Logan Kade (Fallen Crest #5.5) (12 page)

My stomach growled.

I looked down at it. I was hungry now.

“Logan.” I tugged on his sleeve.

He glanced over his shoulder, but didn’t turn away from the girls. “Hmmm?”

See? I was one of the guys now. It sucked.

“I have to eat, or I have to go home.” I tried to give him my most serious face. “What do you propose we do?”

The corner of his mouth twitched, like he was trying to hold back a grin. “Well,
friend
.” He emphasized that word.

I winked at him, shooting him with my finger. “Good one.”

He shrugged, looking proud of himself. “I’m being good. I haven’t hit on you once tonight, have I? I held back. I was being a good friend.”

I nodded, then stopped. I don’t think I wanted to encourage that, did I? Then my stomach rumbled again. If I could feel it when I was this drunk, I knew I would’ve been starving if I were sober. “How do you propose we get home? Or get food? The grill closed an hour ago, right after dinner, didn’t it?”

His chuckle slipped over and caressed me. I wanted to close my eyes to savor it, but instead, a goofy grin came to my face.

Logan straightened from the table and scanned the bar. Then he rotated on his stool to face me. This put his back to the two girls, and both seemed irritated, but this was Motherfucking Logan Kade—his words two hours earlier, not mine. They weren’t going to argue.

Grinning at my thoughts, my body jerked awake as Logan placed his hands on my knees. He leaned forward and murmured, “I’m not being such a good friend now. I should apologize, but I’m not going to.”

I almost closed my eyes, letting his words slide over me. They warmed me, and I was fast not caring if we were friends or not. His knees also rested against mine, trapping me between his legs. Then his hands started a slow slide. They left my knees and progressed to my thighs at a snail’s pace. All I could do was hang my head and watch them. They stopped right before touching my stomach, and his fingers splayed out. His thumbs rested very close to my happy spot.

I held my breath. “I’m a bit inebriated, Logan.”

He grinned and good God, my heart leapt into my chest. My body was burning up. It was a fucking Sahara in here, then he said, “Me, too.” His forehead rested on mine, and he was right there, like
right there
. Our eyes were looking into each other. His breath was teasing me, acting likes its own seductive caress. This guy was dangerous, with a capital D. I needed to start fanning myself because I was losing all senses here.

I glanced down. I had to do something, or my lips would be on his and that’d be trouble, so much trouble, but I felt Logan’s attention was fully focused on me. My body was still burning. I was on fire. I gulped, and I started to lick my lips, but I heard his groan. I stopped, or I tried to stop. My body leaned forward. It was edging just a centimeter toward him.

No! Stop, Taylor.
I tried to command myself, but I felt my body going. He wanted me, too, but he was waiting for me. He’d made the first move, and now it was my turn. One move from me, and it was game on.

I’d never had sex in a bar, but Logan made me wonder why not.

“I got the hail.” Nate came to the table, interrupting whatever the hell had been going on.

I jerked back from Logan’s hands, those delicious hands, and he laughed. Lifting his head, he asked Nate, “Can you drive?” His eyes remained on me.

“Fuck, no.”

Logan’s mouth dipped in a rueful expression. “Neither can I.”

Both turned to me.

Inside I was swimming in my beer, and all the gloriousness from my hormones. They were screaming Logan’s name. I gave them a smile.

Nate shook his head, pulling out his phone. He shot Logan a look. “Mason’s going to be pissed.”

“We could cab it?”

“My friend is sober,” one of the girls piped up. “She can give you guys a ride home.” The girls hadn’t gone anywhere. Nope. They were now being helpful, eavesdropping on our conversation.

Evidently my top lip lifted in a slight snarl, but I wasn’t aware until Logan smoothed it down with his finger. He turned, hiding me from their view as he asked, “You can fit all three of us?”

“Oh, yeah. Plenty of room.” The girl who’d offered the ride was damned cheery.

“Well…” Her friend sounded more cautious. “Someone will have to sit on a lap. It could be a tight fit.”

“That’s no problem.” She elbowed her reluctant friend.

I rolled my eyes.

The girl’s enthusiasm grated on my nerves. She loved the idea of sitting on a lap, and I had one guess whose lap she was hoping for.

But when we got to the car, Logan’s hand found my waist. A tingle broke out over me, giving me a shiver, one of the delicious kinds. He stood right behind me, and I had a hard time concentrating on what was going on. His touch was almost possessive, like he was claiming me, but I knew that wasn’t what he was doing. That wouldn’t have made any sense.

The car doors opened, and his hold tightened as he said, “Taylor can sit on my lap.”

Good gracious. My body heated. Hearing him say those words, an ache formed between my legs.

Friends. Friends.
I started reciting that to myself. Friends only…I looked up and caught his gaze. He wasn’t looking at me in a friends-only way.

I gulped.

Nate had rounded the other side of the car. He paused now, hearing Logan’s offer, and looked at us. He snorted, shaking his head before he got inside.

The first girl had looked ready to say something, but her mouth formed an O. “Oh. Okay then.”

Logan moved around me, and his hand trailed across my back, sending a fresh wave of sensations through my body. That same hand lingered on my hip before he got into the backseat. It was a small car. He pushed a bag and blanket to the middle between him and Nate, then held his hand out to me.

This was…I didn’t think.

