With a heavy heart, Avery makes her way to her bedroom and readies herself for the afternoon. Her joyful mood from this morning has been subdued by this angst-filled emotion she has become far too familiar with.
Maybe Nikki is right, she thinks, pawing listlessly through her closet. Maybe she should be happy and just live her life. Figuring out how will be the challenge.
LOGAN PULLS INTO THE driveway that leads to his home, excitement coursing through him, and finds Austin patiently sitting in his truck, awaiting his arrival.
“Hey man, what’s up?” Logan asks as they both exit their vehicles and make their way to the front door.
“Heard we’re all going to the fair today.”
Damn. Guess there won’t be any alone time with Avery.
“Yep, it’s what Avery wants to do today.”
“Avery?” he questions, tossing his keys onto the counter.
“Yep. She beat me in a card game last night so I’m her bitch-of-sorts for a day.”
An explosion of laughter escapes from Austin’s mouth and Logan can’t help but chuckle along.
“Well, if I was to be a bitch to anyone, she would definitely be it. Smoking, man. She is smoking hot.”
“Yea, Yea.”
Turning to head down the hall towards his bedroom, Logan leaves Austin to rummage around in his kitchen for something to grub on.
“You hit that last night?”
Of course Austin would ask. Austin’s never met a girl he didn’t bed that same night. Avery is currently the exception.
“Uh, no. We’re just friends, man.”
“Huh,” he replies, except it isn’t so much a huh of “I can’t hear you,” but more like he had never heard of this concept before.
“Yea, you should try it sometime.”
Moving towards his bathroom, Logan turns on the water and steps beneath the hot spray. His thoughts immediately move to the woman in question and he can’t help but remember the way her body felt pressed against his on the couch. Or the way her kiss started as hesitant, but quickly morphed to match his movements. Her kiss was so sweet, yet aggressive. Just thinking about the night is enough to get his dick standing at attention. Boy, did he want Avery. She unleashed something inside him that he thought had long ago been buried beneath the piles of rubble that made his heart. And Logan didn’t just want her for her body, though perfection was on the tip of his tongue in describing her anatomy, and he had only seen her fully clothed. No, he wanted her for more. Logan hadn’t ever been able to hold a conversation with someone, without any effort, the way he had with her. They just clicked - it was effortless.
She is an enigma to say the least. Logan couldn’t figure out what it was that made her tick. Why she was so withdrawn from life. He could tell that she worked extremely hard to stay in the shadows; to keep from forming connections. It was the way she talked, the way she moved, the way she masked her emotions. She is reserved, and he is determined to breathe life into her.
And if that brings her to his bed, then Logan wouldn’t complain. Man, did he want to fuck her. Pound her hard into the mattress. Smack her ass from behind as he shoves his cock into her pussy.
UGH!
His dick starts throbbing and the hot water spurting from the shower head feels like pin-pricks across the shaft. Closing his eyes, Logan pictures Avery’s face and body as she writhes in ecstasy, an orgasm sneaking up on as his tongue works frantically between her legs. His hand rubs his dick back and forth, mesmerized in his vision, until he ferociously erupts against the shower wall.
Disappointed in himself, Logan knows he needs to get himself together. She only wants a friendship and he wants to keep her in his life so that’s what they’ll be.
But if she ever comes around, he’ll be waiting.
Arriving at the fair before the girls, Austin and Logan head to a food vendor to grab a drink while they wait.
Women eyeball them, sending them come hither looks as they stroll past, some even with men by their side. Austin and Logan can’t do much more than shake their heads and smirk to themselves. This happens pretty much wherever they go, especially if they’re together. Logan can understand the reaction. They’re both good-looking – over six feet tall, muscular with broad shoulders, and they have the tall and handsome thing woman go for.
Austin sends a wink to a couple of the women; playboy that he is, he eats up the attention, while Logan prefers to ignore the advances.
