16 comments/ 12520 views/ 28 favorites Armadillo Crossing By: blackrandl1958 Preface: To my readers, thanks for all the feedback and encouragement you give me. I hope you like this one. Thank you to my friend PapaKilo14 for editing this and many of my other stories. He makes them readable. He keeps me on track and all the mistakes are mine. ***** Sydney was just ten miles from home when her day went suddenly south. She had Mumford and Sons on the stereo and she was singing her heart out. It had been a long drive and a long day. She felt like she had signed a million books and she saw the sign; Pensacola, 10 miles. There was something in the road ahead. It looked like an animal. As she got closer she noticed the familiar sight of a dead armadillo. It was right in the middle of her lane and she was meeting a car. There was nowhere to go so she just straddled it with her car. There was a horrible thump and she thought that she was glad it was already dead. She hated to hit animals! When she heard the ominous thump, thump, thump, she revised her thoughts. "Stupid armadillo," she thought. "If that thing tore up my car I'm going back to run it over again!" She thought for a few minutes that it had gotten hung under her car, but the thumping didn't go away. She sighed and turned off her iPod. There was a wide shoulder ahead and she pulled off. Sydney loved her car. She had a two year old Dodge Charger RTS; black with the big hemi. She took meticulous care of it and now she was worried. She got out and knelt beside it, looking under it to see if she could detect anything hanging down. The asphalt hurt her bare knees and it was very hot. She couldn't see anything. She had roadside assistance on her insurance policy and she was looking for the number on her card when she heard the noise of a diesel engine pull up behind her and shut down. She looked out and saw a red pickup truck with some sort of logo on the side. It was pulling a trailer that had what looked like steel beams on it. A huge man got out. He had red hair and a red beard and he looked very intimidating. She thought about getting her tazer out but he was probably just being helpful. She got out and stood up. He stopped at the back of her car. That reassured her a little and she smiled at him. "Hey, little lady, are you having problems with your car?" he asked. His voice was the deepest she had ever heard. She imagined that if a bear could speak, this was what it would sound like. She was still a little uncertain and he sensed that she was afraid of him. "I know I look scary," he told her. "I won't come any closer. Is everything OK?" She laughed nervously. "No, I hit a stupid armadillo back there and now my car is making this thumping sound!" "You want me to take a look?" he asked. "I'd appreciate it very much," she told him. "You get back in and lock your door so you feel safe," he told her. "Where is the sound coming from?" "From the front," she said. "OK, I'll just take a look. You get back in now." She slid back in gratefully and locked the door. He seemed like a really nice guy. He was just so big! He walked past the door and she saw him disappear down in front. He was down there for a couple of minutes before he stood back up. He motioned for her to roll her window down. "There's a plastic shield apron torn loose under your car," he called. "It isn't a big deal, but it's noisy because it's vibrating in the wind from you driving. It's rubbed on the pavement a little and you're going to have to replace it. It's a dumb design. I'll get some duct tape and tape it back up so you can drive it. Where are you going?" "Pensacola," she told him. "I live there." "Me too," he told her. "We'll just tape it up and I'll follow you to your exit to make sure you get there." "Thank you so much," she said. "I was just about to call a tow truck." "No need for that," he laughed. "I'll fix you up temporarily. You can get home and get it fixed tomorrow." He went back to his truck and came back with a roll of duct tape. He disappeared again and she made up her mind and got out. She walked around and watched him. "Decided I'm harmless?" he chuckled. "Yes. You're too nice to be afraid of," she said. "What's your name?" "Logan," he told her. "Logan Thomas. You got a name?" "It's Sydney Tate," she told him. "That's a pretty name for a pretty girl," he said. He stripped tape off and stuck it up under her car. He did it a dozen times and wiggled out. When he stood up she realized just how big he was. "You're a big guy, Logan," she told him. "I get that a lot," he laughed. "You're a pretty tall girl yourself, Sydney." "Not next to you," she said. "Logan, I want to pay you for stopping to help me." "Now you're going to make me mad," he told her. "See this red hair? That means I've got quite a temper, so we'll just forget you said that." "I feel like I owe you," she said. "You don't, but I'll let you buy me a cup of coffee," he said. "OK," she said. "There's a Starbucks at my exit. I'll get you a cup of good coffee." "It's a deal." He held out a big hand that looked like a shovel to Sydney. He noticed that it was black and grimy from being under her car and he drew it back with a laugh. "Don't guess you want that on you." "Well, it shows a lot more on you than it would me," she smiled. "You mean on account of I'm so white and you're not?" he grinned. "Exactly," she said. "Well, I suppose they have a restroom at Starbucks and I'll just wash up. You ready?" She was and they got back in their vehicles. She pulled out and he pulled in behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief when the thumping sound made no appearance. She kept to the speed limit and when she came to her exit he pulled off too. He had to park in the back of the lot to find a place for his trailer and she waited for him. They walked in together and he went away to the restroom to wash his hands. She ordered herself a cappuccino and when he got back he ordered a triple espresso. She paid and they took their cups to a booth. She had never heard anyone order a triple espresso before and she was intrigued. "What does that taste like?" she asked. He offered her his cup and she sipped a little. It made her shiver and he laughed. "It's an acquired taste," he laughed. "Lots of long hours cramming for tests at the last minute." "Why didn't you study earlier?" she asked. "Well, two reasons," he said. "I'm a procrastinator and there was always practice or a game that got in the way." "Football?" she guessed. "Volleyball," he said. She gaped at him and he burst out laughing. "Yes, football. I got you there, Sydney." She laughed. "I just thought I was sitting across the table from the biggest liar in Florida! You are tall enough though. Do you know; I actually did play volleyball in college?" "I believe it," he said. "You look very athletic." "Thanks," she smiled at him. "Thank you for helping me too." "It was my pleasure," he told her. "I'm very glad to meet you Sydney." "So, what do you do?" she asked him. "I saw metal beams on your trailer." "That's what I do; metal," he told her. "I build metal buildings. I sell metal to people that are builders or people that want to build their own building. Anything metal, I've got it. You don't need a metal building do you, Sydney?" "Would you build me a garage?" she asked. "I just have a carport and I'd like a garage to keep my car in." "That's pretty small for me," he told her, "but we're friends, right? Sure, I'll build you a garage." "How much would it cost?" she asked. "I'll build it for cost," he told her. "You pay my guy's labor and I'll charge you what the metal costs me." "Can you afford to do that?" she asked. "Yes, I can. Can you afford the metal?" "Is it really expensive?" she asked. "No, it's the cheapest garage you can build," he said. "Are you on a tight budget?" "No, I just signed a pretty good book deal," she said. "This is my third book and I'm selling a lot of them." "You're a writer!" he exclaimed. "How cool is that? Will you give me one of your books?" "I'll even sign it for you," she said. "It should be worth at least, say, 25 dollars!" They both laughed for a long time. "Well, I know a famous author," he said. "Yes and I know a guy that's a whiz with duct tape," she giggled. "He's also a very nice guy. You were pretty scary when I first saw you, Logan." "Yeah, but I'm a gentle giant," he said. "That was always my problem in football. I just wasn't mean enough unless someone pissed me off. I really do have a temper; it just takes a lot to get me going." She shivered. "I wouldn't like to see that. I can imagine. Listen, Logan. I've got to get home. Will you give me your number so I can call you about the garage?" He gave her a business card. "Husband anxiously waiting?" he asked. "No, I'm not married," she said. "I do have a boyfriend though. He isn't waiting or anything. We don't live together or anything like that. Why am I telling you this?" "I have an extraordinarily honest face," he said. "People find themselves telling me things." "I'll bet," she said. "We'll see how honest you are when I get the bill for the garage. Will I see you there?" "I doubt it, Sydney; I've got a couple of big jobs to work on. This is kind of going to be a when I get around to it thing. I have a pretty tight schedule but I'll work it in, I promise." They stood up and he walked her to her car. She hugged him. "Thanks again for helping me, Logan." "You're quite welcome. Call me about that garage." He went to his truck and she drove home. She felt a little odd. She thought about him a lot as she was getting ready for bed. He was a very unusual guy and she realized that she wanted to know more about him. That was very unusual for her. Sydney usually had men swirling around her and she never had any trouble attracting the one she wanted. