Wild(24)

            That had to make this just a little bit okay. Right?

            I sighed. But not enough to erase the wrong factor. I could not have a fling with Logan Mulvaney.

            “No,” I said, hating me right then. Hating that even though my lips formed the word no, I was thinking yes in my head. Yes. YES. “I don’t want that.”

            “Liar,” he said mildly.

            He brushed a strand of hair back off my shoulder and the simple touch rocked a shiver through me.

            I pressed my fingers to his chest and gave him a slight push away. “Don’t touch me. In fact, just stay away from me.” God. Was that desperate little rasp really my voice?

            He stepped back then, the deep blue of his eyes turning chilly. “Fine. Sure. I won’t touch you again. It’s all on you now.”

            All on me? What was that supposed to mean? He was leaving it up to me to ask him to touch me? No worries there. I never initiate sex. I never had. In fact, the only time I had ever taken charge and initiated anything had been the one time I kissed Logan. And that was never happening again.

            That crooked grin appeared on his face again, belying the hard intensity of his eyes. “Any time you want me to make you scream, just let me know, Pearls.”

            “Oh.” It was barely a word. More like a gasp. A sudden image of him and me together, his powerful body driving into mine, branded itself on my mind and my mouth dried. Heat flushed over my body.

            “Hey, Logan,” Reece called out, suddenly there, almost to the Jeep. I jumped a little. I had actually forgotten they were approaching. It was Logan. He rattled my brain.

            With a final wink at me, Logan swung his bat bag around so that it hid the erection pushing against the front of his pants.

            I stared after him, feeling rattled and shaken and doing my best to disguise it.

            Pepper balanced a sugar-drenched funnel cake in one hand and held on to Reece’s hand with the other one. Grin firmly in place, Logan turned to face Reece and Pepper. With no invitation, Logan snatched a chunk of funnel cake from her plate. The latticework of fried bread dangled from his fingers before breaking.

            I watched, mesmerized, as he tilted back his head, opened his mouth wide, and dropped the food in. The tendons in his throat, the muscles flexing in his square jaw—all served to make my belly dip.

            “Nice,” Pepper complained. “That was like half of it.”

            He picked at another piece and she swatted his hand.

            “Great game, Logan.” Reece looked at his brother almost earnestly, as if he was trying to convey something . . . be family for him, everything, the parent he so obviously lacked. “Seriously, man. I’m proud of you.”

            Logan shrugged like it was no big thing. “Will you be at the new Mulvaney’s tomorrow?”

            “Yeah, I’ll be there. You’re working afternoon to close at the old location, right? Mike’s going to open.”

            Logan nodded. “Yeah. I gotta go.”

            Reece moved in for that half-body hug guys did.

            “Thanks for coming.” Logan’s glance skipped to Pepper, clearly including her in the thanks. Me, not so much. I just stood there, feeling as out of place as ever.

            Logan’s gaze slid to me, warming me all over again. “See you around, Pearls.”

            Logan walked away then, heading off to his after-party where he would likely use his charm to nail some other girl.

            “Pearls?” Pepper inquired next to me around a mouthful of funnel cake.