Page 92 of Sin Bin

“Why not?” she repeated in disbelief. “You’re not even interested in astronomy. You’d be bored out of your mind around a bunch of astronomers and hobbyists.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“You would be. There’s no ‘maybe’ about it.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t want me to go?”

“Um…well…” she hedged. “I sorta don’t. Okay, not sorta. I flat-out don’t.”

He looked offended. “What’s the matter? You embarrassed to take a dumb jock around your nerdy astronomy friends?”

She scowled. “First of all, you’re not dumb. I saw the A’s you used to make on tests, even when you tried to hide them. Second of all, of course I’m not embarrassed to be seen with you. Who on earth would be?”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Nothing. I just don’t want to draw too much attention to myself—”

“You’ve always been like that,” Logan observed. “You’ve always tried to make yourself invisible to everyone.”

She flushed, looking away to escape his too-perceptive gaze. “I don’t like being in the spotlight,” she mumbled self-consciously, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Showing up to the reception with a famous hockey player is tantamount to draping myself in flashing neon lights.”

“Nah,” Logan scoffed. “Those astronomy people probably don’t even follow hockey. They might not even recognize me.”

“Are you kidding?” Meadow exclaimed. “Your face is plastered everywhere around town and on that gigantic billboard coming from the airport! Of course they’ll recognize you!”

“Nah, I don’t think so. Seriously.” His eyes twinkled. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll wear a disguise.”

“A disguise?”

“Yeah. I’ll get some nerdy glasses and a pocket protector—”

“Really, Logan?” she sputtered indignantly. “You think all astronomers wear nerdy glasses and pocket protectors?”

“Don’t they?”

“No!” She leaned over and gave him a playful smack in the chest. “Idiot!”

He threw back his head and roared with laughter. The deep, rollicking sound was so infectious that she started laughing too. The more she imagined him in some absurd geek getup, the harder she laughed. She laughed so hard that tears streamed from her eyes and she started to snort.

The snorting sent Logan into another paroxysm of laughter. Clutching his stomach, wide shoulders shaking like an earthquake, he dropped his head back on the couch and howled to the rafters. Which, of course, made her burst into fresh gales of laughter.

She had never laughed so hard in all her life and she didn’t think she’d ever be able to stop. But eventually her laughter and snorts subsided to little giggles, and she joined Logan in collapsing back against the sofa cushions.

“Oh shit,” he gasped, scraping tears from his eyes with his knuckles. “I never thought it was possible to die of laughter until this very moment.”

“I know, right?” she chortled, trying to catch her breath. “I couldn’t stop. I thought I was gonna choke.”

“Seriously.” He grinned at the ceiling. “I don’t even remember what was so damn funny.”

“Neither do I,” she said with a big sigh. “But it felt good to laugh like that.”

“Mmm. I was just about to say the same thing.”

They turned their heads on the cushions and stared at each other.

Heat curled through Meadow’s stomach as her skin broke out into goose bumps. She swallowed thickly and cleared her throat, trying to ignore the sexual awareness suddenly buzzing between them.

“I guess we should, um, try to watch this movie.”

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