by Reus, Katie
“That’s great. I know they’ll be happy to have you close.”
“Are you two gossiping about me?” Logan appeared out of nowhere, sliding in the booth next to her.
The butterflies were back after that. Not that they’d ever really left.
“Of course not. We can find more important things to talk about than you silly boys,” his mom answered, grinning as her husband collapsed next to her.
“Our boys are killing me,” his dad muttered, a grin on his face. His mom just patted his arm and told him to sit tight while she grabbed him some hot cocoa.
Grace found herself wishing more and more that this whole thing was real, that she and Logan would be spending tonight together in her bed. That she’d get a replay of a month ago that led to something lasting.
That they had a real future of more than just friendship.
Chapter 10
“Today was fun,” Logan said as he and Grace stepped into her kitchen. The familiar scent of her home, like warm vanilla, wrapped around him. He liked returning home with her, even with the threat hanging in the air. This whole situation was oddly domesticated, but he loved the thought of coming home to her every day. Or her coming home to him—of them sharing a place together.
She made a noncommittal sound as she disarmed the security system. She’d pulled her hair into a ponytail and her expression was carefully neutral.
Since they’d left the skating rink, she’d been unusually quiet. Under normal circumstances he didn’t mind quiet, and sometimes craved it. But this was different. She was almost withdrawn. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes.” She set her purse on the countertop and leaned against the white quartz. “And today was great. Sorry, I’m just caught up in my head, I guess. I know school is out, but I have a work day tomorrow—all the staff does—and I’m just wondering if I should even go in. I mean, it’s not like the police think that drive-by was targeted, but I’m just getting up in my own head and letting fear take over.”
He wanted to pull her into his arms but her body language screamed at him to stay exactly where he was. He might not like it, but he respected her personal space. “Is that the only thing bothering you?” Because she’d talked to his mom for a while and he wondered if his mother had said anything to upset her. Not intentionally of course, but still.
“Yeah.”
For some reason he didn’t believe her, but his phone buzzed in his pocket. When he saw it was Detective Hurley, he pulled it out. “It’s the detective.”
She straightened slightly as he answered and put it on speaker. “Logan here. And Grace is with me too. You’re on speaker.”
“Good, glad you’re together. Sorry to bother you on a Sunday, but I wanted to give you an update. We found the SUV used in the drive-by. It was reported stolen a week ago by an older woman, and there have been multiple reports of random drive-by attacks in neighborhoods nearby to yours. Mainly malicious destruction. Mailboxes knocked over with baseball bats. We think we know who’s behind it—some asshole teenagers, one of them related to the woman who reported her vehicle stolen. I just wanted to give you a heads-up on where we’re at.”
Under normal circumstances the man wouldn’t be calling Logan, but the detective knew Logan’s boss fairly well, so this was likely a courtesy call. “Thanks, detective. I’ve still got cameras up at my place so if anything out of the ordinary happens, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks. You guys know to be aware of your surroundings and careful, but this whole thing is shaping up to be different than we originally thought. You’ll probably see a news report about it tonight.”
They spoke for a few more moments, and when they disconnected the tension in Grace’s shoulders had eased somewhat.
“Well that’s good news,” he murmured, tucking his phone away.
She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. He hated the distance between them, desperately wanted to comfort her. “Some people are such jerks. They’re lucky no one got hurt.”
“I hope they catch them before someone actually does.” Logan thought of the potential loss of life, the complete pointlessness of something like this and how much worse it could have been. “At least it looks like we weren’t targeted.”
“Yeah. So…I guess you’re going to head home soon, huh?”
Yeah, unfortunately. He liked staying at her place way too much. But he wasn’t leaving until they’d actually talked about their future. Not just danced around it. “Look…I keep telling myself the timing is crap, but now that it seems we’re in the clear…I want to take you out on a date.” He was done playing it slow. They’d been flirting and dancing around the tension between them and he was just done.
She dropped her arms, her dark eyes widening.
He lifted an eyebrow. “Are you really that surprised?”
“Yes?”
“Is that a question, or…?”
Her lips curved up. “Sorry, yes, you did surprise me. I didn’t expect you to ask that.”
“Why not?” He was attracted to her, he was more into her than he’d ever been into anyone, and he knew she was attracted to him… Why wouldn’t he ask her out?
“I thought we’d decided to be friends,” she murmured, her gaze skittering around the kitchen.
“You decided that. Not me. I had time to think while I was away for work. And I don’t know what’s going on or if I pushed you too soon after what happened with your ex, but I want to lay it all out there. I want to take you out. I like being your friend, but I want more.”
“I don’t know if we would be a good fit.” She played with the hem of her sweater nervously, but at least she was looking at him now. He didn’t like the insecurity he saw on her face.
“We fit pretty good weeks ago.” He didn’t need to spell out just how good they had. To his delight, her cheeks turned pink. He loved making her blush, loved saying dirty things to get her riled up. Just loved everything about her.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
“I just meant… You’re not known for your dating skills.”
He frowned at her, taking a step closer. “Are you calling me a player? I’m not sure if that’s where you’re going.”
