Suddenly looking like there’s poop on my pants is the least of my worries. Instead of freaking out, I freeze. Logan reaches forward, pulling a spider out of my hair by one leg. He holds it up so I can see and then tosses it aside.
I shudder. “I need to shower for like a week now. In hot water. And bleach.”
“Get used to the bugs, princess. You never know when you’re going to have to go on the lam once you start your crime ring.”
“Princess?” I put my hand on my hip and glare at Logan. His brown eyes are shining, and that smile on his face is doing bad things to me right now. Bending down, I scoop up a handful of mud and raise my arm back.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I would. I mean, I will.” I throw the mud at Logan, who easily dodges out of the way. He slips, but recovers, and jumps across a tangle of greenery. Both of my hands are muddy from falling. I can still get him.
I take off after him, laughing as I reach out with muddy fingers. Logan dodges between bamboo shoots, moving through the thick forest with ease. Damn him and his natural athletic ability. My hair catches on a piece of bamboo, and I slow, turning to see how bad it’s tangled before pulling it free. When I start forward again, I don’t see Logan.
Coming to a dead stop, I look around and realize I have no idea which direction the path is in. We could have only come in a few yards away from the trail, but the forest is so thick it’s hard to see through.
Holding my breath, I slowly turn around, listening for any sounds of life. And then something comes crashing through the trees behind me. Logan jumps out at me, and I let out a little shriek as I lunge forward, ready to smear mud on his face. He catches my wrist, blocking my attempt to run my fingers down his cheek.
“Nice try!”
“I know, right?” I bring my other hand up and pat his cheek.
“Dammit,” he laughs.
“Now we’re even.”
“Even? You’re the klutz who fell in the mud.” He lets go or my wrist and brings his hand up, pushing a loose strand of hair back out of my face. I drop my hand from his face and rest it on his shoulder. Logan steps in a little closer and the heat coming off of him is a hundred times more intense than the heat of this whole damn island.
He takes in a breath. It’s a simple gesture—a necessary one—yet with my hand on his shoulder, I feel every muscle moving under my fingers. I swallow hard, not sure if I’m going to be able to resist him for much longer.
I want him to kiss me as much as I don’t.
The breeze picks up, rattling through the bamboo around us. Logan rests his other hand on my waist. Looking into his eyes, I slowly run my hand down, splaying my fingers over his peck.
Damn him and his muscles.
And the way the faint scent of his cologne is mixing with the fresh scent of the forest.
“Are we lost?” I ask, voice coming out a faint whisper.
Logan widens his stance and presses his fingers into my skin. “Depends.”
“On what?”
“On what you consider lost.”
My lips curve into a smile. “Not knowing where we are.”
“Then yes, we’re lost.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Nah, I think we’re—oh, shit another spider!”
I jump forward, crashing into him. “That’s not funny!” He’s laughing, and brings his arms in, folding them around me. Warmth rushes through me, tingling my core and making me never want to move away from him.
“You do know spiders crawl all over you at night, right?”
I tip my head up. “I refuse to believe that.” My arms are smashed between my chest and Logan’s, and my muscles are twitching as I resist wrapping them around his torso. It’s been a while since I’ve snuggled or cuddled with anyone, and being close to Logan feels amazing right now.
But it’s more than that, and I know it.
“You eat them in your sleep too.”
“I have never in my life eaten a spider.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
“I will. And I will believe it until the day I die.”
Logan chuckles, and the laughter rumbles his chest, which I’m still very much up against. My heart threatens to take over, but that traitor has led me down the path of disappointment and pain way too many times before.
That’s why I left.
And why I left is why I met Logan.
Maybe things do happen for a reason.
But I swore I’d listen to my head instead of my heart, though right now…right now my head can’t come up with a single reason not to give in. Not to tip my head up and lock eyes with Logan. To finally feel what those full lips would feel like against mine.
My heart hammers away in my chest, so fast I’m sure Logan can feel it. I can feel his gaze on me, and I know if I look up this will be it.
The moment our friendship changes forever.
Chapter 16
Danielle
It terrifies me as much as it excites me, and my entire body yearns to feel his right up against mine. I blink, swallow hard, and look up. Logan’s eyes meet mine, and the way he’s looking at me makes me want to melt into a puddle on the forest floor. If he wasn’t holding onto me, there’s a good chance my knees would have given out.
All my life, I’ve wanted someone to look at me the way Logan is looking at me right now. Like he can’t wait to strip me down and run his hands all over my body. Like he’s going to take all night pleasing me. Like I’m the only woman he ever wants to look at ever again.
Looking at me like I matter.
The wind blows through again, followed by fat raindrops. Logan hugs me tighter, shielding me from the rain with his own body.
“What the hell? It was sunny when we left.” This time I do slip my arms around him.
“We’re on the other side of the island now.”
“Crazy how just an hour or so drive can make that much of a difference.”
The wind gusts again, but no more rain falls down. Logan loosens his grip. “Gotta love those little cloud bursts.” He lets his arms fall to the side.
