Fic: Missing You Beneath the Mistletoe (LoVe, NC-17)
Fic Title: Missing You Beneath the Mistletoe
Author: lit_chick08 (Meg)
Rating: NC-17 for sex (shocker!) and language (unbelievable!)
Pairing: LoVe with minor Lilly/Logan and VD
Word Count: 3,826
Spoilers: pre-series yet again, so just the basics
Summary: A Christmas party at the Kanes turns into a secret meeting for Logan and Veronica
A/N1: This is a continuation of my last story “The Burdened Vessel”, which can be found HERE. It isn’t necessary to read to understand as long as you know that Veronica and Logan have slept together but are still with Duncan and Lilly. Also, the timeline is all messed up; just go with it
A/N2: Unbeta’ed because I was impatient to finally post this. It’s been sitting on my computer for over a year. Feedback and concrit appreciated!
Christmas parties at the Kane household were legendary among the Neptune elite. Everyone who was anyone came to the Kane mansion on Christmas Eve clad in their very best attire, consuming champagne and slurring carols while their children were left with babysitters and nannies on the holiday that was supposed to bring families closer together. At midnight, the crowd would disperse, some for Midnight Mass, most to go home and nurse hangovers before being awakened at dawn by the children they had sent to boarding school all year. Celeste Kane would wear the latest Versace design, something that was appropriately sexy though no one had ever referred to her as such; Jake Kane would laugh boisterously with Big Dick Casablancas and Aaron Echolls, smoking cigars and drinking brandy; Lilly and Duncan would be paraded out, each perfectly coiffed, the very pictures of teenage perfection; it was a dance better choreographed than the finest ballet, a Neptune tradition.
Unlike the rest of the 09ers, Veronica found nothing glamorous about Kane Christmases. She had been to the past two Christmas parties and had quickly discovered that, while being Lilly’s best friend was enough to afford her safe passage in teen 09er circles, the adults looked at her for what she was: the middle class daughter of the Sheriff and a rumored alcoholic. They knew the dress that she wore did not come from one of the posh boutiques on Ocean Drive and that the floating diamond pendant around her neck had been bought at Wal-Mart. While the adults would spend hours praising Lilly for her beauty and Duncan for his intelligence, Veronica would stand in the corner and hope that she would be suddenly struck with invisibility.
She had planned on avoiding the party this year, citing her father as an excuse. He did not like the idea of her spending Christmas Eve away from the family anyway, and Veronica thought that she had the perfect excuse with him. And then Deputy Sachs had come down with a case of the flu so bad that he had to be hospitalized and Keith had to go in for the night shift. Veronica had no choice now; if she didn’t go and didn’t have an excuse that was acceptable to Queen Bee Lilly, she could count on months of guilt. Besides, every event recently that Logan had also been at, Veronica had found a reason to avoid; if she kept it up, their secret would come out and Veronica didn’t want to even fathom what would happen then.
So tonight Veronica stood in the grand living room of the Kane mansion, a demure green satin dress and strappy heels her camouflage amongst the rich crowd, as she sipped her champagne flute filled with orange juice. Lilly was flitting around the room in a red dress that was just shy of indecent, the ruffled skirt frequently riding up enough that the chance of seeing her matching thong was a real possibility; Duncan had been caught by Jake and was now being forced into a conversation with two Senators and a Councilman.
“You look like someone killed your puppy,” Logan murmured into her ear as he came up behind her, startling her.
Regaining her composure, she quipped, “My puppy’s over 100 pounds; I dare someone to try.”
Logan sidled up beside her, his own flute of orange juice heavily spiked with vodka, and Veronica appraised him out of the corner of her eye. Since their interlude in September, he had been drinking more; Veronica knew that it was probably a combination of their disastrous actions and Lilly’s own continuing cruelty to him, but her guilt had grown exponentially when it came to Logan. Tonight, as he stood beside her in his suit, the slump of his shoulders hinted at just how broken he seemed to be.
“Fabulous party, huh?” he drawled, taking a heavy swallow from his glass.
“Words cannot describe it,” she agreed. Catching the scent of the alcohol, she suggested, “You might wanna slow down, Logan.”
Condescension on his face, he said, “I think I know what’s enough.”
“You reek of liquor,” she hissed.
Leaning down, no more than an inch between their faces, he spat, “You reek of Duncan’s cologne. What, you sneak in a little quickie beforehand?”
Drawing back as if struck, the blood draining from her face, Veronica felt the tears prick her eyes and hated them. Swallowing down the lump that had formed in her throat, she replied, “You’re a real bastard, you know that?”
As she stomped away, Logan answered to no one, “Yeah, I know.”
* * *
“Jesus, Lilly, pace yourself,” Veronica warned as Lilly did three successive shots of Jack Daniels in the den, where they had sought refuge when the caroling had begun. “If you keep drinking like that, you’re gonna end up puking all over the baby grand.”
With a giggle, Lilly retorted, “Only if I’m lucky.”
“Lilly-“
“Could you imagine Celeste’s face? It would totally be worth it.”
