9

My thigh was killing me, and it was all Jamie's fault. That was the last time I would listen to him. I'd done everything he said. He'd talked me into dressing up this way—although I couldn't gripe about the corset, since I loved it—to impress Logan, who hadn't looked at me once all night. Jamie had convinced me to smile on cue, but I hadn't felt like it once, and the longer I kept it up, the more my jaw ached. My irritability had almost reached catastrophic levels. And a catastrophe was exactly what would have happened had I stayed in the room, so I'd slipped out the first chance I got.

What better time to make a getaway than when Logan was too busy accepting his award to notice me? Not that that was a problem. He hadn't noticed me at all.

I limped to the hotel's bar, which was almost empty. In hindsight, I shouldn't have danced as much as I had. I never danced, and I'd felt odd the whole damn time, but I'd endured it because Jamie said if Logan cared even a bit about me, he wouldn't like to see me with another man.

Wrong.

Again.

Jamie always came across as smart, but he was as clueless as me about men. How had he even landed a biker like Grimm? I acted myself, and that wasn't enough for Dr. Collier. I acted like the boys, and that still did nothing for him. But he'd clearly said he was attracted to me, so why was he being so standoffish? Or had he said that to spare my ego?

The bartender, a tall man with a neat beard and sharp eyes, shot me a sympathetic look. "Rough night?"

"Something like that." I hoisted myself onto one of the high bar stools. The pain in my thigh shot up farther, and I winced. A stain had appeared in the dark material of the slacks. Yup, I overdid the dancing and tore my stitches. I probably should go to the ER, but I'd had enough of hospital visits that didn't amount to anything. I wasn't likely to bleed out to death.

"What can I get you to drink?" he asked.

"Whiskey sour," I snapped, a little more roughly than I'd meant to, but my mood was as black as my soul. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The bartender placed my drink in front of me. "It's none of my business, but you look like you're in pain. Anything I can get you?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"You sure?"

Something about the way he was staring at me… was the way I wanted Logan to see me. Was this guy interested in me? Only one way to find out. I downed the drink for courage and raised my chin. "What would you say if I asked you to take me home with you tonight?"

"Well, I couldn't."

Damn. I'd misread another signal. Why was I terrible at this?

"Because my wife's home, but I can take you somewhere else."

"Where?"

"There's a motel just down the street." He checked his watch. "In fact, I get off in half an hour. Can you wait that long?" He refilled my drink without me asking. "It's on the house."

"Maybe. Tell me what you'd do to me first, so I'll see if it's worth it."

His gaze shifted around us. He leaned in closer so inches separated us. "Depends. Are you a bottom or a top?"

I bit the insides of my cheeks. If Logan had asked, I would have said bottom in a heartbeat, but I couldn't see me spreading myself open for this asshole.

"What answer are you looking for?"

"Maybe we can flip-fuck. With the old lady home, it's been a while since someone fucked me, but I wouldn't want to miss the chance to get off on your ass either. You're too pretty."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Too bad you'll have no option but to miss it."

I snapped my head around, and my chest swelled. "Logan? What are you doing here?"

He scowled, his piercing eyes filled with a rage I'd never seen, but it wasn't directed at me. He was glaring at the bartender.

Interesting.

Fucking hell. Could Jamie have been right? Maybe he did know a thing or two after all.

"Is it a habit of yours to ply someone who's not old enough to drink with liquor and then take liberties with them?" Logan growled at the bartender. "Your manager will hear from me." He placed a hand on my arm. "Bloom, let's go."

Everything inside me was screaming to go with him, but I struggled against my instinct to do whatever he said. Why did he get to dictate the terms of our relationship? He acted like he cared about me, then pushed me away.

I shook off his hand. "I'm not going anywhere with you. Mike here and I were just talking about him rearranging my insides tonight."

"My name isn't—"

"Do you want to fuck me or not?" I blurted out before the bartender could jinx everything.

"I don't know, man." He eyed Logan uneasily. "This guy looks mad enough to beat me to a pulp. He your husband or something?"

Now, why did he have to put that image in my head? I liked the idea of being Logan's husband way too much. Bloom Collier. I would finally have a last name.

"He's just a doctor. What is he going to do to you?"

"I know every single bone in your body that I can break," Logan said calmly. "And I can do it in a way that you won't die or bleed out. You'd just wish you were dead."