“Kind of. No, yes. Maybe.” She lifted a shoulder.
He stepped even closer so that they were both leaning against the same countertop. “It’s been a long damn time since I actually dated anyone. And yeah, I have a reputation, but I earned it ages ago. And for the record, I haven’t dated anyone since I met you.”
She frowned at him and he couldn’t get a read on her.
“One date. That’s all I’m asking for.” Okay, that was a big lie—he wanted a whole lot more. But he didn’t want to spook her. If she hadn’t been so skittish and run out on him after that amazing night together, he’d be laying it all out there for her. “That night we shared was amazing and I value your friendship. But I still want to explore this thing between us.” He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear before gently cupping her cheek. “It’s pretty clear there’s something special between us.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I’m just afraid of…”
“Afraid of what?”
She shook her head and it was clear she wasn’t going to answer him.
“Say yes to the date. Give us a chance, Grace.” God, please say yes.
“Yes. And it better be a good one,” she added, her tone all sass.
He loved it when she got like that. He’d much rather have his feisty Grace than the nervous, insecure one.
“Good. What time does your workday end tomorrow?” Now that she’d said yes, he wasn’t waiting to lock down a time and day. The sooner the better.
“It’s basically just us cleaning out our offices and classrooms tomorrow. So, two o’clock maybe.”
“Okay, I’ll be here at five.”
Her lips kicked up in amusement. “That’s kind of early, unless you’re a senior
citizen.”
“I didn’t say I was bringing you home early, just that I was picking you up early. I want a full evening with you.” He wanted as many waking hours as possible with this incredible woman.
There went that blush again, and God help him, he gave in to his impulse and leaned down, covering her mouth with his.
She leaned into him, curving her whole body up against his and holding on so damn tight and kissing him back so hard that a raw wave of hunger punched through him. She was all nerves and doubt a minute ago so this caught him off guard. But he was going with it.
Moving on instinct, he pinned her up against the countertop, rolling his hips against hers as their tongues teased against each other. He knew that if he pressed, he could have her naked again and take her right up on the countertop. And the floor. Then her bed.
But he didn’t want a quick fuck. He wanted so much more from her. Even though it killed him to be patient, it was clear she needed it.
Her fingers linked together behind his neck and she sighed, molding against him as if they’d been made for each other.
Though it took everything inside him, he pulled his head back and tried to slow the wild beat of his heart.
She stared up at him, dazed, her fingers clutching his shirt.
He cleared his throat. “I’m taking you on a date before this goes any further. Besides, I don’t see a ring on my finger,” he murmured, drawing a startled burst of laughter from her. God, he loved that sound.
“True enough.” Her mouth curved up into a sweet smile. “I can’t believe I said that to your mom.”
“It was hilarious. I think that’s why she likes you so much.” That and the fact that his mom knew how much Grace meant to him.
“Where are you taking me tomorrow?”
“It’ll be a surprise.” One he was pretty sure she’d enjoy.
“I think I can deal with that. Just don’t expect to get lucky.” Her grin was wide and a little mischievous.
“I would never expect. But I will be hopeful. Especially…” He leaned down and nibbled on her earlobe for just a moment. “Because I know exactly how you sound when you come.” And he wanted a repeat. Many, many repeats.
She shuddered against him but then slid sideways and ducked out from under his arm. “You definitely need to sleep in the guest room tonight.”
He groaned, his head falling back. She was right. “Are you sure? Seriously, if you don’t want to be alone tonight—”
Shaking her head, she grinned. “I’m sure.”
Damn. He knew it was for the best, but he wanted to be in her bed now.
Wanted forever there.
Chapter 11
“I hate to say this, but I think this is a seasonal place. I’m pretty sure they’re closed.” Grace squashed the twinge of disappointment as Logan pulled into the parking lot of one of those arcade/game places. She’d thought he would have put more thought into their first date and checked if it was open.
“Just trust me.”
“Okay.” She’d dressed in jeans and a pullover sweater since he’d told her to be comfortable and casual tonight.
He was dressed similarly in a hoodie and jeans that accentuated his perfect butt. She liked seeing the different sides of him. There was the sexy, buttoned-up Logan when he was in his suit for work, and then there was this fun-loving casual man. Though technically he was always fun-loving. And she loved that he brought out a relaxed side of her. More often than not she found herself laughing at something silly he’d said and all the tension from her day eased.
Before she’d even shut her door, Logan had rounded the truck and shut it for her, then took her hand in his.
“Is holding hands a first-date thing?” She shot him a sideways glance as they started across the empty parking lot. Little flutters danced in her belly at the simple act of holding hands, but she wanted to know what it meant to him.
“No. But we’ve been friends for a long time so I’m skipping a couple steps.” He pinned her with a heated stare she felt all the way to her core.
Oh, how she felt it. “Sounds good to me,” she rasped out. She was trying to be smart about this, trying not to get her heart completely broken, but it was so damn hard to put up walls between them. Because she couldn’t not be herself with him and he was always himself with her, which she absolutely loved. Still, she was letting herself get caught up in her head, wondering if she was making a mistake. Shoving those thoughts aside for now because she simply wanted to enjoy herself tonight, she let him lead her toward the double glass doors.
