Page 36 of Three Hearts Hideaway

“I’m good, thanks. Still need to drive home. But I’m sure Ava would love one.” He slipped a finger beneath the waistband of her skirt, gently grazing her bare skin.

She placed her hand on his thigh. “Yes, please. With the saskatoon berry gin, if you don’t mind.”

Jack mixed her gin and tonic, then led them out back, where a handful of wrought-iron tables sat in a beautifully landscaped garden, then left them alone to continue their date.

“This place is wonderful,” Ava mused, sipping her cocktail.

“Little Greenfield is small,” Logan said. “But Roman and I have done our research, and we think it’s going to be an up-and-coming town. Places like this”—he gestured to the distillery—“are opening not-too-far from our B&B, and they’re a major draw for tourists. We have great local shops on Main Street, and Kawawaymog Lake is magnificent any time of year. I think we’re about to see a large influx of tourists.”

“I was wondering why you were building a B&B. Does Little Greenfield get many visitors? Besides the fishing competition.” Her pink lips wrapped around the edge of her coupe glass.

God, she was a picture of perfection.

“Not an overwhelming amount, but they’ll come. With proper advertising, which I’ve talked to the town council about, I know we can draw some good crowds.”

This was going well. He was talking to her like a normal human, not an emotionally unavailable man. And she was responding. Progress.

But he needed to find out if she was into him. He had Roman to compete with, after all. Time to raise the intensity.

Logan grabbed the leg of Ava’s chair and dragged her beside him in one swift motion. He didn’t miss the unmistakable heat in her eyes. Only for a second, but he saw it. “Tell me more about you, Ava. We haven’t had the chance to talk.”

“Are you kidding? Yes, we have. You didn’t want to get to know me.” She cocked an eyebrow, drilling him with her stare.

He threw up his hands in mock surrender. “True. But you’ve been so preoccupied with Roman.”

Ava poked his chest. “Not an excuse. You’ve been haughty since the moment you saw me.”

“There’s a good reason.”

She pursed her lips. “Why do I doubt that?”

Okay. Perhaps this wasn’t going as smoothly as he initially thought.

“Do you want an honest answer?”

She leaned toward him. “If you’re willing to give it.”

“I was angry Roman met you first.” There. His feelings were out in the open.

Ava’s forehead scrunched. “What? Why?”

He shouldn’t have rolled his eyes, but he did. “Sweetheart, the instant I laid eyes on you, I wanted to fuck you.”

Too honest?

Ava froze with her mouth agape. She sat unmoving for what felt like forever. “I thought you didn’t even like me,” she finally said.

“Does this look like I don’t like you?” He gestured under the table to where his cock was straining against his jeans.

Her lips parted.

The entire ride here, he was aroused by the feel of her pressed flush against him. Then the subtle touches during the gin tasting, and now her sitting right next to him, smelling of lavender and spirits. He couldn’t contain himself. His hard-on ached for contact. Whether it would be from her or his own hand, he didn’t know. But he sincerely fucking hoped it was the former.

Logan’s lips burned with the need to finally kiss her. Yeah, she felt something too. He recognized it in her eyes, in the way she held her breath when she glanced at him, and how she’d slightly parted her legs when he’d pulled her chair closer.

Leaning forward, he brushed his nose against her cheek. “Let’s get out of here.”

She touched her throat. “Logan, I don’t know, I?—”

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