A/N: Some of you were probably wondering if I was ever going to update this and for that I'm sorry it took so long. The next update will not take as long. Hopefully the length will help make up for the long time between updates. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 13: Lingerie Shopping & Jealousy
Early-December
(Saturday morning – Los Angeles)
"So, I had an interesting conversation with Alicia this morning," Keith told Veronica by way of greeting.
Veronica stopped in the doorway, blinking sleepily. She was not fully awake and desperately needed caffeine. Stumbling to the counter, she picked up the cup of coffee her dad had waiting for her and signaled for him to continue.
"It seems Wallace was out all night. Apparently he spent the night with your boyfriend," Keith smirked, lifting his own mug to his lips.
Veronica spit the coffee in her mouth out. "He what?" she exclaimed.
"It seems Backup got ill from some bad dog food. He was sick all night and I guess it was too much for Logan to handle so Wallace stayed over to help out."
"Backup got sick from eating dog food?" Veronica asked confusedly. While she knew her mind wasn't fully functioning yet, she was certain that would not make sense even if it were.
"Yeah. Somehow the same dog that eats the trash at least once a week without even getting gas got horribly ill from bad kibble. Any idea how that could have happened?"
Recalling Beav and company's promise to drag Logan out on the town, Veronica was sure Wallace's stay-over was somehow connected. She didn't know what could have happened but she hoped the guys hadn't done anything stupid. Pasting her most innocent expression on, she shrugged. "No idea."
Keith gave her a look that clearly conveyed his disbelief. "I didn't think so. I told Alicia I was impressed that Wallace was being such a good friend."
"Um. Yeah, that Wallace is a great BFF. So-uh-what did Wallace say when he called Alicia?" she inquired, hoping her worry didn't show.
"Oh, Wallace wasn't the one who called Alicia. Logan did," Keith answered.
Veronica wasn't sure what to think of her dad's response. She couldn't imagine Logan breaking his promises to her but she also couldn't imagine why Wallace would not have called himself. "Huh. I'll, uh, call Logan later and try to find out how Backup's feeling."
"You do that honey. I sure hope he's recovered by now."
She knew her dad wasn't buying the bad kibble story anymore than she was but he was clearly willing to play along for now. Obviously nothing too terrible happened if Logan had called Alicia but something had definitely gone down. Now, she just needed to find out what the guys had actually done last night.
Back in her room after a shower, Veronica got dressed and tried to call Logan but did not get an answer. Hanging up, she decided to try Wallace next. The phone rang numerous times before Wallace answered.
"Hey Wallace," Veronica greeted brightly.
"Uh hey V," he responded sullenly.
"What's going on? You aren't sounding so good."
"I'm not feeling so hot either," he replied snappishly.
"Okay," she said, drawing the word out. "No need to take my head off. I just wanted to know how you were doing."
"Sorry," he mumbled. Clearing his throat he asked, "Could you not talk so loud please?"
"Why Wallace Fennell, if I didn't know better I'd think you had a hang-over," she cried doing her best southern belle routine.
"You're sick, you know that? Sick, twisted, sadistic and cruel," he whined.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," she answered with faux-contriteness, but she did lower her voice slightly. "So what in the hell happened last night that you weren't able to make it home? And don't give me that cockamamie story that you were up all night with my sick dog. I'm not buying that excuse any more than my dad did."
"Crap! Did your dad say anything to my mom?"
"Would you still be alive if he had?"
"Good point," he mumbled.
"Alright, tell me what happened last night," she demanded impatiently.
"Like I told you before you left, the guys and I called Logan. We ended up going out for pizza and pool."
"Uh huh, what aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing!" he exclaimed, feeling harassed. Veronica remained silent, knowing that would bother Wallace more than anything. "We stood around playing pool and talking. Logan played a few games and then sat around talking the rest of the night."
"Who was he talking to?" Veronica asked, confused by Wallace's reluctance to give any details. Until his father's arrest, Logan had always been an overly social person so she didn't find the idea of him talking to others all that unusual. She was happy to hear he was trying to connect with other people.
"I don't know. Some people that were there, some friends of Casey and Beav," he answered.
Noticing his hesitancy to elaborate, she posed the questions, "What friends of Casey and Beav? Do I know these friends?"
"I don't think so," he muttered. "They were just some girls that they met recently."
Veronica mulled over Wallace's answer for a few minutes. While she trusted Logan, she was not happy to find out bimbos were hanging all over him.
"And what was he talking to these girls about?" she asked, disdain lacing the word 'girls'.
On the other end, Wallace cringed. He really did not want to be talking to Veronica about this, especially when he was hung-over. There really wasn't anything to report but if he didn't tell her everything, she would assume there was a conspiracy to cover up something. He didn't want to get Logan in trouble, but he wanted his best friend pissed off at him even less.
"I don't know. The blonde tried hitting on him but he shut her down immediately. She ended up hitting on Beav and last I saw she was hurling in the parking lot," he informed her.
"And what about the others?" she prodded through gritted teeth.
"There was just one other. A brunette," he tacked on tentatively. "They were talking; I didn't catch much of what they were saying."
"Wallace, I know you are leaving something out. Tell me," she insisted.
"I thought I saw her give him her number and then I thought I heard him say he'd call her," he reluctantly told her. Quickly he added, "He might have just been calling to check on her friend that was really drunk. Or I could totally have heard them wrong. It was really noisy and I was standing apart from them."
Veronica remained silent, examining the evidence presented. There was nothing there that could be considered more than circumstantial. She believed Logan when he said he loved her. For once, she was going to have to accept on faith that this was nothing.
"It's alright, Wallace," she said, surprising him with her attitude. "I'm sure it's nothing. It's not like I'm the jealous type anyway. He has every right to talk to other people," she choked. Never in a million years would she admit to wanting to scratch out this mysterious brunette's eyes.
