Chapter 359 A Long Night
Ella
The sound of the plane’s wheels screeching against the landing strip jerked me awake.
For a moment, I was disoriented-until I felt the weight of an arm around my shoulders and saw Logan sitting next to me. My cheeks flushed as I realized I had fallen asleep against him. God, I even felt a small wet spot on my cheek where I must have drooled.
Classy, Ella, I thought to myself.
“That was a quick flight,” I mumbled, pretending that I hadn’t just been sleeping on Logan’s shoulder as I sat up to discreetly wipe my cheek with the back of my hand.
Logan chuckled and pulled his arm away to give me space. “Sure, it’s quick when you sleep. like a princess the whole time.”
My face burned hotly, but not just from embarrassment. Somewhere deep inside, my wolf purred in approval, convinced that Logan had opened up to us earlier. Something about the way he had talked to me, the way that he let me lean on him for comfort, was sweet. And Ema wouldn’t let me forget that.
But sweet or not, I reminded both myself and my wolf silently, our worlds were just too different. And we couldn’t forget-he was a mobster. The odds of him leaving that life, despite his best efforts, were next to zero. Not to mention how my parents would react. I was already taking a risk by having him here.
As the seatbelt light blinked off, I grabbed my purse from the overhead bin, and we made our way off the plane. Relief washed over me once my feet hit solid ground again, and after finding our luggage, we made our way out onto the bustling street.
And, just as I suspected, a sleek black town car was already waiting for us outside.
“Miss Morgan?” the driver said, pushing himself away from the hood of the car as we approached.
“Uh, yes,” I said. I could already feel the hint of blush beginning to creep into my cheeks as my suspicions rose. And it turned out that I was correct.
“Your father sent me,” the driver said with a warm smile as he opened the door for us. Of course he did, I thought to myself. I could already picture him: sitting in his office, calling his own personal driver to pick me up from the airport.
Not only was it his way of welcoming me home in the lap of luxury, but there was no doubt in my mind that my father had hired this man to check on Logan and bring the news back to him.
As we climbed into the car, Logan shot me an amused look, but said nothing for the entirety of the drive.
Finally, we arrived at the hotel, and it was just as grand as I had expected from Logan’s taste -sparkling chandeliers, ornate furnishings, and staff who moved with a sort of calculated grace. I couldn’t help but gawk a bit as we walked through the lavish lobby, my eyes widening at each new extravagant detail.
“What?” Logan said as we stepped onto the elevator. “Used to personal drivers and Lincoln town cars, but not fancy hotels?”
I shook my head and quickly looked away, my eyes meeting my reflection in the elevator mirror. I looked a bit haggard from the flight. Dark circles rimmed my eyes, my hair was a bit of a mess, and now that I really looked at myself, I realized that my outfit-an oversized hoodie and leggings-wasn’t exactly my best work.
Normally, I didn’t care too much when it came to travel attire. But for some reason, being beside Logan and seeing how he glanced surreptitiously at me in the mirror as though checking me out, I suddenly felt like a slob.
Or maybe it was just the fancy hotel that made me feel that way. Right?
“I’ve been to plenty of hotels,” I chided. “Just nothing this… over the top.”
Logan smirked. “Something wrong with that?”
“No.” I averted my gaze to the floor. “Your tastes are just different than mine. That’s all.”
The elevator ride to our floor was quick, but my heart rate seemed to disagree. It pounded in my chest, nervously anticipating what would come next. What were the sleeping arrangements? Logan stuck to his promise to get us our own rooms, right?
Suddenly, I was snapped from my thoughts when the doors slid open to reveal a lush corridor that could have belonged in a palace.
Logan led the way, stopping in front of two adjacent doors. As he unlocked them and pushed the doors open, I peeked into my room and almost lost my breath. It was stunning- silk sheets, a king-sized bed, an awe-inspiring view of the city skyline from a private balcony.
This wasn’t just a room, it was a suite, complete with a lavish bathroom and even a small kitchenette. I could live here, I thought to myself, half-serious.
And then I noticed that our balconies were adjacent, separated only by a thin, ornate railing. The implication of that closeness settled over me like a heavy blanket, amplifying the tension that had been building ever since we boarded the plane.
Logan looked at me, his eyes glittering with a mix of mischief and something I couldn’t quite place just yet. “Only the best for my ‘fiancee”,” he said, emphasizing the last word as if it were a secret joke only he was in on.
I rolled my eyes, not trusting myself to speak. Because, for a split second, when he said that word-fiancee-I felt a tiny leap in my heart. And that was dangerous territory. My wolf seemed to howl in agreement, sensing the magnetic pull that was drawing us in, deeper and deeper into whatever this was.
But I couldn’t let that happen. Not when the chasm between our worlds was so vast it could swallow us whole. I had to keep reminding myself of the facts: Logan was still who he was, and I was… well, I was who I was.
His life was entangled in webs I couldn’t even begin to understand, and mine had its own complexities that someone like him could never navigate. And there was also my father. What would he say when he eventually found out about this arrangement? He would loathe Logan even more once he found out about Logan’s past, I was sure of it.
“Well?” Logan said, glancing over at me. “It’s still early. Dinner later?”
I shook my head. “No need. I’ll be ordering room service tonight.”
Logan shot me a sideways glance, confusion evident in his features. “But, Ella-”
“Goodnight, Logan,” I interrupted, my voice threaded with finality.
Logan furrowed his brow. For a moment, he opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but then shut it again and nodded solemnly to himself. “Alright, then. Goodnight, Ella.”
As I shut the door, I felt a strange sense of melancholy wash over me. It was my wolf. She was annoyed with me, as she had every right to be. But I had my convictions, and this trip wouldn’t change that.
Aside from the shared balcony and the necessary brunch with my parents tomorrow, there was no reason for Logan and I to spend any more time together than we already had.
I leaned against the closed door, my heart pounding loudly in the suddenly deafening silence.
It was going to be a long night.
