“That’s a lot of moving around.”
“Like I said…” He raked a hand through his hair, grinning at me. “I don’t get attached to places. I go the opposite.”
“What do you mean?”
“I get attached to people.”
He looked right at me as he said that, and my entire body warmed. I swallowed over a knot in my throat. “Who are you attached to?”
“Nope.” He laughed softly and grabbed my hand.
I held my breath at the touch.
He pulled me forward. “That’s enough reveal talk for now. Come on. I want to show you my favorite place.”
He led me through the rides until we came to the roller coaster. When he started through the gate toward the track, I stopped. “Nope. No way.” I shook my head.
“It’s safe.”
“Doesn’t matter. No way.” I held my hands up and took a step backward. “I escaped death once. I don’t want to revisit that feeling.” Logan’s eyes widened at my words, and I could’ve hit myself. I cringed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that, but—”
He waved that away. “I said some stuff. You said some stuff. We’ll have sex and cuddle later. Everything’s good.”
I laughed. “You’re pretty damn sure.” His gaze sharpened, and I got the distinct feeling he was looking into me. He was seeing past my walls.
“We both knew where we were going to end up tonight when you opened the door,” he murmured. “I saw the look on your face, too.”
The air shifted. I’d been aware of him since he got to my house, and he was right. As he said those words, everything got hotter. I always felt pulled to Logan—I had since I first met him—and that pull was almost irresistible right now.
I coughed, forcing myself to look away. “Maybe.” I moved ahead of him, going through the gate toward the roller coaster track.
“Maybe?”
I grinned over my shoulder. “I just don’t want you to get too cocky.”
He groaned, tipping his head back for a moment. “Too cocky? Taylor, I’m not being cocky. I’m just stating the fact.”
“You’re not cocky?”
He came over, holding my gaze, and leaned close. I stood firm, holding my breath, as his lips came close to mine. He stopped an inch away, but I could feel his body heat, and I fought the urge to grab hold of him. This guy. I was almost panting for him, and he knew it. I saw the smug look in his dark eyes, and that made me want him even more.
He grinned. “You think I’m too cocky?”
“I know you are.”
“That just means I’ll have to prove myself all over again tonight.”
My blood began to sizzle. It was coursing through me, and I bit my lip. I had forgotten what we were even talking about. I leaned toward him. My body rested against his, and those lips—I grew closer and closer. Just a few centimeters held me away. My lips brushed his, but I caught myself.
He was going to prove himself tonight?
I gulped. God, yes.
“Firecracker,” he whispered.
I loved how he said my nickname. I had, all month long. I felt drunk as I asked, “Yeah?”
His eyes went from my lips to my eyes and back, again and again. My brain shut off. The nightmare had taken away so much of my strength, and right now, being with Logan, feeling him so close, I wanted to completely turn off. The need to be in his arms again was burning me up, consuming all of me, and I didn’t give a damn.
“Logan,” I said. My voice was little more than a whisper.
He groaned and pulled back.
I felt him leave, and it hurt. My body actually ached, but I caught myself and held firm.
He laughed, his voice shaky. “I was two seconds from taking you here.”
“I was two seconds from letting you.”
He turned and shook his head. “I didn’t come over to your house for a sex marathon, I swear. But I’ve got a feeling that’s where we’re going.” It was where we always went.
His eyes darkened, skimming over my face and falling to my lips once again. A guttural groan left him.
“Why did you?”
“What?” He met my eyes again.
“Why did you come over?”
“Oh.” Somehow, the heat cooled. My question put a damper on him. I tried telling myself that was for the best.
I tried…
He cleared his throat, glancing back to the roller coaster. “Honestly? I came to make sure you were okay. You didn’t respond to my messages.”
“Oh, yeah.” The nightmare. I shoved that away.
“But you slept late.” His eyes narrowed, seeing through me again. “Right?”
I nodded. I had. That was the truth. I just didn’t tell him the reason why. I’d already slipped too much, though I’d begun to feel I could say anything to Logan. The thought of letting it out, talking about it for the first time without being forced, had my throat swelling with emotion. Did I even want to talk about it? It had been locked away for almost a year. My dad had read the report. He knew what had happened, but we hadn’t discussed it. Claire. Jason. They didn’t know.
Unless they talked to Eric, a voice said in my head.
Eric.
Everything went flat inside of me. The heat simmering and brewing in me from Logan went cold—as if a pot of water had been poured on it. I was left with bitter smoke instead. It filled my mouth with a sour taste.