Before she could reply, the door opened and, while Veronica fumbled to hide the whiskey bottle, Duncan and Logan entered, Duncan declaring, “How could you leave us there?”
“Oh, suck it up, Donut,” Lilly said with a roll of her eyes, grabbing the bottle from Veronica. “Here, be a man and do a shot.”
“Lil…”
Logan reached around his best friend, taking the bottle from his girlfriend, and took a long gulp from it. Veronica flinched at the burn that the alcohol must have given him, but Logan didn’t seem to mind in the least. Of course, Logan drank far more than she did.
“This thing is fucking dull!” Lilly exclaimed, reclaiming the bottle from her boyfriend, swigging just as Logan had. “I swear, I’m half tempted to stab someone with a barbecue fork just to liven it up.”
“Lilly-“
“Oh, relax, little brother,” she groaned, ruffling his hair as if he was an errant child. “I wouldn’t actually stab someone.” Pushing the bottle towards Veronica, she encouraged, “Get smashed with me, Ronnie.”
“I have to go to Mass tonight.”
“Mass?” Lilly laughed, slowing sinking to the floor. Getting on her knees in mock supplication, her arms wrapping around Logan’s knees, she threw her head back and declared to the heavens, “Forgive me, Father, for I am so going to sin tonight!”
“Jesus, Lil,” Logan scoffed as he extracted himself from her grasp.
“Leave her alone,” Duncan chimed in.
Picking herself up off of the ground, smoothing her dress so that she was no longer flashing her red, lacy, see through thong to everyone in the room, she marched over to the French doors that separated the den from the pool. “Well, excuse me for trying to have some fun.”
“Lilly-“ Veronica tried.
She held up her hand, silencing her best friend. “No, you stay here with your big, strong protectors and I’ll go find some new friends who aren’t such pussies.”
With that, in true Lilly fashion, she threw open the doors, strutting to the poolside and immediately launching herself at one of her father’s younger business partners, batting her eyelashes and exuding sex.
Duncan, used to her escapades, picked up the forgotten bottle of Jack, and replaced it in the liquor cabinet. With a sigh, he declared, “I’d better stick close to her before she decides to start a wet t-shirt contest. Will you guys-“
“We’ll be fine,” Logan assured him, sinking down onto one of the brown, leather couches that Celeste had worked so hard at selecting.
“Are you sure you don’t want help?”
Duncan smiled at his girlfriend, leaning in and pressing a brief kiss to her lips. “If we’re tag-teaming her, the chances are more likely she’ll make a scene or Celeste will figure it out. Stay with Logan, have fun, and I’ll drop you off at home before Mass.” Grinning at Logan, he teased, “Don’t make any moves on my girl!”
Veronica gave Logan credit; unlike her, he didn’t flinch at the unknowing barb.
Meeting Duncan’s unwavering gaze, he assured him, “I won’t do anything she doesn’t want.”
With a laugh, Duncan followed Lilly’s path, carefully closing the doors behind him, leaving Veronica and Logan in the terse silence. When nothing was said for nearly a minute, Veronica, unable to take it any longer, made her way for the door that would lead back into the hallway, needing to get as far away from Logan as possible.
Her hand was on the door knob when Logan inquired, barely loud enough for her to hear, “You ever think about that night?”
She froze, staring at the patter of the wood grain on the door. Finally, finding her voice, she confessed, “All the time.”
“Duncan told me that you two never…that it didn’t happen on Catalina.” Getting to his feet, he carefully began to approach her though she still didn’t turn. “He said that you said you weren’t ready.”
Her fingers circled the door knob but didn’t twist. “I wasn’t.”
She could feel him behind her now, close enough that she could feel the heat emanating from his body. With a gentle hand, he traced the length of her back, back and forth, the sort of soothing motion that was used on upset children. When she didn’t jerk away, he leaned in closely, his lips brushing against her ear tantalizingly as he whispered, “Why not?”
Veronica shivered at the feel of his breath against her skin and attempted to twist her head away, but he followed the movement and she was torn between frustration for pushing and tears from how badly she had ached for this kind of closeness.
Finally, she turned to face him and she could see the naked emotion in his eyes. Lifting her hands to rest against his chest, she admitted, “I didn’t want to be with him like that.”
“Why not?” he pushed.
“Because I love you.”
Logan had one of the best poker faces that Veronica had ever seen but, in that moment, he was as transparent as she usually was. His face became flush with relief and validation, and he took hold of one of her hands, reaching around to open the door, and, surveying the hallway, urged, “Come on.”
Veronica followed him, unsure what was happening beyond the fact that he was leading her further into the Kane mansion and away from the festivities. She knew the corridors of the Kane estate as well as Logan did, and she knew the moment that he had opened the door that they were now in the guest room that Celeste was in the middle of remodeling. The walls were painted different colors, tarps lying on the hardwood floor, cans of paint and trays waiting to be used by the workers that would return in another day.
