An Extraordinary Match (The Match Series Book 3) Read online

  The silence thickened between them.

  “Yeah,” he answered, voice gruff. “I want you in my bed.”

  Chapter Seven

  Logan waited for Jade to bolt. He waited for her sassy comeback. He waited to be told to back the heck off.

  When he couldn’t wait a second longer, he lifted his palm to touch her, cupping her warm, smooth cheek. Then he leaned slowly down, pressing his lips to hers, letting the rush of arousal and satisfaction crest through his body like a wave. His other arm curved around her waist, drawing her close, molding her supple body against his taut muscles.

  He knew he had no right in the world to do this, but he couldn’t stop himself.

  Her lips parted. Her hands fisted in his shirt, while her head tipped back in acceptance. He deepened the kiss, reveling in the heat of her mouth. She moaned, her tongue tangling with his. He buried his fingers in her hair, anchoring her firmly against him, kissing her over and over again.

  She gasped for breath. “This is not good.”

  “This is fantastic.”

  “Oh, my.” She accepted another kiss.

  His palms slipped down her back, coming to the waistband of her blue jeans. He contacted her bare skin, slipping beneath her filmy shirt, sliding upward, loving the heated satin of her skin.

  Her hands slipped beneath his shirt as well, hands roaming, stroking the indentation of his belly, the swell of his pecs. Her fingertips seared him, and desire roared in his ears. He moved to her neck, kissing his way to the crook, then along the curve of her shoulder, pushing her shirt out of the way as he progressed.

  She popped her top button, giving him better access. Then she popped the next. He drew slowly back to watch as she released them one by one. Her shirt parted, revealing her lacy white bra. He pushed the shirt from her shoulders, moved a bra strap, and finished kissing his way to the tip of her shoulder.

  She grasped the hem of his T-shirt, pulling it upward. He ducked his head then shrugged the shirt off. He pulled her against him, skin to skin, letting his hands roam over her back and around to her flat stomach while he drew her lips into deeper and deeper kisses. He flipped the catch of her bra, pulling it from between them, tossing it away.

  “You are so soft,” he whispered. “So incredibly beautiful.”

  She didn’t answer, but her hands stroked his chest, his shoulders, his biceps. She dotted warm, moist kisses on his skin, and he leaned down, inhaling the fragrance of her hair.

  He cupped a hand over her breast, and she gasped, cooling a moist spot on his chest with her breath. He stroked a thumb across the peak of her nipple, and she gave a small moan.

  Her breasts were firm, round, the perfect size for his hand. He couldn’t believe he was caressing her, touching her, holding her so intimately in his arms. But he was impatient for more. He released the button on her jeans. Then he slid down the zipper, brushing the delicate silk of her panties.

  He pushed down her jeans then scooped her up in his arms, leaving her clothing behind as he crossed to the bed. There, he stopped, looking into her eyes in the dim light, forcing himself to be sure.

  “You okay with this?”

  Her green eyes glowed mostly gold as she looked up. “I want you, Logan.”

  He couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips. “I love that you don’t make me guess.”

  “You okay with this?” she asked in return, the barest of smirks on her face.

  His voice was a rumble. “I still want you so bad I can barely breathe.”

  “You can have me this time.”

  He eased himself down on the bed, setting her on his lap, savoring his way from her cheek to her temple then leaning in for a lingering kiss. She kissed him back, stretching up. Then she twisted her body, straddling his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and splaying her fingers into his hairline.

  He reached around her, pulling her forward, snugging her tightly against him. He let his hands roam free, over her hips, along her thighs, around and across her panties. She followed suit, learning the contours of his body, popping the button on his jeans, dragging down the zipper.

  He gasped as she brushed him.

  He flipped her onto her back, stretching beside her on the bed. He kissed her, caressed her, stripped her panties down her legs then kicked off the rest of his clothes. The feeling of her naked in his arms nearly blew his mind, and a single desire urged his body to action.