"That's good." Wallace breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn't going to start screaming. Remembering Logan's parting words he innocently asked, "So when did Logan decide to get a roommate? He said he was going to go move him in when he dropped me off."
"What?" she screeched.
Wallace grabbed his head and moaned in pain. He wondered if he would ever learn when to quit talking. She obviously had no clue about this new roommate.
"Umm…I probably just heard him wrong," he rushed the words out. "Oh wow, look at the time, I gotta go. My mom's expecting me to clean up before she gets home. Have fun and I'll see you when you get back. Bye," he slammed the phone down, exhaling. He prayed she would not call him back. If there was any blood to be shed over this, it had better be Logan's, not his.
Back in Los Angeles, Veronica stared at the phone. 'Could Wallace have hung up the phone any faster?' she wondered.
Hitting speed dial, she tried calling Logan's house and cell but failed once again to make contact. She wanted to get to the bottom of whatever in the hell was going on and that wasn't going to happen until she talked to her MIA boyfriend.
Hanging up her phone in frustration at being unable to reach Logan, she threw it in her bag and stomped out of the room. If he wasn't going to answer, then she was going to go out and have fun and he could be damned! She was not going to sit around waiting for him.
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Hours later, Veronica flopped back on the bed and looked around the room. She would have thought staying here would have felt a lot weirder than it did. When she had told Logan about the L.A. trip with her dad, he immediately offered up use of Aaron's apartment.
Aaron and Lynn had kept an apartment in the city due to Aaron's filming schedule and the many Hollywood functions they attended. It was huge and really quite impressively decorated. She had hesitantly extended the offer to her dad and was surprised when he did not turn it down. She had been sure he would not want to stay anywhere that Aaron owned.
This apartment was vastly different from the places Veronica and her dad usually stayed while in the city. From the age of twelve, they had been making this annual father/daughter shopping excursion to L.A. It had been a tradition held over even though the last few trips had been tight money-wise. There had been more window-shopping than anything last year but it had still been fun. It was in the back of both of their minds that this would more than likely be the last year this would happen so they were determined to make it memorable.
This year, not only was the accommodation posh, the fact it was free left them with more spending money. Logan had tried to give her some money and/or his credit card to go shopping, but she had refused. She had given in though and accepted his credit card to pick up a few items he wanted. She remembered the conversation they'd had when he handed it over.
"Here's my list and here's my card. I've cleared it so you can sign for purchases," Logan explained as he handed the items to her.
"Geez, how much crap do you need?" she asked, perusing the list. At the last item, she looked up at him confusedly, "Is there something you need to tell me? I'm not sure what size you wear in lingerie."
He rolled his eyes. "Yes sweetie pie, I've been meaning to tell you about the new cross-dressing fetish I've developed," he snarked at her obtuseness. "It's for you to wear so my size won't be of much help."
"Logan, I've already told you I'm not using your credit card to buy myself anything. And what's wrong with the underwear I already have?" she asked, hurt clouding her eyes.
"This is not about what you already have. I adore anything you wear or don't wear for that matter," he explained, rubbing her arms. "I just think you deserve something for picking up my purchases. And really when you think about it, it's really more for me than you."
"How does buying me something benefit you?" she asked crossly.
"Veronica, who besides you sees what you wear under your clothes?" he asked patiently.
"Just you, you know that."
"And do you think I get nothing out of seeing what you have on under your clothes?" he asked.
A small smirk began to tug at her mouth when she realized where he was going with this. "You never seem to mind too much," she acknowledged. "Certain aspects of you seemed extremely pleased the other night."
"Exactly, you see, it's really all about me in the end. I keep telling you that," he finished haughtily.
She couldn't help but laugh. "I'll think about it."
"That's all I ask. A quick trip into La Perla and I would be a happy man. Believe me, Christmas, New Year's, and a few other holidays would be complete."
"La Perla!" she screeched. "Are you crazy? Do you know how much that place costs? I was thinking more along the lines of Victoria's Secret."
"Yes, I know how much it costs. I watched Newlyweds with you. Hey, I'm not a picky guy. Victoria's Secret, La Perla, Frederick's of Hollywood…they all sound good to me. Please promise me you won't worry about the cost. Believe me, when you see what a few of the items on my list cost, you'll realize that a few pieces of lingerie aren't going to set me back that much more," he explained.
She sighed quietly. He was obviously offended that she wouldn't take anything from him so maybe she'd pick something up. She tended to forget they were raised in completely different ways. To him, $700 for a couple of bras was nothing but to her it was the majority of her wardrobe budget for the year.
Veronica sighed and bit her lip thoughtfully. She'd finished both their shopping but now she was worried that she might have gotten carried away. She was bothered by the thought that she'd let her annoyance at being unable to reach him get to her and that she'd taken her annoyance out on his credit card.
She admitted privately that it had been a little heady to know she could buy what she wanted without having to worry about a maxed out credit card or being short of cash. While she had stuck to just the things on his list and only bought herself the requested lingerie, she felt a little guilty about how much money she'd spent. She had intended to buy most of the underwear herself but she'd bought more than she had planned. To make matters worse she had bought him a gift and spent more than she had budgeted, leaving her short of money. And there was no way she could ask her dad to loan her money for lingerie.
As it was, she'd gone out of her way to make sure he didn't know what she had purchased. She had done her shopping when he had begged for mercy and went to the food court for a break. And though she knew it was a little foolish, she hid those bags inside of the other shopping bags he already knew about. She knew he wouldn't search her bags as she warned him that his present was in there. She didn't deceive herself into thinking that her dad thought she was innocent anymore, but she knew he didn't want to know these things. Honestly, she didn't want him to know either. Some things between a father and daughter were best left under the rug.
She didn't really think Logan would be mad at her for what she spent. He was right when he'd told her that what she bought would be nothing compared to his purchases. As a matter of fact, when she thought of how he'd react to her new wardrobe, she was fairly certain he would be on his knees, giving thanks. She was especially anxious to see his reaction to one specific outfit but was planning to save it for a special occasion.