The moment Logan closed the door, he twisted the lock firmly into place before declaring, “I’ve been going crazy without you.”
Veronica had no chance to reply for he moved forward, wrapping her up in his arms and kissing her fiercely, months of pent-up longing pouring forth. Her fingers slid into his hair, sealing his mouth tightly against hers as they stumbled back towards the center of the room. All of the furniture had been removed due to the painting, and Logan pulled away, quickly trying to improvise a place to lie down.
“Logan,” she gasped as he broke away, watching in confusion as he scrambled around the room trying to find a clean tarp.
Admitting defeat, he began to push the tarps out of the way, revealing the unblemished floor. Shrugging out of his suit jacket, he laid it on the floor, spreading it as far as he could, the blue, silk lining facing up. Rolling a nearby tarp into a ball, he placed it near the top of the jacket.
“What the hell are you doing?”
He smiled at her before tugging his tie loose. “Making a bed.”
Eyes widening in realization, she pronounced, “We can’t do it here.”
Unbuttoning his shirt, he shrugged. “Why not?”
“Duncan and Lilly…Jake and Celeste…It’s Christmas Eve!”
Logan pulled his undershirt over his head, setting it near the jacket. “The door’s locked.”
Veronica gestured towards the large window that was currently without curtains. “What if someone sees us?”
He smiled, walking towards her. “We’re on the second floor, sweetie.”
“Well, I know, but-“
Logan kissed her softly, his fingers brushing her long, pale hair out of her face. Resting his forehead against hers, he whispered, “Don’t be nervous. It’s just us.”
As he began to ply her neck with gentle kisses, his fingers drawing the zipper of her dress down, she panted, “But this isn’t the boat.”
“No,” he agreed, “this is for real.”
Despite her protestations, Veronica allowed him to remove her emerald green dress, carefully stepping out of it. Logan laid it down on the floor, knowing that, while it was certainly nowhere near as expensive as Lilly’s gown, it probably cost more than the Mars household could comfortably have afforded. Once down there, he stayed on his knees, much in the same position as Lilly had been earlier.
Veronica watched him through hooded eyes, staring at this stranger who only ever seemed to come alive when they were alone together. A tremulous gasp was torn from her when Logan opened his mouth, warm and moist, against the curve of her stomach. One hand crawled upward, easily finding the clasp of her strapless bra, and the dexterity with which he unfastened it spoke more of his past experience than any of their prior encounters.
Her breasts were small, topped with pink nipples that were hard from his ministrations, and they fit perfectly into Logan’s hands. He trailed his kisses upward, pressing his lips hard against her breastbone, easily feeling the increase in her heartbeat. Veronica tried to bend down to become level with him, but Logan took a firm grasp on her hips and shook his head.
Hooking his fingers into the waistband of her brief, white bikinis, Logan tugged them down her legs, littering kisses down her unblemished legs. When he was finished, she stood before him, naked as the day she was born, her skin flush with arousal, the moonlight giving her an ethereal glow in the bare room.
“You’re so beautiful.”
It was a compliment that Veronica heard often enough but, only when it was from Logan, did it bring tears to her eyes. Knowing that he believed that about her gave her more confidence than anything else in the world, and she had no idea why that was considering that most of the time, she wasn’t even entirely sure that she liked the person that he was when he was around his friends.
She sank to her knees gracefully, reaching for the waistband of Logan’s pants. He smiled, lying back on his jacket so that Veronica could easily remove them. Logan pretended that he didn’t feel the trembling of her hands as he tugged them free of his body or the way she blushed when his erection popped free of the boxers that she also removed. Even though he knew that Veronica was not a blushing virgin - he had seen to that months ago at her request - her innocence still touched him in a way that he could never quite describe.
“Do you have something?” she inquired as her fingers trailed the length of his erection, using the same technique that had been taught to her in the Echolls’ pool house.
“Wallet,” he gritted through his teeth, thrusting his hips upward, desperate for more contact.
Logan’s groan was almost painful to listen to as she quickly rifled through his pants’ pockets, finding the condom that he always kept in his wallet. Holding it up in victory, she handed it to him, watching with amusement the speed with which he donned it. She knew that they didn’t have much time before their absences would be missed, and they needed to use their time wisely.
Veronica began to move, trying to change their positions so that Logan was over her, but he shook his head, using his strength to pull her firmly against his front. When Veronica’s brow furrowed in confusion and nervousness, he sat up, encouraging Veronica to straddle his lap, opening her to him.
“Can’t we do it the other way?” she asked against his mouth before kissing him deeply.
“You’ll like this,” he promised, reaching down to test her, finding her so slick that his fingers easily slid inside of her. Veronica bucked, tossing her head back in pleasure, and Logan couldn’t help but smile; given the distinct lack of foreplay, she must want this as desperately as he did.
“What if I don’t?”
“Then I’ll stop.”
Breath hitching as Logan positioned himself against her opening, she pressed, “Promise?”
