Why was I still talking?
He snorted, his sexy lips twisting into a self-effacing grin. “Yeah. Reece and Pepper took me to dinner and then I went home and peeled my old man off the floor where he had passed out.”
He uttered it so matter-of-factly, his blue gaze flat. This was his life. He wasn’t looking for pity. In fact, I knew he would hate that, but I still couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and touching his arm.
His forearm contracted under my fingers. “Don’t,” he warned softly, glasses clinking as he adjusted his grip on the tub. “Don’t touch me and expect me not to touch you.”
I dropped my hand to my side, my heart beating wildly in my chest. Of course, those contrary feelings that always hit me around him resurfaced. Run, stay, run, stay.
It was so tempting to let him touch me. To lead him upstairs for another go-round, but that would just make things messier than they already were.
“I just thought we could be friends, Logan.”
“Do you fuck your friends?”
I flinched.
“I didn’t think so.” He stepped around me, his eyes still that distant blue. “I have enough friends.” The words stung, ringing in my ears. “With you, I want more. I want you under me. On top of me. In the shower again.”
My mouth dried. Without another word, he walked away.
I looked up to find Cook watching me with an almost bored expression as he shook a fryer of pickles. Like he was accustomed to girl-boy drama unfolding in his kitchen.
I forced a wobbly smile as though nothing was wrong and turned to unlock my door. Once inside the loft, I kicked off my shoes and dropped facedown on the bed with a groan, thinking about Emerson’s words. Logan could wreck me. She was right.
Only it might be too late.
Chapter 16
THE SOUNDS OF THE bar below greeted me like a rumbling growl when I opened my door to find Annie, dressed in a striped miniskirt and a tight tank top that glittered like the Vegas strip. I hadn’t seen Logan since Thursday when we came face-to-face in the kitchen. I had vowed not to spend another Saturday night in, beating myself up and analyzing what we were or weren’t a hundred different ways. Even if Annie was the only person available, I was going out.
She tossed her hair over her shoulders and stepped past me, marching up the stairs. At the top, she propped her hands on her hips and inspected the inside of the loft, examining my living quarters. “Well, isn’t this convenient? If I don’t hook up with anyone, I can just pass out up here.” Her gaze slid to mine, assessing. “Unless you plan on hooking up tonight.”
I lifted one shoulder like that was a very real possibility.
She laughed. “Little Georgia Peach. Who knew you had such a naughty side.”
An image of Logan and me in the shower flashed through my mind, tormenting me. I did have a naughty side. Except I couldn’t imagine myself being naughty with just any random guy. “You should come with me next weekend.”
“What’s next weekend?”
“Hello.” She waggled her eyebrows. “What do I do once a month? Kink club, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.” Actually I had forgotten about it, except in the context of Logan. That’s where it had all began. Where I first kissed him. Would he be there? If Rachel went, he would be. That’s why he went, after all. To look after Rachel. At least that’s why he claimed to go. Maybe he’d hook up this time. There was no reason why he couldn’t. Nothing stopping him.
“Half the members are gone for the summer, so this is going to be a signature event.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It will be an intimate gathering . . . it’s at this phat house over on University Boulevard. I’m wearing a cocktail dress and these fuck-me heels I found on sale at Nordstrom.” She motioned just below her hip. “Thigh highs. No underwear. I’ve had my eye on this guy for a while. He always pairs off with this one girl but she went home for the summer so I’m making my move.”
“Sounds like it will be . . . a memorable night.”
She nodded. “For sure. This house is supposed to have like twelve bedrooms. Plenty of space. It’s not like I’m into ménage every single time. Usually that happens out of necessity.”
But there would be plenty of space this time. Room for Logan to be alone with a willing partner. Or two. I know he claimed he hadn’t kissed another girl since that night I kissed him on the porch, but I’m sure that was about to change. If it hadn’t already. Jealousy sank its fangs into me as I envisioned him slipping inside one of those eight rooms with some girl.
“Let’s go.” Forcing a smile, I waved Annie out of the loft, closing the door behind us. We headed downstairs together, Annie clinging to the walls of the stairwell on either side of her so that she didn’t fall in her lethally high-heeled ankle boots. “I’m sure you won’t need to crash with me tonight. You’re dressed to kill and you never have a problem getting a hookup,” I dutifully reminded her.
She preened. “True, but pickings are slimmer in the summer months. I’m already ready for fall semester. I swear, next weekend is the only highlight of my summer so far. Hope it doesn’t disappoint.”
I was hardly listening to her anymore as we entered the bar and made our way through the crowd. This was Logan’s stomping ground, and my every nerve was on high alert.
My eyes scanned the room, searching for anyone in a Mulvaney’s staff T-shirt. On the lookout specifically for a shirt that was filled out nicely by a body so ripped that it made me dizzy.
It might have been days since I’d last seen Logan, but he invaded my dreams. I couldn’t fall asleep without his image there, filling my head. Alone in the dark . . . thinking about him. It was a problem. It was like he flipped a switch inside me. My body ached for him, unwilling to go back to its dormant state. My hands tracked over the places he had touched and kissed and bit . . . caressing my breasts, skimming down my stomach and between my legs. It was embarrassing, this wanton creature I had become, touching myself like some kind of sex kitten who couldn’t get enough.
My hands were a pale echo of Logan’s touch, and it only made me hungrier for him.
When Annie texted me earlier in the day to see if I wanted to hang out at Mulvaney’s with her, I’d agreed. Even if I didn’t love the girl, she was single, and single girlfriends were few and far between. Suzanne was working a lot to save up money and make up for the time she was having to take off to house-sit for her parents’ cruise, so she wasn’t very available. Besides, I could just go upstairs to my room if Annie got to be too much.
