SWNOVELS Cross-Checked Hearts: Chapter 11
“Isla, baby, wake up,” Logan’s soft voice snakes itself around my eardrums, instantly warming my soul as he wakes me from my drunken sleep. “We’re home.”
Slowly peeling my eyelids open, I look around, noticing that we’re in the parking lot of the apartment building. I glance at Logan, meeting his clear eyes. He isn’t as blurry as he was earlier when he showed up at the party and my head doesn’t feel nearly as fuzzy as it did then.
“Are you able to walk?” he asks, his tone filled with nothing but compassion and concern.
I look at him and nod as a smile forms on my face. “I’m not going to lie, I felt pretty tipsy earlier, but I think that little nap I took definitely helped.”
Logan chuckles, standing upright as he moves out of my way from the car door and offers me his hand. His palm is warm against mine as I slide my hand into his and he helps me out of the car. As I’m on my feet, I feel the instant rush to my head and I sway slightly on my feet. Okay, maybe I lied.
I don’t feel as drunk as I did earlier, but my buzz is definitely still lingering.
Logan leads me out of the way so he can close the door and hits the lock button on his key fob. The headlights blink as the car beeps and he inches closer to me. In an instant, his hands are around my waist and he’s lifting me into the air. I yelp as he takes me by surprise, but my legs instantly wrap around his waist as I link my arms behind his neck.
“I told you that I was fine to walk…”
Logan chuckles, his breath warm against my neck as he holds me tightly to his body. He begins to move, walking into the apartment building as he carries me. “I know, but this seemed like a much better idea.”
“You’re only saying that because you wanted to feel me close to you.”
The words literally leave my mouth like word vomit and I’m instantly cringing at myself, embarrassed regardless of the alcohol in my system. I don’t know what this is between us right now, but leave it to me to go ahead and make some dumb-ass comment like that.
“So, what if I do?” He breathes against my skin as he adjusts me in his arms to press the button to the elevator. “That not good with you, baby girl?”
I gulp, swallowing hard over the lump in my throat. “I’m good with that.” I don’t know how he manages to do it, but Logan has this effect on me that renders me essentially speechless. There’s nothing bad about any of it, I just don’t know how to act around him right now.
I had a crush on him for as long as I could remember. There was a point where I wasn’t sure that he would ever feel the same way about me. I thought that I was just a distraction for him when he would kiss me and touch me in the dark, but now I’m faced with this new reality and I’m not sure how to fully process it.
There’s a conversation we still need to have, but I don’t think either of us are fully ready to dive into that. For now, I’m going to just go along with whatever this is and not question it. I have him back in my arms again and I’m not ready to ruin the moment and let him go… even if that means we become a secret again.
Logan carries me the whole way back to the apartment and doesn’t put me down until we reach my bed. He gently lowers me down onto the mattress, pulling back the covers before he takes my shoes off for me.
“You know, I’m fully capable of doing that myself,” I remind him, watching him as he kneels on the floor in front of me.
He glances up at me, his deep blue eyes piercing mine. “Why don’t you just let me take care of you?”
I swallow hard and nod, giving him my feet as he pulls my socks off and tosses them onto the floor. He rises to his feet, walking over to my dresser to find me some pajamas, but I don’t want to wear any of them right now. While his back is turned to me, I strip out of my pants and toss them onto the floor. Logan glances in the mirror by my bureau, his eyes finding mine as I reach for the bottom hem of my shirt.
“What are you up to?” he questions me, his voice low and husky. He slowly turns around to face me, staring at me with a darkened expression and a fire burning in his blue irises.
I pull my shirt off and throw it onto the floor. “Getting ready for bed,” I tell him as I scoot closer to the headboard. Logan doesn’t move from where he’s standing across the room. “Can I wear your shirt to sleep in?” I ask him, my voice barely audible. “Like old times…”
His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard, but he nods and peels off his sweatshirt as he strides across the room toward me. I watch as it falls to the floor and he reaches behind his head and pulls his t-shirt over his head. He inches closer to the bed, stopping just beside it as he hands me his shirt.