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was tall and slender with just the right amount of plush to her to make her look very sexy. Her skin was a light brown color, just darker than deeply tanned white people would be. Her eyes were very dark brown, almost black and they were very large and liquid looking. Her nose was aquiline and her mouth was an upside down Cupid's bow. She let her gaze wander down and she could see her full breasts under her camisole. Her nipples were a little erect, making small nubs under the silk and her waist was tiny. Her hips flared and she had a small, tight little butt in her silk panties. She giggled to herself, thinking what a narcissist she was; admiring herself in the mirror like that. It was Logan's fault! He had made her think like that. When she had asked him if he would be working on her garage she had been hoping he would say yes. When he didn't, it was a bit of a shock to her. Most guys she knew would have said yes just to see her again. Maybe he was married! She hadn't thought about that. Maybe he had a lover and he wasn't interested in other girls. She imagined he would be very loyal if that were the case. He didn't seem like he was gay, so maybe that was it. She shook her head. She had a boyfriend. She was a little dissatisfied with him though. He was a corporate lawyer and he just seemed a little disingenuous to her, like there was a shell around him she was never able to get through. They had been dating for six months and she didn't feel like she knew him any better than she had after their third date. He was very good looking and the sex had been great at first, but she was finding it harder and harder to get excited about seeing him. She decided she needed to break up with him. Maybe not right away, but unless something changed, she didn't see a future there. She went to bed and read for a while until she was yawning and the words on her screen were blurring. She turned off her light and drifted off. The last thing she thought about was she wondered where Logan lived. She had a busy day the next day and it was complicated by the fact that her car was in the shop. She had to take a taxi and she hated it. She went out with Ronald that evening and the conversation was lackluster. She remembered how many times Logan had made her laugh over a cup of coffee and she sighed. Ronald wanted to come home with her but she told him she wasn't feeling it. He was a little angry but she didn't care. She went home and got Logan's card out of her purse. She decided she would go and get her car tomorrow and go to his office. The car turned out not to be a big deal, just like he told her and she drove to the address on his card. There was a large sign that said "Pensacola Supply" over the drive and she was very impressed when she pulled in. There were two huge metal buildings and the grounds must have covered twenty acres. There was metal fencing, rebar in a hundred sizes, wire of all conceivable sizes, shapes and types and fork lifts and utility trucks were everywhere. When she walked into the office there were half a dozen friendly young people inside that asked her if they could help her. She told them she wanted to see Logan and one beautiful young blonde told her he was in a meeting. She asked if she could wait and the young woman, her name was Julie, got her a cup of coffee. She stirred in cream and sugar and she was almost finished when Julie came to get her. "Mr. Thomas can see you now," she said. "It's going to have to be quick though. He has another meeting with a contractor in ten minutes." Julie led her up the stairs and to the end of a hall. There was art on the walls and it didn't look commercial. The carpet was nice and Julie knocked on the door. She stuck her head in. "Someone to see you, Logan. I think it's personal. She doesn't smell like a contractor." She heard his deep bass chuckle and Julie showed her in. His jaw dropped a little when he saw Sydney. He jumped up and came around his desk to pull her up a chair. "My God! It's Sydney! Hey pretty lady, what are you doing here?" "Well," Sydney blushed a little. She didn't know if he could tell, but she rebuked herself sternly. She wasn't some sophomore! "I need a garage and I was told you might be my guy." "Well hell, who told you that?" he pretended astonishment. "I only build skyscrapers!" She laughed. "Looking at your place here I believe that, Logan. You didn't tell me you were a tycoon." That tickled him. "Hey, Sydney; I have an idea," he said. "I've got one more meeting this morning. I'll give her the brush off. I don't like her anyway. Then I'll take you to lunch. Would you hang out for twenty minutes or so? I promise I won't take long. I'll make Julie entertain you." "Don't do that," she said. "I'm sure she has something to do. I'll just get another cup of coffee and read a magazine or something. Where will you take me?" "Do you eat meat?" he asked. "Yes, do I look like I wouldn't?" "Well, no; but you never know. I'll take you to the Tin Cow." "I've never heard of it." "You're in for a treat then. They have the best burgers in town. They have all kinds of high end bar food. I can't eat there very often, but when a friend shows up you don't worry about your waistline, right?" She looked at his belly. He didn't look fat at all, just huge all over. "You don't look like you have a problem with your waistline," she said. "Well, looks are deceiving," he chuckled. "If I ate like I want to and was as lazy as I want to be I'd be as fat as a toad in a month. This sculpted body is the result of constant work." Julie stuck her head in. "Your 11:30 is here." "Thanks, Jules. Show her back," he said. Sydney got up and Julie took her back to the office. She pulled up a chair for Sydney next to her desk and got her another cup of coffee. "How do you know Logan?" she asked. "I had car trouble and he stopped to help me. I don't really know him very well," Sydney told her. "I think I'd like to though." "Yeah, me too," Julie said. "I've been working for him since I got out of high school. My brother is a friend of his and he got me the job. What do you do, Sydney?" "I'm a writer," she said. "I'm kind of new at it. I've only sold three books." "Wow! I'll buy one if you'll tell me the titles." Sydney gave her a card with her titles on it. They heard an angry voice coming down the stairs. "I'll get it from someone else then! Jesus Thomas, you act like you don't care if we do business or not!" They heard Logan's deep rumble. "You don't give me choice. I bid the job, you don't like my bid. That's OK. You think you can get the same quality somewhere else? That's your choice. I fixed the last job you gave someone else and it was a hell of a mess. It cost me money to do it. I run a business here, not a charity." "We'll see!" An angry woman stalked past and Logan came down the stairs a few minutes later. "Haven't you ever heard the customer is always right?" Sydney asked him. "Not this time," he said. "She called me and she was in a jam. She got some fly by night outfit to put up a building and the inspectors wouldn't pass it. She was losing money every day and I went in and fixed it. Now she wants to do the same thing again. I told her I wasn't interested in cleaning up someone else's mess. If she wants me she should give me the job at my rates to begin with. I've spent enough time with her. Jules, I don't know when I'll be back. Cover for me." Sydney drove and they went to the Tin Cow. She loved the place and she loved the conversation with Logan. He was very interested in everything about her. He asked about her books and she was surprised to discover that he had read one. She was writing a new novel and he asked her all about it. By the time they were through eating she realized that she still didn't know anything about him. The entire conversation had been about her. This was very unusual in her experience. Most guys she went out with couldn't talk about