A feeling of loneliness came over her as Logan continued to dominate her thoughts. She hadn't talked to him in over 24 hours. They usually spoke multiple times a day so it was beginning to feel like an eternity. Assured that her dad was firmly planted in front of the TV she rolled onto her stomach and hit speed dial on her phone.
She was about to give up on him answering when she heard him gasp, "Hello." Surprised by the raggedness of his voice she was silent until he asked again, "Hello?"
"Logan?" Veronica asked worriedly. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine. I was just running to catch the phone before you hung up."
His heavy breathing into the phone was so loud his words were hard to make out. "Oh OK," she muttered. She wondered what he'd been doing that he'd had to run to find the phone.
"So how are things going? Anything new or exciting?" she hoped he would tell her what was going on without prodding.
"Oh you know, typical Saturday. How's L.A.?"
OK, now he was just being evasive and that pissed her off. She took a deep breath to calm down. Getting angry and jumping to conclusions was only going to result in an argument over what was most likely nothing.
"L.A. is great, lots of shopping and sightseeing. Well, more accurately, I shopped and my dad sat in the food court waiting for me," she replied offhandedly. Trying not to sound accusatory she asked, "So how's Backup feeling?"
"Ahh, you must have spoken to Wallace." She could tell he was smirking at her. "Backup is fine. Is your dad there?"
"He's relaxing for awhile before we go out to dinner and the play. He claims the shopping wore him out. I think he just wanted to come back and watch sports on the Plasma TV." That was true but Veronica hadn't argued the point to hard. She had wanted to get back so she could call Logan and speak to him privately. "Oh, he wanted me to thank you again for letting us use the apartment here."
"Tell him it's no problem. The apartment is just sitting there empty; someone might as well use it. Besides, the use of the place is the least of what Aaron owes you," he reasoned.
"Well, thanks anyway. Actually I found out about Backup's 'illness' from Dad who heard it from Alicia. Alicia told Dad all about how you called her this morning and let her know that Wallace had to spend the night with you to help take care of poor, sick Backup. Dad thought it was awfully strange that Backup was ill from eating bad food considering he eats garbage and never gets sick," she snarked. It amused her that he had not come up with a better excuse. She wondered if Alicia had really bought that lame-ass pretext.
"Yeah, it was terrible having to take care of a sick 'dog'," he joked. "Made me realize what you must have had to deal with before. I'm sorry about that."
Veronica was touched by the sincerity behind the sudden apology. Her resultant laugh was a little choked as she felt her eyes well-up. "That's OK, that's what you do for those you care about. Thanks for taking care of 'Backup'."
"I'd say it was no problem but it was a little gross and I had to sleep in an uncomfortable chair all night," he cried in a pitiful sounding voice.
It was obvious he was fishing for some sympathy. She decided to have some fun with him. Lowering her voice she purred into the phone, "Ahh, you poor baby. Maybe I can make it up to you when I get home."
She could hear him shifting around on the couch. She couldn't contain the grin when he cleared his throat uncomfortably and muttered, "That would be good."
Knowing they could drag this teasing on for hours, Veronica tried to steer the conversation back on course. She decided to get straight to the matter.
"Actually, I did talk to Wallace for a bit. He said when you dropped him off you mentioned something about picking up your new roommate. What was he talking about?" She had meant to remain calm and collected but found her voice rising as the annoyance slipped out.
"I told you that Billy thought I should move or get a roommate. I took her advice. I went and picked up my roomie earlier and have been getting her settled in."
"Her? Do I know her?" she asked acidly. 'A female, he has a freakin' female roommate?' she thought. 'How could he even think of asking another girl to live with him?'
"You've never met. She's a tiny little thing, brown hair, brown eyes. She doesn't say much but when she does talk, she's a mouthy little thing." The red haze in front of her eyes grew at his explanation. It wasn't helping matters that she was sure he was laughing at her. "I think you'll like her when you get to know her."
"Does she go to school at Neptune High?" she inquired, trying to calm down.
"She doesn't go to school right now, but I think she'll probably have to take a class or two later."
"Oh," Veronica said for lack of a better response. 'Is this chick older, is she in college?' she wondered. 'Who was this girl and where did Logan meet her? I'm going to run a check on this girl as soon as I get home. She is probably some tramp trying to get his money.'
He made a sound like he was about to talk when she heard a horrendous crash from his end of the phone line. "Shit!" she heard him yell.
The sound of breaking glass and his yell startled her. "Logan! What's going on? Who-?" Veronica asked anxiously.
"Veronica, I gotta go. Sophie & Backup just broke something. I love you and I miss you. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Bye," he told her hurriedly and hung up before she could respond.
"What in the hell is going on back there? And who in the hell is Sophie and what is she doing with my dog?" she questioned aloud.
What was it with men hanging up on her today? She was angry enough about his abrupt ending of their call and evading her questions that she refused to call him back. She didn't know what was going on or who this Sophie was but Logan had better have some answers ready when she got home.
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Around 3 pm Sunday
Veronica buzzed herself through Logan's gate with a sense of anticipation. She couldn't believe how much she had missed him the last few days. It felt more like weeks.
Before she had left, she had been amused and a little annoyed by his pouting but now she admitted privately that she'd missed him as much if not more than he said he would miss her. Though she had a thousand questions for him about this mysterious roommate, her sole focus at the moment was on seeing him again.
She barely had the door shut before Logan was there, kissing her. His groan echoed in the hall as he eagerly thrust his tongue inside her mouth. The thought of stopping or slowing down, never occurred to her. Actually, all thoughts and questions had immediately left her mind when his mouth settled over hers.
She could feel one of his hands stroking her lower back while the other settled on her breast. Her own hands were exploring as she found her way under his shirt, stroking his abdomen. Veronica was gasping for air by the time he tore his mouth away and nuzzled his face into her neck. She felt his arms tighten around her.