  Her thighs parted, and she cradled his face, guiding him in for a kiss. He took the invitation, moving on top of her, pressing his body against her and inside her.

  “Logan,” she groaned against his mouth, her hips flexing and her arms wrapping tightly around him.

  “So good,” he managed, as passion overtook every circuit in his brain.

  The world turned into a haze. Jade was heat and scent, taste and sound. He moved steadily, then harder, then faster. Sweat broke out on his body, and time stood completely still.

  When she cried out, he catapulted over the edge. A roar pounded in his ears, while his body slammed fast and hard into oblivion, collapsing on top of her.

  He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, dragging in deep breaths.

  When she flexed beneath him, he quickly braced his weight on his elbows.

  “Am I hurting you?” he asked, worried.

  “No.” There was a smile in her voice. “You’re cooking me. You’re like a blast furnace up there.”

  “Sorry.” He rolled to one side, keeping an arm and a leg draped across her body, because he couldn’t bear to let her completely go.

  She reached for him, tracing a pattern on his damp chest. “Okay. I guess I can sleep in your bed.”

  “Damn straight.”

  They both fell silent, breathing together in the dim room.

  “Tomorrow,” she whispered, leaning in a bit closer, “when they pick us up. It’s probably better to forget any of this ever happened.”

  Logan thought about that. He didn’t like it, but he realized she was right. “Okay,” he agreed. “So, none of it?”

  “None of it.”

  He came up on his side, gazing his way across her honey-toned body. “So, you’re saying, nothing that happens in the next eighteen hours or so counts?”

  “I think it’s better that way, don’t you?”

  “I’m thinking about all the delightful things I can do to you in the next eighteen hours.”

  She cracked a smile. “That’s not what I was getting at.”

  “Maybe not, but the deal is set.” He smoothed back her hair while he scanned her face, swollen lips, flushed cheeks, those amazing golden eyes.

  Her smile faded, and her voice went husky. “What are you going to do?”

  He leaned in closer. “I don’t know for sure. But it starts with kissing you.”

  *

  “This wasn’t what I expected,” Jade called from the front seat of Logan’s canoe.

  He’d made love to her again last night. But this morning she found herself decked out in a windbreaker and life jacket, armed with a paddle and rudimentary canoeing instructions from Logan.

  “You’ll love it,” he answered from the rear seat. “I promise.”

  She couldn’t deny she’d loved everything they’d done to this point. She dug her paddle into the water. “How far are we going?”

  “Across to that beach. See the white line about halfway to the point?”

  “That far?”

  “Don’t be a wimp.”

  “I warned you I’m not very good with my body.”

  “Trust me, lady. You are great with your body.”

  She looked back to give him an eye-roll.

  “It’s not that far,” he said. “I could paddle it by myself.”

  “Really?” She lifted her paddle from the water and pointedly rested it across her knees. “Show me.”

  She felt a poke against her butt, and cold water seeped into her jeans.

  She whirled around. “Hey!”

&nbs
p; He laughed, putting his own paddle back into the water. “Get to work. Hard days, soft nights, remember?”

  “I thought the hard days were supposed to come before the soft nights.”

  “It works both ways.”

  “I don’t like this.” But she started paddling again.

  “You’re going to love it.”

  “I won’t love it just because you tell me to.”

  “You’ll love it because it’s fun, and it’s beautiful. Look at that great sky, and the colors on the mountains, and the glassy water. Breathe the fresh air, Jade. I bet they don’t have that in New York City.”

  She took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll give you that one.”

  A fish jumped out of the water about twenty feet in front of them, its glossy, silver body glinting in the sun.

  “Did you see that?” she asked Logan.

  “It was a trout. When they jump like that, it usually means there’s insect mosquito hatch or the weather’s going to change.”

  “We don’t have mosquitoes in New York City.”