anything but themselves. She couldn't remember the last time Ronald had asked her a question about her life. His conversation was all about his life. "Logan, tell me something about you," she said. "I'm not very interesting," he told her. "I'd rather talk about you." "That's all we've talked about," she said. "What do you want to know?" he asked. "Well, are you married?" she asked. He held up his big left hand. There was no ring. "Are you in a relationship?" she asked. "No, not unless you're going to ask me out," he laughed. "I date, but I haven't met the right girl, I guess." "What kind of girl would be the right girl?" "I don't know," he said. "Honestly, I'm not worried about it. I like my life the way it is. If it happens, I'm fine with that but I'm not desperately longing for anything. Tell me about your boyfriend." "He's an attorney," she said. "Sometimes that's all I think he is. I'm beginning to think his job defines him. It's all he ever talks about. I'm thinking about dumping him. I'm beginning to think I haven't met the right person either. I admire you, Logan. I seem to go from one relationship to another and they're all the same. The guys I've had relationships with don't seem to have lives. They're all about one thing." "Uh-oh," he said. "Well, I can see why they're like that. You're hot, Sydney." "No, dummy," she laughed. "Not sex. It's different things. They're all about their job or some sport or music or something. They aren't complete people. Sometimes it's partying or it could be cars or boats. They don't seem to have enough depth to be real people. Maybe I should just be like you. If it happens, it happens. I shouldn't go looking for it." "Well, if you're not happy on your own, I've never seen how adding another unhappy person to the equation make it any better," he said. "Let's talk about your garage." Armadillo Crossing She told him what she wanted and showed him a picture of where she wanted it. "It looks like you're going to need some concrete," he said. "Do you want me to just take care of everything or do you want to get the concrete poured and me to just build it?" "I want you to do it," she said. "I don't know all the people I'd need." "Ok, I'll get started when I get back to the office," he said. They went for a little walk to digest their meal and Sydney slipped her little hand into his big one. He looked down at her and she smiled. "I like you, Logan," she said. "Do you think we can be friends?" He put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her. "I like you too. You're an interesting girl, Sydney. I'm taking a group of my employees to Shell Island Saturday. Would you like to come? You could bring Ronald." "I'd love to come, but I won't bring Ronald," she said. "Will Julie be there? I like her." "Yeah, she's sort of like my kid sister," he said. "I went to high school and college with her brother." "Do you have any siblings?" she asked. "Two," he said. "Both sisters and both younger than me. They live in Mobile with my Mom and Dad. You'd like them I think. Hey, I should invite them. We haven't hung out in a month or so." "That sounds like fun for them," she said. "Will they put a damper on your party?" "No, they're cool. I'd be more likely to put a damper on theirs. I'm not much of a hard partier, Sydney. If you were thinking of a drunken orgy, this probably isn't your scene. We'll probably play volleyball, hunt for shells, have a few beers and a picnic. They don't let you take much over there and you have to bring back everything you take. It's pretty natural." She laughed. "Well, a drunken orgy does sound like fun, but I would be out of place. I don't drink that much. I like the feeling while it lasts but puking and waking up with a hangover pretty much cured me of that when I was in college." "Smart girl," he said. "You want me to pick you up?" "Sure," she said. "Will that be the first time I see you or will we talk between now and then?" "I'll send my guys over to look at your place for the garage and then give you a call," he told her. She took him back to work and went to see her agent. The week passed quickly. On Wednesday two men came and did some measuring at her place and Logan called her on Thursday. He gave her a price that the garage would cost her and it sounded very reasonable to her. Machines came and did dirt work around her place and the crew tore down her carport on Friday morning and concrete trucks poured the slab and driveway extension in the afternoon. They put ribbon around it and she was surprised when Logan showed up. He rang her doorbell and she invited him in. He wouldn't come in but he took her around and they looked at the bare pad. He found a nail and they wrote their names in the new concrete. "You're just like a big kid," she laughed. "I'm surprised you didn't want to make a handprint." "I did, but I didn't want to get my hands dirty," he smiled. "I better get going, Sydney. I'll pick you up at ten in the morning, ok?" When he pulled up Saturday Morning he wasn't driving a truck. He was in a red Trans Am. She loved it right away. It had a deep rumble to the exhaust and she liked the sound and the vibration. "I love this car," she said when he put her in and stowed her bag in the trunk. "What is it?" "It's a 1977," he said. "I've done a lot of work on the engine. It's still probably not as quick as your RTS but it feels like it. I've had it since I was seventeen. It keeps breaking and I keep fixing it. I plan to own it forever." "It's very cool," she said. "How old are you, Logan, if you don't mind my asking?" "I'm 28," he told her. "You?" "I'm not as old as you," she said. "I'm over 21 though." He laughed. "I just answered you, but you didn't tell me. That's not fair, Sydney." "I'm twenty five," she told him. "Don't you tell anyone." "The secret of your antiquity is safe with me," he told her. They drove down to Panama City Beach and there were about twenty people there when they arrived. Two tall, slender young redheaded girls detached themselves from the crowd and came running to throw themselves on him. "Sydney, these are my little sisters," he told her. "They're both brats but I love them anyway. The one with the brown eyes is Kristen and the one with the blue eyes is Shey. Girls, this is Sydney. She murders armadillos so be careful around her." They both laughed. "Logan told us about you when he called," Shey told her. "You're even more beautiful than he said you were." Sydney looked up at him and felt her face get hot. "I said nothing of the sort," he protested. Kristen punched him. "She was just kidding. We could tell by the sound of your voice you thought so." "They're mind readers," he shrugged. "Ignore them Sydney. Kris, you talk to the boat guys?" "Yes, they'll be here in thirty minutes. I gave them your card." The group rounded up baskets, coolers, and bags and they loaded them onto the boats when they arrived. It was a short run out to the island and the water was beautiful around the beach. Sydney was excited and she saw several people checking her out as she stood at the rail beside Logan. She was used to that a little. She had always felt like more people looked at her because she was black than looked at other people and she accepted that. She knew she looked good too, and that drew even more eyes. She forgot about it. There were three other black people with them; a couple and a girl she had seen at Logan's business. When they landed they all began to set up umbrellas, spread blankets and towels out and open drinks. Logan had some huge towels and so did his sisters. They spread them out under a big green and white umbrella and began to apply sun screen. Sydney took off her wrap and she had shorts and a cropped undershirt on over a bikini. She dug around in her bag and got out her sun screen. She felt Logan and the girls watching her as she put it on. "What?" she asked them. "I didn't think you'd need sunscreen," Shey said. "You mean because I'm black? I can get just as bad a burn as you can," Sydney laughed. "That's a myth. I would get so black you couldn't see me at night. Black people have a high incidence of skin cancer too." "I had no idea," Logan said. "Well, we can't have that. You'll have to tell us things like that." "Don't you have any black friends?" she asked. "Yes, but they don't go to the beach with me much," he laughed. "We mostly play football and you're covered up. We're gingers and we would look like lobsters if we didn't use heavy sun screen. Well, the girls tan, but I just turn red." She looked him over. He was very pale. It looked natural on him, she decided. He was the most muscular person she had ever seen in the flesh, so to speak. He wasn't grossly muscular like the body builders on TV, but he had huge ropes running over his body and his veins were very large. "You weren't kidding about working out, were you?" she said. "No, I weighed 340 when