Rocket (Hell's Handlers MC 5)

“Chloe—”

She held her palm over his mouth as she shook her head. “No. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but don’t speak. Just listen.”

When he nodded, she removed her hand. “I didn’t have a single moment, not even a flicker of panic or unease or discomfort.” She grimaced. “Well except for this rug burn that’s now screaming at me.”

Logan scowled and spun her around. “Shit,” he muttered. “I’ve got something you can put on that to take the sting out.” His lips landed on the sore skin, making her shiver.

“Logan, listen to me, please. This is important.” She turned back to him and placed her hands on his bare chest. “I trust you. Completely. One hundred percent. You and your club. I’ve been shown over and over these past weeks how much they love you and how far they are willing to go to keep your woman safe, happy, and well fed.” She gave him a lopsided smile.

“I admit I had some reservations about your club. But they’re gone. Any lingering doubt was completely obliterated when you and your brothers worked to give Stacy and Rose a second chance at life. I told you I love you, and I mean it. I wanted everything that just happened. In fact, I’m pretty damn proud of myself. Not once did I think about what Lefty did to me. I was just a normal woman who wanted her man desperately. You should be celebrating, not beating yourself up.”

He huffed out a small laugh then hauled her against him for a bone-crushing hug. “Hi, baby,” he said.

Chloe giggled. “Hi. I missed you so much.”

He grunted which she took to mean he missed her just as much.

“Logan?”

Another grunt.

“Are you really okay? You look like shit.”

Silent seconds ticked by. So many, Chloe assumed he wasn’t going to give her more details, but then he said, “Got a little roughed up. Nothing serious.”

Nothing serious. Just a giant gash on his calf.

“You must be exhausted.”

His cheek came down to rest on her head. Chloe reveled in the closeness for a few minutes before pulling away. She refilled his glass then took it and one of his hands. “Come on, Logan. Let’s go to your bed.” She gave him a sheepish smile. “I haven’t been able to sleep in it without you.”

Renewed desire flared in his eyes, and his cock was now semi-hard. He kissed her then squeezed her ass. “Meet you there. Gonna deal with the fire.”

Five minutes later, Logan slipped under the covers next to her. She handed him the Jack Daniels. After swallowing the entire contents in two gulps, he placed the empty glass on the night stand.

They lay facing each other, just absorbing the pleasure of being in the same space. Chloe traced the ink on his chest, and he ran his callused hands over her arms, her back, her ass. The urgency of earlier was gone. Now they were just exploring, reconnecting, and loving.

“Logan?”

A grunt.

“Thank you for keeping your promise. Even though I knew you’d do everything in your power to come back to me, I was so worried about you.”

“I can see that.”

Uh oh. He didn’t sound pleased.

“Uh, what do you mean?”

He traced what had to be a spectacular circle under her eye with the coarse pad of his finger. “When is the last time you slept more than a few hours?”

“Um…” Damn the man for being so observant. “It’s been a few days?”

“Yeah? How many?”

“Uh, sixteen?”

“Shit, Chloe. And have you lost fucking weight?”

Oh boy. “About ten pounds,” she mumbled against his chest.

Logan stilled. “I’m sorry,” he said into her hair.

Well that wasn’t what she’d expected. She peered up at him. “Logan, you have nothing to be sorry for. You had to do this. We already had this discussion.”

He grunted, causing her to smile. They’d probably revisit this a number of times over the next few days. Underneath the quiet growly exterior was a man who protected and cared more deeply than most. He was just cautious with revealing that side of himself.

They fell silent, the steady rise and fall of his chest lulling her into a near sleep state. Just as she was drifting out, Logan’s rumbly voice spoke next to her ear. “Night, baby. Love you, Clo.”

He could tell her that twenty times a day for the rest of her life and she’d never get tired of hearing it. Never grow weary of the surge of ecstasy the phrase created.

“I love you too, Logan.”

He gave her a sweet lingering kiss, then gathered her close. All that remained was for the club to deal with Lefty. Then they could begin to put this part of their lives in the past and move forward. Hopefully together and with his big crazy club family.

“I’m home, baby,” he whispered into her hair. “Won’t leave you like that again. Time to turn your brain off and let me take on all the worries for a while.”