“I would never make you do anything you didn’t want to do,” he solemnly swore before bringing her hips down to meet his, their pelvises pressing intimately against each other. As they both moaned at the feeling, Logan couldn’t help but adding, “Besides, I promised Duncan that I wouldn’t.”
Even through her pleasure, Veronica recognized the barb and slapped him on the shoulder. She didn’t want to think about Duncan right now, not when Logan was inside of her, stretching her in the best possible way, every inch of him pressed against the most sensitive spots on her body. Even though she had only had sex once before this and only ever with Logan, she was certain that nothing on earth would ever feel as good as this did.
Unsure what to do, she began to lift herself up but Logan fiercely held her hips, groaning, “Jesus, Veronica, gimme a minute!”
“What’s wrong?”
“It just-You’re still really tight. It feels…too good. I need to calm down.”
Obediently staying still, she combed her fingers through his hair, peppering kisses against his face. “I’m sorry.”
Logan laughed before kissing her. “Believe me: you don’t need to apologize.” After a few more deep breaths, he proclaimed, “It’s okay now.”
“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, her face blushing with shame.
“I’ll help.”
Keeping a light grasp on her hips, Logan began to lead her movements, watching as Veronica figured out which rhythm felt best, how to twist her hips to enjoy it the most. She kept her hands on his shoulders, bracing herself, and Logan soon couldn’t help thrusting upwards, encouraging Veronica to thrust down even harder. They moved desperately, mouths meeting sloppily, noses bumping in the dark, no finesse to their coupling but neither cared as long as they didn’t stop.
“Lean back.”
“What?” Veronica asked in confusion, twisting her hips as she could feel her orgasm building.
“Trust me.”
Bringing her arms backward, bearing the brunt of her weight, Veronica complied and, as Logan gave a gentle upward thrust, she couldn’t help but cry, “Fuck!”
“Told you so,” Logan smugly quipped as he brought his hand down to stroke her clit, bright red and swollen for attention.
“Oh my god!”
It was funny how memory worked. Until right this moment, Logan would’ve sworn that he remembered every detail of he and Veronica’s night aboard Sun Dancer but, as he watched the way she tossed her head, her blonde hair covering her breasts enticingly, he realized that he had forgotten how truly gorgeous Veronica Mars in the midst of an orgasm.
Afterward, as they sat entangled, Veronica’s arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, their bodies soaked with sweat, Logan gently rocked as he felt the tears she was trying to hide from him trickle down his back.
He would’ve asked why she cried but he was too afraid of the answer.
* * *
They redressed in silence, Veronica trying to tug the wrinkles from her dress while Logan shrugged back into his clothing, uncaring how it looked. The scent of sex was heavy in the air, and, as Logan returned the tarp to where it had been, he saw Veronica desperately attempting to fix her hair by the reflection from the glass of the windowpane.
“Veronica,” he began before stopping short.
She turned to him, half of her face hidden in shadow. “Yeah?”
I love you. I want to be with you. What the hell are we doing with Duncan and Lilly? They’ll get over it. Just be with me. “Nothing.”
Her mouth twisted into a smirk before she walked to him, grasping the ends of his tie, her hands slowly going through the motions of tying it. As she did so, she glanced up at him and was startled to find a tear rolling down his cheek.
“Logan-“
“Don’t. I’m fine.”
“You’re lying.”
He brought his lips to her forehead, wishing to convey everything he couldn’t say into that single gesture. “I’ll be fine, Veronica.”
She knew that he was still lying but she wouldn’t push it; Logan’s temper was so volatile, especially when they were like this. Veronica knew that he was willing to leave Lilly and that the ball was in her court. Her cowardice was beyond shameful, but she couldn’t hurt Duncan like that, just as she shouldn’t have continued to hurt Logan tonight by agreeing to this.
They slunk back down to the party in time to see Lilly fall spectacularly in the middle of the crowd, laughing hysterically, while Duncan and Jake tried to help her to her feet. Logan swore under his breath, but Veronica couldn’t help but feel grateful for this latest embarrassing incident for her best friend. At least, this way, she wouldn’t have to face either of the Kane siblings for the rest of the night.
“You need a ride home?” Logan asked.
“You’re too drunk to drive.”
“Mom hired a car for the night. It’ll take you where you need. Let me just check to make sure it’s cool.”
It was, of course; Lynn Echolls adored Veronica even without the amount of liquor that was currently coursing through her bloodstream. As they waited for the car to pull up to the Kane drive, Logan wrapped his suit coat, the same coat that they had just had sex on, around her shoulders, warding off the December breeze.
“I do love you,” Veronica murmured, her voice so soft that it was almost lost beneath the sounds of the party.
“I love you too, but what does that change?”
“I’m sorry.”
“For fucking me or fucking me over?”
Veronica’s jaw dropped open in outrage, too upset to immediately respond. As the limo pulled up, she spat, “And you wonder why I won’t leave him.”
When Logan said nothing, she climbed into the car, slamming the door behind her, leaving Logan standing at the curb, cursing his words and the world.
It wouldn’t be until she got home that she realized that she was still wearing the jacket that reeked of their mingled scent.