I was playing football," he told her. "I wanted to lose a lot of weight after I quit. It isn't healthy to weigh that much, but I wanted to stay strong. I kind of had a big belly back then. I played offensive tackle and I wanted to be hard to push around. I'm down to 250 and I plan to lose another ten pounds this summer. Want to soak up some sun or go swimming?" "Let's find pretty shells," she suggested. "This is Shell Island, after all." Kris and Shey wanted to lie in the sun and so they strolled off together. Sydney squealed with excitement when they started finding shells she liked right away. She ran back and got a zip lock bag out of her bag and came back. They found sand dollars by the dozens and lots of other pretty shells she put in her bag. "I have a collection," she explained. She danced from one group to another and she could feel Logan's eyes on her. That made her feel a little embarrassed, as if she were out on her first date, and she liked the feeling. Her bag was almost full by the time she tired of searching and they walked together in the edge of the water, her little feet and his big ones leaving tracks in the sand behind them. She slipped her arm around his waist and he draped his big arm over her shoulders. She felt very tiny beside him and she liked that feeling. She was taller than most women and she had never liked being with men that weren't taller than her. They walked along, talking and laughing until they had gone quite a way from the group. She peeked up at him and he was looking down at her. "Do you want to swim now?" she asked. "Sure," he said. She put down her bag and stripped off her shorts and top. Logan pulled his t-shirt over his head and they looked at one another. "You're smoking hot, Sydney," he told her. "You know that, don't you?" "Thanks," she smiled up at him. "You're not so bad yourself, Logan. Let's take our mutual admiration society to the water, shall we?" He reached out and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her in while she giggled and fought to get away. He picked her up in his arms and carried her squealing and kicking into the water. When he was thigh deep he set her down and they waded out until she could barely stand. They bounced up and down in the gentle swell and he went under. He came up with a shell and there was a hermit crab inside. In a minute he found another for her and they played with them for a long time, just laughing and talking together like a couple of kids. They played in the water for maybe an hour and Logan's sisters came looking for them. They walked back to the group and Sydney loved the interaction between Logan and his sisters. She had been an orphan and she sensed that Logan's relationship with his little sisters was something she would like to be a part of. She had never had a family and she was deeply envious. The rest of the group had their picnic ready and they ate and played beach volleyball. Logan and Sydney were joined by Kris and Shey and they beat every team the rest of the group could put together. Sydney hadn't played competitively in a few years but she still had most of her old skills and she was the star of the show. They lay under the umbrella and Sydney got acquainted with Logan's sisters. They were both going to the local Junior College and planned to transfer to Troy University when they graduated from the local college. They wanted to go to school close to their parents and Logan. They had plans and they all seemed to involve their family and staying close to that core. Kris was going to graduate in a few weeks and she was going to live with Logan, at least for a while. "I love how you guys are all so close," Sydney told her. "Are you close with your family?" Shey asked her. "I only have an aunt that I've met a couple of times," Sydney told her. "My parents died when I was 13 and I was raised in foster care." "Oh, my God," Kristen exclaimed. "I can't believe no one adopted you." "I didn't really want to be adopted," Sydney explained. "I wanted to remember my parents and not have a lot of emotional baggage from having another set of parents." "That's so sad," Shey told her. "Logan, we need to adopt her! You can be our sister, Sydney." Sydney laughed but her heart felt warm. She could tell she was really going to like these girls. "I was thinking a little differently," Logan told them. "What?" they both asked in unison. "None of your business," he laughed. "I don't tell you two everything. You'd blab it all over creation and I'm not ready for that." "Oh, my God," Kris exclaimed. "He wants you to be his girlfriend, Sydney! He does too tell us everything except stuff like that. This is so cool!" "See how they are?" Logan laughed. "They have no idea what they're talking about and they blab anyway!" Sydney could feel her face getting hot. "Yes, I do. We're just friends! I hardly know Logan. He helped me with my car and he's building a garage for me." "Logan doesn't build garages," Shey told her. "He builds huge buildings and sells metal to people that build garages. He must really like you to build you a garage." "Logan, do you have some nefarious plan?" Sydney laughed. "Of course," he said. "I always have nefarious plans. They do not include my big mouthed sisters though." The boats pulled up at the beach to take them home and the awkward conversation was interrupted. The group dispersed to their cars and Logan kissed his sisters goodbye. They both hugged and kissed Sydney and made a date to spend a day with her the next week. They put the girls in their car and walked back to Logan's car. He opened her door and she caught his arm. "Logan, let's just sit here in the car and talk for a little while," she asked. He got in the cooler and got out sodas and a bag of chips and they got in. He turned the stereo on quietly and they opened their pop. "I'm sorry if the girls embarrassed you," he apologized. She laughed. "I love your sisters and you don't need to apologize for them," she told him. "I really like you Logan, but I have a boyfriend. I'm not a two-timer. As long as I have one boyfriend I won't have another. We can be friends, but I won't go out with you like that while I'm involved with someone else. I know I'm assuming a lot, but I think you like me too. Do you?" "I do," he told her. "I respect that you don't want to go on dates with me. I won't ask you. Can we just be friends then? Will you go places with me that aren't dates? I mean, stuff like today where we're part of a group?" "We don't have to be part of a group," she said. "I just don't want to get romantic, OK? If you ask me to a game or something like that, I'll go; but I don't want anyone to have any reason to think I'm a cheater. Do you understand?" "Absolutely," he said. "I wasn't going to ask you out. I wouldn't like you much if you went out with me while you were in another relationship." "I could tell that about you," she said. "That's not why I won't go out with you though. It wouldn't take much when I'm with you to make me a cheater. Don't tempt me, OK?" "No, I wouldn't," he said. "This is a very awkward conversation. I'm glad we had it but do you want to go drive some go karts?" They went to drive some miniature open wheel racers and played miniature golf and they had a blast. Sydney was enough lighter than Logan that she could beat him at driving the miniature cars if she paid close attention to her driving and he just laughed when she taunted him. He took her home and she kissed his cheek and went inside. She turned her phone on when she sat down and she had nine new messages. Two were from Ronald and she texted him that she had been at the beach. He wanted to come over but she told him she was really tired. She agreed to go out with him Friday night and she went to bed. She lay awake a long time. Her brain was buzzing with the day and she was very confused about her feelings for Logan. She couldn't imagine why she felt so strongly attracted to him. She wasn't usually very attracted to white men at all and Logan was one of the whitest guys she had ever met. He was a redhead, for Christ's sake! She had never had a white boyfriend and yet here she was, thinking about one and unable to sleep because of thinking about it. She thought about the way his beard felt against her skin when he was carrying her into the water. It was much softer than she had imagined it would be. She didn't ordinarily like facial hair but it seemed right on Logan. She couldn't imagine him without it. She remembered how strong he was. He had picked her up like a baby and Sydney was a big girl. She weighed nearly 140 pounds and she was six feet tall but she felt tiny around him. She liked that feeling. She loved his sisters and the easy familiarity they showed with each other. She found herself imagining what his parents must be like. Her thoughts turned to Ronald and she compared him to Logan. Her thoughts