The way he looked at me, it was hypnotic. My legs worked on their own, and I went to him. Somehow I perched on one of his legs, turned toward the inside of the car. I tried to sit up so all of my weight wasn’t on him, but he tugged me down. His arm lifted around my back to rest on his leg. I was cupped in his arms. I could’ve laid my head on his shoulder and curled into a ball.

Maybe it was the booze. Maybe it was the fact that I’d survived my first week at Cain University, or maybe—I didn’t know what it was. But what should’ve been the most awkward situation ever just wasn’t. I tensed as both Nate and Logan gave directions to my house, but Logan tugged me back down. His hand went from his leg to my leg and anchored me in place.

I couldn’t deny it felt good. To be there in his arms, and that both of them were giving directions for me. The same feeling from before trickled in again. I felt included—by Nate, too. I was drunk, but I knew this sort of inclusion was a rarity.

The envious looks I’d been getting all night at the bar, the ones at the food court this week, in sociology, and even now from the two girls in the car—they wanted to be where I was. Now, where that was I had no real idea. But for now, I wasn’t going to question it. I was going with the flow, a very Logan thing to do.

“Your girl have a hot date she stood up?”

My eyes were closed, but Nate’s voice grew clear as he must’ve looked in my direction. Logan shifted underneath me and leaned forward. His voice sounded from right above my forehead. “Is that Delray’s car?”

My eyes opened in a flash. Thoughts whirled in my head. I tried to remember…then I did.

I was supposed to watch movies with Jason tonight. I’d just stood up my best friend.

I groaned, falling back against Logan’s chest.

STILL BAD

TAYLOR

Logan’s hand tightened over my leg. “You want me to come in with you?” he asked, right next to my ear.

Oh God. The idea of someone else taking care of my business was so welcome. I wanted to say yes. I’d done so much in the last nine months: arranging all the funeral plans, picking out the casket, burying my mother, being the hostess when people brought food to the house, transferring to Cain U, registering for classes, getting my books, going to school, and even today, looking for a job. It was just life, but it was exhausting. I wanted someone to help me, but it couldn’t be Logan.

I shook my head, feeling weak but determined. “No. I messed up.”

Jason would’ve had a conniption if I sent someone in my place, particularly Logan. I owed him an explanation. He was my best friend.

The girls’ smiles were brighter when they realized Logan wasn’t getting out with me. Both Logan and Nate offered a wave as I stepped back and the car took off. The little flirtation I’d just had with Logan was nice. Hell, it was like dancing with the devil for a moment. It was tempting—the promise of something great—but in the end that was all it was. A dance with the devil. I’d be blind not to see how many girls wanted him. I was also not deaf. I’d heard him at the bar when he said we were friends because we hadn’t had sex.
Yet
. Sex seemed inevitable when it came to Logan.

“We haven’t had sex, and you haven’t called me an asshole or slapped me yet, so yeah.”
He’d winked at me.
“That classifies us as friends in my book.”

Logan slept with girls. They got emotionally attached. He didn’t. Then he was called an asshole and slapped. That was likely the story of so many, and maybe if there’d been no Eric, or maybe if my mother hadn’t died in front of me, maybe I would’ve turned off my rational side and let myself go down the same path as those other girls.

But there was an Eric who left me, and I lost my mom on the same day. I couldn’t fall for Logan Kade. I understood why girls did, but I just couldn’t. I wouldn’t come back from that if I let myself go. I wasn’t special. I was just like any other girl, and Logan Kade didn’t love. He’d told me that as well.

“If I love you—and don’t get ahead of yourself because that list is really short—then I’ll do
almost
anything to protect you. Girls drink that shit up...”

The writing was on the wall.
“I’m not being cocky when I say that girls like me, they really do like me. I’m funny, sarcastic, quick-witted, and enough of a bad boy to make girls wet. If I like you, I’m loyal to you.”

For whatever reason, Logan liked me. I would take that. I could make do with his loyalty. I remembered how it felt when he’d touched me, how his hands held me and I wanted to close my eyes, sink into him, and let his strength wash over me.
That
was the dangerous side of him.

I shook my head. The car was long gone, but I was still standing on my front lawn. I had to reset myself, pull out the hooks Logan had put in me. I couldn’t walk in like this with an angry Jason waiting for me. He’d see right through, and when Jason was mad, he didn’t hold back. I needed to wall myself back up so I could handle whatever he threw at me.

I heard the door to my house open behind me. “Taylor?” Jason called.

I felt like I was zipping myself up, pushing all the raw and exposed feelings back inside. I could feel it pulling me together, closing over my head. When it was done, I was okay. I was ready to go.

“Hey. Yeah,” I called. “It’s me.” I started for the door.

Jason gestured inside the house, moving back so I could get through the doorway. His eyes were worried. His face looked strained, and his hands had pulled inside his sleeves. When he did that, he was anxious.

“I used the extra key,” he told me. “Your dad isn’t here.”

I wasn’t sure if that was a question or a statement. I ignored it, going to the kitchen. I expected a note, but there was none.

“There’s no note,” I said.

His eyebrow lifted. “Is there usually?”

No. Not very often. “He’s been trying.”

Jason folded his arms over his chest and sat down at the table. He snorted in disbelief.

“He has been.”

“Not to be an insensitive dickhead, but I’ve only seen one note from your dad.” His elbows rested on the table. He propped his chin on his hands, still inside his sleeves. He watched me.

“Well.” I fell back against the counter, hitting it hard enough that I’d find a bruise there later. I grimaced. “You are being an insensitive dickhead.”