She would cry herself to sleep wearing it.
Author: lit_chick08 (Meg)
Rating: NC-17 for sex (shocker!) and language (unbelievable!)
Pairing: LoVe with minor Lilly/Logan and VD
Word Count: 3,826
Spoilers: pre-series yet again, so just the basics
Summary: A Christmas party at the Kanes turns into a secret meeting for Logan and Veronica
A/N1: This is a continuation of my last story “The Burdened Vessel”, which can be found HERE. It isn’t necessary to read to understand as long as you know that Veronica and Logan have slept together but are still with Duncan and Lilly. Also, the timeline is all messed up; just go with it
A/N2: Unbeta’ed because I was impatient to finally post this. It’s been sitting on my computer for over a year. Feedback and concrit appreciated!
Christmas parties at the Kane household were legendary among the Neptune elite. Everyone who was anyone came to the Kane mansion on Christmas Eve clad in their very best attire, consuming champagne and slurring carols while their children were left with babysitters and nannies on the holiday that was supposed to bring families closer together. At midnight, the crowd would disperse, some for Midnight Mass, most to go home and nurse hangovers before being awakened at dawn by the children they had sent to boarding school all year. Celeste Kane would wear the latest Versace design, something that was appropriately sexy though no one had ever referred to her as such; Jake Kane would laugh boisterously with Big Dick Casablancas and Aaron Echolls, smoking cigars and drinking brandy; Lilly and Duncan would be paraded out, each perfectly coiffed, the very pictures of teenage perfection; it was a dance better choreographed than the finest ballet, a Neptune tradition.
Unlike the rest of the 09ers, Veronica found nothing glamorous about Kane Christmases. She had been to the past two Christmas parties and had quickly discovered that, while being Lilly’s best friend was enough to afford her safe passage in teen 09er circles, the adults looked at her for what she was: the middle class daughter of the Sheriff and a rumored alcoholic. They knew the dress that she wore did not come from one of the posh boutiques on Ocean Drive and that the floating diamond pendant around her neck had been bought at Wal-Mart. While the adults would spend hours praising Lilly for her beauty and Duncan for his intelligence, Veronica would stand in the corner and hope that she would be suddenly struck with invisibility.
She had planned on avoiding the party this year, citing her father as an excuse. He did not like the idea of her spending Christmas Eve away from the family anyway, and Veronica thought that she had the perfect excuse with him. And then Deputy Sachs had come down with a case of the flu so bad that he had to be hospitalized and Keith had to go in for the night shift. Veronica had no choice now; if she didn’t go and didn’t have an excuse that was acceptable to Queen Bee Lilly, she could count on months of guilt. Besides, every event recently that Logan had also been at, Veronica had found a reason to avoid; if she kept it up, their secret would come out and Veronica didn’t want to even fathom what would happen then.
So tonight Veronica stood in the grand living room of the Kane mansion, a demure green satin dress and strappy heels her camouflage amongst the rich crowd, as she sipped her champagne flute filled with orange juice. Lilly was flitting around the room in a red dress that was just shy of indecent, the ruffled skirt frequently riding up enough that the chance of seeing her matching thong was a real possibility; Duncan had been caught by Jake and was now being forced into a conversation with two Senators and a Councilman.
“You look like someone killed your puppy,” Logan murmured into her ear as he came up behind her, startling her.
Regaining her composure, she quipped, “My puppy’s over 100 pounds; I dare someone to try.”
Logan sidled up beside her, his own flute of orange juice heavily spiked with vodka, and Veronica appraised him out of the corner of her eye. Since their interlude in September, he had been drinking more; Veronica knew that it was probably a combination of their disastrous actions and Lilly’s own continuing cruelty to him, but her guilt had grown exponentially when it came to Logan. Tonight, as he stood beside her in his suit, the slump of his shoulders hinted at just how broken he seemed to be.
“Fabulous party, huh?” he drawled, taking a heavy swallow from his glass.
“Words cannot describe it,” she agreed. Catching the scent of the alcohol, she suggested, “You might wanna slow down, Logan.”
Condescension on his face, he said, “I think I know what’s enough.”
“You reek of liquor,” she hissed.
Leaning down, no more than an inch between their faces, he spat, “You reek of Duncan’s cologne. What, you sneak in a little quickie beforehand?”
Drawing back as if struck, the blood draining from her face, Veronica felt the tears prick her eyes and hated them. Swallowing down the lump that had formed in her throat, she replied, “You’re a real bastard, you know that?”
As she stomped away, Logan answered to no one, “Yeah, I know.”
* * *
“Jesus, Lilly, pace yourself,” Veronica warned as Lilly did three successive shots of Jack Daniels in the den, where they had sought refuge when the caroling had begun. “If you keep drinking like that, you’re gonna end up puking all over the baby grand.”
With a giggle, Lilly retorted, “Only if I’m lucky.”
“Lilly-“
“Could you imagine Celeste’s face? It would totally be worth it.”