weren't flattering to her boyfriend. She didn't want to seem as if she were dumping him to be with Logan. That's exactly what she wanted to do, but she felt guilty. She had little respect for people that found a better deal and dumped the person they were with for that deal. She was going to give Ronald another chance. It wasn't like they were married. They really didn't have any formal relationship at all. They had never really talked about it. That was another thing. He just took it for granted that she would be available without really asking her what she thought. She wondered what she would say if he asked her to marry him. How would she have felt about it two weeks ago before she met Logan and how had that changed since? She really didn't know the answer and it bothered her that she didn't. She finally fell asleep and when she woke up she had a headache. She puttered around the house all morning, drinking coffee and taking Ibuprophen until her headache was gone. She worked on her book for an hour and Ronald texted and asked her if she wanted to go to dinner. She agreed and he told her another couple from work would be joining them. That upset her a little and she was tempted to tell him she didn't want to go. It turned out to be really boring. Ronald and the other guy talked about work the whole time and Sydney was forced to try to entertain herself with the conversation of the other woman. She was not a stimulating auditor. Her conversation was laced with text speak, which Sydney hated, and anecdotes of her business, interior decorating, which Sydney also loathed. She could feel her headache coming back. Ronald evidently admired the couple because he talked about them the whole way back to Sydney's house. She invited him in and got them a glass of wine. Ronald wanted to get romantic and she wanted to talk. "Ronald, I need to talk to you seriously," she told him. "I'm confused about our relationship." "What do you mean?" he asked. "What is there to be confused about?" "Where do you see us in five years?" she asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he responded. "Are we supposed to have some five year plan or something?" "Or something," she said. "Are we just going to go to dinner, or are we going somewhere?" "I didn't know you wanted anything else," he said. "I don't, necessarily. At the same time, I'm not just a party girl that wants to play around the rest of her life. I don't want to go on and on in a relationship that doesn't have a chance to ever be anything more than going out once in a while and having sex once a week. Do you really believe that we have a chance to be more than we are right now?" "Are you breaking up with me?" he asked. "Is that what this is about? Are you seeing someone else? Have you met someone that you think you have some future with?" "No, I'm not breaking up with you. I'm not seeing anyone else, but I have met people. The people I've met made me think about my life. They made me think I might want something more than we have going on. I felt like I was part of something when I was with them and I liked that feeling." "Who is he?" Ronald asked. "It's not just a he," she said. "I met a guy and then I met his family and I liked what I saw. I'm not going out with him. I told him I wouldn't because I have a relationship with you. I decided I was going to give us a chance to see where we were going." "So you're giving me an ultimatum? I need to show you something?" "It's not like that at all. If you just answer my question this will just all go away." "I don't believe you," he said. "I think you're seeing this guy. I'm leaving now, Sydney. You need to make up your mind. I'm going places. I thought you were too. Maybe I was wrong." He got up and left without another word. Sydney was seething. This was a dead end and she'd wasted a lot of time and emotion on that dead end. She drank her wine and turned on some music. She just relaxed for a while and went and ran a bath. She soaked for a while and went to bed with a clear head. Armadillo Crossing She heard a lot of noise outside when she got up in the morning and when she peeked out the crew was working on her garage. Logan wasn't there and she ate a muffin and drank a cup of coffee. She worked on her book some more and went to the grocery store. She made a couple of stops and she noticed a white van that seemed to be following her. When she got home the van was still behind her and it drove past her house and parked in the next block. She went inside and put her groceries away. When she was done she took a thermos of coffee out to the crew working on her garage. They took a break and she poured them coffee and talked with them a while. They were bending metal on a large machine and she thought it was fascinating. She watched them work a while and when she went back inside she noticed that the white van was still there. The crew was putting away their tools and packing up when her doorbell rang. It was Logan. She hugged him and they walked around to look at the framework of her garage. He was satisfied with their progress and she invited him to stay for dinner. He accepted and they grilled burgers. She enjoyed herself tremendously and when he left she felt like she was glowing. He made her laugh constantly and he seemed to enjoy talking to her. She knew he didn't need to check on the garage and she was pleased that he had come by just to see her. She had a book signing in Tallahassee the next day and she drove down and spent the night. Logan texted her at five and asked if she was away from home. She told him where she was and he said he had dropped by and missed her. She hadn't thought about him coming by and she was touched and felt a little guilty she hadn't told him. She thought for a minute and texted him again. She was doing a writer's workshop in Mobile and she asked him if he wanted to go. They could drop by and see his sisters in the evening and drive back that night. At first he told her he couldn't go, but an hour later he texted again and told her he had postponed some things and he would love to go. She was thrilled and the drive home passed quickly. Ronald called just before she got home and it was ugly. "So who is the white man you've been seeing?" he asked her. "I'm not seeing anyone, I already told you," she said. "I know that's not true," he told her. "I have a picture of you hugging him at your front door." "Have you been spying on me?" she asked. "Did you hire someone to follow me? I can't believe you! The man you took a picture of is a contractor that's building my garage. He also happens to be a friend of mine that I know well enough to hug. You're a fucking creep, Ronald. I am breaking up with you. It's over. Don't call me again!" She pushed the button and turned off her Bluetooth. Her phone rang immediately and she ignored it. The crew was hard at work on her garage and it was coming together nicely. She parked and talked to them for a minute. They thought it would be three more days and it would be done. Logan didn't come by that evening and she was a little disappointed. She didn't sleep well, but she felt good the next morning when Logan pulled up. They took her Charger and she dropped him at his parent's house while she went to the workshop. She was out by two and she drove back to Logan's parent's house feeling excited to meet them. Shey came out of the back yard when she pulled up dressed in a bikini. "We're around on the deck," she said. "We're having a party. Come on; everyone's dying to meet you." "Why on earth?" Sydney asked. Shey took her arm in hers. "Because they want to see what Logan is so crazy about," she laughed. Sydney was shocked and Shey laughed. "He didn't say that, Sydney. I just told you that to see the look on your face. It was everything I'd hoped for. You've got it bad, girl." Sydney was blushing furiously when Shey pulled her through the gate. There was a large deck on the back of the house and Logan, his parents and Kris were lounging around in chairs. There was a large barbecue grill and smoker there and a delicious smell was coming out of it. It was easy to see where the kids got their red hair. Logan's mother was a little older version of her daughters. She was tall and slender and her hair was nearly orange. You could see that it was turning almost blonde in streaks and that was going to be her gray. She had a big smile on her face and she hugged Sydney like they were old friends. She had a deep southern accent when she spoke. "Sydney, we're very glad to meet you. I'm Kim and this rude creature," she gave the man next to her a dig with her toe, "is Beckly. We call him Beck." Beck was a tall, deeply tanned man with brown salt and pepper hair. He got up with a groan and Sydney liked him right away. He had a twinkle in his eyes and a look of good humor about him. "Excuse my laziness," he told her in that deep