in therapy?"

  Her heart skipped a beat. "Yes. I would like nothing more." She held her breath, waiting on his answer.

  "Then I accept."

  Relief and happiness washed over her. She beamed at him. "Great. I've got plenty of room. Besides, it'll be nice to have someone to come home to."

  He matched her grin. "I'll have to call Walter Reed today and get scheduled. I don't know when or how soon…"

  "That's okay. I'm not planning on moving." She sank her teeth into a piece of buttered toast. "You can just let me know."

  "It's a deal." He ate the last bite of eggs.

  She nodded. "A good deal."

  By the time they finished eating, cleaned up the kitchen, loaded the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, the clock struck eleven thirty. She checked the time and cringed. "I've got to get moving since I'm not sure what the road conditions will be like getting from the parking garage to the main highway."

  "At least you won't have to thaw your car out of an igloo since we used the tenant parking garage."

  "Thank goodness for that." She eyed him, curious why he stood in the living room as if he had all day to get ready to go.

  "Are you going to meet them at the airport?"

  "Mom thought it would be too cold, too much of a hassle to go out."

  She met his gaze steadily. "And what do you think and want?"

  He seemed to consider her question for a moment and come to a conclusion. "I want to go to the airport." His chin lifted with determination.

  She shot him a bright, proud smile. "Then get moving. I'll drop you by on my way."

  Gwen tugged on her heavy winter coat and tennis shoes, watching as Logan did the same, except he carefully slipped a hiking boot over the prosthesis, a match to his good foot. Task done, he pulled a black band with shiny silver spikes over each shoe and secured them tightly.

  "What's that?"

  "Shoe spikes. Gives me more traction on the ice."

  "Dang. You Boy Scouts are really prepared for anything."

  He chuckled. "Army Ranger, baby."

  She smiled widely. "A sexy Army Ranger at that." With a giggle, she clutched her suitcase and walked through the door.

  Their luck held as the trek to the car wasn't nearly as treacherous as when they'd arrived since some kind soul had sprinkled rock salt along the sidewalk, which resulted in a partial clearing all the way to the parking garage. The car sat just as they had left it, minus beads of frozen precipitation.

  Gwen skidded a bit on the side street but found the main roads much better, the highway nearly cleared after two straight days of road crews working diligently to remove every puddle and icy patch. She thanked them under her breath.

  Pulling up to the airport terminal, she turned to Logan, her heart on her sleeve. "I'm going to miss you."

  He grinned and leaned in for a savory kiss. "Me, too." Snatching her cell phone from her purse, he quickly entered in his phone number, then repeated the action on his own device. "There you go." He stuffed his phone back into his jacket pocket and met her gaze.

  She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Take it easy."

  "Will do." He leaned in for one more, brief meeting of lips, then sat back and opened his passenger door. "Talk to you soon."

  "I'll be waiting." She watched him stand, gain his balance with a firm grip on the door, then walk into the terminal.

  She sighed with a hint of loneliness, then pulled out of the drop-off lane and headed home.

  Chapter 16

  Logan glanced at the clock, palmed his phone, and punched in a number. She answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

  "Gwen?"

  "Logan! Did your parents make it in okay?"

  He could hear the smile in her voice. The fact she responded so cheerfully to his call sent a warm glow over him. "Yeah, they did. We got home about three hours ago. How about you? Any problems driving home?"

  "Nope. The roads actually improved the farther away from New York. There's still some ice here, but nothing like what you guys had there. My clocks were still right, so I don't think I lost power at all."

  "Good." He had worried about her driving on slick roads for such a distance.

  "So, how's it going with your parents?"

  He read between the lines with her questions. Smart and quick, she deduced his parents hadn't seen his injury and wondered how they would accept his disability. "Okay, I guess. Mom is already fretting over me. Dad is supportive but not saying a whole lot."

  She puffed out a breath of air. "Sounds a bit tense there."

  He shrugged, then realized she couldn't see the gesture. "A little bit, I guess. They're afraid to ask questions, I think. Unsure how to even broach the subject."

  "Have you considered tossing the topic out for discussion?"

  "Not really." Reliving the explosion and talking about his loss sat at the bottom of his conversation list. He much preferred to shove everything to the back of his mind and not dwell on the traumatic event, though sometimes the images snuck back out, especially at night.

  "It might help. I'm sure they're treading lightly, not wanting to say anything that might sound offensive. At the same time, they aren't sure how you'll take their questions or comments."

  He plopped down on his bed and rubbed absently at his thigh. She had a point. As much as he didn't want to talk about it, the tension in the house proved frustrating and annoying. The last thing he wanted to do was regret this time with his parents because of his cowardice in avoiding the subject. Suck it up, soldier.

  He took a deep breath and made a decision. "True. Might as well bite the bullet and get the difficult stuff out of the way."

  "Sounds like a good plan to me. If you get i
t over with, things might settle back down. Heck, if all else fails, I'm sure there's another two dozen cookies hiding in the cookie jar."

  He smiled, remembering how many Christmas cookies they'd baked the first night. Oodles and gobs, definitely. "There was one interesting moment already."

  "Really?"

  "Yep. Mom found the condoms you gave me sitting on the coffee table."

  Gwen gasped in the phone. "Oh, no."

  "Oh, yes. She held them up and asked what kind of friend I had over for the holidays." He chuckled. "You should have seen her face. A combination of horror and relief, I think."

  "What did your father say?"

  "He grinned, slapped me on the back, and said 'way to go, son.'"

  A giggle carried through the line. "Good grief. What they must think, especially since those were extra large and candy cane striped."

  He knew a blush had to cover her face and wished he were there to see it. "Well, Dad was impressed by the size and colors. I swear he pocketed one of them for closer inspection later after I told him they were supposed to be flavored as well."

  "Your mother…?"

  "Asked what in the world you did for a living. I told her you're a condom tester. Her mouth gaped open, and she finally managed words. Dad snickered the whole time."

  "What did she ask?"

  "If she really needed to know why I spent the holiday with a condom tester and had souvenir condoms left over. I told her probably not."

  "Then what happened?"

  "She blushed to the roots of her hair and made a beeline for the kitchen." Another bout of laughter followed as he recalled how his information about the condoms sent his mother scurrying. As nosey as she tended to be, he didn't think anything would surprise her. Obviously, he was wrong.

  "Oh my." Gwen tittered.

  "Uh huh." He waited for her humor to settle. "Oh, the reason I called. Walter Reed wants me to show up Monday morning to get all my registration paperwork done and start with my initial therapy session."

  "That soon? Wow. And here I thought the government worked slower than snail speed."