Two Times as Hot

by Cat Johnson

  Emma reached for the champagne glass at her place at the head table and saw the tremor in her hand. One dance with Logan, a few moments in his arms, had her vibrating. She closed her fingers around the stem and glanced at Becca beside her to make sure she hadn’t seen it, too.

  Becca caught Emma looking in her direction and pinned her sister with her gaze. “Looked like you and Logan were having a nice time out there on the dance floor.”

  Luckily for Emma, Becca seemed too concerned with butting into Emma’s business to notice that one dance had left her trembling like a teenager on a first date. “Mmm, hmm. He’s a nice guy.”

  “Emma . . .”

  “What?” She chose to play dumb in the face of Becca’s prying.

  Becca huffed out a breath. “Come on, Em. Spill. What did you two talk about?”

  So much for Emma’s assumption that Becca would have too many other things to worry about after marrying Tuck and would stop butting into Emma’s business. Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. This and that.”

  Her sister leaned forward. “Details.”

  Emma drew in a bracing breath. “Well, first we talked about how my date ditched me for his ex-girlfriend. You know, the girl you invited to your wedding . . .”

  That should have shut Becca up, but it didn’t. “I already said I was sorry about that.”

  Emma switched gears and decided to shock Becca into silence. “Then we talked about having wild sex together. I’m not sure we want to wait until after the reception is over. Do you think the Jenkinses will mind if we use Tucker’s bedroom?”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny. Fine. Don’t tell me what you two talked about. I don’t care.” Becca screwed her lips up into a pout and ignoring Emma, stood and headed for her new in-laws’s table.

  Okay, maybe what Emma had told Becca wasn’t the truth, but she definitely wouldn’t be opposed to it happening. Emma glanced up just as Logan appeared next to her, looking strong and tall and amazing in his tuxedo. Yup, a night with Logan sure would be nice.

  He smiled. “Is this seat taken?”

  She gazed up at him, marveling at how he could look so good even from this odd angle. “Nope. It’s all yours.”

  If Jace ever did return, he could find his own damn seat elsewhere. Preferably out back by the garbage bins.

  Logan pulled out the chair next to Emma and sat. “Glad to see you got us good seats.”

  “I’m glad to see you got away from your stalker.” That definitely had come out sounding meaner than it should have. The bride’s sister probably shouldn’t call the groom’s sister a stalker. True or not.

  Why she was jealous over Tara, she didn’t know. It wasn’t as if Emma had any claim on Logan.

  “She’s sweet, but yeah, let’s hope she’s found someone else to occupy her tonight. So, did I miss anything important while I was at the bar?”

  He raised his beer bottle to his lips just as Emma said, “Well, I told Becca that you and I were sneaking off to have wild sex in Tucker’s bedroom.”

  As Logan coughed on the mouthful of beer he’d been swallowing, Emma decided her timing for that little joke had probably been a bit off.

  “You did?” Logan recovered enough to be able to talk.

  “Yeah. I kind of had to.” Emma shrugged. “She was being nosy and annoying me. Don’t worry. She didn’t believe me.”

  “Wow. I’m going to be useless for the rest of the night now. I’m not sure I’ll be able to think about anything else besides that image you put into my head.”

  Logan’s gaze met hers. Emma felt it like an almost physical pull. The thought of them being together had affected Logan. Emma couldn’t control a smile of pure female satisfaction. Knowing that he wanted her had her insides molten hot and her mouth dry.

  “Eh, there’s not too much left to do tonight anyway. You’ll be fine.” Trying to make light of what suddenly felt very serious, Emma patted the back of his hand where it rested on his knee. He turned his hand over and captured her fingers in his and she found it hard to breathe.

  “Hey, darlin’.” Jace’s appearance in the tent had Logan pulling his hand away. Emma missed the contact immediately. It made her even angrier with Jace as he continued, “Sorry I disappeared. Something came up.”

  She’d bet something had come up. Something or rather someone. Thoughts of Jacqueline and how Jace had once again ditched Emma for her had her seething. Now, Jace thought he could waltz back in here, late and apologetic, and ruin a perfect moment between her and Logan?