Before they’d reached them, a man who looked as if he was in his mid-twenties unlocked the door and stepped out wearing rainbow-colored sneakers, a Henley shirt and ripped jeans.
“Logan, my man,” he said, stepping forward and doing that fist bump/hug thing that guys seemed to do with such ease.
“Thanks for doing this,” Logan said as he stepped back and slung an arm around Grace’s shoulders. “Rick, this is Grace. Grace, Rick. He’s opening the place tonight for just us.”
“Oh, that’s really nice, thanks.”
“It’s great to meet you. And any friend of Logan’s is a friend of mine.” Rick stuck out his hand and shook hers firmly, an easy smile in place. “I would do anything for this guy. He saved my brother’s ass overseas and I will forever be grateful my big bro made it home.”
Logan shook his head and cleared his throat, quickly brushing off the other man’s praise. Grace was going to ask him more about that later but Rick waved them inside and kept talking.
“You guys are set for the night. Here are the unlimited game cards. They work for anything,” he said, handing two of them to Logan. “I’ve got some paperwork and catching up to do in my office, but the arcade is yours as well as the go-karts for the next few hours. And as long as you promise to be careful, you can use the rock-climbing wall. Just don’t hurt yourselves or I’m going to be in a shitload of trouble with insurance, since this is after-hours.”
“Deal. We’ll be careful. And thanks again.” Logan steered her toward the open arcade and the flashing neon lights of all the games as Rick locked the glass doors behind them. While it was brightly lit, the place wasn’t noisy like it would’ve been if it had been packed with a bunch of teenagers, with music blasting over the speakers.
“This is kind of awesome,” she murmured, looking up at him and grinning. “And…he’s serious about the go-karts?” It was pretty cold out, and normally these places closed the outdoor activities in the winter months.
“Yep. Right now only the arcade and indoor rock-climbing wall are open until about six every day. But as you heard, he’s doing me a favor. So what do you want to do first? Go-karts, rock-climbing, or arcade?”
“Pretty sure I’m going to kick your ass in Ms. Pac-Man. And then we’re playing hoops.” She looked around the huge open space, greedily taking in all the games. No lines, no waiting.
He let out a startled laugh. “I thought you said you weren’t competitive.”
“I’m not competitive in things I suck at. But with Ms. Pac-Man? Prepare to lose.”
He laughed again, the sound so free and wonderful, and she wanted to soak it in. “Challenge accepted.”
Half an hour later, after she’d destroyed him in Ms. Pac-Man, they’d ended up tied in basketball and now they were side by side in one of those shooting galleries where they were defending the world against rogue dinosaurs.
“You’re actually pretty good at this,” he muttered as he narrowly beat her for a second time.
“Actually? What’s that supposed to mean?” She shifted the fake rifle and pulled the trigger, killing a dinosaur on screen.
He was definitely faster and more accurate, taking out triple the number of raging dinosaurs that she did. “I didn’t think you’d ever held a weapon.”
“I haven’t. Not a real one anyway. But I do like to play laser tag because yes, I’m a giant nerd. And I spent a lot of weekends at a local arcade with my friends
when I was growing up.” Being here reminded her of all those good times. Her mom had been absent half the time, so whenever her mom ditched her for a new boyfriend, Grace had ended up spending a lot of time at a place called Tito’s Playland. Her name had been on the hall of fame for a couple of the games, though she was sure it had long since been cleared out by new winners. Heck, who knew if the place was even open anymore.
“I remember you told me how much you loved going to the arcade. I just didn’t know how good you’d be at this game.” Logan’s jaw tightened in focus as he took out another dinosaur. He was so damn sexy when he was in “operator” mode, as she now thought of it.
“Is that why you chose this place? Because of what I told you?”
He shrugged and pulled the trigger again.
That…was incredible. “All right, I think I’m out for this one,” she said as the game started to reset. It touched her that Logan had brought her here because of something she’d told him months ago. Maybe…they did have a chance of something real. She was just so afraid to hope for more. Getting left on her wedding day, being stuck in that little room in the chapel and being told by her friends that her fiancé wasn’t coming, having to face a whole chapel of people…it had seriously messed with her sense of worth.
“How does rock-climbing sound, then?” he asked as he started putting the guns back in the holsters.
“Amazing.” And it did. She didn’t want to think about the past now, didn’t want to think about her ex. This was such a fun and thoughtful date. And no matter what happened in the long run, she simply loved spending time with Logan.
He clearly knew his way around the rock-climbing area because he geared her up before putting on his own, making sure her harnesses were secure.
“So do you bring a lot of dates here?” she blurted before she could censor herself. Immediately she winced. She didn’t want to ruin tonight and couldn’t believe she’d asked that. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I asked you that. The question popped into my head. Can we just forget I asked?” They were friends, so she was way more open with him than she’d ever been with any of her previous boyfriends. Not that he was her boyfriend or anything, but still, this was supposed to be a date.