"Hello to you too," she gasped softly. She couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face. "Does this mean you missed me?"
She could feel his own smile growing as he placed kisses down her neck. "Oh, were you gone?" she heard him snark.
After she smacked him on the shoulder, he continued, "Next time you go out of town with your dad, you have to pack me in your suitcase. Two nights without even a kiss is entirely too long."
She felt her knees melt a little at his admission. It was a completely silly and sappy statement that should have caused her to roll her eyes, but it so sweet she couldn't stop the smile that took over her face. She was further surprised when he placed his hands on her face and drew her forward for a slow, tender kiss. In that moment she felt like a priceless treasure to be cherished. A soft sigh slipped past her lips when he trailed his hands over her body. Shivers ran down her spine as one hand slid under her skirt, lifting it up as his fingers stroked her thigh. As much as she enjoyed this tender side of him, she wanted more. Sliding her small hands under his shirt again, she stroked his nipples in the way she knew would get to him the fastest.
She grinned triumphantly when Logan pulled away and quickly disposed of their shirts. His groan of appreciation over her choice of undergarments let her know the visit to Victoria's Secret met with his approval.
Today she had chosen to wear the pink lace, trimmed with black, bra and matching panties, which he discovered when he reached behind her and unzipped her skirt. She heard his breath hitch and stop for a moment as he stared at her wondrously. She had never seen him look at her quite that way before and it made the butterflies in her stomach jumpy.
Grabbing him by the waistband of his jeans, she pulled him into another passionate kiss. All she could think about was how much she'd missed him. She needed to feel the press of their bodies together. Deciding he was overdressed for the situation at hand, she trailed her hands down the front of his jeans and then back up to swiftly undo the fastenings. Slipping one small hand inside, she cupped him and squeezed lightly. She was rewarded with a groan and his arms squeezing her tighter. She pushed his jeans and boxers down, trailing her fingers over his ass, squeezing it as she rubbed against him. She had to stop herself from laughing at how hastily he pulled away and helped her remove the rest of his clothing. He nearly fell over as he kicked them away. The urge to laugh ended abruptly when he all but ripped her new lingerie off as he finished stripping her.
She barely had her panties out of the way before she felt her back slam against the door. The impact hardly registered as his mouth covered one nipple, drawing it into his mouth to suckle. Obviously not wanting the other breast to feel neglected he tugged at the nipple with his fingers. She could get no more than small gasps of air in her lungs as his mouth moved to the other nipple. The pull of his mouth on her breast caused an ache to grow low in her stomach. Dragging his mouth away, he covered her lips again as one hand moved down to part her thighs. She felt more then heard his groan as his fingers slid into her wetness.
She felt him wetting his fingers with her own moisture before sliding them to her clit. He teased her by circling around it a few times before finally pinching it lightly. She didn't even feel it when her head knocked against the door and she cried out her pleasure.
Not wanting to be outdone, she elicited some answering moans from him as she trailed her hands all over his body. Her fingers trailed across his cock and squeezed gently. She had learned a hundred different ways to touch him to elicit the best responses. Yet for everything she had learned, she knew there were just as many things that she had still to discover. She was determined to continue learning until she memorized every response.
Without thought, her legs wrapped around his waist as his hands slid around the back of her thighs and pulled her up. She was mesmerized by the look in his eyes as he slipped inside of her. Her eyes tried to flutter shut at the pleasure coursing through her but she forced them to remain open. He teased her by withdrawing most of the way and then thrusting back inside, going deeper each time. Knowing he would continue teasing her this way, she squeezed her heels into his ass so he could not pull out.
She felt victorious when he gave up on keeping it slow and gentle. Soon he was pounding into her, his control shattered. His tongue thrust into her mouth, swallowing any sounds she tried to make. She gratefully drew air into her lungs when he moved his mouth away from her lips and along her jaw. When he got to ear, he stopped and started whispering his thoughts.
"Fuck, Veronica. You are so hot, so tight. I want to fuck you so hard that you feel like I'm permanently imprinted on your soul. I want the thought of another man touching you to feel like sacrilege. If I could, I would keep my cock permanently embedded inside of you, feeling your pussy squeezing me tight."
Had she been capable of thought and speech she would have answered. She would have told him that she already felt that way about other men touching her. She would have let him know that she wanted nothing more than to stay right here in his arms the rest of her life.
Though her mind was incapable of reacting, her body had no problems in that area. It didn't seem like it should be possible but his words increased her desire. The feeling that always resided in her stomach when they made love was amplified. With Logan she never wondered if she was somehow missing out, never wondered what it would be like with someone else. Logan was always pushing her to try something new, encouraging her to express her desires. Anything she had expressed so much as a vague curiosity about he was more than willing to explain and/or try. He urged her to let him know what she did and did not like.
In her more innocent days, she had never dreamt of a guy talking dirty to her. She knew without a doubt that Duncan never would have said those things to her. He would have seen her as much too innocent and fragile. Heck, he would probably be horrified if someone talked dirty to him.
The first time Logan talked dirty to her they had both been a little shocked. They were even more surprised by her response. She had been wholly turned on. She'd turned bright pink but her shyness did nothing to stop her desire. With Logan, things were always earthy and real, there was no need to pretend otherwise. That night they had fucked for hours. She was grateful her dad had been out of town as she had been too tired and sore the next day to do much more than laze around in Logan's bed.
Soon his words stopped as he pumped into her harder and faster, moving his hand from her clit to place both on her ass and pulled her closer. She squeezed his cock within her walls as she felt him thrust deeply and hold himself still. As his cum shot into her, she was startled by the warm sensation it created.
She started moving frantically against him, her legs grasping for purchase as she tried for her own release. He kept one had on her ass and used his other to move one of her hands and placed her fingers on her clit. Once she started stroking herself, his hand moved to play with her nipple, tugging slightly. He kissed her again, sweeping his tongue in, daring hers to participate as his hips moved against her. Before too long, she felt her release was in grasp and he plunged in as deep as he could get, holding himself still. She pulled her mouth away from his as she cried out and gasped for breath.