My mouth fell open, and my dick hardened. Whoa! Where had this side of him come from? I loved it. I wanted it. "Logan," I moaned.

"Yeah, I'm not into whatever the hell this is." The bartender walked away, foiling my plans.

"Bloom, are you coming or not?"

Dammit, where was Jamie to tell me what to do next? He'd only talked to me about getting Logan's attention, not what to do after I had said attention on me.

"Why should I go with you? The last time I saw you, you said you didn't want to see me anymore."

"I'm this close to spanking you." Logan held up his thumb and forefinger with barely any space between them. "Let's go."

"All right. I'm coming." I hopped off the chair, and my bad leg folded from beneath me. Logan caught me. The anger on his face dissipated, replaced by concern. "You're favoring your leg. Did you aggravate the wound?" He touched the area gently, then pulled his hand back. "You're bleeding."

I grimaced, leaning forward to rest my forehead on his chest. "I think I popped the stitches tonight, dancing with that jerk."

"If he's a jerk, why did you dance with him?" Logan hoisted me up in his arms carefully.

I stiffened. "What are you doing?"

"Carrying you to my car. What do you think?"

"It's…"

"It's what?"

Mortifying to be carried like a damsel in distress. But I didn't want him to let me go, so I put a sock in it and held on to him. Logan didn't return to the room where the hospital event was happening but strode across the lobby, not sparing anyone a glance.

The doorman opened the door for us. "Good night, Dr. Collier."

Logan grunted in acknowledgment and carried me into the cool night air. "You didn't answer my question."

"What question?"

"Why did you dance with Price if he's such a jerk?"

"Jamie said if you cared about me, it would make you jealous."

"I knew it," he whispered. "What did you do? Run to Jamie for help?"

"I didn't! He offered to help me because he knows how I feel about you."

"Well, I hope it was worth it. Reopening your wound just to drive me up the wall watching you dance with Price."

I touched the side of Logan's face and threaded my fingers through his hair. "You mean it worked? You were jealous over me?" He kept silent, but that was all the answer I needed. I tightened my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder. "You're not the only one frustrated by this, you know."

"What do you mean?" He stopped at a sleek black sedan and gently placed me on my feet.

"Ask me to kill a man, and I can do it with my bare hands."

"Bloom, that's not something you should tell me."

"I trust you."

"You shouldn't."

"But I do anyway." I heaved a heavy sigh. "That's what I mean. I wish I could turn this all off and walk away. You think I ever thought one day I'd be ass up for any man? I'd stick a man with a knife before he puts his cock inside me. I'd bite it off before sucking on it willingly, but why am I not repulsed when I think of taking you into my mouth? Why do I think about pleasing you in bed so you never look at anyone else but me?"

The lock of the car released, but Logan didn't move. "Is that why I overheard you making plans with that son of a bitch to have him fuck you? What are you grinning about?"

I pushed myself up to full height and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "I wasn't actually going to sleep with him. You never have to worry about that. If it's not you, I'll die a virgin."

"Bloom—"

"It's true. No way would I let him stick me with that thing. Besides, he was married, and I find it disgusting for a married man to sleep with someone else. If he were my man—"

"But he's not!"

"Well, if he were, and I found out he was cheating—"

"Let me guess. You'd cut off his dick."

"Nothing so drastic. I'd cut his balls off and keep them on the nightstand so he would not forget it. And if he cheats again, I'll cut off his dick. That way, I know where it is at all times."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Of course. You already know I ain't too rational, so never test me that way. I'd hate to see your balls detached. I bet they're beautiful balls."

"Now you're threatening me?" Logan opened the door and took my arm. "Sit slowly. When we get home, I'll see how much damage you've done."

Home? As in his home? Or the clubhouse? I shifted around in my seat when he closed his door.

"Where are we going?"

"Put your seat belt on, Bloom. Safety first."

I snorted. "What would you say if you saw me riding without my helmet?"

He reached around me and locked the seat belt into place. I couldn't resist. I kissed his cheek again, except he raised his head, and our lips grazed. The world seemed to stand still. In the dimly lit car, I saw the shock registering on Logan's face. The air between us was electric, filled with unspoken words and raw emotion.

"Did you just… on the mouth?"

"Yes." The heat of a blush crept up my cheeks. Would he let me if I kissed him again? "I guess I did."

Screw it!

