Three-weeks later…
"So how long are you going to be out there?"
Logan wandered out onto the balcony of the penthouse suite and switched his phone onto the other ear. "As long as Veronica needs me."
"Well, Jackie and I will be in L.A. next week. That Hallmark rom-com I booked starts production, and Jackie got the gig as a make-up artist on it too."
"Really showing your range there," Logan chuckled, taking a seat on the edge of the chaise lounge. "Going from an action movie to a romantic leading man?"
"I'd say you were jealous, but I know how much you hate the Hollywood system," Wallace stated. "Of course, you have the money to keep your Broadway integrity."
"This is true. And I'm happy for you. Maybe if I'm still here when you get to L.A., I'll drive up with Veronica, and you guys can meet her."
"She'd be willing to leave her dad for that long?"
"Probably. Right now, the doctors feel he's not strong enough to potentially move across the country, so we are increasing his time spent with his physical therapist and added on some daytime and evening relief so Veronica can have a break and work on her articles."
"So Duncan didn't hold her to any of the costs like he threatened when she broke up with him?"
"Oh, he tried." Logan sighed. "He tried to tell her she owed him, but Lilly sicced Jake on him, and he backed down. Jake reminded him that it was his money, not Duncan's, and if he decided he wanted to help a member of the community and a friend of Lilly's, then he was perfectly within his rights to do so."
"Wow. The old man took Veronica's side? Harsh."
"Oh, it gets better…" Logan scratched the thick stubble on his neck. He really needed to shave before Veronica showed up, but didn't want to leave Wallace hanging. "I guess Jake Kane was the reason Veronica's parents broke up. Her mother had an affair with Jake, and Keith divorced her. That's why Duncan's mother was always trying to break them up behind the scenes. And also why Jake was so quick to help when Veronica needed it—there was still a part of him that felt bad for how things ended with him and Lianne, and he wanted to try and make things right with her daughter."
"Daammnnnn," Wallace murmured. "You couldn't come up with a better plot twist. And you're a pretty creative writer, my friend."
"Right?" Logan laughed. "It all feels like a cross between something from Tennesse Williams and All My Children."
"I would pay cash money to see a play like that. Get Susan Lucci on that stage. Preferably in some role that's a vague reference to your mom. I'm sure it would make a killing in previews alone. Maybe it could even be your white-boy 'Hamilton?'"
Glancing over at his open computer on the table, Logan snorted. "Yeah. I'll get right on that. I did start something while I've been here, but I don't know if it's working. I may need to run through it with you at some point."
"I'm here for you, buddy. But you need to remember me in your Tony speech. That's all I ask."
"Well, I'm not going to thank my father, so there should be a two-second opening for Wallace Fennel to be mentioned."
" That's all I'm saying," Wallace said with a chuckle. "On another note, how are things progressing with Veronica?"
Logan couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face and the warmth that flowed through his body at the mere mention of her name. "Good. Slow, but good. She feels awkward going out in public with me right now so soon after her break up with Duncan, so we've been pretty low key. Lilly took us out on the family yacht for an afternoon to talk and have some privacy. And she's been coming up to my room for dinner the last few nights to hang out and watch a movie before she needs to get back to her dad." Logan drops his head, thinking about just the comfort of having her nearby. "It's been nice."
"So you haven't…."
"No! No, we agreed that sex is off the table for a bit. We're trying this in reverse." Logan snickered. "Having sex, helping her with her father, then learning more about each other."
Wallace released a heavy sigh just as there was a knock at the door, and Logan rose, keeping the phone to his ear as he made his way across the penthouse.
"Whatever, man. The bottom line is, are you happy?"
Pulling open the door, Logan's heart leapt at the sight of Veronica standing on the other side, holding two boxes of pizza and grinning at him.
"Yeah. I am. Very much so."
"Oh, God. She's there now, isn't she? I can hear you smiling through the phone."
Veronica pouted in silent question, and he gestured for her to come in, stepping back to make room for her and the large pizzas to pass.
"Yes. Yes, she is. I gotta go, Wallace. Thanks for the chat."
"Okay. You just go and do you. I'll text you when we get to L.A."
"Sounds good. Talk to you soon."