  She wrestled her anger into check. “Oh, Jace. Hi. Were you gone? I hadn’t noticed.”

  In her peripheral vision, she caught Logan’s smirk.

  “So I guess this is where I’m supposed to sit.” Jace glanced at the seating options.

  The empty place next to Emma had clearly been taken. Becca had drunk some water and left a lipstick ring on the glass, and had put her bridal bouquet on the table in front of her chair. Jace’s gaze moved to Logan, seated next to Emma. Jace wouldn’t have the nerve to ask Logan to move. Even if he did, the stubborn set of Logan’s jaw told Emma he had no intention of getting up.

  “Leave the chair next to Becca’s for Tucker, but there are a few empty spots down there.” Emma pointed toward the far end of the table past Logan.

  “A’right.” Jace eyed Logan’s seat again, looking a little wistful as he slunk off to the empty seat on the other side of Logan.

  Jace had just pulled out the chair when Tara slid into it. “Thank you, Jace.”

  Logan appeared as unhappy to have Tara planted next to him for the duration of the reception as Jace did to be relegated to the very end seat on the far side of Tara. The last thing Emma wanted was Tara sitting next to Logan. Everyone was miserable with the seating arrangements, except for Tara. She positively beamed and leaned closer to Logan.

  Emma caught Logan’s gaze and smiled, hoping it told him everything she was thinking. That it didn’t matter if Tara was wedged in next to him. Or that Jace was back after apparently having finished with Jacqueline for the moment. None of it mattered, because Emma and Logan had shared one magical dance together, hopefully the first of more to come. And they were together here at the table now. Emma could endure Jace and Tara, as long as Logan looked at her again the way he had before.

  Logan treated Emma to a wink and her stomach did a little flip. The interaction, unseen by the two unwelcome guests behind him, was a private flirtation. Just between Emma and Logan. That made it all the more special.

  When was the band, which was still rocking away on some quick country tune, going to switch up the music again? Emma could definitely stand another slow dance with Logan. With any luck, he felt the same.

  Chapter Eight

  “So then the police came and tried to break up the party. But the neighboring house belonged to another fraternity so while the cops were at the front door, the guys snuck the keg out the back door and brought it over to the other house. Isn’t that classic?”

  Logan’s eyes glazed over from Tara’s frat house party story. He nodded while thinking this girl didn’t know the meaning of classic. She was so young it hurt his head to try to think that far back in his own past. The caterers hadn’t even opened the buffet yet and Logan was already ready to run and hide.

  The first strains of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” filled the tent. Logan smiled when he heard it. Now that was a classic. He remembered his mother singing it in the kitchen when he was younger. Years before Tara had been born.

  Logan stood and turned toward Emma. “Dance?”

  Her bored expression was transformed as she treated him to a bright smile. “I’d love to.”

  She took the hand he’d extended to her and followed him out to the dance floor. Pulling her into his arms again was the highlight of his night. It made all the rest wash away.

  “I’m glad you like dancing to this kind of music.” He gazed down into the blue pools of her eyes.

  One blond brow cocked up. “I’m glad you got
away for long enough you could ask me to dance.”

  “So am I. You know, she means well. She’s just so—”

  “Young?”

  “Yup. She is.” Logan couldn’t have come up with a better word.

  “Most men like a nice firm young thing.” Emma was baiting him, but if she was concerned that Logan was one of those men, she didn’t have to worry.

  “Most men are stupid. I like a woman who’s lived life and knows what she wants.”

  “Interesting.” Emma nodded.

  “Why interesting?” He steered them around their little corner of the dance floor at a leisurely pace.

  She shrugged. “I was just thinking that I’ve lived life and I definitely know what I want.”

  “And what do you want, Emma?”

  “I’m not sure you can handle that answer.” Both her eyes and her voice dropped, making the statement even more intriguing.

  He lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger so she had to look at him. “Try me.”

  She hesitated. “All right. I’ll tell you, but keep in mind, the only way I could get through those college stories was by guzzling a giant vodka and cranberry.”

