“Yeah?” Jodie smiled.
“Yeah.” Her mom looked at Logan. “But break my daughter’s heart, and awkward family dinners will be the least of your concerns.”
His laugh came out more nervous than he intended. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”
“I’ll go talk to Duke,” Megan said. “Wait until I call, before the two of you head up to the condo. We can talk about this when we’re all thinking with cooler heads.”
When Megan left, Logan pulled Jodie into him, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Talk aboutdysfunctional.”
She leaned her weight against him. “Not nearly as bad as some families. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Logan tangled his fingers in her hair and crushed his mouth to hers. He fell into the kiss, burning every sensation into his mind. Her taste. Her sighs. The way her body molded to his, as if they were two halves of the same puzzle. He broke away and studied her face. “I meant everything last night,” he said. “That I’m done with the hot and cold. That I love you.”
“I need time to adjust.” She sounded apologetic. “And thank you for not telling them about… You know.”
“Take the time you need. You’re worth waiting for.” Logan kissed her on the nose. “As for the other part, I’ll stand with you when you’re ready to tell them. Or not. Whatever works best for you.”
A string of loud grunts echoed from the bathroom, mingled with the sound of running water.
Logan knew what it was, but he didn’t want to believe it. “That’s not…”
“Noah jerking off in the shower? Yes.”
Logan shook his head. “I’m sorry I stuck you in this place. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“I’m a big girl. I made my own decision. No one forced me to live here.”
“What would it take to convince you one of those decisions should be finding a new roommate? Me, for instance. It can be a no-expectations kind of agreement. Your own room if you want.”
She brushed her lips over his. “I don’t want. But you’re not only inviting one person to live with you.”
“I know what I’m asking. I want you both there. Move in with me?” Logan asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Definitely.”
He kissed her again, swallowing her moans, dancing his tongue with hers. This was as perfect as he could imagine, and that included Jodie being the rational one when it came to confessions of love. He had a feeling they were on their way toward an amazing future together.
Epilogue
Jodie walked out of the building where she was doing her internship. The July sun beat down on her skin. It was about the perfect day. A long weekend for Independence Day. The office was done at noon, in anticipation of the holiday.
The biggest decision she had to make this weekend was how much time she’d spend on the beach versus naked in bed with Logan. Given he was a lot happier than her with how round her belly was, she was more likely to opt fornaked in bed, than trying to fit in a bathing suit.
Their parents took the pregnancy news better than expected. Oddly enough, it seemed to go over more smoothly when Duke figured out the baby wasn’t Logan’s.
Her good mood soared as she approached her car in the parking garage and saw him leaning against it.
The moment she was within arm’s reach, he gripped her hips. “Hey, gorgeous.” He kissed her on the cheek, then spun and lifted her to sit on the hood of the car.
“Hey, yourself.” She pulled him closer, to slide between her legs, and draped her arms around his neck. “I thought you had class this afternoon.”
He had picked up a few summer-school teaching spots. Despite her insistence he wasn’t financially responsible for anything, he wouldn’t let it go. “No one is focusing, so we called it a day.” Between each word, he laid another kiss along her neck, her jaw, and then the edge of her ear. “And I have good news I couldn’t wait to share.” He undid a button on her blouse, and then another.
She wore a camisole underneath, so it wasn’t as though he was exposing her. It still felt naughty to be letting her boyfriend undress her in the middle of the office parking lot. “Does it have anything to do with why you’re taking off my shirt?” she asked.
“Nope. I’d be doing that anyway.” Logan traced his mouth over the lace of her undershirt, teasing the top of her breasts. “I talked to my dad this morning.”
She rolled her eyes and pushed him back. She was grateful he made things right with Duke, so both their parents were okay with Jodie and Logan dating, but that didn’t mean she wanted to make out while the folks were the topic of discussion. “And…?”