Page 54 of Destined for the Cowboy

He tasted, savored, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He had to have more. She was pressed full length against him now, and it still wasn’t enough. He wanted her under him, on top of him, any position he could think of, as long as she was naked and willing.

Willing.

The words came out hoarsely, but he knew he had to say them, had to give her the chance. “This is really what you want?”

“No,” she said.

A chill swept over him, so abrupt and sharp it made his gut churn. He should have known, he should have—

“What I wanted was for our first time to be at your place.” He stared at her, unable to quite believe this. Any of this. But even he couldn’t deny what he saw in her eyes, what he felt in her touch when she cupped his face. “But as long as it happens, I realized it doesn’t matter where. Because what I want more than anything is you, Logan.”

The words sent a shudder through him, as if every muscle in his body had tensed at that simple statement. The primitive, violently aroused part of his brain screamed at him to give in to the sudden, fierce demand of his body.

Take it, don’t be a fool!

But another, saner part of him shouted not to be like whoever his father had been, heedless, careless…

“Tris, I’m not…prepared for this.”

To his shock, she laughed. “Don’t worry. I am. Nic saw to that, when she realized which way the wind was blowing. Although I’m not sure one box of condoms will be enough.”

Nic had known…they’d end up here? He couldn’t think of a damn thing to say.

“I think,” Tris said softly, yet again as if she’d read him and understood, “she saw it because she’d just been there herself.”

“You’re right,” he said hoarsely, pulling her tight against him. “One box might not be enough.”

He hadn’t known it could be like this. But every move, every touch, simply trumpeted how cool, how uninvolved any of his previous encounters had been. Because everything Tris did, running her hands over him, kissing him, only sent that fire rocketing through him again.

They’d been half undressed—and he wasn’t sure who had done who—before the old warning clanged in the back of his mind. He pulled back, feeling he needed to warn her.

“I’ve got…some scars, Tris. More than this.” He indicated the scar across the left side of his jaw, and then the one on his ribs on his left side, from when he’d first been learning and he’d fumbled a glowing chunk of iron.

She didn’t speak. In answer she simply leaned over and kissed the mark. Then she straightened and finished slipping that slinky black dress off her shoulders, letting it slide to the floor.

The sight of her in nothing but a sleek black bra and panties about did him in right there. And thoughts of anything else faded away as he picked her up in his arms and headed for the door she indicated. He’d never been in her bedroom, and he didn’t much care at the moment what it looked like. All that mattered was that the bed was big enough, and he took them both down to it in a rush. He wasn’t even sure how he’d gotten out of the rest of his clothes, he only cared that they both be naked, fast.

And it was fast. Only the fact that she urged him on as if she was in as big a hurry as he was let him keep moving as he wanted to. He’d never been hotter, never been harder, never wanted so much.

And when she opened herself to him, when she reached between them to urge him into her, he thought he was going to explode right then and there. Her heat, her slickness, her eagerness undid him, and when he felt the first clenching of her body around him, when he heard her gasp out his name and clutch at him, he let go completely, utterly, for the first time in his life.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Tris had knownthis day was coming. It had been on her calendar for months now. And she had written her own remarks weeks ago, painful as it had been. She had appreciated that Last Stand wanted to do this, but at the same time dreaded it. She could hardly be against the town wanting to acknowledge David’s contribution on the ten-year anniversary, but it was David’s accomplishment, not hers.

But David wasn’t here to receive the accolades, and so she would stand in his stead. And somehow she didn’t dread it in the same way she had when they’d first announced it and told her they wanted her to speak. Because today was different. She was different. At least, she felt that way. And that was, she had no doubts, thanks to Logan. Last night had changed everything. Last night had brought her alive in a way she hadn’t felt for so very long. Last night had been…perfect.

She looked at her bed, the sheets still tangled and tossed, and she thought if she went back and lay down she would smell that clean, sage smell that reminded her of him. He’d been tender when she’d needed it, urgent when she’d needed that, gentle yet strong, caring yet a little bit wild when what sparked between them erupted into a fiery explosion.

It had been everything she’d wanted it to be, and more. She’d never felt more alive than she did now. Maybe you had to experience the depth of despair before you could reach that pinnacle.

She’d hated to see him go this morning, but had been thankful he’d understood when she’d said she had acommitment today she couldn’t avoid, putting as much as she could of her regret into her voice and the way she kissed him before he left.

As she dressed, she thought about how she felt so much more than ten years older now. Back when they’d completed the school redo, when they’d had the big unveiling, she’d been so young and silly, proud of David and thinking this was just the first of many times when his talent would be celebrated.

And instead, it had been the last.

She gave herself a mental shake. Told herself to focus on the accomplishment. He was gone, but this work would stand for decades as testament to his skill and talent.

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