Heat Wave(81)

Obviously I can’t help but smile back.

And now Johnny is looking between the two of us. “You all right Shephard?” he asks warily. “I can see your teeth. Are you…smiling?”

“Fine, just fine,” he says. “Wanted to come in here and see how you guys were doing.”

“It was a great night,” Johnny says.

“Great night,” Jin agrees from the sink where he’s been working diligently and quietly, as usual. Then he speaks up. “Ronnie made a new dish. The Ohana Mahi Mahi.”

Logan stops right in front of me, raising his brow as his grin spreads. Good lord, his smile can bring me to my knees. Everything inside me feels like it’s blooming, warm, hot, fizzy, like champagne. I want nothing more than to just wrap my hands around his neck, feel his skin, kiss his smile. Feel the strength and warmth of his body against mine. I want to ride him to oblivion again. I want all the things that I never thought possible until last night.

“Uh, Ronnie,” Johnny speaks up. “You going to tell him or am I?”

I blink, my cheeks going hot as I look over at Johnny. “Huh?”

He’s scrutinizing me with a coy wariness, looking between the two of us. “Tell Shephard what you made.”

“Oh right,” I say, looking back to Logan and meeting his eye. “Um, well, actually I’m not sure if I should tell you or just make it for you.”

“I would be honored if you made it for me,” he says. “How about tonight?”

“Phhhfff,” Johnny says, waving his hand at Logan. “Tonight? Give the little wahine a break, aye. Her shift is over and you’re not a slave driver.”

“No, I honestly don’t mind,” I quickly say. “I could do it right now.”

Johnny makes a noise of disbelief. “Well I’ll be, hell is freezing over. Ronnie is volunteering to make the habut some food, overtime.”

“Not overtime,” I tell him. “Just for fun.”

“Okay, now you’ve really lost your mind.”

“I think we’re all allowed to lose our minds from time to time,” Logan says. His eyes are burning into mine, reaching into my core and stoking the flames I’ve been trying to ignore all night. “Here, let me help you clean up.”

“Okay,” Jin says, poking his head around the corner. “Who are you and what have you done with Logan Shephard?”

Logan laughs and even that seems to scare everyone. I can try and hide our relationship, or whatever this is, from everyone here, but with Logan acting like a whole new human being, it’s not going to be so easy. Thankfully Johnny and Jin aren’t the type to jump to conclusions. They’ll first assume that Logan’s been abducted by aliens and his body has been shuttled back to earth, controlled by a robot.

And though it’s an odd proposition, none of us usher Logan out of the kitchen because we can use the extra hand with Charlie being gone, plus I think the guys get a certain thrill of seeing their boss roll up his sleeves and get down to the dirty work.

As it happens, with Logan’s help, we’re done a bit early. Johnny and Jin leave the kitchen in a hurry, as if they think Logan will pull a 180 and haul them back into work.

It’s just him and me here now. Out in the restaurant we can hear Daniel talking in a low murmur to Johnny and I think Kate, serving them drinks.

I turn to Logan, clearing my throat.

“So,” I say, keeping my voice low.

“So,” he says, taking a step toward me until all the space between us disappears. He runs his fingers underneath my chin and raises it so I’m looking at him in the eye. He smells like my dreams, that musk that runs deep into my veins, a chemical reaction. “Is it that obvious if I go and bar the kitchen door?”

“Afraid so,” I tell him.

“You have no idea how long this day has been,” he whispers to me. “I can’t quite believe that last night even happened. I might need you to prove it did.”

I bite my lip, playing up the look of the coquette. “That can be arranged. Anywhere but in here.”

“We can go at any time,” he murmurs, leaning over until his mouth is at my ear. “I can go at any time.”

Jesus. Just his hot breath, his words, and I’m transported back to last night. I don’t blame him for thinking that last night – and this morning – was a dream. This man had tasted me, licked his fucking fingers. He told me he wanted to fuck me with his mouth and then he fucking did. Not only a dirty talker, but a man who follows through.

“I think they would suspect something,” I manage to say, “you know, when they walk in here and find us fucking on the floor.”