Before she could reply, the door opened and, while Veronica fumbled to hide the whiskey bottle, Duncan and Logan entered, Duncan declaring, “How could you leave us there?”
“Oh, suck it up, Donut,” Lilly said with a roll of her eyes, grabbing the bottle from Veronica. “Here, be a man and do a shot.”
“Lil…”
Logan reached around his best friend, taking the bottle from his girlfriend, and took a long gulp from it. Veronica flinched at the burn that the alcohol must have given him, but Logan didn’t seem to mind in the least. Of course, Logan drank far more than she did.
“This thing is fucking dull!” Lilly exclaimed, reclaiming the bottle from her boyfriend, swigging just as Logan had. “I swear, I’m half tempted to stab someone with a barbecue fork just to liven it up.”
“Lilly-“
“Oh, relax, little brother,” she groaned, ruffling his hair as if he was an errant child. “I wouldn’t actually stab someone.” Pushing the bottle towards Veronica, she encouraged, “Get smashed with me, Ronnie.”
“I have to go to Mass tonight.”
“Mass?” Lilly laughed, slowing sinking to the floor. Getting on her knees in mock supplication, her arms wrapping around Logan’s knees, she threw her head back and declared to the heavens, “Forgive me, Father, for I am so going to sin tonight!”
“Jesus, Lil,” Logan scoffed as he extracted himself from her grasp.
“Leave her alone,” Duncan chimed in.
Picking herself up off of the ground, smoothing her dress so that she was no longer flashing her red, lacy, see through thong to everyone in the room, she marched over to the French doors that separated the den from the pool. “Well, excuse me for trying to have some fun.”
“Lilly-“ Veronica tried.
She held up her hand, silencing her best friend. “No, you stay here with your big, strong protectors and I’ll go find some new friends who aren’t such pussies.”
With that, in true Lilly fashion, she threw open the doors, strutting to the poolside and immediately launching herself at one of her father’s younger business partners, batting her eyelashes and exuding sex.
Duncan, used to her escapades, picked up the forgotten bottle of Jack, and replaced it in the liquor cabinet. With a sigh, he declared, “I’d better stick close to her before she decides to start a wet t-shirt contest. Will you guys-“
“We’ll be fine,” Logan assured him, sinking down onto one of the brown, leather couches that Celeste had worked so hard at selecting.
“Are you sure you don’t want help?”
Duncan smiled at his girlfriend, leaning in and pressing a brief kiss to her lips. “If we’re tag-teaming her, the chances are more likely she’ll make a scene or Celeste will figure it out. Stay with Logan, have fun, and I’ll drop you off at home before Mass.” Grinning at Logan, he teased, “Don’t make any moves on my girl!”
Veronica gave Logan credit; unlike her, he didn’t flinch at the unknowing barb.
Meeting Duncan’s unwavering gaze, he assured him, “I won’t do anything she doesn’t want.”
With a laugh, Duncan followed Lilly’s path, carefully closing the doors behind him, leaving Veronica and Logan in the terse silence. When nothing was said for nearly a minute, Veronica, unable to take it any longer, made her way for the door that would lead back into the hallway, needing to get as far away from Logan as possible.
Her hand was on the door knob when Logan inquired, barely loud enough for her to hear, “You ever think about that night?”
She froze, staring at the patter of the wood grain on the door. Finally, finding her voice, she confessed, “All the time.”
“Duncan told me that you two never…that it didn’t happen on Catalina.” Getting to his feet, he carefully began to approach her though she still didn’t turn. “He said that you said you weren’t ready.”
Her fingers circled the door knob but didn’t twist. “I wasn’t.”
She could feel him behind her now, close enough that she could feel the heat emanating from his body. With a gentle hand, he traced the length of her back, back and forth, the sort of soothing motion that was used on upset children. When she didn’t jerk away, he leaned in closely, his lips brushing against her ear tantalizingly as he whispered, “Why not?”
Veronica shivered at the feel of his breath against her skin and attempted to twist her head away, but he followed the movement and she was torn between frustration for pushing and tears from how badly she had ached for this kind of closeness.
Finally, she turned to face him and she could see the naked emotion in his eyes. Lifting her hands to rest against his chest, she admitted, “I didn’t want to be with him like that.”
“Why not?” he pushed.
“Because I love you.”
Logan had one of the best poker faces that Veronica had ever seen but, in that moment, he was as transparent as she usually was. His face became flush with relief and validation, and he took hold of one of her hands, reaching around to open the door, and, surveying the hallway, urged, “Come on.”
Veronica followed him, unsure what was happening beyond the fact that he was leading her further into the Kane mansion and away from the festivities. She knew the corridors of the Kane estate as well as Logan did, and she knew the moment that he had opened the door that they were now in the guest room that Celeste was in the middle of remodeling. The walls were painted different colors, tarps lying on the hardwood floor, cans of paint and trays waiting to be used by the workers that would return in another day.
The moment Logan closed the door, he twisted the lock firmly into place before declaring, “I’ve been going crazy without you.”