He snorted, his sexy lips twisting into a self-effacing grin. “Yeah. Reece and Pepper took me to dinner and then I went home and peeled my old man off the floor where he had passed out.”
He uttered it so matter-of-factly, his blue gaze flat. This was his life. He wasn’t looking for pity. In fact, I knew he would hate that, but I still couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and touching his arm.
His forearm contracted under my fingers. “Don’t,” he warned softly, glasses clinking as he adjusted his grip on the tub. “Don’t touch me and expect me not to touch you.”
I dropped my hand to my side, my heart beating wildly in my chest. Of course, those contrary feelings that always hit me around him resurfaced. Run, stay, run, stay.
It was so tempting to let him touch me. To lead him upstairs for another go-round, but that would just make things messier than they already were.
“I just thought we could be friends, Logan.”
“Do you fuck your friends?”
I flinched.
“I didn’t think so.” He stepped around me, his eyes still that distant blue. “I have enough friends.” The words stung, ringing in my ears. “With you, I want more. I want you under me. On top of me. In the shower again.”
My mouth dried. Without another word, he walked away.
I looked up to find Cook watching me with an almost bored expression as he shook a fryer of pickles. Like he was accustomed to girl-boy drama unfolding in his kitchen.
I forced a wobbly smile as though nothing was wrong and turned to unlock my door. Once inside the loft, I kicked off my shoes and dropped facedown on the bed with a groan, thinking about Emerson’s words. Logan could wreck me. She was right.
Only it might be too late.
Chapter 16
THE SOUNDS OF THE bar below greeted me like a rumbling growl when I opened my door to find Annie, dressed in a striped miniskirt and a tight tank top that glittered like the Vegas strip. I hadn’t seen Logan since Thursday when we came face-to-face in the kitchen. I had vowed not to spend another Saturday night in, beating myself up and analyzing what we were or weren’t a hundred different ways. Even if Annie was the only person available, I was going out.
She tossed her hair over her shoulders and stepped past me, marching up the stairs. At the top, she propped her hands on her hips and inspected the inside of the loft, examining my living quarters. “Well, isn’t this convenient? If I don’t hook up with anyone, I can just pass out up here.” Her gaze slid to mine, assessing. “Unless you plan on hooking up tonight.”
I lifted one shoulder like that was a very real possibility.
She laughed. “Little Georgia Peach. Who knew you had such a naughty side.”
An image of Logan and me in the shower flashed through my mind, tormenting me. I did have a naughty side. Except I couldn’t imagine myself being naughty with just any random guy. “You should come with me next weekend.”
“What’s next weekend?”
“Hello.” She waggled her eyebrows. “What do I do once a month? Kink club, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.” Actually I had forgotten about it, except in the context of Logan. That’s where it had all began. Where I first kissed him. Would he be there? If Rachel went, he would be. That’s why he went, after all. To look after Rachel. At least that’s why he claimed to go. Maybe he’d hook up this time. There was no reason why he couldn’t. Nothing stopping him.
“Half the members are gone for the summer, so this is going to be a signature event.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It will be an intimate gathering . . . it’s at this phat house over on University Boulevard. I’m wearing a cocktail dress and these fuck-me heels I found on sale at Nordstrom.” She motioned just below her hip. “Thigh highs. No underwear. I’ve had my eye on this guy for a while. He always pairs off with this one girl but she went home for the summer so I’m making my move.”
“Sounds like it will be . . . a memorable night.”
She nodded. “For sure. This house is supposed to have like twelve bedrooms. Plenty of space. It’s not like I’m into ménage every single time. Usually that happens out of necessity.”
But there would be plenty of space this time. Room for Logan to be alone with a willing partner. Or two. I know he claimed he hadn’t kissed another girl since that night I kissed him on the porch, but I’m sure that was about to change. If it hadn’t already. Jealousy sank its fangs into me as I envisioned him slipping inside one of those eight rooms with some girl.
“Let’s go.” Forcing a smile, I waved Annie out of the loft, closing the door behind us. We headed downstairs together, Annie clinging to the walls of the stairwell on either side of her so that she didn’t fall in her lethally high-heeled ankle boots. “I’m sure you won’t need to crash with me tonight. You’re dressed to kill and you never have a problem getting a hookup,” I dutifully reminded her.
She preened. “True, but pickings are slimmer in the summer months. I’m already ready for fall semester. I swear, next weekend is the only highlight of my summer so far. Hope it doesn’t disappoint.”
I was hardly listening to her anymore as we entered the bar and made our way through the crowd. This was Logan’s stomping ground, and my every nerve was on high alert.
My eyes scanned the room, searching for anyone in a Mulvaney’s staff T-shirt. On the lookout specifically for a shirt that was filled out nicely by a body so ripped that it made me dizzy.
It might have been days since I’d last seen Logan, but he invaded my dreams. I couldn’t fall asleep without his image there, filling my head. Alone in the dark . . . thinking about him. It was a problem. It was like he flipped a switch inside me. My body ached for him, unwilling to go back to its dormant state. My hands tracked over the places he had touched and kissed and bit . . . caressing my breasts, skimming down my stomach and between my legs. It was embarrassing, this wanton creature I had become, touching myself like some kind of sex kitten who couldn’t get enough.
My hands were a pale echo of Logan’s touch, and it only made me hungrier for him.
When Annie texted me earlier in the day to see if I wanted to hang out at Mulvaney’s with her, I’d agreed. Even if I didn’t love the girl, she was single, and single girlfriends were few and far between. Suzanne was working a lot to save up money and make up for the time she was having to take off to house-sit for her parents’ cruise, so she wasn’t very available. Besides, I could just go upstairs to my room if Annie got to be too much.
