Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead on mine as he bottomed out inside of me. “Oh my god, Amelia.” I felt . . . so full. Almost to the point of pain, and yet . . . It was incredible. I felt my walls clamp down around him, as if wanting to hold him in. To never let him go.
He groaned, kissing me. And then he lifted his head and peered down at my face as he pulled himself back out, only to slam back inside of me again.
I cried out, but Logan swiftly covered my mouth with his hand. His eyes went completely black as he studied my face. “Amelia, you have to be quiet.”
And then he slammed into me again with such force, and I swear I saw stars glittering around the dark room.
I gasped, desperate to release some of the deliciously painful ecstasy that he filled me with. I could feel my body squirm beneath his as he somehow found the ability to exercise a precise amount of control.
“Amelia,” he murmured as he thrusted again, “do you know how long I’ve wanted this?”
His eyes were feral, watching my mouth before he bent down to tug on my bottom lip with his teeth. I felt him thrust into me again, and I could do nothing but whimper.
His breath caught at the sound.
“Do you know,” he continued, “how often I’ve dreamt of this?” He nibbled at the base of my neck. “You have consumed my mind for as long as I can remember.”
His words broke my heart open. It was as if an ever-winding vise had finally relinquished its excruciating hold on the muscle that pounded inside of my chest. The torment and anguish that I’d been feeling around Logan for years could finally be let go. The way he was holding me, touching me—it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced in my entire life. It felt so good, so right.
He wanted this—seeminglyneededthis—just as badly as I had. Where we were supposed to go from here, I had no idea. But at least in this moment, for this one night, we were finally together. We were finally vulnerable and honest with each other, validating this burning flame that existed inside of both of us.
Logan kissed my mouth and it was the embodiment of passion. He was pouring so much of himself into me, lighting me up as he came undone. His thrusts became unruly as he was consumed by my body beneath him. I felt the crest of burning ruin rising up again inside of me, and as I looked into his eyes—so familiar and sure—he whispered my name as if to seal this moment through his lips and the sound of it sent me over the edge, falling into the steep abyss with Logan tumbling right behind me.
And then we soared. Together.
I stirredawake sometime later and felt Logan’s body behind mine, pressed against me as completely as two people could possibly be. One long, warm arm was hung over me, holding me close to his chest. I could feel him softly tracing his fingers through my hair as the wind howled against the window across the room.
Slowly, I turned my body to face him, resting my head on his arm.
His smile was striking yet lazy. As if we had forever to lie together like this. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
My heart faltered. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Not long. Twenty minutes, maybe.” I felt his hand lightly stroke down my arm, raising goosebumps all over my skin. He noticed them and concern swept over his face. “Are you cold?”
I reached up to press my hand to his cheek, looking intently into his eyes. “No.”
His eyes darkened and he lifted his head, leaning forward to kiss me. It was soft and hazy in the aftermath of what we’d just done together, and when he finished kissing me, he pressed another quick kiss to my forehead before settling his head back down on his pillow.
I felt the tug of a memory come to life in my mind. “Do you remember the first time you kissed me?”
Logan looked down at my mouth. “Yes.” He sighed. “I was a broken man back then, Amelia. I feel like I still am sometimes. But you . . .” He looked back up into my eyes. “You’ve always been a bright force for me. It’s like you can cast my shadows away just by being you. I remember feeling like I just needed to touch you. To hold you. Like I needed only you to survive in that dark moment of my life.”
My hand, still resting lightly on his cheek, moved to graze lightly through his hair. “Then why’d you run away from me?” I felt slightly anxious about what his answer would be, but I needed to know. I’d always held a distant, lingering feeling that I’d done something wrong that night.
“I couldn’t bear to drag you down because of my demons.” His voice was low as he answered. “I wanted to just be selfish and give in to it all, but I couldn’t do that to you.”
It was a relief to know it wasn’t about me, but I could feel pain searing within the familiar cracks inside of my heart, old fissures that broke open for him so long ago. Reaching my arm around him, I snuggled in closer to his body. “I convinced myself that you didn’t feel the same way about me. That maybe I was just too young and inexperienced.”
Logan hummed into my ear as he, too, held me tighter. “I’m so sorry, Amelia,” he whispered, his breath trailing along my neck as his voice faltered, “I’ve always tried so damn hard to do the right thing . . . keeping you at arm’s length. A safe distance. I’m not what you deserve and I know that. My god, I tried so hard—but I could never figure out how to stop wanting you.”
I broke away from him to look up into his eyes again. “What do you mean, you’re not what I deserve?”
He hesitated. “You could be with anyone, Amelia. You’re . . . so perfect. You could do much better than me. I don’t deserve you, and you deserve so much more.”
I felt like I was seventeen again, looking into the eyes of a boy whose heart was forever broken by the world. The familiar need to overpower his self-deprivation with giving him an abundance ofmoreburst from my chest. “I wish you could see what I see when I look at you, Logan,” I said softly, running my hand down his chest, feeling him inhale. “When I look into your eyes, I see strength and power. When I look into your heart, there is nothing but kindness and safety. You are, without a doubt, one of the best men I’ve ever known. Right behind my father. You’re even further up the list than Adam, but if you tell him that I’m going to have to kill you.”
Logan chuckled as he wrapped his hand around my waist, but his eyes remained focused as he continued to listen.
