Protect My Heart

Chapter 10

A/N: Suggested song for the Chapter is "Save Yourself" by Birdy. You don't have to listen to it, but you can if you want.

Clover

He cradled her in his arms as though they were meant to be there –  as if he'd held her for years and not minutes. His arms shook, but he didn't plan to release. For years, he'd waited for this.

Why couldn't he just do this for two years instead of showing up out of nowhere later?

A perplexed Mia glanced my way, and this was my cue. Venturing over to them, I placed a relaxed hand on Logan's shoulder. "You'll strangle her if you hold on too tight."

On command, he let go, and Mia wobbled off into her room to play. Suddenly, it was as if Daddy didn't exist again. I winced at the thought and ventured to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. When he trailed after me, I initiated the conversation. "Tea or coffee?"

"You know I can't have coffee at night or in the evening. I'll never fall asleep if I do."

Who knows what's changed about you?

"Tea it is then." I rose on my tiptoes to reach the higher cupboard. We'd built those cupboards too high.

His excuse used to be that this way he could help me whenever.

All too soon, a chest pressed to my back as I stopped breathing. He was close. Very, very close that I sensed the heat of his body. "I'll get it for you."

I breathed heavily when he reached above my trembling frame to grab the tea box. But when he grabbed it, he didn't move away. Spinning on my heel, I found him staring down at me with dark eyes. Nowhere to go since he had me backed to the counter.

"Clover, I want to –"

The air around us infused with lust.

His concentration settled on my lips with his hand braced on the countertop beside me. His breath smelled nice from the soda he'd drunk earlier. them. "I want a lot of things."

Bracing our foreheads together, I drowned in him. The hatred and anger got stomped down. "Like what?"

"Like what?" Why was I doing this? I should have been shouting at him to leave, made him pay for all he had done. But I'd lost the will to think, to focus on the rationality of this.

His tongue poked out to lick his lips. "I think you know what I want the most right now."

"No." I played dumb.

"Well," he inclined until I felt the heat of his breath, "let me show you then."

Nevertheless, it never got to that, never got to closing that gap. A voice yelled through the house. "Mommy, I need to pee!"

Logan burst out laughing, then quieted at my glare. I left him to fend that tea for himself. For months, I'd potty-trained Mia, and she was doing so well. I cheered when she got on the toilet herself and urinated. With gloating pride, I watched her wash her hands. A big achievement as she always forgot. After her nightly routine, I put her to bed. Mia peeked out from under the covers. "Daddy say goodnight too?"

"Of course." I tucked the blanket up to her chin, then headed downstairs to find Logan. He lounged on the couch with an arm over his eyes. "Logan?"

Abruptly, he sat up, checking around. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Is Mia okay? Did something –"

Huh?

I'd been gone about ten minutes or so. What could've happened to us within that timeframe?