Veronica had no chance to reply for he moved forward, wrapping her up in his arms and kissing her fiercely, months of pent-up longing pouring forth. Her fingers slid into his hair, sealing his mouth tightly against hers as they stumbled back towards the center of the room. All of the furniture had been removed due to the painting, and Logan pulled away, quickly trying to improvise a place to lie down.
“Logan,” she gasped as he broke away, watching in confusion as he scrambled around the room trying to find a clean tarp.
Admitting defeat, he began to push the tarps out of the way, revealing the unblemished floor. Shrugging out of his suit jacket, he laid it on the floor, spreading it as far as he could, the blue, silk lining facing up. Rolling a nearby tarp into a ball, he placed it near the top of the jacket.
“What the hell are you doing?”
He smiled at her before tugging his tie loose. “Making a bed.”
Eyes widening in realization, she pronounced, “We can’t do it here.”
Unbuttoning his shirt, he shrugged. “Why not?”
“Duncan and Lilly…Jake and Celeste…It’s Christmas Eve!”
Logan pulled his undershirt over his head, setting it near the jacket. “The door’s locked.”
Veronica gestured towards the large window that was currently without curtains. “What if someone sees us?”
He smiled, walking towards her. “We’re on the second floor, sweetie.”
“Well, I know, but-“
Logan kissed her softly, his fingers brushing her long, pale hair out of her face. Resting his forehead against hers, he whispered, “Don’t be nervous. It’s just us.”
As he began to ply her neck with gentle kisses, his fingers drawing the zipper of her dress down, she panted, “But this isn’t the boat.”
“No,” he agreed, “this is for real.”
Despite her protestations, Veronica allowed him to remove her emerald green dress, carefully stepping out of it. Logan laid it down on the floor, knowing that, while it was certainly nowhere near as expensive as Lilly’s gown, it probably cost more than the Mars household could comfortably have afforded. Once down there, he stayed on his knees, much in the same position as Lilly had been earlier.
Veronica watched him through hooded eyes, staring at this stranger who only ever seemed to come alive when they were alone together. A tremulous gasp was torn from her when Logan opened his mouth, warm and moist, against the curve of her stomach. One hand crawled upward, easily finding the clasp of her strapless bra, and the dexterity with which he unfastened it spoke more of his past experience than any of their prior encounters.
Her breasts were small, topped with pink nipples that were hard from his ministrations, and they fit perfectly into Logan’s hands. He trailed his kisses upward, pressing his lips hard against her breastbone, easily feeling the increase in her heartbeat. Veronica tried to bend down to become level with him, but Logan took a firm grasp on her hips and shook his head.
Hooking his fingers into the waistband of her brief, white bikinis, Logan tugged them down her legs, littering kisses down her unblemished legs. When he was finished, she stood before him, naked as the day she was born, her skin flush with arousal, the moonlight giving her an ethereal glow in the bare room.
“You’re so beautiful.”
It was a compliment that Veronica heard often enough but, only when it was from Logan, did it bring tears to her eyes. Knowing that he believed that about her gave her more confidence than anything else in the world, and she had no idea why that was considering that most of the time, she wasn’t even entirely sure that she liked the person that he was when he was around his friends.
She sank to her knees gracefully, reaching for the waistband of Logan’s pants. He smiled, lying back on his jacket so that Veronica could easily remove them. Logan pretended that he didn’t feel the trembling of her hands as he tugged them free of his body or the way she blushed when his erection popped free of the boxers that she also removed. Even though he knew that Veronica was not a blushing virgin - he had seen to that months ago at her request - her innocence still touched him in a way that he could never quite describe.
“Do you have something?” she inquired as her fingers trailed the length of his erection, using the same technique that had been taught to her in the Echolls’ pool house.
“Wallet,” he gritted through his teeth, thrusting his hips upward, desperate for more contact.
Logan’s groan was almost painful to listen to as she quickly rifled through his pants’ pockets, finding the condom that he always kept in his wallet. Holding it up in victory, she handed it to him, watching with amusement the speed with which he donned it. She knew that they didn’t have much time before their absences would be missed, and they needed to use their time wisely.
Veronica began to move, trying to change their positions so that Logan was over her, but he shook his head, using his strength to pull her firmly against his front. When Veronica’s brow furrowed in confusion and nervousness, he sat up, encouraging Veronica to straddle his lap, opening her to him.
“Can’t we do it the other way?” she asked against his mouth before kissing him deeply.
“You’ll like this,” he promised, reaching down to test her, finding her so slick that his fingers easily slid inside of her. Veronica bucked, tossing her head back in pleasure, and Logan couldn’t help but smile; given the distinct lack of foreplay, she must want this as desperately as he did.
“What if I don’t?”
“Then I’ll stop.”
Breath hitching as Logan positioned himself against her opening, she pressed, “Promise?”
“I would never make you do anything you didn’t want to do,” he solemnly swore before bringing her hips down to meet his, their pelvises pressing intimately against each other. As they both moaned at the feeling, Logan couldn’t help but adding, “Besides, I promised Duncan that I wouldn’t.”