She felt a sense of complete happiness and contentment as he squeezed her tight; his face nestled into her neck. All too soon, their breathing relaxed and he gently withdrew and set her down. She felt her insides melt a little as he pushed her hair away from her face, placing his forehead on hers and kissing the tip of her nose.
The peace and contentment was shattered abruptly when he exclaimed, "Shit!"
"If that's your idea of a romantic way to end sex, you really need to rethink that plan." She was more than a little startled that his response to amazing sex had been an expletive. "What's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry, Veronica. I wasn't thinking. I swear I didn't mean for it to happen," he appealed to her.
"What? What happened? You're seriously freaking me out here Logan."
He barely looked at her as he acknowledged, "I forgot to use a condom."
Her eyes grew huge and her heart began racing until his words finally registered and she let out a big sigh. "That's all. Dammit, you dang near gave me a heart attack."
"That's all? That's kind of a big deal," he said in his best 'duh' tone.
"Relax. I told you before that I went on birth control."
It had not escaped her attention these last few months that Logan was eerily fanatical about the subject. So far she hadn't discussed the reason with him but she knew one of these days the subject would need to be broached. Not that she was looking to have kids anytime soon but she did want to know what was behind his attitude.
"I know, but still it's not full-proof. And I know better. I shouldn't have let it happen."
"Calm down. It's OK. Considering I'm going to start my period in a few days, it's nothing to sweat about. Did you not pay attention in Health class?" she teased, trying to alleviate the tension.
"I was too busy checking out the nude pictures," he responded sarcastically. He gently pulled her into his arms, resting her head on his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out. I panicked. I just want to make sure you're alright."
"It's OK," she assured him. She ran her hand up and down his back in an attempt to soothe him.
"You take good care of me. It was an accident and you weren't exactly alone in the action. It's as much my fault as yours." They stood there silently comforting each other when a thought hit her and she could not hold back the ensuing laughter.
"What's so funny?" he asked warily.
She gave him a mischievous grin before asking, "So do you greet all the women that come through your door that way?"
"Just the ones that have a key," he told her with a smirk.
"Huh, so you and Mrs. Navarro-"
"Ewww. You think you're so cute. I only greet the blondes that have a key."
"Ah, well that's a relief. I would hate to think all the women you know get that kind of greeting. Killing them all could become tiring," she clarified for him. "What about your new roommate?" she asked suspiciously as she remembered the mystery woman.
"That will never be an issue with my roommate. Besides, she has brown hair," he added mockingly.
Bending over, Logan began to gather their clothes and then helped her with her panties and bra. It was a task she was more than capable of handling, but if the look on his face was any indication, he enjoyed the task thoroughly.
"I really like your new outfit. I think I'll get you a few more of these for Christmas," he told her admiringly.
"Ha. Ha. My dad would love that. I can just imagine his expression when I open those."
"Like I'm stupid enough to give you that kind of gift in front of Keith. We've managed to keep the other gift a secret. I've become attached to my life, thanks."
Veronica thought back on previous 'gift' with fondness. They had made great use of the items it contained. She made a mental note that to buy more chocolate sauce and whipped cream since they'd used the last of it.
Logan snatched her hand and pulled her against him, placing teasing kisses against her mouth, tickling her. Neither gave any regard to the fact they were dressed in nothing more than their underwear. They had just finished pulling on the last of their clothes when they heard a noise coming from the living room.
"Uh oh. Sounds like my roommate woke up," he explained tiredly.
"You're roommate? And you are just now telling me that she's in the other room," Veronica screeched in horror. She could feel her face go from pale to bright red in seconds. "We had sex in your foyer when your roommate was in the other room sleeping! What if she'd walked in here?" Without thought, she reached out and hit him on the arm, pissed that he would be so careless.
"I really don't think it would have been an issue if she'd walked in on us." She gave him a death glare letting him know she wasn't amused. His answering grin did nothing to alleviate her anger. "Come on, let's go introduce you two." Though reluctant to actually meet this floozy she let him tug her toward the living room.
"Logan! What the hell are you thinking? Letting some girl you just met move in here? And what do you mean it's not a problem if she walked in on us? Did you think we'd just have a little threesome?" she shot the questions off so rapidly that he couldn't have responded if he'd wanted. She wasn't sure whose ass she wanted to kick more, Logan's or the floozy's.
He wasn't helping his case any by laughing and rolling his eyes at her anger. "Believe me, none of this is an issue. Come on now, she's in here."
She looked around the living room seeing no one sitting there. A frown formed between her brows as she tried to figure out what kind of joke he thought he was pulling. Perplexed and exasperated, she turned and asked, "Where is she? I don't see anyone else in here."
"Over there," he pointed towards the fireplace.
Her jaw almost dropped to the floor when she saw the puppy. With front paws using Backup's body for height, there stood the cutest little ball of brown fur that Veronica had ever seen. The puppy looked over and immediately started barking.
"Oh my God. You got a puppy, she's adorable!" she exclaimed in shock. Without even thinking about her actions, she smacked Logan hard on the back of his head.
"Ouch! What the hell was that for?" he asked irritably, massaging the sore spot.
"That was for letting me think you moved in with some strange girl," she enlightened him.
"Now, I never said anything about moving in with a human roommate. You got that misinformation from other people gossiping and jumping to conclusions." She couldn't help turning pink in embarrassment as he raised his brows at her. "Does that mean you were jealous?" She realized that his original refusal to tell her about Sophie was retaliation for calling him a Neanderthal.
She cleared her throat sheepishly, but still unwilling to admit that she'd let the green-eyed monster take over common sense. "I don't know if jealous is exactly the right word…" He crossed his arms and stared at her silently until she gave in. "Fine, I admit it. I was jealous. Now are you happy?"