Finally, Logan sees Nikki approaching with Avery trailing behind her, tugging at a short denim skirt wrapped around her thighs. He feels himself choking on his tongue. Literally, he can’t swallow and he has to cough a couple of times just to catch his breath.
Avery is a walking vision of sex. Glancing down, he notices she has on a pair of worn cowboy boots, showcasing her toned legs, the short denim skirt of every man’s dreams that just barely covers her to mid-thigh. A dark blue flannel shirt with the tails tied loosely at her waist hints at just a bit of skin above her skirt; the blue flannel enhancing the exotic color of her eyes.
As she walks up to him, Logan reaches forward and runs his hand through the silky waves of her hair, which hangs loosely around her shoulders.
“Do I look ok? Nikki made me change six times,” she huffs quietly as she peers coquettishly into his eyes.
“You’re beautiful, Avery,” Logan replies, mesmerized by her. “You could wear a potato sack and still be beautiful.”
Redness arises like waves across her skin and she bites her lip as she considers Logan’s response.
“Thank you. I haven’t dressed like this…well…ever. Nikki is so much shorter than me that I think my bottom is hanging out of this skirt.”
Taking his chances, Logan twists to take a peek at her behind and, though remarkably perfect, it is completely hidden by the light denim.
Trying to loosen up her mood he assures, “You’re good. Nothing is hanging out, but I can keep my hands there if you want, just in case.” He holds up his hands in question.
She giggles momentarily and the sound is the most exquisite noise he’s ever heard. Like the melodic song of an angel. She must have noticed his entrapment by her laugh because she quickly hardens her expression and sinks back into herself.
“Hm…,” she says, glancing in the direction of Austin and Nikki, “do you think they’ll come up for air anytime soon?”
Turning his head into their direction, Logan has to bite back a laugh. If he doesn’t break them apart from their interlude, they may very well need a bedroom.
“Hey guys, want to get some lunch first or ride a few rides?”
“Lunch,” Austin replies as he pulls back from Nikki, but continues to eat her up with his eyes. “I’m hungry,” he follows up with a growl.
Hoping that they’ll follow - instead of making every effort to get themselves kicked out of the fair - Logan takes Avery’s hand, tightening his hold, knowing that at any second she’ll try to pull away, and makes his way over to the food booth.
Everyone orders a turkey leg, Logan and Austin both laughing when they see the looks of surprise on Avery and Nikki’s faces as they realize that the turkey legs are as big as their heads.
Logan may have snapped a picture or two with his phone at their flabbergasted expressions.
After finishing their lunch, during which Austin and Logan took the liberty of finishing the rest of the girls’, they direct themselves to the games in hopes of letting the food settle before moving onto the rides.
Avery manages to kick their asses. He doesn’t know how anyone can be so skilled at every game she touches, but when he ask her about it she simply shrugs her shoulders and hands him a giant teddy bear that she’s won.
Holding onto the ridiculously large teddy bear, which in turn keeps him from holding Avery’s hand, Logan follows alongside her as they head towards the rides. He notices out of the corner of his eye that Avery continues to glance back toward the picnic tables, eyeing the little girl they passed when they walk
ed in.
They proceed to get in line for the Ferris wheel, but Logan can tell that Avery is distracted. She keeps biting her lip and wringing her hands; her eyes darting around the queue line. Suddenly she jerks, and before he has a chance to react, she yanks the bear from his grasp, jumps over the queue chains and makes a mad dash away from the ride.
“Avery! Wait up! Where are you going!?!” Logan shouts as he tries to escape the throngs of people in the line; his large frame not nearly as agile as Avery.
Continuing to run after her, people politely move out of his way as Logan mutters a few expletives.
He finally finds Avery crouched in front of the table where the little girl continues to sit, her parents now flanking her sides. Logan stays back and watches their interaction. The little girl beams up at Avery, hanging onto her every word. She must be telling her a story. And then Avery gives the girl her bear, which is at least twice the child’s size, and she illuminates.
