Page 23 of Three Hearts Hideaway

“It’s really not that hard, Ava. Nowadays, everyone puts everything on the internet.”

“So you found him online? No big deal?”

“No big deal.”

Not once in the entire conversation had Logan glanced up at her. He finished washing, grabbed a dish towel, and began to dry each piece of tableware. It’s like this meant nothing to him. But why would he do it, then? If he didn’t care? Obviously, this was a major gesture. He was refusing to acknowledge it, and that stirred the confusion inside her chest.

She blew out her cheeks. “Itisa big deal, Logan. To me.”

Nothing.

She wandered into the foyer, considering going outside to Roman. To the warm fire. To where she felt comfortable. She shook her head, steeled her shoulders, and marched back to the kitchen.

“Logan—look at me.”

He slammed down the mixing bowl he was drying, threw the dish towel over his shoulder, and finally met her gaze.

“Tell me why you did this.” Her body grew hot under his full attention.

His eyes narrowed, and he clenched and unclenched his jaw. He grasped the edge of the counter that stood between them and offered one word. “Because.”

“That is not an answer, Logan!” God, did he always have to be so infuriating? Do some grand gesture, then pretend like it’s not significant? “Talk to me.”

There was no mistaking the tension in his neck, shoulders, and arms. The veins were practically bulging out of his skin. If she wasn’t so annoyed with him, those arms might’ve aroused her.

“Because Sebastian is a fuckface bastard who needed to be taught a lesson. Who is he to tell dozens of people you’re a sexual deviant?” His hands squeezed into fists before plunging through his hair. “There’s nothing wrong with the things you like. Nothing.”

“How would you know that?”

He crossed his arms and stared at her. Long and hard. The intensity of his regard almost made her break their gaze, but she held her ground. This was the most he’d ever spoken to her, and he’d finally said something of consequence.

He’d listened to what she said this morning.

He’d punished Sebastian for her.

He'd stood up for her.

This is what Roman meant when he said Logan could be pissed offforyou.

She went around the counter and placed her palm on his cheek. He didn’t pull away. There was no way he was going to answer her question. His stony demeanor said as much. He really was beautiful. More so when he was angry on her behalf.

She withdrew one of his crossed arms and placed his palm on her breastbone, holding his arm close. The tension slowly melted out of his shoulders, and his eyes flickered shut. He leaned forward and placed his head against hers.

“No one gets to call you a slut,” he whispered into her hair. His hand crept from her breastbone to wrap lightly around her throat. “Not unless you want them to.”

A shiver traveled down her neck and spine to land in her pussy. The gesture was incredibly intimate, and she didn’t know what to make of it.

Logan stepped closer to her, and she breathed him in. He smelled faintly of leather. The tenderness of the moment played games with her head.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but before she could say a word, Logan released her and strode to the door that led to the back of the cabin.

“Good night, Ava.”

ROMAN

Ava never came back outside. Whatever Logan did or said to her had definitely made an impact. Roman had extinguished the fire and expected to find her in the kitchen or living area. When he’d climbed the stairs to the guest rooms, her door was closed. He didn’t want to intrude.

Instead, he’d been standing in his doorway for the past forty-five minutes, waiting for her to use the bathroom before going to bed. He needed to see her before she turned in for the night. Over the past few days, the sexual tension had been building between them and finally poured out during their bonfire. Now, if he didn’t do something about it, he was going to erupt.

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