His smiles was nearly blinding as he unfolded his arms and pulled her close. "I'm just happy to know that my girlfriend is a Neanderthal too." He kissed her delightedly until they heard Sophie barking again.
With a sigh, he stepped away from her and went and got Sophie. "Veronica I'd like you to meet Sophie." She reached out as he started to pass the puppy over but Sophie started squirming and barking at Veronica.
Logan pulled the puppy back to him, noticeably surprised at her behavior. The moment the puppy was away from Veronica she started licking Logan and panting contentedly.
Veronica was stunned at the puppy's apparent dislike of her. She had always gotten along well with other animals so she wasn't sure why this one appeared to hate her upon sight. "Your puppy doesn't seem to like me very much."
"I don't know what her problem is," he said, a frown forming between his brows.
Veronica looked over to see Backup stretching, obviously awakened by the noise. He padded over to her and she rubbed him affectionately. "Hi boy. How're you doing? Did you miss me?" Backup barked and licked her happily.
As Veronica continued to pat down Backup, Sophie squirmed and barked until Logan set her down on the floor. Veronica watched in bemusement as she flounced over to Backup and barked at him before turning around and leaving the room. Logan laughed as Backup stared at the puppy and quickly followed after her.
Veronica was more than a little shocked that Backup seemed to be obeying the puppy. He was more than capable of devouring the little thing but you would never know that based on their behavior. "What in the heck was that?"
"Heck if I know what that was about. I don't know why she acted that way."
"No, not that. What's with her barking and taking off and Backup following her."
"She is apparently the boss of that relationship. She barks and he listens." He laughed amusedly as he explained. He looked at the ceiling briefly as a thought seemed to hit him. "She reminds me of someone else."
At his insinuation of a similarity between her behavior and the puppy's she gasped, "I am not like that. I do not bark and expect you to follow me." He looked at her wryly, not even trying to hide his glee. Determined to change his mind, she pressed against him, running her hands up and down his chest and tilting her head slightly.
Her ploy did not work as he burst out laughing in response. "No, you just do that head tilt thing and then I hear Logan honey could you…"
"I'm not that bad," she tried again to defend herself as he snorted. Giving up convincing him otherwise, she warned him, "Just be happy I don't throw in the hair flip, I'd own you."
Her knees got that jelly feeling again when he assured her seriously, "You already do." He followed his statement with a kiss, effectively ending any urge she had to argue.
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Mid-December
Veronica slammed her bag down on the bench as she sat, frustration oozing out her pores. She was not in a good mood and didn't care to hide it. Irrationally it pissed her off even more that Logan was not there to witness her anger.
Her mood was not actually caused by her boyfriend but by that little furball menace he called a roommate. 'Who the hell referred to their dog as a roommate anyway? My boyfriend,' she thought with a sigh. He was already crazy about the little troublemaker.
In the two weeks since Sophie had taken up residence in his home and heart, she had managed to horn in on Veronica's time with Logan. If they weren't at his house playing with the puppy, he was checking up on her or talking about her. Had Logan's attention been captured by another girl she had recourse, but how the hell did you compete with a freakin' dog? It was downright embarrassing that she was resentful of something that weighed less than ten pounds. It also didn't help that her own big, bad pit bull was putty when it came to Sophie.
"Veronica. Veronica!" Wallace snapped his fingers in front of her face. When he finally had her attention he asked, "What's up with you today?"
"Nothing," she barked. "I'm sorry Wallace. I'm just tired and in a mood today."
"Yeah, I noticed girly," he answered. "Where's Logan?"
"Probably calling to check on his baby," she muttered.
Wallace covered his mouth, trying to hide the smile that threatened to break out. He knew V was incredibly frustrated by the havoc reaked by one little puppy. He had seen very few things truly stymie or discourage his BFF but Sophie totally had her number.
"It's not funny," she insisted when she noticed his laughter. "That little snot is a nuisance of unparalleled proportions. She interrupts anytime I get close to Logan. I mean there we were in his bedroom last night and –," she was cut off abruptly by a strange noise.
Looking up she saw Wallace with his fingers in his ears and chanting. "Wallace, what is your problem?" she demanded as she ripped a hand away.
"I do NOT want to hear what my potential stepsister and her boyfriend are doing in his bedroom. If I know information like that, then I'll be obligated to kick his ass," Wallace explained as if she were slow.
Veronica rolled her eyes and snorted a laugh. "You keep thinking that, Shaft. Anyway, back to what we were discussing. That puppy is a menace to society. She is constantly trying to get between Logan and me. She's always barking, interrupting, demanding his attention and he's always more than happy to give it to her."
She paused, drawing a deep breath as she gathered steam. "All I hear is: 'I have to go check on Sophie. Sophie did this. Sophie did that. I can't go out, Sophie will cry if she's left alone.' What about me? Don't I count?"
Wallace watched her, mouth dropping open in shock. When she stopped and looked at him, he couldn't control the laughter.
"What is so damn funny?" she demanded.
"You're seriously jealous of a puppy," Wallace gasped out between breaths. "Do you really think Logan loves that dog more than you?"
Veronica blushed embarrassedly and glared over at Wallace. 'He doesn't have to make it sound quite that stupid,' she thought.
Before she could respond, Logan came up behind her, squeezing her shoulders lightly and kissing the top of her head. "Hey Veronica, Wallace. How's it going?" he asked innocently.
Veronica stuck her tongue out as Wallace laughed. She hoped he would keep his mouth shut.
"What's up with him today?" Logan inquired about Wallace.
"Nothing, he's just being an idiot." In response to her name calling, the idiot in question flipped her off.
"Hmmm. So, um, I have a favor to ask," Logan said reluctantly after a moment. She could not stop the cringe that automatically formed on her face. She could tell by his tone it was going to have something to do with Sophie.