Disconnecting the call, Logan turned off his phone and placed it on the side table as he walked over to the bar where Veronica had set the pizzas.
"I figured you didn't want cheese grease on your papers," she said as she flipped open the box.
He leaned in and kissed her cheek, watching her skin turn a lovely shade of pink at his touch. "Thanks. I was going to move everything, but Wallace called, and I got distracted."
"Do they miss you in New York?"
"Wallace misses me. I'm sure Uber misses me. But other than that, everyone else couldn't give a damn."
"Well, I would miss you if I was there and you were here." Opening the second box, she swept her hand over the two piping hot pizzas. "I know it's not New York style, but it's Cho's, and it's still pretty good."
"Ah, but Cho's has sentimental value, which makes it all the more delicious."
Grabbing a paper plate from the bag near the first box, Logan handed it to Veronica before finding one for himself.
"What kind of sentimental value?" she asked as she loaded her plate with three pieces of Italian Deli.
"Well, as you can probably tell, my mother is not the kind of mom who cooked," he began, placing one slice on his plate. Taking a napkin from the bag, he tried to dab off some of the grease pooled on the top of the cheese. "When she had an acting gig, she would fly off to L.A. and leave me with either a nanny or the help. But when she got back, she would always order Cho's Pizza and sit on the floor of the living room, and we would eat it at the coffee table, and I would tell her all about what she missed."
"That's nice." Veronica sighed. "It sounds like your mom tried her best, considering the circumstances."
Logan nodded. "She did. She's by no means perfect, but a therapist once pointed out the fact that she dumped my father at the first sign of abuse spoke volumes about her strength and commitment to me. Maybe that's why even though she drives me bananas, I generally try and give her the benefit of the doubt."
Veronica turned and walked to the couch. Sitting, she placed the paper plate on her lap and began to eat. Logan grabbed the two Cokes in the bag and walked over to join her. Pausing, he looked down at the coffee table and placed his plate down. As he turned, he pushed back the white leather chair, making a place for himself on the floor. Veronica smiled at him as he sat on the floor, placing the drinks between them, and he watched as she slowly sank down to the floor, joining him in the little space between the table and the couch.
"Much better," she murmured and took a bite of her pizza.
"Much," he replied with a grin.
For a minute, they ate in comfortable silence. As Veronica wiped the grease from her lips with a napkin, she sighed.
"How did your writing go today?"
Logan shrugged. "Okay. I'm still stuck on the ending, but the editing is going well."
"I can tell…" Veronica jerked her chin in his direction. "You haven't trimmed your beard today. It's your tell that you showered, got dressed, and just sat down to write."
Chucking, Logan scratched his cheek. "Yeah. I have a problem with showering. I tend to zone out and start thinking about my writing, and then I can't wait to get out and get whatever I thought about onto the paper."
"Huh. I'll have to try that." Veronica smiled.
"If you want, you can shower with me, and I'll show you how it's done." Logan bobbed his eyebrows at her, and she giggled. Just because they weren't having sex didn't mean they didn't flirt shamelessly with each other when she was over. Or by text. Or when she called.
Pursing her lips, Veronica narrowed her gaze as if trying to fend off her smile. "Ooooo. I didn't know that showers were the secret to good writing. Is there a particular way I have to do it?"
"Well, first, you have to be naked. Standard for all showers."
"I think I get that part." She placed her finger on her chin and nodded. "What else?"
"Then, you have to turn the water on super hot. This helps melt the brain cells from their frozen position."
"Ah, now see, that's my problem. I've been taking a lot of cold showers lately," she cooed. "Helps with other things. Writing not so much."
Logan chuckled, scooting closer to her on the floor. "You may want to turn up the heat just a tad. Because the next step is just to stand there and let your mind wander, and we wouldn't want you to get hypothermia."
"True. Hypothermia can kill. But I'm still not too sure about the precise temperature." She shuffled over to him and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "You may need to help me get the water right. Maybe you're tall enough to reach the showerhead and adjust the stream as well…" She licked her lips as she brought her nose up to his. "…not too hard, not too soft…"
"Just right," he murmured as his lips met hers, sinking into a soft kiss.
