* * *
Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day. Fuck. Again Logan raked his hands through his hair as he thought about it. Tess hadn’t mentioned anything . . . He wasn’t sure if he should do anything; they weren’t a real couple. But an agreed-to bargain or not, they were sleeping together. A lot. And mutually enjoying it. And enjoying each other as friends. Not to mention if he didn’t do anything, his mom would be suspicious.
Doing a little something for Tess couldn’t hurt, right? He was surprised to find that he wanted to. Best of all, since she hadn’t brought it up, she likely wasn’t expecting anything. So that would be fun too, to surprise her.
He was out on a work call, on the other side of Red Mountain. He had wood to chop up for the Andersons, but texted her before he could rethink it. Hey there, Long Island Lady. Hoping you don’t have dinner plans for tomorrow night? Then he picked up his axe, swinging with precise movements. He savored the burn in his shoulders, his arms, and the muscles in his back as he took in lungfuls of cold, fresh air and chopped at the logs in the snow.
It was a good workout. He’d just started to break a sweat when his phone buzzed in his pocket. But he set down the axe, curious to see Tess’s answer. She’d responded: I have no plans for tomorrow night, Thor. I was thinking you were just going to come over and try to get me knocked up.
He burst out laughing, then texted back: Can I do that after a nice dinner? It IS Valentine’s Day. If I don’t take my best fake girlfriend out, Mom will be suspicious.
Good point. Yes, dinner would be lovely. She sent a wink emoji, then added, I’ll dress up pretty for you, valentine style. One sexy red dress, coming up.
Oh man, he wrote, his blood racing at the thought. Well then, while you’re at it, consider this my official request for lingerie underneath. If not on Valentine’s, then when?
Request granted. I’m on it.
Best news I’ve heard all day.
You know, we’ll probably have a better Valentine’s Day than most real couples have. No stilted silences, guaranteed sex at the end of the night . . . We win!
He laughed again. Her sense of humor never failed to delight him, and her vibrant personality . . . It had put some light into his life. She brought light to his dark. He was grateful for that. Smiling, he texted back, We SO win.
When he got to her door the next evening, he realized he was more than relaxed, he was almost . . . chipper. Maybe a bounce in his step. He was looking forward to a nice night ahead. It was great to be able to spend Valentine’s Day with a woman who wasn’t expecting anything from him but companionship, a good meal, and hot sex. Not just any woman, but a genuinely amazing woman, one he liked more with each day. Tess was . . . special. A rare gem. He wanted the night to be nice for her. She deserved that.
So when she opened the door and her eyes lit up at his offering, he felt like he’d scored a slam dunk. “Oh, Logan . . .” She smiled brightly as she looked over the enormous bouquet of two dozen red roses. “These are gorgeous.”
“Just like you.” He hadn’t wanted to go the dozen-red-roses route; it seemed too cliché for a woman as classy as Tess. At first, he’d asked the florist to mix together different types of red flowers, but it looked a little odd. So, two dozen roses, then.
He followed her inside as she said over her shoulder, “Let me just put these in water, and then we can go.”
His eyes greedily traveled over the tight red wrap dress that clung to her body. Long sleeves, low V-neck, it accentuated every graceful angle and curve. Falling above the knee, it also showcased her knockout legs down to her red stilettos. He let out a long, low whistle of appreciation. “You . . . that dress. Wow.”
She tossed him a flirty glance and grin. “Glad you like it,” she said before disappearing into the kitchen.
“I love it,” he said, following her, unable to take his eyes off her. “I’ll love it even more later, when I peel you out of it.” His mouth actually watered at the thought. His dress slacks felt too tight.
“Sounds fun to me,” she said with a sensuous grin.
His cock throbbed and he shifted his stance. As she set the bouquet down on the marble-topped kitchen island, he opened his coat and noticed her gaze sweep over him.