  Logan nodded. “Duly noted.”

  “After all of this is over and Tuck and Becca leave for their wedding night at the hotel, I don’t want to be the sister of the bride or the maid of honor or anything else with responsibilities attached to it. I want to forget about everything and just have fun. Be. Feel. Live in the moment. And God, it’s been so long since I’ve had sex.” She stopped and looked up at his face. “Did I scare you yet?”

  Scared, no. Speechless, yes, but only because all the blood in his body had rushed to his penis. Logan shook his head. “Nope, I’m definitely not scared. You, uh, have any candidates in mind for this night of reckless abandon?”

  Emma brought her gaze up to meet his. “Do you have any plans?”

  “No, I made no plans.” Logan’s heart pounded so hard, he could feel it vibrating his chest.

  The way she looked at him, he couldn’t think of anything except having breakfast with this incredible woman after a night spent working up a damn good appetite.

  Emma glanced over her shoulder at her sister, then back to Logan, heat in her eyes. “Do you think we can sneak out of here early without anyone noticing?”

  “I like how you think, Miss Hart.” Sneaking out early to have sex. Logan felt like a schoolboy. He smiled. She returned his smile as he pictured kissing those tempting lips. The ones that kept saying shocking and tantalizing things. “And I’d like to say yes, but I’m afraid as much as we want to leave, we can’t quite yet.”

  “Okay, so we’ll stay and eat dinner. Then afterward, unfortunately, there are still official wedding things. Becca scheduled the best man’s toast for right before the cake cutting. Then there is the bouquet toss.” Emma bit her bottom lip as she plotted out the night. “I can’t skip out on any of that. Becca would notice, and more importantly, she’d never let me hear the end of it. But afterward . . .”

  Emma was a woman on a mission, and Logan was more than fine with that since the mission seemed to be getting alone—and naked—with him.

  “Afterward,” he continued her train of thought. “It’s a date.”

  Logan couldn’t ditch his groomsman responsibilities this early in the night any more than she could her maid of honor duties. Especially not since Jace had disappeared for the first dance. Logan had to be the better man. He wasn’t about to sneak out on Tuck.

  “All right. The second this reception is over, as soon as Tucker and Becca get in that giant truck of his and head for the honeymoon suite at the hotel I booked for them as a gift, you and I have got a date. Somewhere far away from all these people, where no one will bother us for the rest of the night.” Emma’s gaze followed her hand as she ran it over his tuxedo-covered chest, letting him know she wished they could leave now as much as he did.

  The image of her doing that to him later, after he’d ditched the rented tux, when they were skin to skin, hit him hard. He pushed it aside and forced himself to concentrate on the conversation as she raised her heavy-lidded eyes back to focus on his face. Emma turned the full force of her crystal gaze back to him.

  That, combined with the knowledge that he’d be alone with her later, was enough to make a strong man weak. God, how he loved a woman who didn’t play games. But damn, it was going to be a long night until he had her all to himself. “So what do you suggest we do until then?”

  “I guess we’ll try to keep you away from your young and very touchy groupie over there so she stops pawing you.” Emma cocked a brow and glanced at Tara, who was now watching them dance. “And I’ll have to keep avoiding my date so I don’t tell him what I think about him and his disappearing acts.”

  “You mean former date.” Logan hated the way she referred to Jace. In light of their discussion and plans for later, that title should be reserved for him. But Logan was the one dancing with her now, and he would be the one holding her later, so he supposed he could get over the terminology.

  Emma grinned. “Is somebody jealous?”

  The toe of one of Logan’s boots caught on a crack in the tent’s rented dance floor. He recovered and began to rock again to the music as his own heated gaze met hers. Actions spoke louder than words, but he gave it a try and answered, “No. And do you want to know why?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Because any man who would walk away from you isn’t worth your time or even a second thought.”

  “It’s hard to believe that when it keeps happening.” Emma latched on to her bottom lip with her teeth.

  His eyes tracked the move. It made her look sexy as sin, but vulnerable at the same time. This was a side of Emma he hadn’t witnessed before. A display of the insecurity she hid beneath a cocky, confident exterior.