Reaching around her waist, Logan pulled her closer, and she responded by flinging her leg over his waist and taking a seat on his lap, her body pressed to him as they continued to deepen their kiss.
He had lived with the memory of her gentle lips for a year, and when he finally was able to kiss her again, it was better than he remembered. The subtle taste of her strawberry lip gloss applied over her pink lipstick. The way her eyes fluttered as she savoured him. The gentle hum of contentment in the back of her throat. It was all just a glorious miracle that he was able to experience it again.
As she pulled away from their kiss, her hands came up to cradle his face, her eyes staying fixed on his.
"So, if you want me to stay longer tonight, I've arranged for someone else to be home with my dad. In case he needs help."
"Oh! Does that mean we can do a Cohen brothers' marathon? Barton Fink and then The Big Lebowski?"
Veronica's mouth opened, and her tongue touched the edge of her teeth as she drew in a breath.
"I was actually thinking of something else we could do…" She leaned in and kissed him again, and this time, he felt her tongue sweep across his lips, looking for entrance.
When he opened his mouth, she moaned, shifting on his lap to press her pelvis against him. For a split second, he let himself fall into the moment, his hands cupping her ass to hold her close, forgetting that they were supposed to take things slow.
Pulling back, he saw a wide grin spread across her lips, her cheeks tinged with pink. Her eyes had a soft, dreamy quality, and he wanted nothing more than to hold on to her for the rest of the night.
"Lilly said she would stay with my father all night tonight," Veronica murmured, a full blush now crossing her skin. "If you wanted me to stay…"
For a moment, he was thrown by what she was saying. They had agreed to wait for a while, but was two weeks really a while?
"I thought you wanted to wait to have sex and get to know me better?"
Averting her eyes, she shrugged before looking into his eyes again. "I was thinking… maybe… we could do both?"
He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, and he kissed the tip of her nose. "Both, huh?"
"Yes. Both. At the same time."
Rising from his lap, she stepped away from the coffee table and through the room, towards the doors to the bedroom. Turning, she crossed her arms, cocking her head to one side.
"Ask me something."
Chuckling, he threw up his hand in her direction. "What's your favourite colour?"
"Pink," she stated and pulled her blue sweater over her head, revealing a pink lace bra underneath, her sparkling cross necklace pressed against her skin.
Logan's mouth went dry at the sight of her in only her bra, tight jeans, and black boots. She put her hands on her hips, letting the soft curls of her hair fall forward over her shoulder.
"Another."
Summoning his brain to work, he asked. "Favorite ice cream?"
"Pistachio." Bending at the waist, she unzipped her boots and kicked one and then the other off in front of her, dropping her height by a good three inches. "Or strawberry if they're all out."
Grabbing the edge of the couch, Logan pulled himself to stand, hoping to get in on the fun. "Okay. You ask me next."
Dragging her teeth over her bottom lip, Veronica's eyes lit up with excitement. "Favorite food?"
"Anything Italian. As long as it doesn't have shellfish. I'm allergic."
She nodded as he pulled off his blue henley, baring his naked chest to her. Her eyes lit up like she had been handed a present, and he smirked, dropping the shirt onto the couch.
"Good…to…know," she drawled.
"What did you want to be when you grew up?"
Lifting her foot behind her back, she pulled one sock off and tossed it to the side. "A ballerina," she stated, moving on to the other sock. "Or a cop. At one point, I wanted to be both—a ballerina cop." Rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, she continued. "Greatest accomplishment?"
"Oooohh…tough one…" Logan muttered, his gaze dropping to the top button of his jeans, and he began to unzip himself. "Getting nominated for Best Play is probably it, followed closely by the time someone wrote that I was so talented it made people wonder 'Aaron Echolls who'?"
"Ah. I like that," she chimed as his jeans hit the floor.
Standing there, in nothing but his grey boxer briefs, the tension between them in the room crackled with anticipation. It seemed that he had almost forgotten it was his turn to ask her anything as he became captivated by watching her gaze linger on his body.
"Same question. Greatest accomplishment?"
Arching her eyebrow at him, Veronica grasped the top of her jeans, slowly working to open them as she spoke. "Working on the legal team that exonerated an innocent death-row inmate. And actually passing the Bar exam the first time."