"You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary," he explained hastily. "I have to meet with the D.A. and run some errands. I'd ask Mrs. Navarro to stay late but she has an appointment. I should be home around 6:30, no later than 7," he cajoled.
She buried her face in her hands and groaned. She couldn't think of anything she'd rather do less than dog-sit, but she also didn't want to give credence to Wallace's stupid jealousy theory. She was still embarrassed about her jealousy in regards to the brunette, who it turned out was nothing more than the dog breeder.
Before she could accept or decline, Logan offered a bribe. "I'll bring home dinner from Mario's."
"Tiramisu?" she asked. He nodded eagerly and she groaned internally. Why oh why did he have to know her weaknesses? "Fine, fine." Before he could say anything that might cause her to change her mind she muttered, "I'll go to your house and take care of Sophie until you get there."
Wallace had managed to keep silent during their exchange but it was obviously too much to ask that he continue. "H-h-have fun V. G-good luck, you'll need it."
Veronica didn't feel the slightest bit of sympathy when Wallace laughed so hard that he fell off the bench. The situation wasn't half as funny as he thought. "It's not funny," she couldn't help but snap. "That damn dog hates me. She's out to make me miserable."
"I don't get it. I don't know why she acts like such a brat when you are around. She doesn't act that way around anyone else. She loves Mrs. Navarro," Logan informed her confusedly.
She wondered how her boyfriend could be so ignorant as to not realize his statement was not going to help matters. "Oh sure, rub it in a little more why don't you? That little ball of fur is a menace."
As she was finishing her mini-rant Cassidy and Luke sat down at the table. "Are you talking about Sophie again?" Luke asked.
Veronica's perked up a little when Logan rubbed her leg and whispered in her ear conspiratorially. "If I have to, I'll lock her up in another room." She grinned and leaned her head on his shoulder for comfort.
Not that she would admit it to Wallace, but she was beginning to realize this thing between she and Sophie was a little ridiculous. Logan loved her and she knew that without a doubt. This was the first time in their relationship that she had been forced to share his affections with someone else and she hadn't been dealing with it well.
Logan had never had much in the way of love and affection but he was finally reaching out for some (even if it was with a dog) and she didn't want to be a barrier to his progress. She would just have to find a solution that would work for both her and Sophie.
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Veronica encountered Mrs. Navarro in the driveway when she arrived at Logan's. The housekeeper let her know that she had left Sophie free to roam around the downstairs since Logan had called to tell her Veronica would be coming over. Normally, if no one was home, Sophie was confined to one room using puppy gates. After Sophie had moved in Logan had bought numerous gates to keep her away from the stairs or confined within various rooms. So far it had been working out well but there would have to be some modifications made as Sophie grew.
Veronica set her messenger bag on the floor and her keys on the counter when she walked into the kitchen area. She looked around curiously and finally found Sophie peeking around the corner.
Veronica watched her surreptitiously as she draped her jacket on the back of a chair. She could see Sophie eyeing it curiously, waiting for her to back away. For the last week, Veronica had been sneaking treats in her pockets and leaving them for the puppy. She would casually drop them on the floor and walk away when she knew Sophie was watching. As soon as she walked away and the lab thought she wasn't looking, she would sneak out and eat the treat.
So far Veronica had managed to do this without Logan finding out. The dog was still interrupting them constantly but she didn't freak out the second Veronica walked in the door.
Today Veronica was going to up the ante. She stood, next to the chair, refusing to budge. Eventually Sophie entered the room but kept her distance from Veronica. When she still refused to move or drop a snack and walk off, Sophie barked a few times.
After another minute, Veronica drew the snack out of her jacket and began breaking it into pieces, making sure Sophie watched her. She threw one piece over near Sophie and watched the puppy eagerly attack it. With each piece, Veronica threw them so Sophie had to get closer to her.
When she got down to the last few pieces, she knelt down and with one piece in her palm, held her hand out to Sophie. Sophie stood there, quivering but Veronica refused to drop the snack. Sophie whined and Veronica stood up so Sophie resorted to barking. Kneeling back down, Veronica again offered her the treat. Obviously deciding the snack was more important than her dislike of Veronica, Sophie snatched the treat from her hand and quickly backed away. This continued for the next few bites, until Sophie quit backing away and stood next to Veronica and actually let Veronica pet her a few times. When the snack was gone, Veronica showed Sophie her empty hands and stood up.
Sophie backed away and with a few short, staccato barks ran from the room. Veronica sighed as she watched the puppy run away. It was progress, albeit slow progress. Deciding that would probably be the last she saw of Sophie until Logan returned, Veronica fixed herself a snack and started doing homework.
About two hours later, Veronica stretched out her arms, yawning loudly, a clear sign that it was time to take a break. Grabbing a can of S'kist that Logan kept stocked for her, she decided to go out on the patio for some fresh air. When she walked over to the door, Veronica's gaze drifted to the poolhouse as always. She stared at it intently, wondering if there would ever be a day she could look at the building and not remember the videos or the sight of Lilly lying dead next to her pool.
During her study of the building outside, she had not noticed that Sophie had snuck back in the room and was hiding behind a table near the door. With a shiver, Veronica opened the door. What happened next was a flurry of motion that she wasn't sure she would ever clearly remember.
Sophie shot out the door, barking repeatedly as she chased after a squirrel on the patio. Veronica watched in horror as Sophie made a beeline for the smaller animal standing next to the pool. The sound of Sophie's barking startled the squirrel, who took off across the patio and into the yard. Sophie was not as agile or fast as her quarry however and as she tried to turn, slipped on some wet cement and slid right into the pool.
The sound of the puppy splashing into the water drew Veronica out of her daze. Running outside, she stooped down by the pool and tried to grab Sophie. The puppy, however, was scared and had not figured out how to paddle yet, so she was going in circles and getting farther away from rescue. Veronica looked around for the net to clean the pool but could not find it. She called for Sophie to swim to her but was having no luck.