drawl. "You're as pretty as a peach, Sydney. I'm going to like you." "You old lecher," his wife told him. "Don't let him close to you, Sydney." He hugged her anyway. "Pay her no mind," he said. "She's all Southern Belle out here, but behind closed doors, she's Southern Comfort." "Quit embarrassing Sydney and go look at your brisket," Logan laughed. "Mom don't you have something to do?" "No, I don't," she told him. "I'm going to make Sydney a drink and we're going to get acquainted. Go help your father." "What would you like, honey?" she asked Sydney. "I have to drive home later and I don't drink much," Sydney told her. "I like you already," Kim said. "You're going to be here a while. You'll have time to metabolize before time to go. We'll have one drink and then stick to non-alcoholic stuff, OK?" Sydney went in the house with her and Kim poured them both a Scotch on the rocks. "Do you really want to show the guys something?" she asked. "What do you have in mind?" Sydney asked. "Do you smoke?" Kim asked. "No," Sydney laughed. "Do you?" "No, but I enjoy a good cigar every now and again," Kim told her. "Have you ever smoked a cigar?" "No, I thought only rich old white men did," Sydney laughed again. "Well, we're going to take our drinks outside and smoke a cigar," Kim said. "Beck won't let me smoke them in the house. This will be fun." She took Sydney into her bedroom and got two long cigars out of her humidor. She clipped the ends and got a box of wooden matches. They took the cigars out on the deck and lit them up. "You don't inhale," Kim whispered. "Just puff on it." Logan noticed what they were doing and burst out laughing. "Unbelievable, Mom. She hasn't been here ten minutes and you've got her drinking and smoking! I'm never bringing her up here again." They had a wonderful time. They ate barbecue, which Beck turned out to be very good at, and Kris found Sydney a swim suit she could wear. It was a one piece that fit fairly well. Sydney had a little more breast and butt than Kris, but she didn't feel naked. They swam and played water volleyball until the sun started to go down. Sydney felt very much a part of something she had never experienced before and she didn't want to go home. When they all hugged her goodbye she felt like crying. Shey and Kris were coming to meet her on Friday and she was really looking forward to it. She was a little pensive on the drive home and Logan noticed her peeking at him. "Is something wrong, Sydney?" he asked her. "No, well yes; sort of," she said. "I really, really like your family, Logan. I just can't help wishing they were my family. I've never enjoyed a day so much in my life. I hope you know how lucky you are." "I do," he told her. "You can borrow them any time you want to." She laughed. "You have a way of making me feel good, Logan." "Thanks. Sydney, I know I told you that I wouldn't ask you out. I'm dying to do it though. Maybe it isn't such a good idea for us to spend so much time together. I like you more than any girl I've ever met. You're funny, you're smart and you're unbelievably hot. I don't think I can just be friends with you." "Why not?" she asked. "I like being your friend." "I like it to," he told her. "But I just want to kiss you every time I look at you." "So, kiss me," she said. "What... what about your boyfriend?" he stammered. "I don't have one. I dumped him last week," she said. "I gave him a chance, Logan. I asked him if he saw any future for us and it just pissed him off. I'm twenty five and I'm ready for the rest of my life to start. I want to find someone I can love and be with long term. I don't want to waste my time and energy and emotion on a relationship with a man that has no chance of ever being anything more. Do you understand?" "Yes, that's what I was telling you the other day when you asked me if I had a girlfriend. I want a girlfriend, but not just any girlfriend. I'm only interested in girls that I can be something more than a date with." "Do you think we could be something more?" she asked him. "I'd like that. It's not going to be easy, Logan. There are a lot of problems I can see." "Like what?" he asked. "Well, I travel a lot," she told him. "You have a business to run, I have a writing career. You're white and I'm black. You like an old Pontiac and I like new Dodges. Oh yes, I also like cigars." Logan threw back his head and laughed. "I'm going to kill my mother! Sydney, let me tell you something. I know we're very different people, but let me tell you what I like. I like the cutest little sexy girl I've ever met. I love your smile and your voice. I love how smart you are. I love your skin, and the way it feels under my fingers. I love that curly mop on your head. I love those boobs and the way your nipples try to tear out of your shirt every time I touch you. I love your butt and the way it jiggles when you're walking in front of me. I love your lips and I imagine how they'd feel crushed against me. I like the way you smell, except for cigar smoke, but you could smoke like a chimney and I'd put up with it because I like the total package. There, I'm done now." Sydney didn't know what to say. She pulled off on the shoulder and unbuckled her seat belt. When she looked over at Logan he smiled and she tangled her fingers in that red, bushy beard and pulled him across. Their lips met and she felt like she had experienced an electric shock. A current seemed to be flowing into her whole body and her nipples felt hard enough to shatter. When she felt his hand slide down her shoulder and settle over one breast her breath caught in her throat and when he gently pinched that nipple she felt her pussy flood and her panties dampen. She pulled away with a moan. "Logan, you're going to have to drive," she told him. "I don't think I can." "Oh, no; this is your car," he chuckled. "I'm going to sit here and play with you all the way back. Take off your bra, Sydney." "No!" she objected. "That's not fair at all." "Come on, I know you can do that magic trick thing. Off with it!" Blushing furiously, she wiggled around until her bra came out one arm of her blouse. He took it and grinned at her. "I have no idea how you did that, but buckle back up and let's get moving." She pulled back onto the highway and by the time she had the cruise set he was undoing to top three buttons of her blouse. His hand slipped inside and cupped one of her breasts. She squirmed and wiggled as he caressed her and ran his thumb back and forth over one milk chocolate nipple. It felt so good that she almost pulled off the road again to attack him. He gave the other breast some love too and she was desperately horny. As she turned onto her street she noticed the white van parked on the nest block. She pulled to the curb and pushed his hand out of her blouse. "Logan, stop for a minute. See that van sitting there? It's been following me. My boyfriend is an attorney and they have some private investigators. I think he's got one watching me." "Stay here," he told her. He got out and walked down the sidewalk. When he got to the back of the van he crouched down and crept up to the driver's door. He jerked the door open and hauled a small, blonde woman out of the van. She fought like a wildcat, but Logan's size and strength made her helpless. He seized her by the seat of her pants and her shirt collar and frog marched her back to Sydney's car. He opened the back door and pushed her in, slamming the door behind her. He got in and locked the doors. "Turn off the door locks," he told Sydney and she pushed the button. "What the hell is wrong with you?' the girl screamed. "You're kidnapping me! I'll have you arrested." "Calm down," Logan told her. "We aren't taking you anywhere. Why are you following Sydney?" "It's my fucking job, asshole!" she shot back. "Your job is stalking people?" Sydney asked her. "No, it's catching cheating sluts in the act. When wives cheat on their husbands, or the other way around, they should expect to get caught!" "I'm not married," Sydney told her. "What? What are you talking about? Of course you are. You're married to Ronald Green. He hired me to check up and see who his wife was cheating with." "I'm not married," Sydney told her again. "I dated Ronald for six months. We were never even engaged. I'm not married. I've never been married." "Bullshit, that's what all the cheating sluts say," the girl snarled. "We're not kidnapping you, but if you talk to Sydney like that one more time I'll get back there with you and spank your ass until you can't sit down for a week," Logan told her. "Logan, I had no idea you were so kinky," Sydney laughed. She unlocked the doors. "Go back to your van and check your facts," she told the girl. "Ronald lied to you. You should really get the facts before you take jobs. What's your name, anyway?" "April Sander," the girl said. "Are you really telling me the truth?" "She's not married," Logan