Gripping the edge of her pants, she pushed them down her legs and delicately stepped out of them, leaving them in a pool on the floor. Standing there in only his underwear, seeing in her pink lace lingerie, Logan was very aware of his growing erection, and by the look on her face, she was as well. Raising her hand, she crooked her index finger, silently asking him to come closer, and he obliged, walking around the room until he was in her arms.
Logan's fingers slipped under her bra strap, holding the clasps as he looked down into her eyes.
"This talk is getting a little too heavy for being naked. Let's go with something easier…favourite season?" she asked, her fingers hooking along the edge of his underwear.
"Fall. California can't hold a candle to the beauty of a New York fall."
As she slowly pushed his boxers down his legs, he savoured the feeling of her skin next to his.
"Mine is Fall too. Just in case you were wondering." She sighed, and he took it as his cue to release her bra, letting it fall down her arms and landing between them on the floor. Licking her lips, she grinned up at him. "One more question…it's all yours…"
Logan's body hummed, every nerve ending on alert, being this close, this naked, next to her. Just being together with her, like this, was more than he had ever hoped for, more than he ever let himself dream. Even though he pined for her, longed for her, he never really truly believed they would find themselves together again. Until now.
"Do you want me to make love to you, Veronica?"
Pushing her panties down, she let them drop to the floor as she pressed her body to his. "Yes, Logan. I do."
Taking a short breath, he lowered his lips to hers as she rose on her tiptoes to him, his hands clasping her naked bottom as he pulled her up to wrap her legs around his waist. Their first night together, when she kissed him at his front door, it was urgent, frantic. Tonight, it was slow and delicate, her lips teasing his as he walked them to the bedroom, stopping at the edge of the bed to enjoy the gentle sweep of her tongue against his. She held on to him as he lowered them both onto the soft mattress, suspending himself above her as they continued to enjoy the taste of each other. Her hands moved over his body, sending little jolts of electricity through him as she explored the lines and planes of his form.
Tenderly, he began trailing kisses across her cheek, and she arched her back to him as he continued down her neck to her breasts. When his breath passed over her nipple, it hardened for him, enticing him to stop and suck as she gasped and moaned. Veronica's fingers threaded through his hair, tightening, and he groaned against her sensitive skin. Her body was warm, glowing with the heat of passion and desire, and when he released her nipple from his mouth, she gasped as the moist flesh was exposed to the cool room. Continuing lower, across her abdomen, she began to roll her hips to him, knowing his intended course. And when his fingers spread her wet folds, his tongue sliding through her juices, she bucked and called out his name.
"Logan! Oh, Logan."
His fingers stroked her entrance as he planted soft kisses on the hood of her clit, sucking gently as his lips made contact. The little doses of pleasure he was providing made her moan and writhe under him. As he slipped his fingers inside of her, the sweet, musky scent of her made him hard, and he increased the friction of his rough tongue against her hard clit, now anxious to make her come.
Veronica's fingers gripped his hair as she moved and moaned, high plaintive calls of desire filling the room as he continued to work her, bestowing on her all the pleasure he could. Her muscles tightened as she panted, and he knew she was close. Pulling back the hood of her clit, he flicked it quickly with the tip of his tongue and within seconds, she fell apart, her orgasm pulsing through her body, her muscles contracting and releasing against him. As her body went limp under him, he kissed her inner thigh, and she giggled, shifting away from him.
"You're so sensitive now," he murmured, planting another kiss on her pelvis as he made his way slowly back up her body.
"I am. Your beard is suddenly ticklish."
Her fingers twined in his hair as he continued to kiss up her body. When he reached her face, he let his lips linger on hers. Slowly rolling onto his side, he took her with him, and they continued to kiss as he pulled her leg over his. Positioning his hips between hers, his cock found her moist lips, and he held himself against her, waiting for permission to go further.
"I can get the condoms," he said between slow kisses.
"Don't need to," she replied, pressing her forehead to his and grinning. "I have an IUD. And I know who your last one-night stand was."
Veronica wriggled her hips, and his cock slid through her wetness slightly, giving him a better position to connect with her. One thrust was all he would need, but he held himself in check.
