Insider (Exodus End 1)

“Aren’t we getting rather close to the ground?”

They were. He yanked his ripcord, and there was, as always, that brief instant of terror when he wondered if the chute would come out. If it would open. If it would catch. There was something addictive about that feeling too, knowing he might be meeting his maker soon. The wind caught their chute, and their bodies jerked as their acceleration slowed abruptly.

Toni commented on the scenery as they soared back to earth. But Logan’s mind was racing.

What had he done? He’d told her that he loved her. Was he insane? They weren’t ready for this step. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready for this step, but he definitely wasn’t prepared to love her after less than two weeks together. He had to be completely nuts. Or he’d been caught up in the excitement of the free fall. That was all.

They touched down smoothly, their yellow-and-blue-striped parachute drifting past them and settling on the grass. His hands were shaking as he unfastened her harness from his.

“Did you enjoy skydiving?” he asked.

“I loved it!” As soon as the last clip came free, she turned and threw herself into his arms. “That was so much fun. I’m so glad you forced me to jump.”

“I’m stoked that you want to go again.”

“Did you mean what you said?” she asked.

The smile dropped off his face. “Uh.” He shrugged, his heart trying to thud itself through his ribs. “I guess.”

He turned away and started pulling the chute toward himself.

Toni grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her. “Say it to my face,” she demanded. “Tell me while you’re looking at me, while I can see into you and you can see into me.”

His breath caught. Surely it wouldn’t take the courage afforded by a skydiving adrenaline rush every time he told her he loved her.

“I . . .” He took a deep breath, forcing himself not to close his eyes to her. Not to close his heart. “I love you, Toni.”

Her smile could have lit the heavens. “I love you too.”

May 13

He finally said it. He loves me.

Skydiving is awesome.

Sex after skydiving? I have no words.

Toni

May 14

Dear Journal,

The concert in New Orleans was really fun tonight. I got into the audience to record footage. I’m pretty sure my toes will never be the same after being stomped on dozens of times, but I think I finally get it, why every Exodus End show sells out. It’s because when you’re in that audience looking up at them, in total awe of their talent, you don’t feel like you’re just watching. You feel like you’re a part of them.

I’m so in love with their bassist.

In love with the band.

In love with this job.

I hope it never has to end.

Toni

May 15

Dear Journal,

It occurred to me today that I haven’t heard from Susan since that meeting in Denver. I guess that means she’s given up on taking my job. Not that I’d ever move aside for her—this is where I belong.

Tonight I’m putting head cams on all the band members so we can get a first-person perspective of what it’s like onstage. I’m really glad we bought extra cameras for the crew. This is going to be amazing!

Logan and the band are currently at some bar grand opening in downtown Dallas. Apparently it’s a big deal. I probably should have gone, but I’m burned out on promotional events and I know they are too. I’ll go to the after-party tonight, though. I have some new clothes to show off. Not sure how Reagan talked me into that leather corset, but it’s really cute. Jace Seymour’s girlfriend—Aggie—embroidered strawberries all over it. I’m going to wear a jacket with it because my boobs are so out there in that thing, but it’s definitely the most daring article of clothing I’ve ever worn in public.

I’m off to do some work now while I have a rare moment to myself. I have a ton of footage to sort through and will be collecting even more tonight.

Overworked-and-loving-it,

Toni

Thirty

The lounge door slid open, and Toni dropped her phone. She fell to her knees on the carpet, hunting for it.

“What’s going on in here?” Logan asked, grinning at her.

“Just face chatting with my sister.” She’d been caught acting silly, and her face flamed with embarrassment.

“Oh. It sounded like you were watching The Princess Bride.” He entered the room uninvited and settled on the sofa.

“Not watching it. Reading it. It’s Birdie’s favorite book.” Actually, as far as her sister was concerned, it was the only book. And since the road trip from Dallas to Albuquerque was so freaking long, Toni had plenty of time to read it to her.

“There’s a book?”

Toni laughed and picked up her phone, dusting off a few crumbs.

Birdie smiled when her face came back into view. “I thought you was lost.”

