wanted to help her relax and then put her to bed. He needed to take care of her and make her feel safe again. He wanted her to be safe from the monsters on the street and from all the men who’d cause her harm. He would protect her with his life if needed, and that urge didn’t feel excessive at all, only natural.
He washed her, dried her off and put her in one of his t-shirts.
He tucked her into his bed and stroked her hair as she fell asleep. She looked so small and fragile in his bed. An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness came over him. She was special. To him. She’d been nearly, truly, horrifyingly hurt earlier and it scared the hell out of him.
He had never before wanted to protect anyone in his life, with the exception of his brother. That hadn’t turned out so well and he had failed his brother miserably.
He didn’t want to make that mistake twice. He would protect Kristen from the monsters of the world.
But who would protect her from him?
Chapter Six
Kristen’s Turn
Kristen woke up in Logan’s bed and this time he was with her.
He was still asleep. He looked quite angelic with those long lashes that should be on a girl by rights. His skin was so smooth she had to stop from nuzzling him on the forehead.
She wondered what had happened to him in his past to make him the way he was. He could be so violent one moment and so gentle the next. She wasn’t afraid of him, though a part of her thought she should be. He had hurt her last night but he had also taken care of her and healed her. He was the hero and the villain all wrapped together in one package. She didn’t know how to feel about him.
*
Logan woke up to Kristen staring at him. The light was back in her eyes this morning and he was glad. She deserved an explanation and answers but he didn’t quite know what to say to her.
When she laid a hand on his cheek, it’s like something inside him unlocked and he heard himself murmuring everything to her before he even knew what he was doing.
“I’m sorry I lost control last night. I was crazy jealous when you went out with Carlos. I lost it when that bastard attacked you. I couldn’t stand the thought that something might happen to you. This isn’t an excuse for my actions—I was so disgusted with myself—but I want you to know how I feel. You need to know why I’m the way I am.”
She nodded and threaded her fingers through her hair. He sighed.
“I’d only loved one person in my life, my younger brother. He’s dead because I couldn’t protect him.”
Kristen’s lips parted and her fingers clutched at his hair. Tears stung his eyes. Logan gritted his teeth and continued.
“I’d made it a practice to not allow anyone or anything in as a defense mechanism. I let down the one person who needed me and I swore I would never be in that position of responsibility again. Then you come along and I’m lost to you. You make me feel all the things I’d avoided and I truly don’t know what to do. I’m not normal or gentle. I’m hard and there are times in the bedroom I feel like I’ll hurt you because I get carried away. I have always chosen women who didn’t mind the roughness but how can I ask that of you? I haven’t even slept in a bed with a woman before in my life and I didn’t know I could until last night. I couldn’t leave you, Kristen. I’m not sure what you want to do but you should know I care about you and I want you in my life.”
*
Kristen’s chest tightened to see him look so hurt and broken. She burrowed into his chest holding him as close to him as she could.
“I want you, too. But to be with you, I’d have to give up my ideas of love and fidelity and a happily-ever-after. Your sexual leanings do scare me a little, but I’m not sure how mad I can be if I’m enjoying the mixture of pain and pleasure, and I do. . I know I would be
He washed her, dried her off and put her in one of his t-shirts.
He tucked her into his bed and stroked her hair as she fell asleep. She looked so small and fragile in his bed. An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness came over him. She was special. To him. She’d been nearly, truly, horrifyingly hurt earlier and it scared the hell out of him.
He had never before wanted to protect anyone in his life, with the exception of his brother. That hadn’t turned out so well and he had failed his brother miserably.
He didn’t want to make that mistake twice. He would protect Kristen from the monsters of the world.
But who would protect her from him?
Chapter Six
Kristen’s Turn
Kristen woke up in Logan’s bed and this time he was with her.
He was still asleep. He looked quite angelic with those long lashes that should be on a girl by rights. His skin was so smooth she had to stop from nuzzling him on the forehead.
She wondered what had happened to him in his past to make him the way he was. He could be so violent one moment and so gentle the next. She wasn’t afraid of him, though a part of her thought she should be. He had hurt her last night but he had also taken care of her and healed her. He was the hero and the villain all wrapped together in one package. She didn’t know how to feel about him.
*
Logan woke up to Kristen staring at him. The light was back in her eyes this morning and he was glad. She deserved an explanation and answers but he didn’t quite know what to say to her.
When she laid a hand on his cheek, it’s like something inside him unlocked and he heard himself murmuring everything to her before he even knew what he was doing.
“I’m sorry I lost control last night. I was crazy jealous when you went out with Carlos. I lost it when that bastard attacked you. I couldn’t stand the thought that something might happen to you. This isn’t an excuse for my actions—I was so disgusted with myself—but I want you to know how I feel. You need to know why I’m the way I am.”
She nodded and threaded her fingers through her hair. He sighed.
“I’d only loved one person in my life, my younger brother. He’s dead because I couldn’t protect him.”
Kristen’s lips parted and her fingers clutched at his hair. Tears stung his eyes. Logan gritted his teeth and continued.
“I’d made it a practice to not allow anyone or anything in as a defense mechanism. I let down the one person who needed me and I swore I would never be in that position of responsibility again. Then you come along and I’m lost to you. You make me feel all the things I’d avoided and I truly don’t know what to do. I’m not normal or gentle. I’m hard and there are times in the bedroom I feel like I’ll hurt you because I get carried away. I have always chosen women who didn’t mind the roughness but how can I ask that of you? I haven’t even slept in a bed with a woman before in my life and I didn’t know I could until last night. I couldn’t leave you, Kristen. I’m not sure what you want to do but you should know I care about you and I want you in my life.”
*
Kristen’s chest tightened to see him look so hurt and broken. She burrowed into his chest holding him as close to him as she could.
“I want you, too. But to be with you, I’d have to give up my ideas of love and fidelity and a happily-ever-after. Your sexual leanings do scare me a little, but I’m not sure how mad I can be if I’m enjoying the mixture of pain and pleasure, and I do. . I know I would be
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