her cheekbone. ''This isn't just for me," he said.
Uncertainty flickered in her eyes and he delighted in it. She licked her bottom lip. "Oh, I suppose I should be honored that you want...that you want to spend time with me?"
She was still trying so hard to push him away.
Ha. **Give an inch, Elena," he whispered, his thumb brushing across her face again. *'You don't have to give it all, just an inch."
**I don't know what you want." Now she sounded nervous, almost defensive.
He pressed, knowing this was the opening he needed. '1 want you to talk to me, Elena. Admit what's going on with you and Gabby. Admit what's going on with you and me."
She stiffened against his hand. *'You know there's no you and me."
'*You know there could be." He took a step toward her, his gaze nev^ leaving hers. '1 thought the attraction was just an echo of the past. But I was wrong.
because it's not going away and it's only getting harder to ignore."
'*Well, ril do fine without scratching that particular itch, thank you very much."
''Damn you, Elena." His temper burned and he heard that wolf begin howling inside his head. Only she brought out in him something so untamed. ^Tm not going to let you drag it down to that level."
She jerked her face away from his hand. '*What other level is there?"
Anger flared again, but this time not at Elena, but at whatever—or whoever—^had made her so distrustful. He grabbed her chin and turned her face his way again. **Take something from me," he commanded her.
She blinked. '*What are you talking about?"
*'Not just about kisses, caresses, sex. Fm offering, Elena. Giving. Take my comfort, take my support, take me as someone to share your worries with."
Her eyes widened. Emotions rippled across them, like disturbances in the depths of an icy lake.
**Let me in, Elena. I want to know you again. Know you."
Elena shook her head. *'We can't be friends. You know how ridiculous that is."
If not friendship—^because she was right about that—^what did he want from her? Peace, he thought, and simpUcity. Not that he'd ever have either with Elena buzzing about, bringing up old memc«ies and past regrets. Not with her beautiful face and stubborn heart as a constant source of howling frustration.
*lt's just as ridiculous to think we're going to keep avoiding whatever we akeady are," he said slowly. **And what we never became. I think we should play out what's between us this time. Finish it, once and for all."
*Tinish it once and for all," she murmured, as if trying out the idea.
He saw the surrender on her face and his heart kicked into high gear. This made so much sense.
Then she bit her bottom lip. **Let me.. .let me think about it."
God, could she never do anything the easy way? The wolf howled again and he clung to control by his fingernails. **Fine." He was on his way out of her apartment before he did something stupid like punch a hole in a wall...or beg. **Let me know when you've decided."
Chapter Seven
Jjy late afternoon the following day, though Logan's body was exhausted he continued working, hoping to tire out his brain as well. He'd made progress on stripping the paint from the wainscoting in the dining room. Now he was positioned at the far end of the first-floor hall, replacing water-damaged floorboards.
He measured the length he needed to cut, then measured again as a double check, scribbling the number on a scrap of wood. Normally he could keep something so simple in his head until he reached the well-lit location where he'd set up his chop saw, but he was too preoccupied today, thinking of Elena.
She'd gone ghost on him again. Even though he'd risen with the sun, she'd already left the Victorian by the time he'd made his bleary-eyed way out of his
own apartment Though he'd caught Gabby before she'd left fw: school, she hadn't been much help in Elena mood-analysis.
There had been a mischievous spark in her eyes, however, when she'd shared her sister's schedule for the day. Elena
Uncertainty flickered in her eyes and he delighted in it. She licked her bottom lip. "Oh, I suppose I should be honored that you want...that you want to spend time with me?"
She was still trying so hard to push him away.
Ha. **Give an inch, Elena," he whispered, his thumb brushing across her face again. *'You don't have to give it all, just an inch."
**I don't know what you want." Now she sounded nervous, almost defensive.
He pressed, knowing this was the opening he needed. '1 want you to talk to me, Elena. Admit what's going on with you and Gabby. Admit what's going on with you and me."
She stiffened against his hand. *'You know there's no you and me."
'*You know there could be." He took a step toward her, his gaze nev^ leaving hers. '1 thought the attraction was just an echo of the past. But I was wrong.
because it's not going away and it's only getting harder to ignore."
'*Well, ril do fine without scratching that particular itch, thank you very much."
''Damn you, Elena." His temper burned and he heard that wolf begin howling inside his head. Only she brought out in him something so untamed. ^Tm not going to let you drag it down to that level."
She jerked her face away from his hand. '*What other level is there?"
Anger flared again, but this time not at Elena, but at whatever—or whoever—^had made her so distrustful. He grabbed her chin and turned her face his way again. **Take something from me," he commanded her.
She blinked. '*What are you talking about?"
*'Not just about kisses, caresses, sex. Fm offering, Elena. Giving. Take my comfort, take my support, take me as someone to share your worries with."
Her eyes widened. Emotions rippled across them, like disturbances in the depths of an icy lake.
**Let me in, Elena. I want to know you again. Know you."
Elena shook her head. *'We can't be friends. You know how ridiculous that is."
If not friendship—^because she was right about that—^what did he want from her? Peace, he thought, and simpUcity. Not that he'd ever have either with Elena buzzing about, bringing up old memc«ies and past regrets. Not with her beautiful face and stubborn heart as a constant source of howling frustration.
*lt's just as ridiculous to think we're going to keep avoiding whatever we akeady are," he said slowly. **And what we never became. I think we should play out what's between us this time. Finish it, once and for all."
*Tinish it once and for all," she murmured, as if trying out the idea.
He saw the surrender on her face and his heart kicked into high gear. This made so much sense.
Then she bit her bottom lip. **Let me.. .let me think about it."
God, could she never do anything the easy way? The wolf howled again and he clung to control by his fingernails. **Fine." He was on his way out of her apartment before he did something stupid like punch a hole in a wall...or beg. **Let me know when you've decided."
Chapter Seven
Jjy late afternoon the following day, though Logan's body was exhausted he continued working, hoping to tire out his brain as well. He'd made progress on stripping the paint from the wainscoting in the dining room. Now he was positioned at the far end of the first-floor hall, replacing water-damaged floorboards.
He measured the length he needed to cut, then measured again as a double check, scribbling the number on a scrap of wood. Normally he could keep something so simple in his head until he reached the well-lit location where he'd set up his chop saw, but he was too preoccupied today, thinking of Elena.
She'd gone ghost on him again. Even though he'd risen with the sun, she'd already left the Victorian by the time he'd made his bleary-eyed way out of his
own apartment Though he'd caught Gabby before she'd left fw: school, she hadn't been much help in Elena mood-analysis.
There had been a mischievous spark in her eyes, however, when she'd shared her sister's schedule for the day. Elena
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