  “Point to you. But I can wear insect repellant. You can’t stop breathing.”

  Another fish jumped.

  “They flash silver in the sun,” said Jade, gaze darting around for another one.

  “You can’t stop paddling every time you see something interesting.”

  “Look.” She pointed to the sky. “Is that an eagle?”

  “It’s a crow. Get paddling.”

  Jade laughed and began to paddle. When her arms got tired, she switched sides as Logan had suggested. He’d told her not to worry about steering, that it was done from the stern. She was simply adding extra horsepower.

  A light breeze was in her face. The air did smell incredibly fresh, and she smiled every time a fish jumped and splashed in front of them. As the sun climbed, she grew warm, getting thirsty.

  “There are water bottles in the cooler,” Logan said, breaking into her thoughts.

  “Am I actually allowed to take a break?”

  “More sass?” he drawled. “You’re a coddled little princess, aren’t you?”

  She set her paddle down inside the canoe and turned on the seat to open the cooler. “I’ll have you know I work fourteen-hour days.”

  “Sitting in an office.”

  “You sit in an airplane.”

  “I also load and unload the airplane. I clean and maintain it, I fill it with fuel, and I pump out the floats.”

  She retrieved a bottle of water. “I sometimes have to reboot.”

  He grinned. “Go ahead and take a rest.”

  “I’m fine.” She was happy to resume paddling.

  “Stay sitting like that. Talk to me.”

  “You want some water?”

  “Not yet.”

  She took in the scene behind him. The cottage looked gorgeous sitting in the high mountain meadow. Its blue roof matched the sky, while the cedar-sided building blended in with the surrounding forest. The fireweed plants had turned vivid red, while the grasses had mellowed to golden.

  “How long have you had the cottage?” she asked.

  “Elroy and I bought the land about ten years ago. It’s fly-in only. There’s no navigable water to this lake. So it was dirt cheap.”

  “You built it all yourselves?”

  “It’s taken ten years to finish. You timed it perfectly. The generator was our final major project. Though we are thinking about expanding the dock.”

  “Are you a workaholic, Logan?”

  “Not even a little bit. We balance work with fly-fishing and beer drinking and grilling really great steaks.”

  “When I stop working, I get antsy.”

  “So what do you do for fun?”

  “I work. Or I study.”

  “You need a hobby.”

  She’d often thought about that. But most hobbies seemed like a waste of time. “You mean like golf or quilting?”

  “Or skydiving, or playing a musical instrument.”

  She took another swallow of the water. “I took piano lessons as a kid. My music teacher wasn’t impressed. All she talked about was how well my sister Dani could play.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I thought your sister’s name was Jillian.”

  “I have two sisters.”

  He didn’t comment.

  “Wait,” she said. “Was that a test? Did you think I was lying?”

  He gave a shrug. “Sorry. It must be a reflex to look for holes in your story.”

  “I have two sisters,” she reiterated. “Jillian’s great. She’s getting married to a motocross racer in Phoenix. Well, he also restores vintage cars. I think he might be rich.”

  “What about Dani?”

  “Dani’s a little high-strung. Don’t get me wrong. I love her dearly, but she’s not exactly the person you go to for help if you get into trouble, unless you happen to feel the need for a little extra drama in your life.”

  “And your parents?”

  “Mom’s like Dani. Dad passed away when I was in high school.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “It was a long time ago. He spent a lot of time at the office, so we weren’t as close as we might have been.” She put the half-full water bottle back in the cooler. “I can start paddling again.”

  Logan lifted his chin to indicate a spot behind her. “We’re almost there.”

  She turned to see the stretch of white-sand beach up close. It was narrow, butted up against a hillside, and was strewn with driftwood. Rocks and shrubs stuck up at the base of the hill where it met the shimmering sand.

  “Hang on,” he warned.

  The canoe jolted into the soft sand, driving partway onto the beach.

