"So, Jake used Duncan's alias in Australia to buy and sell Kane Software stocks using his own insider information." Veronica read from her notes, trying to wrap her head around the past two hours of conversation with Logan.
"Correct," he said, reaching into a large cobalt blue bowl on the bar and producing a bright red apple. Tossing it in the air, he caught it with both hands before raising it to his mouth and taking a large bite.
"And you found out accidentally when his girlfriend mentioned his prowess with stocks," she continued, glancing up as Logan stalked around the room, consuming his apple.
"Also correct."
"So you hired my dad to look into it and he followed the trail to implicate both Duncan and Jake."
"Exactly." Logan smiled, tossing the apple in the air again and catching it with ease. "I mean, I told you all the little ins and outs of the whole thing, but that's the general gist of it."
Flipping the note paper up and down, Veronica skimmed the pages of notes. The entire story was way more fascinating than she made it sound – she just had to wrap her head around it back in L.A.
"And your motivation was…"
"..you." He interjected, stopping behind one of the white leather chairs, his eyes connecting with hers.
Veronica's mouth went dry, her heartbeat pausing for the briefest moment.
"I know but…I can't write that." She stammered. "It's unethical for me to be a part of this story, plus I can't substantiate what happened at the party so to say that this was because of what Duncan did to me…"
"I always believed you. Even when you couldn't admit to yourself what happened with Duncan was…well…less than consensual." Logan leaned towards her, his hand gripping the back of the chair. "Are you mad at me for going after Duncan?"
"No. I'm not." Tapping her pen on the paper, Veronica frowned at the words scrawled across. "Did you tell my dad why you were going after Duncan?"
Logan shrugged. "He never asked. He probably figured it may have something to do with you, but he never asked and I never told him. It's not my secret to tell."
Closing the notebook, Veronica looked up at Logan's eyes as they narrowed, his jaw clenched tightly.
"So political rivalry, nothing more."
Exhaling, Logan stood, pivoting towards the bar before launching what was left of his apple towards the trash bin. "Political rivalry, nothing more." He repeated, turning back toward her and crossing his arms.
Sitting back in her chair, Veronica let her eyes indulgently wander down his tall form. Approximately five minutes after they arrived in the room, Logan had loosened his black tie and collar, and shed his jacket. The pressed pleats ran from his leather belt all the way down to his polished black shoes and Veronica could tell the way they perfectly fit his form that it was probably custom tailored. Even his white shirt – from collar to French cuffs – seemed designed to show off his fit body underneath.
"So, I guess that's that." Leaning back against the wall, he started unhooking one silver cuff link, then the other and tucking them in his pocket and rolling up his sleeves to his elbows.
"I guess." Veronica whispered. "I should probably go."
Reaching for her jacket thrown haphazardly over the arm of the couch, Veronica stood, clutching her notebook close to her.
"Stay for dinner." Logan quickly moved across the suite, scooping up a large menu sitting on the small bistro table near the balcony doors. "Order whatever you want – prime rib, a steak…whatever that Veronica Mars appetite is craving."
Checking her watch, Veronica frowned. "It's only 4:30 pm. Did you also become a senior citizen when you became Mayor?"
Chuckling, Logan tossed the menu back on the table, scratching his beard, his eyes dropping as a bashful grin spread across his face. "Yeah. I guess it is."
"I made plans to go over to my dad's for dinner tonight. He's expecting me around six-ish."
"Oh. Okay."
The silence between them spread, covering the space with the unspoken thoughts that could only come from two people separated by circumstance, brought back together by a twist of fate. Memories swelled in Veronica's mind of her and Logan, in this very hotel room, what seemed like a lifetime ago. She couldn't help but let her eyes wander towards the closed bedroom doors, just steps away from where she was now. So many nights spent together on both sides of those doors, and yet, in the greater scheme of her life, it was only a small drop in time that seemed to ripple out, spreading over every part of her existence.
"The fish are gone," Logan muttered, his eyes following hers to towards the doors. "About two years ago, they redesigned everything."
"Oh."
Her eyes dropped towards the carpet – remembering the tacky swirl pattern that once covered the floors and how it once gave her a spectacular rug burn down her back.
