Page 61 of Living at 40

“I think we might be a little late for that,” he teases, returning his mouth to my jaw.

“Long-distance is difficult. I don’t want to put pressure on you, on us.”

“Ask me,” he whispers as he nears my ear, nipping at the lobe.

“Ask you?” I question.

“Ask me to make a baby with you. Ask me to keep having sex with you. Ask me to fill you with babies, Autumn, and I will.”

“Logan,” I groan, uncertain if it’s his commands or his nibbling down the side of my neck that make me shudder. Quickly, his mouth covers mine, kissing me like a man hungry and needy. No, not needy but wanting me.

“How will this work?” I finally ask, feeling like I’m dropping a sledgehammer on our reunion.

“We’ll work it out. It’s going to involve some creative scheduling, but I want this. I want us.”

The words bring on the biggest smile. It’s everything I want to hear, and the weight of concern along with the reality of not becoming pregnant lifts a little.

“I want us, too,” I tell him. His mouth returns to mine, tender and sweet, slowing our pace. Then he pulls back. His hand continues to roam my stomach, slipping to my side.

“What the hell are you wearing?” He softly chuckles, shifting to eye my unseasonal coat. He grunts, and I giggle as he works it off me. My fingers find his tie and begin to unknot it, tugging it loose before simply pulling it over his head. Next, I unbutton a few buttons on his dress shirt, but while my fingers work, my thoughts race. His job. My café. His place. My place. His daughter.

“Where is Lorna?”

Logan bitterly chuckles, swiping a hand through his hair as I tug his shirt free of his pants. “Funny you should mention Lorna. The day I came home, Chloe hit me with a whammy. She wants to move to France and take Lorna with her.”

“What?” I snap, lowering my hands to the warmth of his back. He works at kicking off his shoes while he balances over me.

“When I dropped Lorna off, Chloe laid it on me that her boyfriend asked her to move with him to France. Her boyfriend, not fiancé, not husband. This could be a dead-end relationship, and she wants to move to France with our child.”

Dead-end relationship. I’ve hit plenty of dead ends in the relationship department, so I’m an expert in knowing sometimes things don’t last forever. Look at Ben and Anna. They could have had forever, but their forever will be cut short, only proving my point. Even Logan and I aren’t guaranteed, but I’d like to see where we go. As if reading my thoughts, he speaks.

“I don’t know where we’ll go, but I know I’ll always kick myself if we don’t continue. If we don’t try.”

Chewing at my lower lip, I slowly nod as my fingers trace over his spine.

“I’m so sorry this is happening with Lorna. What are you going to do?”

“I called Zack. I don’t want to take legal action against Chloe. We’ve never been that cutthroat with one another, but she can’t take Lorna from me. She’s all I have.” His hand coasts under my chin and along my throat, tenderly touching me while we discuss such an upsetting subject.

You have me, I want to say to him, but he needs to think about his daughter. She’s a part of him, and I can’t imagine him giving her up.

“I shouldn’t be here,” I whisper, torn between the thrill of his touch and the ache in my heart for his daughter. “You need to take care of Lorna.”

“I will take care of her.” His brows pinch. “But right now, I want to take care of you.”

He’s sweet, and guilt peppers my heart.

“We should reconsider unprotected sex. Now isn’t the time to get pregnant.”

“Why not?” His eyes leap to mine. His hand stills on my chest, smoothing over my T-shirt but not reaching a breast.

“Because you live here. Lorna’s here. Your job is here. Your home is here.”

“If Chloe gets away with taking Lorna, I’ll have nothing tying me to this city.” His voice is laced with acid, and I’m frustrated for him. I don’t want him to lose his daughter. I don’t want him to give up his job or his home. He’s vested here.

“Chloe isn’t going to take Lorna away from you,” I state, hoping to reassure him and keep a good vibe out in the universe that this loving father will not lose his daughter.

“Damn right she’s not.”