Now he’s staring at me. He extends his hand to me, which I hesitate to grab at first. Who knows what that will do to me. But then I remember that I’m ridiculously short, and that going inside to hide from the rain will be the best thing to happen all season.
Maybe apart from that kiss. Or was that the worst thing? Ugh, I don’t know.
I take Logan’s hand, and our eyes lock for what seems like an eternity before he pulls me out of the boat. For once, I can’t read his gaze. His thoughts are a mystery and it’s eating me up. Does he regret what we did? Is he just still in shock? These questions bounce through my head as we run inside Yasser’s shop.
Unsurprisingly, there’s no one inside. Who in their right mind would come here during such a storm? I guess we did … but this storm wasn’t on the radar. I’m about to stop walking, since we made it inside, but Logan, who hasn’t let go of my hand yet, keeps pulling me forward. I follow without question as he leads us through a door marked ‘Staff Only.’ I’m assuming Yasser is okay with us coming back here since they know each other so well.
Inside is what appears to be a break room of sorts. The room is small but cozy, with a large window overlooking the stormy sea outside. There’s a fridge and a couple of couches on one side, with a small table and a few chairs on the other. Only once we’re right in the middle of this room does Logan stop and spin to face me.
I don’t have a single second to say anything before he pulls me into an embrace. His arms are tight around my shoulders. Slowly, I wrap my own arms around him, burying my face in his soaked chest. I smell the ocean and sweat and something else that’s undeniably Logan. The same scent I detected all those years ago when he held me in his room as I cried my heart out the night Dad said he wouldn’t make it to graduation.
“I’m so sorry,” Logan blurts out, his voice cracking slightly. “This was my fault. I never should have …”
My heart sinks. So he does regret it. He probably just kissed me back because I was the closest thing to him in a moment fuelled with panic. There could have been a complete stranger on board next to him, and he might have accepted a kiss from her, too. But it just happened to be me.
“No, no, it’s okay,” I interrupt. I pull away from his chest and am immediately stopped by the look in his eyes.
This isn’t the look of a man who’s sorry he just kissed the woman who was once his best friend. No—he is terrified. There’s something completely wild about the lightning dancing in the hazel of his eyes.
“It isnotokay,” he interrupts back. Now he’s holding the side of my arms tightly, as if I might still be taken by the wind. “I was cocky. I should have turned around as soon as I noticed the sky was getting dark. There I was, thinking that you can steer a Zodiac one or two times and suddenly become an expert in windy weather like this. I wanted so goddamn hard to make you have a great day, and instead, I put your life in danger like an idiot. I am so, so, sorry, Avery.”
So he wasn’t talking about the kiss. The fact that this could somehow have been his fault hadn’t crossed my mind. Not even for one second. But I don’t want to play ‘sorry’ ping-pong back and forth. Not right now.
Not until I figure out what the hell happened on that boat.
Because no matter how much I think it’s a terrible idea, and no matter how much it terrifies me, I cannot deny, in that moment, as he’s holding me closely, that I want it to happen again. And I want him to want it for real, not because of the moment.
“Logan.” I stare straight into his terrified gaze. “I don’t care. We’re okay. We made it back. You got us back.” I give him a soft smile. “You were pretty awesome out there, Captain.”
Logan chuckles without humour. “ButIcare. God, Avery, if anything happened to you… I finally got you back, and now?—”
“Logan,” I interrupt him again. “I need to know. Did you mean it?”
“Mean what?”
“The kiss, Logan.” I brace myself. “I meant it. Did you mean it when you kissed me back?”
He stares at me, and behind his eyes I can see his thoughts going a mile a minute. “How could I not?” he asks in an incredulous tone.
Before I can respond, his mouth is on mine.
CHAPTER11
Logan’s hands move to cup my face as our kiss deepens in a passionate, hungry way. Both of our bodies shake with all the longing we’ve kept hidden for far too long. Our bodies press against each other, desperate to be closer, as if trying to merge into one entity.
As our lips meet, my hands instinctively tangle in Logan’s hair, pulling him closer, unwilling to let go. I can feel his heartbeat thundering against my chest, matching the rhythm of my own. Our tongues dance together in a heated exchange, exploring and teasing one another, lost in the moment.
Suddenly, I become aware of all the sensations on me: the rough texture of Logan’s stubble against my skin, the rim of his glasses leaning against the bridge of my nose, the faint scent of saltwater still lingering in his hair, the warmth of his body enveloping me in a cocoon of comfort and desire. It’s overwhelming, intoxicating, and terrifying all at once.
Is this really happening? Yes, it’s happening. I can’t stop it anymore.
As Logan’s arms wrap around me, pulling me hard against him, I can’t help but surrender to the feelings coursing through me. His fingers weave through my hair, gently at first, but his other hand soon finds my ass and squeezes. I moan against his mouth.
The sound of footsteps shatters our bubble, and his hands slip away as he pulls his mouth away from mine. I can still feel the ghost of Logan’s touch as we step back from each other, our breaths coming in short gasps.
“Ahem,” Yasser clears his throat, standing in the doorway with a raised eyebrow and amused smirk.
“Yasser, hey!” Logan says, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. “The boat’s good?”