"Yeah. Now there's a big landscape painting. But I kind of still miss lying in bed, looking up at the fish." He chuckled again.
Veronica's cheeks grew warm as the conversation paused once more and she could tell by the way Logan averted his eyes from her, his teeth dragging across his lip, that he was thinking about how they would lay in bed together, laughing at the ridiculous metal fish on the hideous glass background that 'swam'' above them.
"Harold and Maude." Biting her thumb nail, she fought back a smile.
"Yeah. Those were their names. Harold was on my side, Maude was on yours." Reaching behind his head, Logan rubbed the back of his neck and she watched his bicep flex against his shirt.
Her chest tightened and Veronica pursed her lips together, trying to hold back the gasp of emotion that spread through her. All of a sudden, it was all too much. Too much memory. Too much regret.
"I should go," she murmured again, shuffling quickly past the coffee table towards the door.
Sweeping across the room, Logan caught up with her at the door, his hand coming to rest on her arm just as she reached for the knob and she paused, her heart beating hard for flight.
"If you need anything, Veronica – for the story or...anything..."
His body hovered behind her so close she could feel the heat from him, but just far enough to give her the space she needed. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, pulling the scent of Logan into her memory one last time. Once upon a time, Logan smelled like sweat and sandalwood and salt from the ocean; now, he smelled of musk and orange and woody cedar from what was probably the finest men's department in Neptune. Both were still intoxicating to her and she slowed her breathing, taking him in.
When his fingers began to slide from her bare arm up, across her blouse, before resting on her shoulder, all the hairs on Veronica's body stood on end. Releasing the door from her grasp, she let her arm fall to the side as his hand grasped her other shoulder, squeezing it gently. Dropping her other arm, she let her blazer and notebook fall to the ground as her body began to surrender to one thought and one thought only.
Turning slowly in his grasp, Veronica's eyes met Logan's. "What if...what if I need you?"
Slipping his hand up to her face, his thumb brushed along her jaw line as his palm cradled her cheek. Her hand covered his as they stayed locked in each other's gaze before slowly, tentatively Logan leaned down to brush his lips across hers. She replied to his kiss with her own, pushing herself up on the balls of her feet to press her body against his.
The last time she met him in this doorway, they were still teens – frantic and overwhelmed with urgency. Now, Veronica let him carefully kiss her, her arms wrapping around his neck to hold her too him, with all the patience in the world. If their years apart could teach her anything, it was that they had time. As their lips connected back and forth – going from soft gentle strokes between them to deep and passionate - Veronica slid her hands between them, reaching to loosen his tie and letting it drop to the ground at their feet. Her fingers shook ever so slightly as she found the first button on his shirt and she paused for a heartbeat before slipping it open. As she continued he moaned, his lips vibrating against hers. When she got to the last button along his belt line his hands dropped from the sides of her face to rest on her hips, his fingers slowly pulling her skirt higher on her thighs.
Pulling away from their kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers, their eyes connecting again as he nodded, silently asking for her consent as he did every time they were together.
"Yes," she gasped, her heart finally connecting with her words.
In a moment she was off her feet, her legs wrapped around his waist as the hem of her skirt rose all the way to her hips. Pressing her palms to his bearded cheeks she smiled as he began carrying her through the room. Peppering small kisses on his lips, his nose, his ear, and finally his neck while they moved, Veronica let out a deep sigh of contentment as he made his way into the bedroom, pausing at the foot of the king sized bed.
"I lied to you before," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "When I said I almost forgot what you looked like."
"What do you mean?" She replied, her eyebrows coming together as she frowned.
"The truth is I have thought about you every day since you left. There is absolutely no way I could forget."
Her lip trembling, Veronica nodded. "So have I. I tried so hard not to, but I couldn't stop myself. Even though I tried to stop my head, my heart kept reminding me about you."
Releasing her gently, she knelt on the edge of the bed as he stood in front of her. Keeping their eyes locked on one another, Veronica slowly unbuttoned her blouse before sliding it off her arms, letting it drop onto the bed. She heard Logan's breathe hitch at the sight of her in her white lace bra and she couldn't help but smirk when her eyes wandered, noticing his pants growing tighter. Reaching around, she unzipped her skirt, pausing for a moment before sliding it down her thighs to her knees, revealing a small white lace triangle of fabric keeping what was left of her naked body covered.
