AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I will, Logan.” I ball my hands, stopping myself from reaching for him.
This night is our goodbye. After the separation, we might become strangers. People change over time, and I hope not to be alienated from my children. I might come back to find him making a life with someone else. So, I make my decision, fully knowing the consequences.
Can I live with myself, knowing I gave them away? Can my heart live this pain of never being close to them, or that they might be calling a different woman their mother?
I squeeze my hands into tight fists, my nails digging int
o the flesh as I try to hold back the pain I feel inside. There are hard choices to make and lies to craft in order to protect the ones I love. One year is a fair deal to get my life in order. If I’m not capable of doing it, then I have no business being in theirs.
Tonight, the web will be woven, and oaths will be exchanged before I grant him all he wants, and I take everything he has to give. We’re both about to go into the battle—I just don’t know if I will survive his fire.
~Logan~
I watched her all the way back home. Something is cooking in her head and it might be a problem. The detachment is alerting me to something I can’t yet understand. She will either fight me, or she has some sort of plan that will be hell to deal with.
Knowing my Angel, I am banking on option number two. She’s made up her mind, and I will have a fight on my hands. Except, I won’t yield until I have all bases covered.
Let’s see how good my mouse will do in the battlefield of wills.
~Cassandra~
At home, we take our twins upstairs and get ready them for a bath. As the big bathtub fills up with water, Logan plays with Liane and Leon on the carpet in their room. I look for their pajamas and bring their bath toys to the bathroom.
“…the duckling was crying for his Mummy as Owl tried to make him feel better…” My eyes fill up with tears as I commit this lovely memory to my mind.
Liane’s face is full of wonder as Daddy’s voice mesmerizes her, and Leon strains to see the pictures, holding the book down with his chubby hands. I silently sit next to them and brush back the hair falling into his eyes.
This man changed my life, and he will never know how precious he is to me. I will take this secret to the grave. Not able to deny it, I softly kiss his lips, then stand and take little Liana to the bath, leaving both boys behind. Not for long, though, as they join us moments later.
We place them in the bathtub, then sit on the floor and let them play. The tension between us rises, and my breathing becomes erratic with the promise of battle. I refuse to look at him, wanting to establish my ground for negotiations, but an invisible string pulls my gaze to meet his. The radiating heat of him is teasing, taunting, and seducing with wild promise.
My blood heats up, but I raise my head. Bring it on! My nostrils flare with anticipation. His gaze falls on my décolleté shirt, and he watches my cleavage rise and fall. I grin—this game can be played by two. Logan laughs, excitement coloring his features.
After we settle the kids to sleep, Logan lights up the fireplace in the living room and I bring in the wine, along with a few treats.
“Want to take a seat?” His self-assured stance makes my hair rise. Logan passes me a glass of wine, watching me like he’s already captured me.
“To the most delicate pleasures in life.” It might be enjoyable to be around a tipsy Logan, and my lips tug into a secret smile.
The arrogant man is trying to seduce me with his gaze full of promises. I swallow my desire, hungry for the taste. Dammit, think woman, he’s playing unfairly.
“I thought about your deal,” I say, and he squirms in anticipation. “I don’t think that sleeping with you or living together can be healthy for our relationship.”
He exhales, clearly disappointed, which has me hiding my smile behind the glass of sweet fruity wine as I wait for his argument. Logan analyzes me, looking for any way in, but we both wear our own masks and it will be a challenging feat to win. I know one thing—he has the power to strip me bare if I allow him. But I have a chance to throw him off his game.
This actually makes me excited. I grin, caressing his frame. Carved planes. Leashed power. Delicious scent. Mmmm. Wild need. Restrained.
“You want to renegotiate the deal?”
I’m looking for something I could use to draw him in. “Logan, I can’t get involved with you after today’s events. There is too much at stake.” A cold shiver runs down my spine, dissolving the heat.
“How about we try to change it so you don’t feel like we’re entering into some sort of commitment you’re not ready to make?”
“What do you propose?” I’m curious where he is going.
“Give me one night, and I will give you space and time, up to one year, to heal without giving up your heart to me.” I watch him not getting the drift of this.
“To me, this deal sounds the same as the previous one.”
