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Elizabeth’s gaze flitted between him, Logan and the bag before settling on Logan, her eyes shining. “Should I be scared?” she asked, with a smile.
Logan laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “Depends,” he said, as he opened her car door and watched as she seated herself. He reached across to fasten her belt before straightening. “I believe you will adore it when you are a good girl,” he said.
Even from his place outside the car, Harry could see the young woman’s eyes dilate in pleasure at the thought of what Logan might do to her.
Logan wasn’t yet done apprising the bag’s contents. “And come to dread it when you are a naughty girl.”
Elizabeth’s shudder was visible as was her smile. “May I see it now?” she asked. When Logan gently shook his head and popped open the trunk, she groaned. “You know, Sir,” she said with a mock glare, “anticipation can kill a girl.”
Logan chuckled and after putting the bag in the trunk, slid behind the wheel. “Or,schatzlein, it can make a girl obedient, so that she will be rewarded,” Logan said, smiling before leaning over and kissing the tip of her nose.
Harry knew he was invisible to the couple as they pulled away. This was the exact reason why he spent such time creating leather implements. The knowledge that the gift would indeed be opened, used, and met with a love/hate relationship filled him with a satisfaction that no amount of coin could ever do. Smiling, he watched the car until the taillights disappeared and then turned and walked back to his studio to begin filling the orders that the woman who’d captured Logan’s heart had requested.
Chapter Nineteen
Despite their intense attraction to each other, the two continued to take it slowly. It was as if they wanted to make sure before taking the more intimate steps. It amused and confused both of them, yet for some reason it just felt right. Logan continued to call, and the two talked for long hours. They found they had the same beliefs in so many areas and agreed to disagree on some they both held strong views that opposed the other.
They went to dinner and out to movies, the museum and took the trip to Galveston. They sat at a table in the old-fashioned soda shop in a historical part of old downtown known as The Strand, drinking thick strawberry milkshakes and watching an older gentleman demonstrate how salt-water taffy was made. They laughed as they watched tourists and children reach out to try to catch the freshly pulled taffy, wrapped in twists of wax paper and tossed into the crowd. By the time they were driving home, Elizabeth had a ridiculously huge bag of the candy in her lap.
The feeling of Logan’s hand either on her back or entwined with hers became something that Elizabeth deeply craved. She had never felt so centered, so connected with anyone before. She shared her feelings with Nancy and Jason, who both commented on how very happy they were watching her blossom before their eyes.
Their latest project was finally completed. The playroom was a truly beautiful space, full of light from the two newly installed skylights. Garrett, Logan and Jason were all invited to the unveiling. Helen walked about the room, running her hand over all the furniture, smiling at the very romantic old-fashioned chaise lounge that Nancy had found on one of her antique junkets. Nancy had it reupholstered in a deep sapphire blue, the color that they had decided to use as accents around the room. Elizabeth had a brief concern that perhaps Logan would be uncomfortable seeing his parents in such a space, but her concern proved to be totally unnecessary.
Helen stood with her husband as Elizabeth removed the black velvet cloth that hung on the wall. Benjamin’s arms tightened around his wife as her gasp was accompanied by those of the others witnessing the unveiling.
The painting depicted Helen kneeling before a crackling fire, her profile to the viewer. She wore a simple, almost transparent gown that sparked the imagination while effectively shielding her body from view. Her head was thrown back, her arms behind her back. In front of her stood Benjamin, his eyes focused on the woman he loved as she offered herself to him. He held the Infinity collar in his palms, the diamonds unclasped, a single deep green emerald showing how the necklace would latch the moment he placed it around the slender neck of the kneeling woman.
Though there was nothing explicit about the painting, it was very erotic. Elizabeth’s goal had been to paint a memory that was deeply meaningful to the couple. They could look at the painting and remember the exact moment they had stepped into the deeply committed lifestyle they shared so intimately.
Elizabeth gazed at them as they stood, their arms around each other, tears in their eyes and knew that no matter how old they grew, this painting would allow them to be ageless in their love for each other.
Logan took the cloth from her hands and took her in his arms. “You couldn’t have given them a more perfect gift.” He kissed her and then as if sensing he needed to lighten the moment, addressed his parents. “Now that you have the absolutely perfect room to play, I suppose you’ll be wanting a refund of your membership fees?”
Ben’s laugh and Helen’s and Nancy’s giggles allowed the atmosphere to clear of the deep emotional pull.
They all enjoyed another meal together; this time everyone was relaxed and the conversation flowed easily. The younger people left early, knowing that there was a room upstairs that needed to be explored in privacy.
Later in the week, Logan invited Elizabeth to attend a popular Broadway show the following weekend. Also attending would be his parents, along with Garrett and Ariel. Elizabeth was just the tiniest bit nervous as it would be her first encounter in a dating situation with Logan and his parents. She found she was also quite anxious to meet his youngest sister.
“Are Garrett and Ariel going as friends or as a couple?” she asked.
“Definitely a couple. Hell, I think they’ve been a couple since the moment Garrett set eyes on her.”
“That’s so sweet.”
Logan nodded. “I think my folks always hoped they’d get together. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did get married.” He chuckled. “How much you want to bet they’ll have a beach wedding?”
“I’m not betting against it,” she said. “I’m the one who painted that funny little fish and the beautiful mermaid, remember?”
Logan laughed. “I remember.” He’d told her how he’d been drawn back to childhood when he found the small tiger representing him in the mosaic.
As she began preparing for the following workday, she had a soft smile on her face, remembering how he had ended the call.
“Perhaps I’ll take a page from Jason’s book,” he had said, his voice seeming to drop deeper. When she asked what he meant, he had simply chuckled. “Anticipation, my dear,” he said, and paused. “The game is in the name. Talk to you tomorrow.”
The game is in the name.
She considered his clue and then smiled as Jason’s latest game came to mind. As she’d predicted, despite actually winning the bet the couple had made, Nancy had to pay a price. In retribution for being forced to watch over fourteen hours of aliens causing terror all over the universe, afterabductinghis little human, Jason had stripped her naked and spent a great deal of those hours demonstrating the various sexual habits of the alien race. Nancy’s face had turned scarlet as she’d recounted that all those stories of beingprobedreally shouldn’t be ignored.