  “Sit tight for a second,” he said. Then he hopped into the water, waded his way to the front of the canoe and dragged it up onto the beach.

  She stepped out onto the sand and unzipped her life jacket. “This is amazing.” She shaded her eyes to look around.

  He unloaded their gear and flipped the canoe over. Then he helped her out of the life jacket and stowed it beneath the canoe. “Are you hungry?”

  “A little. Sure.”

  “We’ll have a snack here, then we can start up the hill.”

  “Up the hill?” She’d thought the beach was their destination.

  “You’re going to love it,” he promised.

  “You’re going to kill me.”

  But she didn’t really care. She was taking this stolen day with Logan for what it was, leaving all of her worries behind. He was exciting, adventurous and totally sexy. And she’d follow him anywhere he wanted to go.

  *

  Logan couldn’t help but be impressed by Jade’s persistence. They’d been hiking uphill for nearly two hours, and she was still carrying on a conversation. The narrow trail was growing steeper as they approached the ridge.

  “Twenty-two cousins within nine blocks?” she asked on a note of awe.

  “Some of them are second cousins.” Logan could map out the family tree if anyone was interested. But the catch-all term “cousins” was usually sufficient. “It meant somebody always had your back in a schoolyard fight. Then again, there was always somebody around who knew your secrets and could tease the crap out of you, too.”

  “My dad was never close to his family. My mom and her sister bond over their dislike of my grandmother. But Aunt Maryanne had boys. And they were quite a bit older than us. Plus, they lived in Seattle.”

  “Your mother doesn’t like your grandmother?” Logan couldn’t wrap his head around that.

  “Grandma cheated on Grandpa. He left her and later died of a heart attack. Mom was really close to her dad, and she blames Lizbet, my grandmother, for his death.”

  “One of my aunts apparently slept with her sister’s college boyfriend. And Carmella, another aunt, well, second or third cousin technically, but my parents’ generation, told my mom that my dad was a no-good loser, and she shouldn’t ma
rry him. Then later, she said I was an ugly baby who was clearly developmentally delayed. But we all still get together for barbecues.”

  “Were you an ugly baby?”

  The ground was becoming steeper still, and Jade’s breathing grew labored.

  He turned to make sure she was doing all right. “I kinda was, yeah.”

  “Well, you grew out of it.”

  “That’s very sweet of you to say. We’re almost there.”

  She stopped in front of him. “Thank goodness for that. Who calls a baby ugly?”

  “My Aunt Carmella has no filter. Every thought that comes into her head flows out her mouth. It’s another twenty, maybe thirty, yards to the top.”

  “I can make it.” She started to walk again. “Where does Elroy fit in? You two look quite a bit alike.”

  “He’s my dad’s cousin Al’s son. Dad and Uncle Al have the same grandfather.”

  “So, both of you have roots in illegal liquor sales and prostitution?”

  “If you go back far enough, yeah, we’re pretty much all descended from felons. Makes the ugly-baby thing seem insignificant, doesn’t it?” He smiled to himself. “You know, you might fit in here better than I thought.”

  “Oh, give it a rest. I didn’t take anything.”

  Logan tried to parse her statement. Was she saying she hadn’t actually gotten away with the credit card numbers, or was she still insisting she never tried?

  There was no way to know for certain. And the more time he spent with her, the less he seemed to care.

  “Here we are,” he announced as they crested the rise, coming up in the middle of a long ridge that followed the curve of the valley.

  The lush, vast river valley spread out in front of them. A ribbon of blue water snaked through the bottom, while mountain after mountain rose up in the distance against a misting sky.

  She stood next to him on the rocky ridge, shading her eyes. “That’s amazing.”

  His attention shifted from the view to a worrying cluster of clouds piling up at the head of the valley. “I don’t like the look of that.”

  “What?”

  He pointed. “There’s definitely a storm on its way.” He squinted to take in the motion of the clouds.

  “Is it going to rain on us?”