“Like I said…” He raked a hand through his hair, grinning at me. “I don’t get attached to places. I go the opposite.”
“What do you mean?”
“I get attached to people.”
He looked right at me as he said that, and my entire body warmed. I swallowed over a knot in my throat. “Who are you attached to?”
“Nope.” He laughed softly and grabbed my hand.
I held my breath at the touch.
He pulled me forward. “That’s enough reveal talk for now. Come on. I want to show you my favorite place.”
He led me through the rides until we came to the roller coaster. When he started through the gate toward the track, I stopped. “Nope. No way.” I shook my head.
“It’s safe.”
“Doesn’t matter. No way.” I held my hands up and took a step backward. “I escaped death once. I don’t want to revisit that feeling.” Logan’s eyes widened at my words, and I could’ve hit myself. I cringed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that, but—”
He waved that away. “I said some stuff. You said some stuff. We’ll have sex and cuddle later. Everything’s good.”
I laughed. “You’re pretty damn sure.” His gaze sharpened, and I got the distinct feeling he was looking into me. He was seeing past my walls.
“We both knew where we were going to end up tonight when you opened the door,” he murmured. “I saw the look on your face, too.”
The air shifted. I’d been aware of him since he got to my house, and he was right. As he said those words, everything got hotter. I always felt pulled to Logan—I had since I first met him—and that pull was almost irresistible right now.
I coughed, forcing myself to look away. “Maybe.” I moved ahead of him, going through the gate toward the roller coaster track.
“Maybe?”
I grinned over my shoulder. “I just don’t want you to get too cocky.”
He groaned, tipping his head back for a moment. “Too cocky? Taylor, I’m not being cocky. I’m just stating the fact.”
“You’re not cocky?”
He came over, holding my gaze, and leaned close. I stood firm, holding my breath, as his lips came close to mine. He stopped an inch away, but I could feel his body heat, and I fought the urge to grab hold of him. This guy. I was almost panting for him, and he knew it. I saw the smug look in his dark eyes, and that made me want him even more.
He grinned. “You think I’m too cocky?”
“I know you are.”
“That just means I’ll have to prove myself all over again tonight.”
My blood began to sizzle. It was coursing through me, and I bit my lip. I had forgotten what we were even talking about. I leaned toward him. My body rested against his, and those lips—I grew closer and closer. Just a few centimeters held me away. My lips brushed his, but I caught myself.
He was going to prove himself tonight?
I gulped. God, yes.
“Firecracker,” he whispered.
I loved how he said my nickname. I had, all month long. I felt drunk as I asked, “Yeah?”
His eyes went from my lips to my eyes and back, again and again. My brain shut off. The nightmare had taken away so much of my strength, and right now, being with Logan, feeling him so close, I wanted to completely turn off. The need to be in his arms again was burning me up, consuming all of me, and I didn’t give a damn.
“Logan,” I said. My voice was little more than a whisper.
He groaned and pulled back.
I felt him leave, and it hurt. My body actually ached, but I caught myself and held firm.
He laughed, his voice shaky. “I was two seconds from taking you here.”
“I was two seconds from letting you.”
He turned and shook his head. “I didn’t come over to your house for a sex marathon, I swear. But I’ve got a feeling that’s where we’re going.” It was where we always went.
His eyes darkened, skimming over my face and falling to my lips once again. A guttural groan left him.
“Why did you?”
“What?” He met my eyes again.
“Why did you come over?”
“Oh.” Somehow, the heat cooled. My question put a damper on him. I tried telling myself that was for the best.
I tried…
He cleared his throat, glancing back to the roller coaster. “Honestly? I came to make sure you were okay. You didn’t respond to my messages.”
“Oh, yeah.” The nightmare. I shoved that away.
“But you slept late.” His eyes narrowed, seeing through me again. “Right?”
I nodded. I had. That was the truth. I just didn’t tell him the reason why. I’d already slipped too much, though I’d begun to feel I could say anything to Logan. The thought of letting it out, talking about it for the first time without being forced, had my throat swelling with emotion. Did I even want to talk about it? It had been locked away for almost a year. My dad had read the report. He knew what had happened, but we hadn’t discussed it. Claire. Jason. They didn’t know.
Unless they talked to Eric, a voice said in my head.
Eric.
Everything went flat inside of me. The heat simmering and brewing in me from Logan went cold—as if a pot of water had been poured on it. I was left with bitter smoke instead. It filled my mouth with a sour taste.