“Hey, I’ll take it.” I step back and smooth out my shirt, trying and failing to suck in air. What the hell just happened? And I don’t mean with the weather. Logan and I were so close—literally—and everything felt so right.
But just like the rain, the moment came and passed.
“For real,” I start, hardly able to look at Logan without blood rushing through me. “Are we lost?”
“I’m sure we can find the path again.”
“So we’re lost.”
“I’ll admit we’re lost when you admit you eat spiders in your sleep.”
“Fine. We’re not lost. We’re just…not where we thought we’d be.”
“That’s an interesting way to look at things.”
“It is,” I agree as the words actually hit me. I’ve felt lost for so long because I wasn’t where I thought I’d be in life. I’m edging thirty, with a business degree from Yale, a few years of grad school under my belt, and yet I’m waiting tables and tending the bar in a small town and living with my grandpa.
But I like Eastwood, and I like working at Getaway. I enjoy eating dinner with Grandpa. It makes my heart full knowing he’s happy to have family back in the house. I’m so grateful I met Logan and Owen and the rest of their crazy family. I reconnected with Rebecca and her children.
It seems crazy to say I’m happy and didn’t realize it, but that’s exactly what I am. I’ve been so consumed with “getting back on track” and making my next big move, I lost sight of what was going on around me.
And I thought I didn’t have tunnel vision.
Logan leads the way, breaking any spiderwebs that I might walk through, and we hike through the forest in silence for a few minutes. It’s anything but awkward, though. I haven’t felt this kind of mental peace in years.
“Do you hear that?” Logan asks, turning around. We both come to a stop.
“Voices.”
Logan holds out his hand for me to take. I don’t hesitate. I reach forward and slip my fingers through his. We trek a few yards through the thick bamboo trees and emerge onto the path, startling the tourists walking ahead of us.
We’re back on the main path, and I don’t let go of Logan’s hand.
* * *
I stand at the edge of a rocky stream, staring up at a waterfall. Logan is at my side, and we finally caved and took a few selfies. I even uploaded one to my Instagram stories. The group of hikers who were ahead of us have already crossed the stream, and for the time being, Logan and I are alone in front of the first waterfall.
“It’s so beautiful.”
“Yeah,” Logan agrees. “It is. And it’s louder than I expected.”
Smiling, I look away from the fall to look at his handsome face. “It is quite intense. Ready to cross now?”
He holds out his hand for me to take again. “Hell yeah.”
We carefully make our way over the slippery rocks, and I somehow manage to not fall in. Though I’m already covered in mud. What’s a little water going to hurt?
We continue along the path until we reach the second falls. This time, we’re not alone, and the group that was ahead of us is perching on rocks and wading into the cool water for pictures. I snap a few pictures, and make Logan pose for just one selfie with me. He puts his arm around me, and we both smile at the camera.
You wouldn’t know we weren’t a real couple by the looks of it. And by the feel of it…I don’t want to think about it and complicate things.
“We have to climb up that.” Logan points to a rather steep and slick hillside. The trail is small and narrow and easy to miss.
“Looks easy,” I say apprehensively, but there’s no way I’m giving up. I might not be the most athletic person or have the best balance or coordination, but I’m certain I can get myself up that path.
“Go first,” Logan tells me. “If you slip, I’ll catch you.”
“You just want to check out my butt.”
“I’ve been checking out your butt this whole time.”
“You’ve been in front of me,” I retort.
“That just goes to show how good I am.”
Shaking my head, I grab onto a stalk of bamboo and use it to steady myself as I start up the rocky hill. There are little divots in the stone, and I try to keep my feet in them as I move up. My feet slip a few times, and I’m even more glad I wore sensible shoes over sandals. I recover, moving slower yet feeling reassured that Logan is behind me.
We come down through the forest and emerge into a small clearing of grey rocks that surround another waterfall.
“Wow,” Logan says, letting out a breath. Wow is right. Water cascades down a jumble of rocks, pouring into a large pool. Greenery hugs the dark rocks that surround the water.
We’ve been hiking for what feels like hours. I’m hot, sweaty, and desperately thirsty. Drinking this morning and then going on a difficult hike was not a good idea. Logan takes the backpack off, and we find a flat rock to sit on.
“How you doing?” he asks, handing me a water bottle.
“Do I look rough or something?”
He laughs. “Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Shut up, jerk.” I twist the cap off the water and drink half the bottle. “That feels better. And now I’m ready for a nap.” Logan is sitting close next to me, and putting my head on his shoulder sounds like a good idea. Though I would probably fall asleep for sure that way.
“There’s a good chance my dad is going to try and steal you away after the rehearsal tonight,” I warn Logan.
“Why would he—oh, right. I almost forgot we’re pretending. It doesn’t feel like we are.” He sets his water bottle down and gets up, pulling his shirt over his head before I have a chance to even process what he just said. The muscles in his back flex and he brings his arm down, dropping it down. “You coming?” he asks as he heads toward the water. I take another big drink and put the cap back on, standing and shimmying out of my shorts. I pull my shirt over my head, tossing it on the rock with our other clothes.
Logan’s already waist-deep by the time I get to the water. It’s cool but feels amazing since I’m so sweaty.