told her. "Check the records. Call her publisher. Do whatever you need to do, but do it away from here. If you bug her again, it's going to get ugly." April got out of the car. She tapped on Sydney's window and she rolled it down. "If you're telling the truth, I'm sorry," she said. "If you aren't, I'm coming back here with a bunch of goons, big boy. It looks like I'll need a bunch but I'll beat your ass for manhandling me like that." Sydney laughed. "Maybe you two should start an S&M club. Go home, April. Call me if you want to. I'll be waiting for that real apology. I kind of like you. You've got spunk, but you're wrong here." April went back to her van and left. "Jesus, Sydney; evidently your boyfriend was way more into you than you thought," Logan told her. "Well, if being a creepy stalker is being into me, he was," Sydney said. "This is kind of scary, Logan. I'm kind of afraid of him. What if that had been someone dangerous?" "I don't know. I'm not really afraid of people." "Yeah, but you're a freaking truck," she said. "I'm not like you, Logan. This scares the hell out of me. I'm afraid to go in my house." "Ah, I get it now," he nodded. "You want an excuse to go home with me." "You asshole! Stop making jokes! I'm serious." When he turned her chin to look in her face there were tears in those black pools. He quickly pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Sydney. I didn't realize... Jesus, honey; you're shaking. Pull up to your house. I'll go in with you and you can pack some stuff. You can stay with me tonight and tomorrow, we'll figure out what to do, OK?" She nodded into his chest. "Yes, thank you Logan." She quickly packed a bag and got some hanging clothes. He got in the Trans Am and she followed him. She had no idea where he lived and they drove for twenty minutes; leaving town and driving down the beach road. He turned off onto a secondary road and stopped at a gate set in a stone fence. He punched in some numbers on a key pad and the gate swung open. They drove a quarter mile up a winding, asphalt driveway between palm trees to the top of a small hill. A large, stone house stood at the end of the driveway and he pulled into a two story garage. Another door opened and she pulled into the empty bay. The light came on and she saw a motorcycle, four kayaks and a jet ski in the next bay. They went inside and Sydney carried her hanging clothes while he carried her bag. They went through a laundry room into a huge living room. It opened into a large kitchen and they went across the living room to a hall. He led her past several doors and he opened one at the end of the hall. She stepped in and caught her breath. The back wall was glass and it looked out over a large pool down the hill to the beach. The ocean shimmered in the background and they were a few boat lights out there. The pool was softly illuminated and she could see a hot tub beside it. The rippling of the water caused lights to dance in the room. "This is your room," he said. "Make yourself at home. There's a bathroom through the door to your right and the closet is on the other side of the bed." He lounged in the doorway while she hung up her clothes. She felt his eyes on her as she moved around and it brought heat to her cheeks. She turned to face him and she could see desire in his eyes. "Come here, Sydney," he said. She walked slowly toward him, her heart fluttering and butterflies in her stomach. He pulled her close and closed his arms around her. She rested her cheek on his chest and she could hear his heart beating. He just held her for a minute, her head tucked under his chin. "Do you feel better now?" he asked. "Safe?" She nodded. "Yes, Logan; I do." "Good," he squeezed her. "Are you tired; sleepy?" "I'm tired, but not sleepy," she said. She looked up at him. "Logan, could we get in your hot tub?" "Did you bring a suit?" he asked. She shook her head. "Really? Oh my God, yes!" his voice shook a little. "You go and get in," she told him. I'll be along in a minute." He left and she put on a long t-shirt. He was in the tub and there were two glasses of wine sitting on the edge when she came out. His eyes followed her as she walked to the tub, barefoot and beautiful in the soft light. She pulled the t-shirt over her head and she heard him gasp. She stepped gracefully into the water and slid across to sit beside him. "Oh, my God, Sydney; you're even more spectacular than I imagined," he told her as he put his arm against her and pulled her against him. His arm felt very heavy and Sydney pressed herself against him, feeling her left breast crushed his side. His fingers traced a line up her arm, down along her collar bone and down into the water to cup her other breast in his hand. Sydney had big breasts but she felt tiny as his huge hand held her. Her nipple sprang erect and she shuddered as he rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. He took his hand away and she missed his touch immediately. He reached back and handed her her glass. She sipped a very dry white wine and they cuddled together as the water rolled around them. They talked; just little soft things that meant nothing and everything. She felt like everything was moving in slow motion and she never wanted this moment to end. When they finished she was getting very hot and she went over and dove in the pool while he watched her. She swam a lap or two in the cool water and he got out and slipped in too. After a minute in the cool water she got out and went to a wicker hamper that held towels. She rubbed her hair and wrapped the towel around her. He was climbing out and she took him a towel. He wrapped it around his waist, she retrieved her shirt and they walked back up the steps to the house with his arm around her. She stopped in the living room. "Logan, I love my room," she said, "but I want to sleep in yours." He laughed and picked her up, holding her like a baby. "That's what I've been waiting all my life to hear," he told her. Armadillo Crossing He carried her up the two steps to his bedroom and she gasped when she looked around. He had a huge fish tank in one wall and a huge, round bed in the center of the room. Everything was white and there were sheer, white curtains around the bed. He sat her down near the bed and she lost the towel when he did. She climbed in and watched him as he took off his towel. Her eyes were drawn downward like a magnet and her breath caught in her throat. Sydney hadn't known quite what to expect. All her life she had heard about how white men had tiny dicks and she had hoped not to be too disappointed, but everything she had heard was obviously a lie. His cock stuck out like an iron bar. It wasn't huge, but Sydney didn't like huge anyway. She had tried one of those and it was just weird and painful. This looked perfect. Big enough to fill her but not so big it was painful. She had never seen a white cock before and never seen a circumcised one either. She slid down to the edge of the bed and took him in her long, slender fingers. She examined every inch, trying to memorize every detail and texture. She took him in her mouth and sucked vigorously. In minutes she felt him begin to tense up and he exploded. She choked a little at first, surprised by the volume of his cum, but she gulped quickly, milking every drop and playing with his balls with her free hand. When he was done, she looked up at him, dragging her little pink tongue up the length of his shaft while looking in his eyes. She saw nothing but adoration there and he pushed her gently back, moving up slowly to claim her lips. They kissed deeply and for a long time. Sydney was so horny that she couldn't keep still. Her body writhed out of her control and when he left her lips and kissed his way down to her breasts she moaned. His lips on her nipples drove her wild and the most incredible sensations filled her slender body. He loved her breasts for minutes while her need rose and when he left them and kissed his way down she was in heaven. Sydney hadn't been with a lot of men, but she had some experience and nothing had prepared her for the way she was feeling now. She felt his hot breath on her pussy and when his tongue tickled her clitoris she knew this was going to be big. She reached down and tangled her fingers in his hair, preparing to hold on for dear life as she approached her climax. Her thighs were trembling and she bridged up off the bed as her pent up tension peaked. It all went away in a flood of release and shuddered as she writhed and cried out her passion. She came for what seemed minutes and her little clit quickly became over sensitized. Her movements became motions of escape and she pushed his head away. Her fingers in his hair pulled him up and over her. She could taste herself on his lips and it was so erotic. She felt his maleness between her thighs, against her moistness, and she made