Page 60 of The First Best Man

Stalking forward, I yank her against my chest and wrap my arms tightly around her. She’s stiff, at first, then melts into the hug before squeezing me back. Tilting her head up with a finger beneath her chin, I press a long, sweet kiss to her lips before pulling back an inch to meet her gaze.

“I’ll see you at Miguel’s in a few hours.”

The wedding party is meeting there for lunch to discuss today’s activities, assuming Penny is feeling better, of course.

“Yeah,” Kate says. “I need to get going, too. I’m meeting Penny at the bridal shop for her final fitting this morning.”

“Go on,” I say, smacking her ass playfully. “Go get ready. I can see myself out.”

She stares at me for a moment, her eyes still filled with concern over my strange behavior. I smile to reassure her, then kiss her again for good measure. That seems to calm her, and she tells me goodbye before giving me her back and heading toward her room.

Grabbing my wallet and phone from the counter, I practically sprint for the front door. Once outside, I don’t head toward the Errant Heart. Turning in the opposite direction, I go straight to Logan and Penny’s place. I’m damn-near out of breath by the time I jog up the steps to their front porch, and I take a moment to collect myself, bracing my hands on my knees while I pant.

That’s how Logan finds me, opening the door before I even have a chance to knock.

“You look like shit,” he says, stepping to the side of the doorway and motioning for me to come in.

I step inside and look around for Penny, and Logan tells me we’re alone, that his bride-to-be already left for her fitting in town this morning. I nod and collapse onto the couch, and Logan watches me closely as he takes a seat in an adjacent chair.

“What’s wrong with you?” he finally asks when I don’t offer up an explanation for my unexpected visit. “Did something happen with Kate?”

My eyes widen, and Logan’s narrow like there’ssuddenly a bright neon “guilty” sign flashing across my forehead.

“You slept with her,” he says, his tone accusatory.

“I did,” I say, holding up my palms. “But we discussed everything first. I made it clear that it wouldn’t go anywhere. That there’s no chance of a relationship, and it would just be a casual fling that will end when I leave here on Monday.”

“J.T.,” he says, his voice filled with an odd mix of warning and disappointment.

“Iknow,” I say. “She was a virgin, and it’s different because I was her first. But Logan, we discussed that, too. She was all-in. She wanted me to be the first, and I made it as comfortable and as satisfying as possible for her.”

“And now, she’s catching feelings, and you don’t know what to do,” he says like it’s a foregone conclusion.

“No,” I say quickly. “Not...exactly.”

He stares at me in confusion for a moment, and then I can practically see the light bulb flare to life over his head as realization dawns. “Oh, shit. Don’t tell meyou’rethe one catching feelings.”

“Is that so hard to believe?” I snark, feeling a bit attacked by his disbelief.

“Yes,” he says emphatically. “It is.”

Then he loses his grip on his humor, and laughter barks out of him as he throws his head back in glee.

“It’s not funny, man,” I grumble, and he looks back over at me with watery eyes.

“Yeah, J.T. It really is.”

“Fuck this,” I murmur angrily, then start to push myself up off the couch.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he blurts, sobering and offering me an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s not funny.”

“You’re an asshole,” I reply, but there’s no heat in the words.

“Sure I am,” he agrees, “but I’m also your best friend. Talk to me. I’m ready to listen.”

I fall back against the couch cushions with a sigh. “I think I’ve been falling for her since the moment we met. Taking the sex out of the equation, completely, Kate is…God, Logan. She’severything, man. Smart. Funny. Gorgeous. Brave. Kind. We’ve clicked from the beginning. Hell, she’s literally on the cusp of replacing you as my best friend.”

Logan huffs at that, and I offer him a grin before going on. “And the sex? Shit, man. It’s never been this way for me before. The women I’ve slept with have always been a means to an end. A pleasant way to spend a few hours and find release. But with Kate? It’s a fucking biblical experience, Lo. Unmatched in every way. What am I supposed to do with that?”

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