  “I have no problem proving it to you.” Logan could reassure Emma in any number of ways. Many times.

  “Hmm, are you sure? It could take all night.” She raised a brow.

  “Not a problem. I happen to have all night. All morning tomorrow, too.”

  “Good.” The vixen was back as she eyed him from beneath her lids, her hands moving over his chest again.

  He had a full-blown hard-on just as the song ended. Emma stepped closer, reducing what little distance remained between them to almost nothing. She wrapped her arms around his neck for a tight hug. Logan held his breath and froze, perfectly still. Pressed against him the way Emma was, there’d be no way she’d miss his arousal.

  She stood on tiptoe, and groaned against his ear. “I’ll look forward to that later. Thanks for the dance. See you back at the table.”

  The heat of her breath against his skin sent a shiver down his spine. She pulled back and, with a sly smile, turned and headed toward her seat.

  “Damn.” Logan watched her leave before he turned toward the bar. It was going to be a long, tense couple of hours waiting for the festivities to wrap up if his penis didn’t get the memo that it had to wait until after the reception to be alone with Emma. But what awaited Logan on the other side of that agonizing delay—yeah, that would be well worth it.

  He was about to order another beer when he turned just in time to see Emma walking outside toward the vicinity of the rose garden. A closer look told him why she hadn’t gone back to the head table. Jace and Jacqueline stood just behind the chairs at the dais, apparently in a heated discussion.

  Idiot.

  Logan shook his head at Jace and abandoned the bar to follow Emma outside. He found her talking to Mark Ross, who was the head of the OSU English department, and his date, Carla, who was Tuck’s assistant coach for the rodeo team.

  Mark was a close friend, which was good. Hopefully he’d understand when Logan whisked Emma away from their conversation. He couldn’t help himself. Mrs. Jenkins’ garden was right there. Oh so tempting with lots of private places for him to sneak away and get lost with Emma for a few moments.

 
“Mark. Carla. Nice to see you both.” Logan shook Mark’s hand, delivered a quick peck to Carla’s cheek, but didn’t wait for any niceties in return. He launched right into his main goal. “Do you mind if I steal Emma for a second? Official bridal party business.” He’d imbued his voice with a tinge of regret, which he didn’t feel at all. Not one bit. Privacy and Emma were just around the corner, literally. Logan had his eye on the evergreens that separated the Jenkins’ property from his parents’.

  “No problem at all, Logan. Of course we don’t mind.” Mark pushed his eyeglasses up his nose. He glanced toward Emma. “We’ll get to talk more later, I’m sure.”

  “Great. Thanks for understanding.” Logan answered for Emma as he took her elbow and steered her away.

  He didn’t spare a glance for the beauty of the flowers in full bloom as he aimed past the rose beds and toward the row of hedges that separated his parents’ property from the Jenkinses’.

  “What bridal party business? Is everything okay? Does Becca need something?” Emma barely kept up with his pace as she asked her questions and tiptoed in her high heels through the grass.

  With a quick backward glance, Logan made sure no one was watching, and then pulled Emma through the break in the hedges between the two yards. The same place he and his brother had used as a shortcut to get to Tuck’s backyard for years. Once hidden from sight behind the hedge, Logan stopped and turned toward Emma.

  “This is the important business.” Logan stepped close and leaned low. Cupping her face with his hand, he pressed his lips to hers. The reality was better than the many times he’d fantasized about this moment.

  It was meant to be a short kiss to remind Emma that it didn’t matter if her former date’s attention was focused on Jacqueline rather than her. Emma had Logan. He was all hers for the night, if she wanted him to be.

  She drew in a sharp breath and reached her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

  Oh, yeah. It didn’t take a mind reader to know she wanted him as much as he wanted her. The moan from deep in her throat broke through any reserve he’d managed to hold on to until now. He angled his head and slipped his tongue between her lips. She met his with her own. What had started out gentle began to turn wild. Logan felt like a teenage boy on a first date. Giddy. Needy. Crazed.