The corner of Logan's mouth twitched up into a grin and he leaned towards her, his finger slipping past the lace thong to brush against her, intimately.
"Do you always dress like this for interviews?" He teased, his long finger sliding between her moist folds, causing her to gasp.
"No..." Her voice shook slightly as the pad of his finger made contact with her clit. "Only you."
Catching her lips with his, his deep, passionate kiss made her head spin and she grasped his shoulders, anchoring herself to him as he continued to stroke her, his fingers now making long, luxurious circles against her clit. He made no move to remove his clothes, instead trailing his kisses down her sternum before pressing against the sheer lace of her bra, his tongue teasing her nipple through the fabric. The bristles of his beard pressed against the soft skin of her breast and she let out a deep moan of satisfaction before he released her, pulling back the lace to bring her hard nipple into his mouth. Watching him manipulate her body in ways only he knew how to manage sent a surge of ecstasy through her and she let herself fall into his complete control, giving in to the waves of pleasure rippling over every part of her.
Soon her moans turned to pleading as the build up became too much to bear, her muscles shaking as she held herself upright. Releasing her suddenly, she groaned at the loss of sensation, dropping onto her back on the bed. In a moment, his hands were on her again, her skirt pulled down her legs before he dropped back down, his face now hovering just above hers. Kissing the tip of her nose, he moved to the side of her, reaching into the side table and extracting a single condom package. Planting another kiss on her forehead, Logan slipped back to the end of the bed and she propped herself up on her elbow, watching as his body was revealed to her – every flexing muscle, every rippling ab, every darkening vein along his skin – as he stripped off his clothes. Placing one knee on the bed, she licked her lips hungrily as he rolled the condom over his long, hard shaft, before leaning over her again, kissing her just below her navel. She giggled as his beard tickled her, her hands grasping his hair as he slipped her panties down her legs, pulling them off past her high black heels. His eyes sparkling back with mischief he wiggled his eyebrows at her in a way that made her know he was leaving the shoes on her tonight.
Kissing his way back up her body, he stopped, his eyes meeting hers again as his cock twitched against her wet lips. Hooking her feet around his legs, she spread herself to him, her hips bucking, hoping to make deeper contact. Kissing her, slowly he guided himself through her, burying his cock deep inside her body as she gasped, enjoying the delicious sensation of having him inside her again. Rocking up against him, they quickly found their rhythm again as their foreheads pressed together, their lips connecting in between deep moans and soft pleading whispers.
As his body tensed above her, Veronica closed her eyes, concentrating only on the waves of pleasure they created together. It wasn't long before her body tensed, her finger nails digging into his back as she hung on to him, her body consumed by her orgasm as she road against him, drawing out the pleasure for as long as she could. It wasn't long before he was coming deep inside her, his body jerking against hers as they cried out their satisfaction, filling the room with their calls.
Her eyes fluttering open, Veronica met Logan's gentle gaze above her, his nose brushing against hers. Reaching her hand down to cup his muscular buttocks, she held him inside her for a second longer.
"I don't want this to end," she whispered, a grin spreading across her face.
Brushing his lips against hers, he grinned back down at her, his face glistening with perspiration. "It doesn't have to – not if you don't want it to."
"Alright," Veronica replied, her hands releasing him.
The loss of connection made them both groan as he pulled away, stepping gingerly to the side of the bed, his back turned as he dealt with the condom. Kicking off her heels, Veronica shimmied to the head of the bed and dove under the warm blankets as he laughed.
"Still too cold for you?"
She nodded, pulling back the covers on his side of the bed. "Yes. If I'm going to stay, you're going to have to turn down the air conditioning."
Coming around the side of the bed, Logan slipped under the covers, pulling her naked body close to his as she squealed with delight.
"Body heat, Bobcat. We'll just have to use body heat."
Releasing a contented sigh, Veronica shifted, curling up in his arms and closing her eyes. "Or...we can do that."
