Logan Kade (Fallen Crest #5.5)(50)

Oh dear God. I stopped in the doorway. His words and the casual way he spoke them burst a dam inside of me. I was instantly wet, and I groaned under my breath.

“You coming?” he asked.

I rolled my eyes as I shut the door. “Did you have to use that word?”

He’d disappeared around the corner to the kitchen, but he came back now, a wicked glint in his eyes. “We can skip the formalities and head right for your bedroom, if that’s what you want?” he drawled.

My heart pounded against my chest like it wanted out. “Can you lay off and at least let me have a cup of coffee?”

I stopped as soon as I started. I used the wrong word this time.

“What was that about laying you?” Logan’s grin went up a notch. “You want me to stop, and you say that to me?”

I held up a hand, shaking my head. “Just…leave it alone for now.” I walked around him, giving him a wide berth. If he touched my ass again, I didn’t trust myself. We might end up in my bedroom sooner than I wanted. Logan followed me, and I snuck a look at him from underneath my eyelashes. He was poking around the kitchen and dining room, and for once, his hawk-like attention wasn’t on me.

I had to get real with myself, and I had to do it fast. Logan Kade was a tornado. When he showed up, he took over, and everything was swept up in his wake. Yes, as soon as I’d seen him on the doorstep, I knew it was going to happen. It always did, but this time, I hoped to prolong it. I wanted more time with him, outside of the bedroom. I poured myself some coffee and put the pot back. My hand tightened around the handle. I had to manage some semblance of control, or he would talk me into bending over the table.

Logan was hot and charming. He had charisma coming out of his *, but things needed to simmer. I looked at him and gulped. He was giving me bedroom eyes, like he could see through me, see my thoughts, and why the hell weren’t we already up there?

“You okay?” he asked.

“What?” I hadn’t expected that question.

He moved a step closer to me. “Your hand is shaking a little bit.”

I crossed my arms. “I’m fine.”

“You sure?” His tone ceased oozing sex and switched to concern. “You never did respond to my texts, you know.”

“Oh, yeah. I—” I glanced to the clock on the microwave. It was almost eleven. “Whoa. I slept late this morning.”

“You’ve been sleeping this whole time?”

“Yeah.” A chill went through me as I remembered the nightmare. “I couldn’t sleep very well last night.”

“Because you’re alone?” He glanced around the place. “The team should be back. We had breakfast with them before we took off. Mason rode back with us.”

My heart sank. “My dad will probably…” Fuck it. “I have no idea where my dad is. He’s been absent the last year.”

His voice softened. “I know.”

“That’s right.” He would know. He drove me that one night. A sad laugh wrung itself out of me. I leaned back against the counter and held my coffee cup with both hands. That had been back when I knew he wouldn’t care. If I saw pity or judgment in his eyes, it wouldn’t cut me deep—not that I’d expected to see that from him.

Things were different now. There were feelings involved. What type of feelings, I had no idea, but they were there. The lines had blurred.

“If he comes home, it won’t be till late.” My chest burned. “And that’s if he comes home. He could stay out all night…somewhere else…” With someone else, someone who wasn’t my mother. The burning grew stronger.

“Okay.” Logan took the coffee cup from my hands.

“What are you doing?” I asked as he put it on the counter and took my hand.

He led me out of the kitchen. “Go to your bedroom.”

“Already?” I blurted, then cringed.

He gave me a smug smirk, but stopped at the stairs and pointed up. “Go up there.”

“And do what?”

“Change.”

I looked down. “My oversized sweater and yoga pants aren’t working for you?”

He shook his head. “Those are period clothes. I know a thing or two about females. That’s the stuff you put on when you’re feeling like shit.” He held his hands up, palms toward me. “Not that I’m saying you’re on your period, but—” He gestured to my face with a finger. “I can tell something’s wrong. So go up and change clothes.” He turned me around and urged me toward the steps with a gentle push.

“Where are we going?”

“Does it matter? We’re going to have fun.”

“Fun?”

“Yeah. Go.” He made a shooing motion. “I’ll be in the car waiting.”

And with that, the decision was made. Logan went outside to the car. I went upstairs to change.

A few minutes later, I stopped in front of the mirror before I went outside. I smoothed a hand down my form-fitting black shirt and jeans. My mother had bought this shirt for me. It was the last time we’d gone on a shopping spree together.

I sucked in my breath, expecting a wave of sadness. It didn’t come… Why didn’t it come? Logan was waiting for me. I didn’t have time to wonder. Releasing the breath, I held my head up and went out to the car.