When Sophie sank under the surface, Veronica toed off her shoes and jumped in the water. Swimming over she tried to grab hold of the squirming puppy that in her continued panic fought against the hands trying to hold her. Veronica finally got a grip on the puppy and swam them both to the side. She tossed Sophie up onto the edge and dragged herself up, cursing as the chlorine in the water burned the scratches Sophie had managed to inflict.
After a moment of sitting there trying to regain her breath and slow down her racing heart, Veronica noticed that Sophie was huddled next to her, crying. Veronica picked up the puppy and had to admit her heart melted when Sophie snuggled up next to her. Standing up, Veronica made her way back toward the house, puppy still nuzzling into her neck. As they entered the house, the odor of chlorine became noticeable.
Knowing what needed to be done, Veronica looked under the sink, found what she needed, and headed for the nearest bathroom. Shutting the door so Sophie couldn't make a break for it, she turned on the shower, stripped and deposited her and the puppy into the tub. Using the doggie shampoo she'd found in the kitchen, Veronica washed the little lab first. Though Sophie cried and howled like Veronica was inflicting Chinese water torture, she did stay relatively still and cooperative. Veronica figured she was probably scared that if she moved around too much she'd end up in the same situation from which she'd just been rescued. Once done, she turned the shower spray off and opened the curtain so she could grab a towel and dry Sophie off.
Setting her on the bathroom floor, Veronica shut the curtain and proceeded to take her own shower. She couldn't help but laugh when she looked out to see what Sophie was whining about and found the puppy standing next to the tub acting like she wanted to get back in there with Veronica. Once finished, Veronica had to maneuver around Sophie who would not move away from Veronica. She was drying herself off when Sophie finally figured out a lesson Veronica would have been happy to have left unlearned. Sophie shook herself, spraying water all over Veronica and the bathroom. She seemed supremely satisfied with herself for learning this new trick.
"Sophie!" Veronica screeched. "You really are a little menace." She tried to sound angry but it was hard to when she was dripping wet and Sophie was looking at her like she was crazy. Once dry and wrapped in a towel, Veronica sighed and knelt down next to the puppy for a little heart to heart.
"Look, we both love him so we better learn to at least tolerate one another. You don't have to like me, hell I don't even like you all that much but I'm willing to call a truce here." Veronica wondered if she was going nuts. Who tried to negotiate with a puppy for heaven's sake? Standing back up, she looked down at the puppy and continued. "Besides, I'd like to remind you that I'm bigger and I was here first, little missy. So if anyone's butt is going to be out the door, it won't be mine!"
Sophie continued to stare at Veronica like she was insane, but also seemed to be listening to what Veronica had to say. Wrapped in a towel, Veronica wandered into the laundry room where she found some clean sweatpants and a t-shirt belonging to Logan. Slipping them on she headed back to the bathroom to pick up a little. She noticed with some amusement that Sophie followed her closely from room to room.
She looked around the disastrous bathroom and down at Sophie. "You've managed to make quite a mess here Sophie. Let me tell you, I'm not cleaning it up either. You're daddy is going to have to pick up after you."
Sophie barked at the mention of Logan and began wagging her tail. A few seconds later, Veronica heard the front door opening and laughed as Sophie took off for the foyer like someone was after her.
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Veronica was still in the bathroom using a towel to dry her hair some more when she heard Logan calling her. Walking out with the towel in hand she simply said, "Hey."
She would never admit it to him (his ego did not need the boost) but he looked incredibly sexy standing there with a puppy in one hand and a bag of food in the other. It was such a normal, domestic scene that she couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine.
Logan set down his burdens and walked over and lightly ran his hands up her arms. "Hey yourself," he greeted. He kissed her softly and she could feel her insides softening in response. "What happened? Why are you and Sophie both wet?"
"I went out on the patio a little while ago and Sophie ran past me and out the door before I could stop her. She went running across the patio, slipped and fell into the pool. She panicked and went under so I had to jump in to get her," she explained, hoping he wouldn't think she'd dunked the puppy deliberately.
A brief look of fear crossed his face before he pulled her to his chest, kissing the top of her head. "Are you alright? Is Sophie OK?"
Veronica couldn't help but realize he had asked about her first. Since he seemed genuinely worried she reassured him. "We're fine. The biggest problem was the fact Sophie freaked and tried fighting me. I got a few scratches and I think your little miss will probably avoid the pool for awhile. Other than that, no lasting effects."
She grinned to hide the fluttery feelings that started when Logan picked up her hands and kissed her scratches. "Thank you for jumping in to get her. I'm sorry she did that. Will it make you feel better if I tell you that I brought home lots of pasta and tiramisu?"
"Yummy! Let's eat," she exclaimed as she ran to where he'd set the food. She welcomed the distraction from where her thoughts were heading. There had been more than enough deep thoughts about them and where their relationship was going, passing through her mind lately. She wanted to spend a nice quiet evening with her boyfriend without those thoughts intruding.
To her relief, dinner was relaxed and joking. Each teased the other about the amount of food they ate. They also dropped hints to one another about soon-to-be-exchanged Christmas presents. Logan wouldn't admit it, but Veronica had a feeling that his errands this afternoon might have included her present. She tried wheedling the information out of him but had no such luck.
After dinner they were both tired and wanting nothing more than to relax so they curled up on the couch to watch TV. They had been lying there for about half an hour when Logan tapped her gently and pointed down to Sophie curled at their feet.
"She's not trying to interrupt us," he whispered as if afraid to give the puppy ideas.
"I know. It's great," she smirked, unable to contain the smug feeling enveloped her.
"What did you do?" he asked suspiciously.
"Nothing, she and I came to a mutual understanding," she stated, declining to elaborate any further. He stared at her questioningly, wanting answers, but she turned back to the TV and told him, "Shush, now. I'm trying to watch the show."
She didn't even try to hide her smirk when she felt him give up and settle down next to her. She could easily get used to these quiet, evenings together.