“It was a book before it was a movie,” Toni said to Logan. “Don’t you read?”

“All the time. Menus. Road signs. Text messages.”

Toni picked up the used book she’d purchased at a truck stop and shook it at him. “I meant books.”

“Is that Logan?” Birdie asked.

“Yep. He didn’t knock, did he?” Toni turned her phone so that Logan came into view in the corner of the screen.

Birdie beamed. “Hi, Logan! Mom let me use her phone. Now Toni can read to me and I can see her.”

“Awesome. She can read to me too.”

“No, she cannot,” Toni said, her cheeks blazing again. There was no way she was letting Logan see her acting like a complete fool on purpose. He got to see her acting like one accidentally far too often as it was.

“Please, Toni,” Birdie said.

“Please, Toni,” Logan mimicked as he slid a hand up her thigh out of view of the camera. She caught his hand before it disappeared under the leg of her sleep shorts.

“Sit over there.” Toni shoved him so he’d move out of reach. She didn’t want to become an inferno of insatiable need in front of her little sister. After she hung up? Well, that was another matter entirely.

“Only if you promise to read to me.”

Mr. Grabby Hands reached for her boob, and she smacked his hands away.

“Fine!” Toni said. “But you can’t laugh at me.”

“Can I laugh with you?”

“Birdie, it’s time for bed,” Mom said from out of sight on the other end of the line.

“Not yet,” Birdie complained. “Toni is still reading to me.”

“Five minutes.”

“Hurry, Toni!”

Toni wasn’t sure if she could do this in front of Logan. She took a deep breath and said in her best Cheech Marin impression, “My name is Meee-ster Featherface. You keeled my cheeek-ken, prepare to die.”

A strange snorting sound came from Logan’s general direction as he tried to swallow a laugh. No good. He cackled with glee until Toni gave him her death stare, and he stiffened, releasing an occasional snort as he tried to contain his mirth.

“I don’t think that’s how it goes,” he said. “I’ve seen the movie dozens of times.”

“The book is better,” Birdie said wisely.

“I don’t recall a chicken or a Mr. Featherface,” Logan said.

“Mr. Featherface is our rooster,” Birdie said.

“You have a rooster?”

Toni nodded. “They’re kind of necessary on a chicken farm.”

“I still can’t picture you as a chicken farmer,” Logan said, shaking his head at her. “Do you wear overalls?”

She laughed. “On occasion. Actually, Birdie is in charge of the chickens. Isn’t that right, Buttercup?”

“Yep!” The chirp came loudly out of the phone’s speaker.

“So your rooster plays the part of Inigo?” Logan asked.

“Yep. I’m Princess Buttercup and m

y dog Jonesy is Prince Hump-and-stink,” Birdie said. “And Toni is Tozinni.”

Logan lifted his brows at her. “Tozinni?”

“Vizzini, the mad Sicilian,” she clarified. “There aren’t many female characters in the book.”

“Do the funnest part, Tozinni!”

Oh, what the hell. If Logan could handle her many quirks, surely he could tolerate her reinventing parts of a book to keep herself entertained as she reread it for the billionth time.

“Do you know that sound, Highness?” Toni asked with a lisp that rivaled Daffy Duck’s. “It’s the shrieking peels.”

“Shrieking banana peels!” Birdie yelled. “They’re going to attack the princess. Oh help. Help meeeeee!”

“Inconceivable,” Logan said, shaking his head grimly.

Birdie giggled, and Toni couldn’t help but laugh with her.

“Your five minutes are up,” Mom said, taking the phone from Birdie.

“But, Mom . . .”

“I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon, Buttercup,” Toni said.

“We’re going to the dunes tomorrow,” Logan reminded her.

Toni wasn’t sure if she’d like racing dune buggies through the desert, but Logan was keen on getting her involved in all his insane hobbies.

“Make that tomorrow night,” Toni amended, smiling when Birdie’s face came back on screen.

“I miss you so much,” Birdie said, her eyes watery with tears.

Toni blinked back a few tears of her own. “I miss you too. Good night, Buttercup.”

