presumed you were heading back straightaway.”
Candace’s hand was warm in his, but her eyes were staring at their connection, not back into his. She was deep in thought and he wanted to know what was going through her head, what she wanted from him.
“Candace?” he asked, wishing he hadn’t sounded so angry.
“I didn’t want to tell you because I don’t even know what this is between us,” she said, finally looking up at him. “I couldn’t exactly ask you not to go back home, to stay for another few days just to keep me company.”
Logan’s heart physically felt like it was going to stop. The pain he felt at seeing her eyes swim with tears was too much for him to handle, because it was him hurting her and that wasn’t something he’d ever intended on doing.
“I have no idea what this is, either, Candace.” It was the truth and he didn’t know what else to say.
“A couple of years ago, I made a decision that I was better off alone than with a man in my life,” she told him, still letting him hold her hand. “And then I met you, and I forgot all about the promise I’d made myself. I want you to know that I’ve never had a one-night stand in my life until you, Logan, and I’m fairly certain it’s not something I’ll ever do again.”
Logan stared back at Candace, wondering what on earth she saw in him to make her want to spend any time with him at all. Why she trusted him, why they both seemed able to confide in one another.
“I don’t have a lot to offer, Candace, not emotionally. But I’m not ready to say goodbye to you yet.”
She leaned into him, her cheek to his chest. Logan circled his arms around her body, held her to him and shut his eyes, wanting to remember what it was like to have the tiny blonde against him. To be with a woman who made him feel things he’d never expected to feel again in his lifetime, to simply have Candace tucked against him. For as long as he lived, he’d never forget her warmth, the vulnerability he’d glimpsed—it was a comfort like he’d never experienced before.
“Come with me tomorrow,” he said, his voice low.
Candace went so still he couldn’t even feel her breathing.
“You mean that?” she asked, keeping her face to his chest.
Logan blew out a breath, not sure how he’d just ended up inviting a woman he barely knew back to his family home. But he had, and deep down he knew he wanted it more than anything. This time, he wasn’t going to let his fears make decisions for him.
“Yeah, I mean it.”
Candace eventually sat upright, one of her hands touching his face as she stared into his eyes.
“Screw doing what I think I should,” she said, the corners of her mouth tipping up into a smile. “I think it’s about time I just do what feels right.”
He couldn’t have said it better himself. Logan kissed her, forcing himself to keep his mouth soft to hers when all he wanted was to lose control. He usually hated any kind of public affection, but he wasn’t exactly behaving like himself around Candace and there was no way he was going to not kiss her with her looking up at him like that.
“We leave you guys for, like, ten minutes, and already you’re making out like a pair of lovesick teenagers.”
Logan didn’t pull away from Candace immediately, but when he did he glared at Brett. Trust his friend to push him in one direction then tease him about it as soon as Logan followed his instructions. But without Brett’s chat, maybe he would have kept his mouth shut instead of taking a leap of faith.
“I think that round was supposed to be mine,” Logan muttered, wrapping an arm around Candace and letting her snuggle under his shoulder.
“Yup. You owe me thirty bucks.”
*
The drive back wasn’t long, and in a way Candace wished it had been. The moment they’d buckled up, Logan had reached for her hand and held it, and they’d been like that the entire way back to her hotel. Even though they hadn’t said a word, they hadn’t
Candace’s hand was warm in his, but her eyes were staring at their connection, not back into his. She was deep in thought and he wanted to know what was going through her head, what she wanted from him.
“Candace?” he asked, wishing he hadn’t sounded so angry.
“I didn’t want to tell you because I don’t even know what this is between us,” she said, finally looking up at him. “I couldn’t exactly ask you not to go back home, to stay for another few days just to keep me company.”
Logan’s heart physically felt like it was going to stop. The pain he felt at seeing her eyes swim with tears was too much for him to handle, because it was him hurting her and that wasn’t something he’d ever intended on doing.
“I have no idea what this is, either, Candace.” It was the truth and he didn’t know what else to say.
“A couple of years ago, I made a decision that I was better off alone than with a man in my life,” she told him, still letting him hold her hand. “And then I met you, and I forgot all about the promise I’d made myself. I want you to know that I’ve never had a one-night stand in my life until you, Logan, and I’m fairly certain it’s not something I’ll ever do again.”
Logan stared back at Candace, wondering what on earth she saw in him to make her want to spend any time with him at all. Why she trusted him, why they both seemed able to confide in one another.
“I don’t have a lot to offer, Candace, not emotionally. But I’m not ready to say goodbye to you yet.”
She leaned into him, her cheek to his chest. Logan circled his arms around her body, held her to him and shut his eyes, wanting to remember what it was like to have the tiny blonde against him. To be with a woman who made him feel things he’d never expected to feel again in his lifetime, to simply have Candace tucked against him. For as long as he lived, he’d never forget her warmth, the vulnerability he’d glimpsed—it was a comfort like he’d never experienced before.
“Come with me tomorrow,” he said, his voice low.
Candace went so still he couldn’t even feel her breathing.
“You mean that?” she asked, keeping her face to his chest.
Logan blew out a breath, not sure how he’d just ended up inviting a woman he barely knew back to his family home. But he had, and deep down he knew he wanted it more than anything. This time, he wasn’t going to let his fears make decisions for him.
“Yeah, I mean it.”
Candace eventually sat upright, one of her hands touching his face as she stared into his eyes.
“Screw doing what I think I should,” she said, the corners of her mouth tipping up into a smile. “I think it’s about time I just do what feels right.”
He couldn’t have said it better himself. Logan kissed her, forcing himself to keep his mouth soft to hers when all he wanted was to lose control. He usually hated any kind of public affection, but he wasn’t exactly behaving like himself around Candace and there was no way he was going to not kiss her with her looking up at him like that.
“We leave you guys for, like, ten minutes, and already you’re making out like a pair of lovesick teenagers.”
Logan didn’t pull away from Candace immediately, but when he did he glared at Brett. Trust his friend to push him in one direction then tease him about it as soon as Logan followed his instructions. But without Brett’s chat, maybe he would have kept his mouth shut instead of taking a leap of faith.
“I think that round was supposed to be mine,” Logan muttered, wrapping an arm around Candace and letting her snuggle under his shoulder.
“Yup. You owe me thirty bucks.”
*
The drive back wasn’t long, and in a way Candace wished it had been. The moment they’d buckled up, Logan had reached for her hand and held it, and they’d been like that the entire way back to her hotel. Even though they hadn’t said a word, they hadn’t
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