“You looked pale before you ran off.”
That was because of where all his blood had gone. “I just had to take care of something,” he said, and almost snorted.
She ran her hand over his arms, then reached behind her and touched his hair. “Your arms are damp and you hair’s wet. Did you just shower?”
There was no way he could explain. “I meant to tell you at dinner that the rescue mission was a success.”
“That’s wonderful. All your men came back safely?”
“They’re on the plane now, heading back to the States.”
“I’m so glad, but you’re trying to change the subject. Why are you wet?”
He rested his chin on the top of her head and tried to think of a plausible answer.
“Tell me,” she said softly.
Maybe it was the gentle tone in her voice, maybe because he thought she’d half-guessed the answer, or that he didn’t want to lie to her, so he told her the truth. “I took a cold shower.”
She pressed her head against his shoulder and peered up at him. “There’s only one reason a man does that. I thought . . .”
He waited for her to finish, but she remained quiet, her eyes searching his. “What did you think?”
“I thought you wanted me, that we would make love tonight.”
“I do, and we will if you’re sure that’s what you want.” He kissed the top of her head.
The wheels were turning; he could see it in her eyes. She was puzzling out why else he would jump in a cold shower. He knew the instant the answer came to her.
“You rushed off because you thought—oh, my.” Her grin stretched from ear to ear. “Has it been a long time since you’ve been with a woman?”
His burst of laughter sounded harsh to his ears. “You could say that.” Damn, she wasn’t stupid. He shouldn’t have said it like that.
“How else could I say it? What aren’t you telling me?”
In an attempt to distract her, he brushed her hair aside and nuzzled the skin below her ear. She put her hand on his chin and pushed him away. Turning halfway around, she leaned back on his leg and shook her head. “I want to know what you meant.”
The little wrap she wore rode up, almost revealing the part of a woman he’d never touched, and, God above, he wanted to touch it more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. He grew hard again, but thankfully his hand and the cold shower had taken the edge off.
Tearing his gaze away from the secret he wanted to discover, he picked up his cup. The coffee was lukewarm, but he didn’t care. As he gulped it down, he wished he’d made it all Baileys with only a splash of coffee.
“Talk to me, Logan.”
He put the cup down and leveled his gaze on her. The stubborn set of her mouth said she wouldn’t rest until he spilled his guts. Could he trust her with his secret? Would she laugh if he told her? If she did, he would get up and walk out of her life forever.
“Trust me,” she said, as if she could read his mind.
Did she understand what she was asking? No, how could she? But she was like a starved dog with a bone and wasn’t going to give it up without a fight. And he wanted to tell her his secrets. Either he was a glutton for punishment, or it was the right thing to do. The words spilled from his mouth.
“I’ve never been with a woman before.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
You’ve never had sex?”
“Define having sex.”
This was not a conversation she could have prepared for, and Dani had trouble believing him. The look in his eyes grew wary. My God, he’s telling the truth. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
He held up his hand. “This has been very intimate with a certain part of me, so I can’t say I’ve never had sex.”
“You have any wine up here?” She needed a minute.
His face blanked. “Red or white?”
“Red, a Cabernet if you have it.”
Easing away from her, he went to the outdoor kitchen. Her gaze followed him, noting how the white silk trousers rode low on his waist. Shirtless, he was a sight any female would sigh over. Tall and muscled, with those lean hips and that face, a woman passing him on the street would think, I want him. She sure as hell wanted him.
How was it possible he’d never been with a woman? She’d almost said, yeah, sure, when he made his surprise confession, but his guarded expression stopped her. What had it cost him to admit such a thing? There had to be a reason, but she couldn’t imagine what it could be. She was going to find out, though.
He returned with two glasses of rich red wine. “Thanks,” she said, and took one. “Aren’t you going to sit back down?” she asked when he just stood there, staring at her.