Heat billows through me. If he kisses me like that for much longer, I won’t remember my own name, let alone have any capacity for rational thinking. “Can’t blame a girl for asking,” I mutter.
“Yes.” His hands tighten around my waist, somehow still gentle despite the possessiveness of his hold. “I want to be with you. I’m properly head over boots for you, and I…” He pauses when there’s a thud next to us, and we both turn to see Beef Wellington sitting on the counter with eyes full of judgment as he looks from Logan to me. Logan growls in his throat.
Beef growls back.
No, Beefpurrsback. Rumbling like a diesel, he steps forward and head butts Logan’s elbow, rubbing his cheek along his arm until he reaches my shoulder and keeps rubbing. Marking us both.
Logan rolls his eyes but moves one hand to pet my ridiculous cat. The other stays pressed against my waist. “This is all your fault,” he says in a low tone—talking to Beef, I assume. Then his thumb starts running along one of my ribs, making me shiver. I swear I’m going to fall apart if he keeps doing that.
I take hold of Logan’s hand, catching his attention. A spark of worry flashes in his eyes as he looks at the spot he was touching, but I’m not about to move his hand, something he seems to realize when the spark ignites into an eager flame.
He leans in, then groans and leans back again before our lips connect. “No. Before I let you go and bungle it again, we need to clear the air.”
“How didIbungle things?” I complain. I try to tug him back so I can kiss him again, but he’s stronger than me.
“You interrupted me with all…this.” He gestures to our bodies.
I can’t hold back my smirk. “Mm, I like all this.”
Swearing, he takes a full step back. “Sav, stop being so frustrating and let me be honorable here.”
I slump my shoulders and sigh. “I can’t pretend I don’t want that.” That’s not to say I’m loath to see if we can top that kiss if we try again, butactuallyhaving clear and open communication is a good idea. “You’re willing to leave Australia behind? For me?”
Though he nods, there’s plenty of hesitation in Logan’s expression. “I won’t lie and say it’s a smart career move. I’ll be giving up a spot on one of the world’s best teams to earn pennies.”
Well that’s a great way to kill the mood. I run a hand through my hair as guilt settles heavy in my gut. “That’s kind of awful. But it’s not like you can play rugby forever, right?”
He grimaces. “If I can avoid injuries, I’ve got another five solid years in me.”
Five years.Can I take that away from him? He has a team here, but even I know rugby in the US is nothing like what he plays back home. And he misses his old team. He won’t say it, but he’s been keeping up on their matches and always gets a sort of lost look in his eyes when he watches highlights.
A look I’ve been trying to ignore.
“Logan.”
“The Thunder will keep me,” he says with a sharp look, like he knows what’s running through my head. “Rugby is rugby.”
“You know that’s not true,” I argue.
“It’s true enough.”
Beef nudges his head into my arm, spurring me into motion. I slip from the counter and take a strong stance in front of Logan despite feeling anything but strong as reality sinks in. “Logan, I’m not going to be the reason you give up your entire life.”
His eyes narrow. “I’m not giving up anything for you.”
“Of course you are!”
“Did you listen to what I said?”
“Logan, you need to be rational here.”
“I love you, Sav. I’m not losing anything if I get to be with you.”
As sweet as those words are, he’s not thinking straight. “I’ll come with you,” I say, though I don’t quite have the confidenceI wish I did. My mouth is dry, and the words seem to claw their way up my throat, but I mean them.
Logan’s jaw slips open. “What?”
Swallowing, I fold my arms. “I’ll come to Australia with you. Not just for Christmas, but for all of it.”