I grabbed both hands full of his hair and pulled him into me, slanting our lips together. My heart thumped erratically, and I opened my eyes. His lips remained stiff for a moment, but then Logan groaned and captured my lips, doing things with his tongue inside my mouth that left me breathless and my nipples and cock hard. I didn't know what to do, so I mimicked him, thrusting my tongue into his mouth. A guttural sound rumbled in his chest, and his lips became even more demanding until my lungs ran out of air.

I didn't need air, did I?

Oh fuck, I did.

I released my hold on him, pulled back, and dragged in painful lungfuls of air. He closed his eyes, his face contorted as though he was in pain.

"Logan—"

"I need a minute."

"Why?"

"Because if I don't take a minute, Bloom, my cock will be inside you, which is not what I want."

I squeezed my cheeks at the throbbing ache that centered in that region. "Do it."

He rocked back into his seat. "Your leg's injured—"

"I don't care if I bleed."

"But I do."

"I don't—"

"Be a good boy and stay quiet so I can think."

"Only if you tell me what you have to think about."

"What do you expect, Bloom? I have to rethink my entire stance with you because I can't get you out of my head, no matter how much I try. Now shush."

I clamped my lips together, inspired by his words to be good for him. Only him. I placed a hand on his thigh because I craved touching him. When he didn't push me away, I relaxed, watching the glow of neon signs and streetlamps go by. When he turned on the street leading to his house, butterflies took off in my stomach. I already knew where he lived and had even passed by his house a few times, but I'd never wanted to cross that boundary that would make him shove me away even more, so I'd always stayed out of sight.

As we approached his secluded property, the automatic gates opened, and he slowly drove along the driveway. A flood of lights came on, illuminating the two-story mansion and casting long shadows around the well-manicured grounds. I didn't get to see much before he drove into the garage.

"Don't move," he said. "I'll come around and help you."

He switched off the engine and rushed around the car. With a hand under my elbow, he helped me to stand. He slammed the door shut. Then I was back in his arms.

"I think I'm getting used to this."

Logan chuckled briefly, seemed to realize it, and fell silent. "Look away."

I rolled my eyes and pretended to keep my eyes averted while memorizing his security code when he punched it in. His house smelled faintly of apple-scented disinfectant. A short hallway led us past a kitchen, where everything sparkled from the kitchen cabinets to the expensive-looking chandelier hanging above a marble island. But without any personal effects, the place didn't feel as if someone lived there.

Having lived with loud, foul-mouthed, messy bikers all my life, I was used to chaos and clutter. This immaculate environment, free from the grit of reality, left me feeling oddly displaced and reminded me of how different we were. Why did I think I could fit into his world? The state didn't even have any record of my birth. To the country, I didn't exist.

We passed an expansive living area that was as perfect as the kitchen. A TV larger than any I'd ever seen was mounted on the wall. Sleek champagne-colored leather couches were arranged around a glass coffee table.

We ascended the stairs to the second floor. A long hallway lined with closed doors on either side greeted us. We took the right, and he opened the first door, revealing a neat bedroom. The bed was piled with a comforter and throw pillows. A large mirror occupied one wall, while another led to a walk-in closet. Another door to the left was closed. The gray carpet on the floor was better than where I'd slept for the first years of my life.

But like the kitchen, this room was devoid of personal touches. No photos or mementos. My bedroom at the clubhouse was not as grand as this one, but I collected stuff to display, especially scented candles and colorful stones.

"This is the guest bedroom."

"Guest bedroom? What are we doing here?"

"Cleaning you up. Let's get you into the bathroom."

The bathroom was as pristine and uncluttered as the rest of the house, with sleek black tiles adorning the floors and walls, and a bathtub big enough for three people in one corner.

Logan set me down on the toilet. "I'll go for my medical kit. Take your clothes off."

He was out of the bathroom before I could ask if he meant just my pants. With a grin, I stripped down. When he walked back in, he stopped short when he saw me sitting on the marble countertop wearing not a stitch of clothes on.

His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he swept his gaze over my tattooed chest, my body piercings, my half-hard cock. He pressed his lips together and glanced away. Disappointed, I folded my hands over my lap.

"Remove your hands," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"You want me to see all of you naked. Why bother to cover up now? Remove your hands."

Slowly I pulled my hands away and clutched the edge of the sink, revealing my cock. My knuckles whitened as Logan placed a medical bag next to me. He slipped on disposable gloves with the practiced snap of latex. He took my leg in hand, examining the wound with a focused gaze.