Avery turns around and walks away, stealing a single glance behind her and sending another wave before heading out of the picnic area.
Astounded, Logan is so moved by her sweet gesture that he can’t stop himself from grabbing her arm as she walks by and dragging her behind the gaming booths. She doesn’t even have the chance to question his intentions before he has her pressed up against the wooden planks, his hands cupping her face, kissing her mercilessly.
Something in him snapped and he could no longer control his need for her.
Her hands gently rest on his waist, searing the skin beneath his shirt. Logan removes one of his hands from her face and reaches down to stroke the skin on the outside of her thigh, just below her skirt. A low moan breezes past her lips and he takes that as a cue that she wants more; he should have known better. As he skates his fingertips across to her inner thigh, inching up her skirt as he goes, her hands quickly move to his chest and forcibly push him back. He has to actually catch himself from stumbling.
“Please, stop,” she urges. “I can’t,” she sighs, her breaths coming in fast little gasps, “I can’t do this. I’m sorry.”
The look of utter despair in her eyes is enough to bring any man down to his knees and Logan is no exception.
Hands up in an act of surrender, Logan closes the distance between the two of them.
“I’m sorry, Avery. Something came over me and I lost control. It won’t happen again, I swear,” he pleads as a vice grip tightens around the pieces of his heart.
He knew that he had overstepped the boundary she placed, but he feels so drawn to her, like a magnetic pull that has him questioning everything he ever thought of women.
She continues to look down at her feet, twisting her leg back and forth on the tip of her boot. Using his index finger, Logan tilts her head up by her chin and bites back a curse when he sees the tears swimming in her eyes. He quickly pulls her into a hug, wrapping her tightly in his grasp, as he whispers how sorry he is over and over again.
When he feels like she has calmed down, Logan pulls her back from where she rested against him and smiles.
“Why don’t we go have some fun, ok? We still need to get a few rides under our belts.”
She replies softly, lacking any assurance of excitement, “Ok.”
He refrains from grasping her hand when they return to the line for the Ferris wheel, instead opting to tuck his hands deep inside the front pockets of his jeans.
They patiently wait in line, neither of them broaching conversation. He can’t help but think about how he screwed up. His dick took over his thinking skills and messed up any hope he had of being with Avery. Right now she can barely look at him, finding the tip of her boot more interesting than her companion.
Their turn to load the car comes and he move to step up the ramp, but he notices Avery doesn’t budge.
“Hey,” Logan says, nudging her shoulder, “you ready to ride?”
She nods her head and apologizes before stepping in the car.
The ride jolts as it starts and causes the cars to rock back and forth; the commotion causing Avery to grasp his forearm.
“Sorry,” she expresses as she pulls her hand back, looking at the palm of her hand tentatively as she does so.
And Logan knows she felt it - that spark; that fire; that electricity that surges between their touch.
She looks at him, her blue eyes wide in question, and he can do no more than shrug in explanation. There is no justification to the feeling. It’s not something he has ever read in medical textbooks. It’s something only ever mentioned in movies and novels; Logan never thought the sensation was real.
“You ok, Avery?”
“Yea,” she mutters as she turns her gaze away from him. “Oh wow, would you look at that? It’s beautiful.”
Turning his attention to where she has her gaze pinned, Logan had to admit the view is remarkable. The sun shines brightly on the mountainous tree tops and between the valleys sits the county’s lake. It really is a picturesque town and he’s glad that he gets to share this moment with Avery.
“Gorgeous.”
Taking a chance, Logan snakes his fingers through hers as they rest on her lap and, to his surprise, she leans to the side and rests her head on his shoulder. They sit like this as the car continues to rise to the top and then descends to the bottom five more times.
As they exit the Ferris wheel, they find Nikki and Austin waiting for them.
“Let’s get some grub and then we can head over to the dance,” Austin directs as Nikki snuggles into his side, Austin casting an affectionate look in her direction.