little urgent, thrusting motions; encouraging him to enter her. "I need you in me, Logan," she whispered. She was very wet and he slid easily into her; her tightness spreading before his advance. He slid in in one long, slow thrust and she felt his balls against her cheeks. He felt even bigger than he looked and she was absolutely stuffed and loving it. He began to thrust slowly inside her, his motions tender and sweet. They continued that was for a long time and she had a small orgasm. She could tell that it was a way stop on the journey to a really big one and she urged him to go faster. "Oh, my God, Logan!" she moaned. "I'm going to blow up! I love it so much. I love you so much. Harder, faster, baby." He quickened his movements and she began to build higher and higher. He pushed up on his hands and began to pound into her, her slender body shaking under their movements and her breasts bouncing. She came with a rush that threatened to steal her consciousness as she felt him go with her. A moan escaped his lips and she was screaming. It went on for an almost unbearably long time and they collapsed, spent and gasping; his great weight, on her and in her, making her feel loved, protected and warm. He deflated inside her and rolled to pull her on top. She lay half over him, idly running her fingers up and down his body. "God, that was good, Sydney," he told her. "You're the sexiest little thing I've ever imagined." She wiggled with happiness. "You're a very good lover too, Logan," she told him. "No one has ever made me cum like that." She got up and went to the bathroom. She could feel a stream of his cum running down her leg and it tickled her and made her feel very good. She peed and cleaned herself before going to his refrigerator. She brought a bottle of water back to bed and they shared it. They relaxed for a while and she stroked him until he was hard again. "I want to be on top," she told him. She rode him cowgirl for a while and then spun herself around and let him play with her ass while she brought them both to orgasm, panting and gasping out her pleasure. She turned again and lay on top of him until he slipped out. He wouldn't take his hands off of her butt and she giggled, flexing it under his fingers. "You like my ass, don't you Logan?" she asked. "I can't believe anyone can have that much muscle and be that sexy," he laughed. "I'll let you fuck it sometime," she promised. "Really? Have you ever done that, Sydney?" "No, but with you I would," she told him. "I still remember what you said," he told her. "Were you just cumming, or did you mean that?" "I love you, Logan," she whispered in his ear. "Probably not as much as I will, but more than I've ever loved anyone." "I think I loved you from the time you showed up at my office," he told her. "When you came in all I could think about was how much I'd like to get close to you. I was very unhappy when you had a boyfriend and when you told me you didn't anymore I nearly had a heart attack. I thought maybe there'd be a chance that I could be your boyfriend." "You are for as long as you want to be," she said. He kissed her and she spooned up in his arms. They went to sleep with her head pillowed on his arm. When she woke up, she heard the shower running. She dozed until she noticed he was dressed and leaving. She sat up. "Logan, blow off work and come back and get in bed with me." She cupped her breasts and tweaked her nipples toward him. He groaned. "Sydney, as much as I'd love that, I can't. I've got a meeting at nine. Stay here. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can." She blew him a kiss and he left. She heard his car rumble to life and then it stopped. She heard him talking and a few minutes later he came back, tucking his phone into his pocket. He was taking off his shirt. "Fuck it," he said. "I own the company. If I don't want to go, I won't and I really don't want to go." She jumped up and ran to throw herself on him. "I want to be fucked in the kitchen," she told him. He took her, bent over the bar and screaming as he pounded her from behind, his groin slapping against her butt as they came together. He cooked her breakfast and they cuddled naked on the sofa for a while. She heard her phone ringing and ran to answer it. It was April. "Sydney, I'm really sorry about last night and last week," she said. "My only excuse is that I'm on retainer with the firm that Ronald works for. I didn't bother to check it out because I thought he was being straight. What can I do to make it up to you?" "I might ask you for a favor sometime," Sydney told her. "If it isn't illegal, I'll do it," April told her. "Would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?" Sydney agreed, and they made a time. When she hung up she told Logan the conversation. "Well, I guess we're through with Ronald," he said. Sydney was very relieved and they spent the day together. She went home that night and stayed in, working on her book through the evening. She called Logan and they talked for an hour on the phone. At ten thirty the next morning she got a text from him. "I'm about to be arrested," it said. "Don't be shocked. If you'll give Jules a call she'll take care of it. I'm going to the seventh precinct. I'm OK, don't worry. I'll call you when I get out." Sydney was shocked. She called Julie and insisted on going with Logan's lawyer down to the police station. She was an older lady, very nice and very curvy. She had huge breasts and Sydney liked her right away. Her name was Audra Smith and Sydney followed her to the police station. Audra paid the bail and when Logan came out his face was bleeding and he had several bruises that she could see. His clothes were torn and he had a black eye that was swelling. His hands were the worst. They were cut and swollen and he winced when he signed the forms. He came and sat by her on a leather sofa in the hall while Audra talked to the police. "What the hell happened?" Sydney asked him. "I think Ronald happened," he said. "I was at a job site down here and someone came up behind me and hit me over the head. Luckily, I was wearing a hard hat and it just sort of stunned me for a minute. There were four of them. They beat the shit out of me till I could get my wits about me again. I just covered up until my head stopped spinning. Then I started fighting back. I got hold of one of them and squeezed the juice out of him, kind of using him for a shield. He passed out and I got another one. I think I broke his arm. By that time five or six of my guys showed up and we kicked the hell out of those guys. Somebody called the cops and they arrested us all. The guys that jumped me kept telling me that's what I got for fucking someone else's woman. Since you're the only woman I've... fucked in the last six months, I figured it must be Ronald. Three of those guys won't be doing much talking for a while. Maybe the police will get something out of the other one when he wakes up." Sydney began to cry. "I'm so sorry, Logan. I can't believe this. I'm so sorry." He pulled her close. "It's not your fault, baby. Don't cry. Take me home, OK? My face hurts like hell." She jumped up and helped him to his feet just as Audra came out of the door. "I'll take care of this, Logan," she said. "They already think they know what happened and they're going to arrest Sydney's ex. Jesus Christ! What a mess. You better be worth this, young lady." "She is," Logan told her. "You're going to love her, Audra. I know I do." Audra's face softened. "I think you need to go to a doctor, Logan. Let him clean you up and document your injuries so we'll know how hard we can go after this bastard. Tell Sydney where to take you." She hugged him and left. Sydney drove him to his doctor's office and then home. She made ice packs and put them on his bruises and his eye, then she made him soak his hands in icy salt water until he complained that he couldn't feel them anymore. It took five days for him to get back to near normal again and she stayed with him the whole time. Audra kept them updated. Ronald had been arrested and charged. His employer had placed him on indefinite leave until the legal process was over. The day before Logan and Sydney were married he was sentenced to seven years in prison. She had just signed the deal for her fourth book. Logan's Dad gave her away and his sisters and Julie were her bridesmaids. Ten years later her sixth book hit the best seller list and they had two beautiful little girls standing with their father as she signed the deal on her seventh book. Julie took the girls home with her and on the way to the restaurant, Sydney saw an armadillo crossing the road. She screeched to a halt and Logan slammed forward into his seat belt. "What the hell, Sydney?" he complained as he rubbed his chest. "I didn't want to hit that armadillo," she told him with a big grin. "They're my favorite animal."