I cling to him, my fingers fisting in his shirt, letting myself be held by someone I love. Someone who loves me.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs into my hair, one hand cradling the back of my head. “I’ve got you, baby. You’re safe now.”
I nod against his chest, unable to speak past the tightness in my throat.
After a moment, he pulls back just enough to look at me, his hands framing my face. His eyes scan me quickly, cataloging any injuries, and when he sees the bruises already forming on my arm, his jaw tightens with barely contained rage.
“Come on,” he says, his voice carefully controlled. “Let’s get you home.”
He thanks Joyce and Layla for looking out for me—his gratitude genuine despite the tension radiating from his body—then keeps one arm wrapped firmly around me as he leads me to his SUV. Cole follows at a distance, giving us space.
The ride back to the condo is quiet. Logan holds my hand the entire time, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my palm.
Once we’re back, he leads me straight to the bathroom and starts running a hot bath, adding bubbles from the expensive bottle he keeps for me. The scent of lavender fills the air as steam rises from the water.
“Will you join me?” I ask, suddenly desperate not to be alone. Not to be left with my thoughts.
“Of course,” he says without hesitation. He turns to face me, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to my forehead, then cups my face between his hands. “Whatever you need, Tessa. Always.”
We undress slowly, carefully, then slip into the oversized tub together. I settle back against his chest, my body fitting perfectly into the cradle of his. His legs bracket mine, and I rest my head against his shoulder as the hot, soapy water surrounds us.
His fingers move slowly up and down my arms—careful to avoid the bruises—gentle and grounding. Every so often, he presses a kiss to the top of my head, and I can feel his chest rise and fall with each steady breath beneath me.
We sit like that for a while, just breathing, letting the warmth and the quiet and each other wash away the sharp edges of the day.
“Penny’s already scheduled a meeting with the lawyers,” Logan says eventually, his voice soft. “Tomorrow morning. She thinks with the assault charges and the restraining order violation, she can?—”
“Can we talk about that later?” I interrupt gently. “Right now, I just want to forget.”
He goes still for a moment, then his arms tighten around me. “Of course,” he says. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have?—”
“It’s okay,” I say quickly. “I know I’ll have to deal with it. I will deal with it. But not right now.”
“We won’t talk about it again until you’re ready,” he promises, pressing another kiss to my hair.
Right now, I just want to feel good. I want to go back to how I felt this morning—happy, carefree, and safe. I don’t want to feel the despair Preston always leaves behind, the darkness that threatens to swallow me whole.
Logan seems to sense the shift in my mood. He pulls me closer, his body solid and warm behind mine, an anchor in the storm. He kisses the side of my neck, slow and deliberate, then my jaw, then my cheek.
“You don’t have to carry this alone,” he murmurs against my skin.
I close my eyes and focus on the feel of his lips against my skin, on the way my body slowly begins to relax beneath his touch. A soft sigh escapes me as warmth blooms through my chest—not just from the water, but from him.
“Logan,” I whisper, turning my head slightly toward him.
“Yeah, baby?” His voice is low, gentle, as he kisses my cheek again.
I take a breath, letting the request form. “Make me feel.”
“What do you want to feel?” he asks, his lips hovering near my ear.
“I want to feel good,” I breathe, my knees drifting apart beneath the water.
His arms tighten around me, and when he speaks again, his voice has dropped—rough and unmistakably changed, threaded with desire and promise.
“Oh,” he says quietly, his lips brushing the shell of my ear, “I can make you feel good. That’s something I can definitely do.”
His hands move slowly, reverently, starting at my shoulders. His fingers trace the line of my collarbone, then drift lower, skimming over my chest with featherlight touches that make my breath catch.
