Logan (Wild Boys After Dark, #1)(19)

Logan grimaced as he waved to Mrs. Fairly.

Mrs. Fairly shook her head. “You kids have strange ways of having fun.”

After Mrs. Fairly went inside, Logan turned pained eyes toward Stormy. “Why didn’t you do that to the attacker last night?”

“I don’t…I…” Tears stung her eyes as she tried to pull herself together.

The muscle in Logan’s jaw bunched. He drew her into his strong arms and held her tight.

“It’s okay. You did good,” he assured her through his obvious discomfort.

“Good? I probably broke something down there.”

“Well, there is one way to find out.”

She couldn’t help but smile at the tease. “What are you doing here? I thought you were Kutcher.” She cringed. She didn’t mean to say his name, and by the way Logan’s hand had stilled on her back, she knew he didn’t miss a beat.

Still a little shaky, she pushed from his arms and tried to distract him from what she’d said. “Why are you here? You scared the crap out of me.”

“I came to take you to work.” The pain in his eyes receded, giving way to the seductive pools of blue she’d fallen into last night.

She looked at his white button-down and cleanly pressed jeans. The cowboy boots he wore were curious, after his polished businessman image of the night before. Come for us. Her body heated with the memory. She couldn’t do this, couldn’t bring him into the nightmare that was her life.

“I can walk.”

“Stormy.” He followed her out front. “All right, then I’ll walk you to work. I want to talk to you.”

“We talked last night.” What was with him? Why was he zeroing in on her?

He moved closer, placed a hand on her back. “We did more than talk, darlin’. That’s not what I had in mind for the way to work, but now that you bring it up...”

“Tsk.” She bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from laughing and stopped short of the corner, planting her hands on her hips and staring at too-damn-handsome-for-his-own-good Logan. He really was beautiful. Her mother would call him a real panty-dropper. She’d be right about that. He hadn’t shaved, and the thick stubble that had abraded her thighs in the most delicious way last night had grown even thicker. She unleashed the insides of her cheeks and let her smile roll with the memory.

“What?” He cocked a brow, and she could tell he was enjoying teasing her just as much as she was enjoying being teased. When you’re hiding from the world, teasing didn’t come around often, and when it did, it was usually met with fear. His teasing was met with a fluttering in her stomach that she was trying hard to ignore.

“That was a onetime thing.” She was pleased that she sounded serious even though she didn’t feel it.

“Uh-huh.” He guided her across the street.

“What’s with the cowboy boots?” Did he really intend to walk her to work like a sixth grader carrying her books?

“Going back to my mama’s roots.” Mischief filled his baby blues.

When they reached the main road, the sidewalks were crowded. Stella scanned the crowd, looking for Kutcher. Would she ever be free from his threat? She stole a glance at Logan and realized he was scanning the crowd as closely as she was.

“So your mom is from out West?” His hand felt like it had seared his brand into her skin.

“Colorado. Where are you from?”

“Mysti—” She stopped herself from revealing the town she was from. Unfortunately, the glimmer in his eyes told her she wasn’t quick enough. She blew out a frustrated breath as they waited for the next light to change, and lowered her voice.

“Look, Logan, I’m not really a one-night-stand girl, but aren’t they supposed to be one night? I don’t get why you showed up at my house, or why you’re walking me to work. Shouldn’t you be out doing important PI stuff?”

They crossed with the crowd. “I am doing important PI stuff.”

“No, really. Why are you doing this? I’m fine. I’ve been walking to work since I moved here. I think I can handle it.”

“Oh, I know you can.” He slid her a serious look. “Stormy.” He stopped walking. “Listen, after what we did last night, don’t you think you can tell me your real name?”

So that’s what this was all about? “Why? Are you keeping a log of the women you’ve slept with?”

He stepped in close, their bodies grazing from knee to chest. Stella’s pulse quickened.

“I’m not keeping a log. I’m trying to keep you safe. That’s it. That and the fact that I like you. I feel a connection to you. You can deny it, but I saw it in your beautiful eyes last night.”

My beautiful eyes?

He ran his knuckle slowly down her cheek, and she felt her nipples harden at the intimate touch. She fought hard to push the desire to kiss him down deep, tried to avert her eyes so she wouldn’t be sucked into his, and was unable to do either. He stepped closer, and she breathed in his fresh, masculine scent. She needed to try even harder to push away the rush of emotions his scent evoked.

“Feel that? That’s not one-night-stand heat you’re feeling. Trust me. I’ve had enough of them to know. One-night stands end after one night. This is lingering, babe, in the best kind of way.” He pressed his cheek to hers. “Make no mistake. I want to linger inside of you, all day long.”