I slip it over my head, feeling the warmth of it from his body. The smell of his cologne instantly fills my senses and I smile, feeling like I’m home. He lingers by the side of the bed, watching me as I find peace just in wearing his damn shirt. I glance up at him, my eyes finding the fire still burning in his oceanic depths.
“Lay with me?” I ask him quietly as I scoot to the other side to give him room. He pauses for a moment, like he’s fighting an internal battle as he shifts his weight nervously. “August won’t be home tonight, right?”
Logan nods, his shoulders sagging in relief as he remembers their conversation. He climbs into the bed, naked from the waist up with his sweatpants hugging his hips. I stare at the cut lines of his torso as his muscles move with his movements. He’s perfectly sculpted, like a Greek god. He lies down beside me, instinctively sliding his arm under the back of my neck as he pulls me closer to him. I settle along his side, wrapping my arm around his waist as I rest my head on his chest.
Lifting my head, I prop my chin on his chest and stare up at him as he looks down at me. “What are we doing, Logan?”
His eyes bounce back and forth between mine. “I don’t know, baby. Whatever feels right.”
I stare at him, so desperately wanting to talk to him about this, but what am I supposed to say? He wanted to be friends and now he doesn’t, but that doesn’t exactly put a label on it. Who’s to say he even wants more? Maybe that’s something we shouldn’t have. He’s right… we’re just doing whatever feels right and whatever comes of it, we will just have to deal with in the moment.
“Can I ask you something?” he says, his warm breath fanning across my face.
“Anything,” I answer him honestly, although I’m a little nervous about the alcohol still in my system and the fact that I could have a case of word vomit at any moment right now.
He’s silent for a second, his touch gentle as he brushes a stray hair away from my face. “Do you have a thing for Silas?”
My eyebrows pinch together as I place my hands on his chest. “No. Why would you ask that?”
“I don’t know,” he whispers, shrugging lightly. “I’ve seen the two of you together and I just don’t know… maybe he would be the better choice for you.”
Lifting myself up, I inch closer to him, taking the sides of his face in my hands. Logan’s eyes fall shut and he exhales deeply, a ragged breath coming from his chest. He slowly opens his eyelids, his blue eyes unreadable as he stares back at me. “There’s no choice to be made,” I tell him, softly stroking the sides of his face with my fingertips. “The choice was made for me when I first met you.”
Logan chuckles softly, shaking his head. “You’re a crazy girl, you know that?”
Crazy for you…
His hands find the sides of my head and he pulls me closer until our lips meet. We collide in an instant and I’m lost under his spell as his mouth moves against mine, bruising me with his touch. His tongue slides against the seam of my lips, parting them as he slips inside.
Our tongues dance together as we deepen the kiss and he rolls us onto our sides. We lay together, his leg sliding between mine as I throw mine over his hip, moving even closer to him. A warmth spreads through the pit of my stomach and his thigh is warm as it presses against my center.
The friction makes me moan and I shift against him, feeling his body just beneath my panties. Logan’s tongue slides against mine as his hands travel down my torso, slipping beneath the bottom hem of his shirt that I’m wearing.
“I fucking love you in my t-shirt,” he murmurs against my lips as he sucks my bottom lip between his teeth. “You’re the most beautiful thing that will ever grace my vision.”
His lips collide with mine and he swallows my moans as I grind myself against his leg. His fingertips are light as they travel across my torso with featherlight touches. My breath catches in my throat as he touches the edge of my bra and pauses.
He pulls away slightly, his eyes searching mine. “Is this okay?” he asks softly, his bright blue irises dancing under the light of the moon that shines through my bedroom window.
Biting down on my bottom lip, I swallow my nerves and nod. “I don’t want you to stop.”
Logan slides his fingers along my bra, reaching the top before diving under the cotton material. His palm is warm against my breast as he takes it in his hand, slowly tracing circles around my nipple. “Has anyone ever touched you like this before?”
I swallow hard as my cheeks burn under his gaze. “No.”
“Fuck,” he murmurs, his eyes soft on mine. “So sweet and so innocent…”
He pauses, the corners of his lips curling upward.
“And all mine.”