Even through her pleasure, Veronica recognized the barb and slapped him on the shoulder. She didn’t want to think about Duncan right now, not when Logan was inside of her, stretching her in the best possible way, every inch of him pressed against the most sensitive spots on her body. Even though she had only had sex once before this and only ever with Logan, she was certain that nothing on earth would ever feel as good as this did.
Unsure what to do, she began to lift herself up but Logan fiercely held her hips, groaning, “Jesus, Veronica, gimme a minute!”
“What’s wrong?”
“It just-You’re still really tight. It feels…too good. I need to calm down.”
Obediently staying still, she combed her fingers through his hair, peppering kisses against his face. “I’m sorry.”
Logan laughed before kissing her. “Believe me: you don’t need to apologize.” After a few more deep breaths, he proclaimed, “It’s okay now.”
“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, her face blushing with shame.
“I’ll help.”
Keeping a light grasp on her hips, Logan began to lead her movements, watching as Veronica figured out which rhythm felt best, how to twist her hips to enjoy it the most. She kept her hands on his shoulders, bracing herself, and Logan soon couldn’t help thrusting upwards, encouraging Veronica to thrust down even harder. They moved desperately, mouths meeting sloppily, noses bumping in the dark, no finesse to their coupling but neither cared as long as they didn’t stop.
“Lean back.”
“What?” Veronica asked in confusion, twisting her hips as she could feel her orgasm building.
“Trust me.”
Bringing her arms backward, bearing the brunt of her weight, Veronica complied and, as Logan gave a gentle upward thrust, she couldn’t help but cry, “Fuck!”
“Told you so,” Logan smugly quipped as he brought his hand down to stroke her clit, bright red and swollen for attention.
“Oh my god!”
It was funny how memory worked. Until right this moment, Logan would’ve sworn that he remembered every detail of he and Veronica’s night aboard Sun Dancer but, as he watched the way she tossed her head, her blonde hair covering her breasts enticingly, he realized that he had forgotten how truly gorgeous Veronica Mars in the midst of an orgasm.
Afterward, as they sat entangled, Veronica’s arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, their bodies soaked with sweat, Logan gently rocked as he felt the tears she was trying to hide from him trickle down his back.
He would’ve asked why she cried but he was too afraid of the answer.
* * *
They redressed in silence, Veronica trying to tug the wrinkles from her dress while Logan shrugged back into his clothing, uncaring how it looked. The scent of sex was heavy in the air, and, as Logan returned the tarp to where it had been, he saw Veronica desperately attempting to fix her hair by the reflection from the glass of the windowpane.
“Veronica,” he began before stopping short.
She turned to him, half of her face hidden in shadow. “Yeah?”
I love you. I want to be with you. What the hell are we doing with Duncan and Lilly? They’ll get over it. Just be with me. “Nothing.”
Her mouth twisted into a smirk before she walked to him, grasping the ends of his tie, her hands slowly going through the motions of tying it. As she did so, she glanced up at him and was startled to find a tear rolling down his cheek.
“Logan-“
“Don’t. I’m fine.”
“You’re lying.”
He brought his lips to her forehead, wishing to convey everything he couldn’t say into that single gesture. “I’ll be fine, Veronica.”
She knew that he was still lying but she wouldn’t push it; Logan’s temper was so volatile, especially when they were like this. Veronica knew that he was willing to leave Lilly and that the ball was in her court. Her cowardice was beyond shameful, but she couldn’t hurt Duncan like that, just as she shouldn’t have continued to hurt Logan tonight by agreeing to this.
They slunk back down to the party in time to see Lilly fall spectacularly in the middle of the crowd, laughing hysterically, while Duncan and Jake tried to help her to her feet. Logan swore under his breath, but Veronica couldn’t help but feel grateful for this latest embarrassing incident for her best friend. At least, this way, she wouldn’t have to face either of the Kane siblings for the rest of the night.
“You need a ride home?” Logan asked.
“You’re too drunk to drive.”
“Mom hired a car for the night. It’ll take you where you need. Let me just check to make sure it’s cool.”
It was, of course; Lynn Echolls adored Veronica even without the amount of liquor that was currently coursing through her bloodstream. As they waited for the car to pull up to the Kane drive, Logan wrapped his suit coat, the same coat that they had just had sex on, around her shoulders, warding off the December breeze.
“I do love you,” Veronica murmured, her voice so soft that it was almost lost beneath the sounds of the party.
“I love you too, but what does that change?”
“I’m sorry.”
“For fucking me or fucking me over?”
Veronica’s jaw dropped open in outrage, too upset to immediately respond. As the limo pulled up, she spat, “And you wonder why I won’t leave him.”
When Logan said nothing, she climbed into the car, slamming the door behind her, leaving Logan standing at the curb, cursing his words and the world.
It wouldn’t be until she got home that she realized that she was still wearing the jacket that reeked of their mingled scent.
She would cry herself to sleep wearing it.