“Look at me.”
I shake my head. I’m more than happy to sit this one out.
“Damn it, Kelly. Look at me!” he roars.
“Fine!” I yell, spinning in his direction and placing my hands on my hips, noticing that Odin is standing between us defensively. He stares Logan down, and for a brief second I relish the smug satisfaction of his protection. “What?”
His voice levels out. “Talk to me.”
I laugh and throw my arms up—the audacity of this man. “All I fucking do is talk to you, Logan! And all you do is stare back. The little you do say is stuck in my head for days while I try to make sense of what you meant. I’m tired of it! I’m done being the one who goes first. Spill your own guts for once.”
My chest heaves and tears rise to the surface. Somehow I got the gene that makes me cry when I get really angry. It’s so inconvenient. I don’t want him to think I’m weak, because I’m not.
His stiff jaw releases when he opens his mouth to speak, and I hold my breath. Then he closes it. Like he always does. We stare at each other, waiting. With every second that passes, the kernel in my chest hardens.It will always be this way.He’s never going to let me in. He’s never going to trust me with his thoughts and feelings. A tear slips, and I turn away from him because tears say just as much as words do.
Odin sits, his anxiety eased by the calmer tones.
This is such a waste of time. His silence takes away some of the pain and replaces it with numbness. I’m calling in sick tomorrow.
He breaks the silence. “I like you.”
I scoff. “But?” I continue for him, moving to the counter and stuffing my tablet into my bag. Every cell in my body is yelling to flee from this humiliation.
He grabs me by the hips and spins me around, pressing my back against the counter. His hands brace the hard surface on either side of me, caging me in, and he leans down until we’reface-to-face. Odin barks, and I flinch at the deep warning growl that follows.
Logan turns his head slightly to ease the dog’s worries. “Odin, sit.” Surprisingly, he follows the command.
Cornered by him, Logan drags his attention back to me and his deliberate eyes search mine.
“If you want me to talk, then you’re going to fucking listen.”
I give a subtle nod, unsure of what’s about to happen. He has that wild look in his eyes again, the one he had after Casper and Thor hauled him off Jason.
“I’ve been your friend out of respect for Clyde, but the things I imagine doing with you are so fucking unfriendly.”
I forget how to breathe.
He releases a ragged sigh, like the words have been echoing in his chest for years. We study each other until he stands to his full height again and brings his hands to my waist, his thumbs grazing back and forth over my stomach. I can’t move.
“Inhale,” he instructs.
His command makes me suddenly aware of the way my lungs are burning for oxygen, and I suck in a breath. The silence that stretches between us might be the most we’ve ever shared.
“Since when?” I ask.
“Before Clyde died, he made me promise to let you grow up before I made any move.”
“My dad knew?”
He nods, giving a small chuckle. “Before I did.”
Something about Dad giving Logan his blessing, even if it wasn’t immediate, offers me peace. It calms the swirling chaos in my thoughts. Dad saw the good in him, and knew that it was good for me, too. My feelings aren’t as confusing as they once were, but they don’t explain where we go from here.
“So, now what?”
His grip on me tightens as he lifts me onto the edge of the countertop. My palms press to the cold surface, and I grasp the edge. He smirks and steps between my thighs, cupping my face in his hands.
My pulse roars in my ears, his woodsy scent enveloping me as he leans in and brushes his lips against mine. They curve into an arrogant smile, his movements utteringI told you so, like this kiss is everything he already knew it would be, and he just won the battle he’s been fighting for years.