“Good night, Princess,” Logan said. Toni turned the screen in his direction so Birdie could catch his wave.

“Will you be Westley next time?” Birdie asked him. “Please!”

Logan bowed his head graciously. “As you wish.”

Birdie was still grinning when Mom disconnected the call.

“Thanks for humoring her,” Toni said, setting the phone aside. “She’ll love you forever.”

“It’s hard not to love her in return.”

Toni smiled. “I know exactly what you mean.”

“And it’s impossible not to love you.”

Toni’s heart thudded as their eyes met. “I know exactly what you mean,” she whispered.

Logan grinned. “I like this newfound confidence in you.”

“Huh?” It eventually dawned on her that he thought she meant it was impossible not to love her. She still had a hard time accepting that he did, so she wasn’t yet capable of bragging about it. “I meant it’s impossible not to love you.”

He shrugged, looking devilishly irresistible as usual. “Improbable, maybe, but not inconceivable,” he said with a pronounced lisp.

She smacked him in the face with a pillow, and he tackled her to the sofa. He kissed her, chasing all teasing thoughts from her mind and replacing them with X-rated versions. He shifted his hips between her legs, and she could feel him hardening and lengthening through his jeans and her shorts. He pulled her glasses off and set them on the coffee table. He was close enough that his gorgeous face appeared perfectly clear, and for once she was glad for her myopia. It gave her an excuse to make him stay so close she could feel his warm breath against her sensitive lips.

“What are you going to teach me today, sensei?” she asked, as always, ready for a new adventure with her talented instructor.

He threaded his fingers through her hair and stared deeply into her eyes. “I think it’s time you graduated. With honors.”

She grinned. “Mega cum alotta?”

“That sounds appropriate,” he said tersely.

“Or inappropriate,” she teased, but he wasn’t teasing her back.

Her grin faded. He looked far too serious for Logan. She touched his face, and he closed his eyes, pressing his cheek into her palm.

“Is something wrong?”

He shook his head and opened his eyes. She’d never tire of staring into those expressive, soulful blue beauties.

“You’re planning to stick around for a while, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Forever, if you’ll let me.”

He nibbled on her lower lip, sending sparks of pleasure down her throat. Her nipples tightened, suddenly craving his attention.

“Toni, you can’t be my sex student forever,” he said.

“I can’t? Why not?” This sounded like being dumped. Was she about to be dumped? She could not handle being dumped.

“Because we’re in a relationship now.”

She loved that he said it. Loved even more that she knew it to be true. “So?”

“Sometimes I just need to fuck you without a lesson plan.” His fingers tightened in her hair, tugging in a way that she probably shouldn’t find exciting and pleasurable, but did. She couldn’t ignore the way the ache in her scalp made her pussy throb.

“Like now?” she asked.

“No, right now I need to be tender and you need to stop asking so many questions.”

“But what if I don’t know what to do?”

“You’ll know.”

He ground his still-clothed erection into her clit and then shifted his hips so that his cock was massaging her opening through their clothes. She groaned, surprised by how much she wanted him already. How much she always wanted him. She wondered how couples ever left their beds. Would the passion between them always blaze this brightly? God, she hoped so.

She opened her mouth to ask him what he wanted her to do, but snapped it closed again when she remembered he no longer wanted to instruct her. At least not formally. Did he want her to initiate their lovemaking? Or was he just going to drive her nuts by rubbing himself against her so that she was undeniably aware of what she was currently missing thanks to his jeans and her sleep shorts?

She tugged at his shirt impatiently—wanting him naked, wanting to feel the warm skin of his belly against hers and the hairs on his chest to tease her nipples. She wanted him inside her, filling her with slow deep thrusts, staring into her eyes, stroking her hair, stealing deep lingering kisses. Was it strange that with all the adventurous positions they’d tried, missionary was her favorite? She found staring into his eyes beguilingly intimate and while it might not be the best position for her to get off quickly, it was definitely the best position to fulfill her.

Logan stripped his shirt off over his head and tossed it aside. She filled her hands with hot, smooth flesh—his back, shoulders, arms, and chest. She couldn’t get enough of him. Doubted she’d ever