Logan notices this quick exchange, but opts not to mention it. He wouldn’t have thought of them pursuing something serious together, but seeing them like this changes his mind.
“Dance?” Avery asks as she cocks an eyebrow in his direction.
And Logan’s dick throbs as her come hither stare.
Adjusting himself subtly, he simply nods his head yes and lets her know that she’ll have fun. Not that he plans on dancing; line dancing isn’t really his forte.
Nikki steps away from Austin and takes Avery by the arm, escorting her to the giant corndogs. Austin and Logan stay planted to the ground as they watch the girl’s hips swaying as they walk away. Apparently they’ve garnered the attention of a few onlookers as well, because a handful of wolf-whistles and cat-calls echo above the crowd. The girls don’t even notice, too busy talking amongst themselves.
“I want her,” Austin mutters to himself.
“I know the feeling,” Logan murmurs in reply.
Boy, do I know the feeling.
The men trail behind the girls like lost souls, entranced by their siren song.
Nikki tugs Avery onto the dance floor the moment they cross the barrier and they immediately fall into step for a song Austin says is called the Electric Slide. Logan doesn’t feel the need to question how or why he knows this.
Once the song switches, the girls are swooped up by some of the older men and shown how to “two-step,” Austin once again informs Logan.
“How do you know so much about country dancing?”
“Uh, because I was born and raised here?” he replies, as if Logan had asked a ridiculous question.
Noticing how the man who is dancing with Nikki trails his hand a little low for Austin’s liking, he stalks onto the dance floor and effortlessly pulls her into step with him. Avery stifles a giggle at Austin’s caveman antics and sends a look of challenge in Logan’s direction.
Good luck little lady. That ain’t going to happen.
Swaying back and forth with a chick’s ass pressed up against him is more Logan’s style. But suddenly a slow song begins to blare from the speakers and Logan finds himself inching towards Avery.
“May I cut in?” he asks, gesturing with a full bow and hand extension.
He hears her laugh and sees her look up as she steps away from “Carl” and takes Logan’s hand.
Continuing to laugh she divulges, “About time you joined
me.”
“Mmhmm, maybe you like them older,” he says jokingly as he pulls her closer to him, not an inch between them.
“Maybe,” she grins saucily. “Guess we’ll never know.”
Smiling back at her, Logan does his best to pull her even closer. She wraps one arm tighter around his neck, the other resting on his chest holding his hand, and leans her head on his shoulder. Logan inhales her sweet scent – spring and vanilla.
They continue to sway, even as the song changes to another fast-tempo beat. Lost in their own little world, they both jump apart when Austin and Nikki rock into them. A dark flush covers Avery’s petite face and Logan has to work to hold back his laughter.
They all exit the dance hall and head back towards their vehicles, where it takes an immense amount of Logan’s willpower to not walk Avery back to Nikki’s car and kiss her goodbye. Instead, he opts for holding her hand and offering a quick, but tight, hug as they all move in different directions. He could have held her in his arms all night.
And that thought alone, as much as it should, doesn’t terrify him.
TAKING A DEEP BREATH as she slides into Nikki’s car, Avery can’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. Her response to Logan isn’t something she has ever felt before. He ignites something in her - literally kick-starting her heart. The pounding in her chest only intensifies when he brushes up against her or holds her close. She can’t even describe the feeling of his lips against hers, it’s – otherworldly.
Avery can feel Nikki’s smug look burning into her from the driver’s seat. She doesn’t think she has seen a face so haughty since she watched How the Grinch stole Christmas when she was ten.
“What?” Avery inquires innocently.
Nikki arches one of her perfect eyebrows at her, as if Avery should know why she is staring at her in that manner.
“Seriously, why are you looking at me like that?”
In a perfect sing-songy voice she replies, “You like Logan. You like Logan.”
What? Are we in second grade?
“Stop, Nikki.”
Coming Alive: Welcome to Carson, Book One Page 9