"I want you, Logan," Veronica continued, her hand stroking his beard. "All of you. For as long as you'll let me stay."
And in that moment, Logan felt the same thing he had felt a year ago, when, on the second night, they went from two people fucking, to slowly making love through the night. It was as if his breast bone split in two and opened, allowing his heart to look out for the first time and welcome Veronica in. That night, he let her into his heart, and even though she had left, there was part of her that remained trapped with him.
"I want you to stay, Veronica. I want you to stay forever." Emotion caught in his throat, causing his words to come out as a whisper. She must have known because the tenderness with which she kissed him nearly made him cry.
"I want that too. I've never wanted anything else so much in my life," she replied, tears now collecting on her eyelashes.
As their lips connected again, Logan thrust against her and they gasped as he slid inside her warm, wet core. For a moment, they held themselves in check, enjoying the feeling of being connected in the most intimate of ways. But slowly, Logan began rolling his hips back and forth as she rocked against him, creating wonderful friction between them. It didn't take long before they found a rhythm together, moving in unison as waves of pleasure passed through them. There was no hurry, no need to rush, as they let their fingers trail across each other's skin, still rocking in unison.
It seemed like they could keep their position forever, but as pleasure gripped Logan's abdomen, he reached between their sticky bodies to find her clit with his middle finger. When he pressed on her hard button of flesh, she moaned and closed her eyes, as if trying to focus all her attention on how he was making her body feel. Her inner muscles tightened around him as he began rubbing her in tiny circles.
Her mewls of excitement filled the room again, and Logan closed his eyes, keeping himself in check until he heard the unmistakable gasp followed by a deep, guttural moan as she came, hard and wet around his cock. As she pulsed, he finally gave in, letting himself fill her with his cum. His body shook as his orgasm gripped him, and he arched, letting out a barbaric call of pleasure before every muscle in his body released.
They were a sweaty tangle of limbs, and as he opened his eyes, Logan found Veronica glistening with happiness, smiling brilliantly at him.
"Hey," he gasped, trying to catch his breath.
"Hey," she giggled. "You okay?"
"I don't know. A year without sex was a long time for me. I may have pulled something."
Veronica laughed and kissed the tip of his nose, adjusting her arms around him but making no move to try and leave their dishevelled pile.
"Just means we'll have to get you back in shape. I'm willing to help you train."
Chuckling, he squeezed her naked body to his, kissing her forehead. "I'm up for whatever you want to do to me."
Glancing up, she arched her eyebrow at him and grinned mischievously. "Good. Me too."
EPILOGUE
Three years later…
"So you're telling me that no man in your life has ever shown you Easy Rider?"
Scoffing, the sepia-skinned actress pulled her long bare legs up underneath herself on the couch in the middle of the stage and adjusted the oversized NYU t-shirt she was wearing so it draped over her as best it could stretch.
"The man who used to be in my life was more of a Godfather guy than an Easy Rider man," she replied, cocking her head to one side.
The audience chuckled warmly, and Veronica looked down the aisle, past Logan, to see Wallace and Jackie smiling towards the stage along with the rest.
"Oh, come on. I have problems believing that only one guy has had an influence on your taste in movies. Or music." The tall, tanned, blond-haired actor clad in nothing but boxers and a t-shirt flopped down on the couch next to her and grabbed a blanket from the sofa, tossing it over her legs.
Logan caught Veronica's eye and grinned, his hand reaching for hers and he squeezed it tightly, feeling her diamond ring sink gently into his skin. She tossed him a wink and a kiss before fixing her eyes back on the stage, one hand still in his, the other resting on her protruding baby belly under her black velvet dress.
Staring past her, Logan looked over at Keith in his wheelchair sitting next to her, his lips pursed as he nodded slightly, taking in the scene playing out in front of him. Logan warned him there may be things Keith didn't want to see on stage, but Keith insisted that they were all adults, and he wouldn't miss the opening of Logan's new play "About Those Nights" for anything in the world. It may have helped that the actress they selected looked nothing like Veronica, even if the story might be vaguely familiar.
And as he turned back to the stage, Logan sighed, content in knowing that in the end, everyone would live happily ever after.