His jaw tightened, but he remained silent. He pulled out sterile gauze, saline solution, and a suture kit. Logan soaked the gauze in the saline solution and cleaned the blood and the wound, his touch gentle yet precise. The cool liquid stung a bit, but I gritted my teeth and fixed my attention on the tiled pattern on the floor.

I've been through worse pain. I can handle this.

Once the area was clean, he prepared the needle and thread with a concentration I admired. I focused on his face, his thick, furrowed brows, the firm set of his jaw, his lips pressed together in a thin line. He worked quickly, his movements sure and steady.

"There, all set." Logan peeled off his gloves. "Let's hope it leaves minimal scarring."

"Is that why you seem upset? Because I'll have a scar? I don't know how important that is, given my back's full of scars. Sure, they're faded and covered up by tattoos, but they're still there."

Logan cupped my cheek. "That's not why I am upset."

"Then what is it?"

"You're reckless and don't give any thought to your well-being. If you hadn't tried to make me jealous by using Price tonight, you wouldn't have reopened your wound."

"You don't get it, Logan."

"What don't I get?"

"I was born in pain and experienced it during most of my childhood. Sure, I've repressed the memories because if I think about them, the darkness inside will be even worse, but I haven't forgotten. Not them pushing my head into a bucket of water until I couldn't breathe. Not them putting me in a ring with a starved dog to fight it for scraps." The memories, as vicious and biting as that starved dog, tore into me. Darkness edged around my vision, threatening to take over.

"I'm sorry you had to experience that, Bloom."

Logan's voice pulled me back from the brink. His hand against my cheek was warm and grounding. Was this what I'd always sensed in him that attracted me to him? That he could ground me? I might have chosen him on a whim because of how authoritative he'd seemed when we first met, but he'd shown me kindness.

"None of that pain would be as bad as not being with you."

He sighed and kissed my nose. "You're a puzzle I haven't figured out yet. I can't promise you anything, Bloom. It's not that I don't want to. It's that I…can't. I refuse to lie to you. My whole life is already a goddamn lie."

"What do you mean?"

Logan shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You should take some pain medication, then go to bed."

"I don't have a curfew. I'm an adult."

"Well, I'm giving you one."

I bit my bottom lip and pointed at my erection. It wouldn't hurt to ask. "Can you at least take care of that?"

He stared at me so long I thought he would turn me down for sure. But he dipped his head and took the tip of my cock into his mouth. Nothing could have prepared me for the slide of soft lips over my skin, the warm wetness of his tongue licking me. I gasped and dug my fingers into his hair.

"Logan," I gasped.

Oh fuck. No one had told me having my dick sucked would feel this good. Logan gobbled me down to the back of his throat, and I thrust into his mouth. He held on to my hips, forcing me to keep steady and accept the magic he was doing with his mouth. His tongue made unpredictable patterns along my length that had me writhing beneath him. In response, he hummed, the vibration sending fresh jolts of pleasure through me.

"Logan," I groaned, shuddering under the attention. He didn't slow down or give me a chance to catch my breath. Instead, he continued his exploration, each movement pushing me closer to the edge.

My muscles coiled tighter. Cries of satisfaction spilled from my lips as he worked his lips harder, faster, sucking with his cheeks. He looked up at me with piercing eyes. The sight of him swallowing my dick was the final straw. My body tensed as a current, more powerful than anything I'd ever felt, rippled through me. I leaned back against the vanity, panting heavily as wave after wave washed through me. A light, feathery touch ghosted across my hole. Logan rubbed me there, where no one had ever touched me, and I wanted more. Wanted his fingers inside me. Wanted his cock in me. I wanted his everything in me.

Slowly I came down from my high, my eyes drifting shut, even as I fought to keep them open.

"Is it too much to hope that will be enough for you?" He kissed my forehead.

I hugged him loosely, letting my head fall where it belonged, against his chest. "Are you kidding me? I own your mouth now, but I'll give you a break if you let me sleep in your bed tonight."

Logan picked me up. "When are you going to learn, Bloom? With me, you don't call the shots. I'm in charge."

A smile danced across my lips. Did he think that scared me? If mind-blowing orgasms like I'd just experienced were my reward for him being in charge, I would follow him on all fours with a leash around my neck.