“This really is paradise.” Logan swims forward before plunging under the water.
“It is.” I’m slow going down into the water, knowing getting my breasts in the cold water is going to be the worst part. I should just grit my teeth and dive in too. I ease in and then chicken out, standing back up.
And then Logan grabs my arm, pulling me toward him and into the water. He laughs as he floats onto his back, bringing me with him. The cold water shocks me, and I hook my arms around his shoulders. He stands up, spinning me around, and then plunges back into the water.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”
My heart is in my throat. “Yeah, it does.”
The water feels good.
Logan feels even better, and now I’m feeling confused because my heart and my head are crossing paths. I’ve been pretending Logan is my fiancé. Acting like we’re a happy, loving couple.
But other than talking about a wedding that’s not going to happen, things really don’t seem that different between us.
Except this…having Logan’s arms around me. I’m wearing a bright yellow bikini and he has on swim trunks. My skin is against his, and I’m all too aware of the thin layer of material that separates his cock from me.
“I could stay here all day.” Keeping one arm around Logan’s neck, I extend the other out and run my fingers along the surface of the water.
“Me too. But I want more food.”
“There’s supposed to be a farm truck not far from where we parked. Or at least that’s what I read online.”
“That sounds familiar. I might have watched a few YouTube videos about the whole Road to Hana drive.”
I bring my other arm back in and rest my hand on Logan’s shoulder. My heart hasn’t stopped hammering since he pulled me into the water.
“You’re so thorough.”
“I like to have all my bases covered.”
Dammit. Why does everything sound so sexual right now? I drop my eyes to Logan’s chest and fight the temptation to bring my body closer and get a feel of his cock through his swim trunks. I’ve seen him in sweatpants, athletic shorts, and pajama pants. And while I told myself I shouldn’t steal glances, I have.
I so have, and I’ll just say I won’t be disappointed.
“Want to do that rope swing?” Logan asks as he moves his hand from my waist to the small of my back. I’m hot all over again despite the cold water. Does he even know what he’s doing to me? He has to…right?
We’re not walking the line of really good friends anymore. His hands are on me. My hands are on him. My mind is on his cock, and I want that cock—fuck. I need to fucking stop.
“I’m the type of person who would slip and fall. But yeah, let’s do it!”
Logan laughs and makes no attempt to let me go. “Just hold on and let go when I tell you to. You’ll be fine.”
“I don’t have much upper body strength,” I say seriously. “Are you sure I’ll be able to hold on long enough to swing out past the point of falling to my death?”
“That kid just went for the third time. You’ll survive.”
“My life is in your hands, Dawson.”
He brings his hands back to my waist, gripping it tight. “I think I can handle that.”
If there ever was a time for an epic first kiss, this would be it. Like in any good romance movie, the cameras would pan in slowly, capturing the beauty of the landscape while showcasing the passion and desire in the lovers’ eyes. Lips would part, one last breath would be exchanged before eyes shut.
My tongue darts out, wetting my lips. Heat radiates through me, and my core is so hot, so desperate to feel more, it’s a wonder Logan can’t feel it. I’ve never felt more grounded than I do right now, f
loating in cool water in front of a waterfall and in Logan’s arms.
My whole life was laid out before me. I was told what to do every step of the way. I never had a chance to break out on my own, and when I did, I messed up. I thought I was lost. I thought I was making mistakes.
I didn’t realize that the map was in my hands the whole time, and I was the one holding the pen, ready to draw a new road. I thought I was lost, but for the last year, I’ve been exactly where I need to be.
Right here, right in front of Logan Dawson.
Chapter 17
Logan
I pride myself on being a rational person. Thinking things through and not taking risks has got me this far in life relatively unscathed. And right now?
Right now I want to kiss Danielle.
I want to hold her close and never let go.
But that’s a risk, isn’t it?
She’s my best friend, has made it clear she’s not interested in dating anyone, and doesn’t even want to stay in Eastwood. Eastwood is my home. All my family is there…yet I’d follow Danielle anywhere.
I lower my gaze from her eyes to her lips, well aware that this might be the single most stupid decision I’ve ever made. But sometimes you have to take risks to reap the reward.
But a million what-ifs go through my mind, and for each one, I can find a logical reason to call bullshit.
What if things are awkward between us? It’s not like they haven’t been before. We’ll get over it.
What if the kiss is bad? There’s no chance in Hell it’s going to be bad.
What if she doesn’t want me to kiss her? All the signs are here: she wants this as much as I do.
That’s it. I’m doing it. It’s now or never. Danielle’s eyes start to close. I inhale and bring my face to hers.
“Excuse me?”
I come to a stop, lips just inches away from Danielle’s.
“Could you take our picture?”
What. The. Fuck.
I open my eyes and turn my head, seeing a young couple holding out a phone.
“We’re celebrating our engagement too,” the girl says, looking away from me and into her girlfriend’s eyes. Too? Oh right. Danielle has that big-ass fake diamond on her finger. I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. Everything inside of me is still in motion, set on finally kissing Danielle.
Cheap Trick: A Dawson Family Novel Page 11