I felt his smile across my skin. Logan’s grip tightened on my hip, my dress curling around his fingers, like he was trying to ground his hands so they wouldn’t wander and get out of control.
Nuzzling behind my ear, he said, “We should probably cool things down.”
With my arms wrapped around his neck, I held him in place and got lost in the feel of his touch. “Yeah. Sure. Why?”
“The kids.”
The flick of his tongue at a particularly ticklish spot, caused me to giggle. “Sure I want kids someday in the future.”
Logan raised his head and looked at me. “I was talking about the camp kids.”
With my eyes squeezed shut, I grimaced. “The kids!” I looked up into lust-filled eyes. “We don’t have to go back right now, do we?”
“Hell, no. I’m not letting go of you until I’m forced to.”
Logan placed a few more soft kisses across my lips. Then something occurred to me.
“My fantasy came true,” I said.
“What fantasy?”
“The one with you and me on the beach, kissing and groping each other.”
With a wide grin, he said, “You fantasized about me?”
I tilted my head to the side, feeling sexy and sassy. “Why, yes I did. Except you were shirtless and I had on a pair of denim booty shorts.”
Another wave of lust flooded his eyes. “Just booty shorts?”
“No. I had on a tank with a bikini top underneath.”
His gaze roamed leisurely down my body.
“Are you picturing me in that outfit?” I said.
“Oh yeah.”
“Do you like what you see?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Cause I can totally make that ensemble happen.”
“Oh yeah,” he said while slowly nodding.
“So, have you fantasized about me?” I asked.
“I have.”
“Tell me.” I played with the buttons on his shirt.
“You were in my bed. Naked.”
“And?”
“That’s it.”
I thought for a second. “It works. If you think about it, my version could be the beginning of the fantasy and yours the end game.”
“We are two halves of a whole.”
Standing on my tiptoes, I placed a quick kiss on his mouth. “I like it.”
Just then the rumbling of voices floated through the air. The dance had come to an end.
“I guess we’d better get going,” I said.
Leaning in, Logan brushed his lips over mine. “I like you a lot, Lip Smacker. Don’t ever doubt that.”
He took a step back and held out his hand. I wasted no time in slipping my hand into his and intertwining our fingers. Instead of taking the boardwalk route back to camp, we took the long way, walking down the beach.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I said hugging Logan’s bicep.
“I highly doubt it.”
With our hands still connected, I spun around and walked backward in front of him. “Because I’m thinking once we get back home, we should make out, or more.”
“I stand corrected.”
“But here’s the thing—”
“A big thing?”
“I don’t want you to think I’m easy.”
“Believe me, I realize you’re not easy,” he teased.
“I don’t give myself freely, especially the last few years. I mean, we’ve only known each other for a week.”
“That’s one way to look at it. But technically we kind of met in high school.”
“I like where you’re going with this,” I said.
“We’ve reunited after years of having lost touch.”
“And if you factor in those years I kind of stalked you, we really haven’t been apart that long.”
“Wait a minute. You stalked me?”
“Let’s not get hung up on semantics. What matters is we’re together.”
I went back to walking alongside Logan. As we made our way down the shore I realized that through the unexpected randomness of life, I just may have found my person.
LOGAN AND I TOOK our sweet time getting back to the cabins. Like a gentleman, he walked me to my door. Then like a crazed beast, he planted one hell of a kiss on me before heading back to his cabin. It was a kiss so incredible I stayed kissed the rest of the night.
The next morning, I floated out of my cabin to find my fella waiting on me. Officially, he was not my fella. I mean, we had only expressed our desires to each other last night. It would take time to put a label on Logan and I. But, in my head I had no problem tagging him as my fella.
Logan placed a sweet gentle kiss on my cheek before we walked together to the chapel to attend the service. When the service ended we headed to the dining hall for brunch. As we walked in I caught Cindy on the other side of the room winking at me. I didn’t even try to hide the smile that had been plastered on my face the entire morning. After saying our goodbyes to the kids and other counselors, Logan and I headed back to Charleston.
Logan insisted on driving back. The second we got in the van, he wasted no time taking my hand in his and resting it on his thigh. Between the knowing glances, the sweet smiles, and squeezes of the hand, the trip went by in a blur.
Once back at the bakery Logan helped unload the van and put everything away. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, we both looked around for an excuse to stay together. It was silly, really. We were two grown adults who had expressed interest in each other. We certainly didn’t need to search for an excuse to hang out and do things.
“So-o-o, looks like everything is put back in its proper place. Thanks for helping,” I said.
“My pleasure. The kitchen looks good. Really good.” Logan scanned the room before his gaze landed back on me.
“After the weekend we had you’d think I’d be tired, but I’m not tired. Not tired at all. In fact, I feel invigorated.”
The corners of Logan’s lips twitched into a small smile as heat took over his eyes.
“Lip, are you waiting for me to attack you?”
“Whatever gave you that idea? I’m a modern woman, Mr. Heath. If I want something I go for it. I don’t need permission.”
“And what do you want right now?”
“You.”
The word hadn’t even left my mouth before Logan was on me. With his hands firmly planted on my ass, he lifted me high into the air and deposited me on the counter. I clawed uncontrollably at his shirt. His lips slammed into mine with such a force it knocked the breath right out of me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think anything in life could be better than a fresh chocolate cupcake and a big icy cold glass of milk, but this definitely dropped kicked it out of the park.
Holding his head, I worked my tongue desperately to get as deep inside his mouth as humanly possible. Logan’s fingers dug into my hips just like last night. I wiggled my hips because I wanted his hands to wander. Wander every inch of my body.
Suddenly, I felt his body begin to pull away. I tightened my legs around his waist and held him there. He loosened the grip he had on me before his lips left mine. Our eyes met as our chests heaved, trying to catch all the breath we had sucked out of each other.
“Jesus, Lip.” He swallowed hard.
“What? Jesus, Lip what?”
“You drive me crazy.”
“In a good way, right?”
“In a very good and bad way.”
“Bad as in pleasant or bad as in unpleasant? People used to say something was bad when they really meant it was good. That was back in the 80’s, but everything comes back eventually. It’s just once you’re out of school and you get a few years closer to your 30’s you lose touch with what’s hip. A phrase could come back, with a completely different meaning. So you see—”
Logan took my face in his hands and pressed his lips against mine.
“What are you doing?” I mumbled into his mouth.
“Trying to control myself and ge
t a word in edgewise.”
I leaned back. “You know Logan, if you have something to say just go ahead and say it. I mean, we are in America. Free speech and all that.”
“Are you seriously starting an argument with me right now?”
“We may as well. We’re not doing anything fun at the moment.”
He placed his large hands on my shoulders. “Lip, I want you in every way possible. God help me, but I do. The thought of fucking you on every surface of this bakery has not left my head since we pulled into the parking lot.”
“Although hot, it would go way against the city’s health code.”
“You deserve more than that, Lip. I can’t believe what I’m about to say—with you looking so beautiful with your messy hair, kissed lips, and flushed skin. But…Lip Smacker, would you like to go out on a date with me?”
“A date?”
“Yes, a date. A full fledged, I’ll pick you up at 7 p.m. date.”
“Logan Heath, are you trying to woo me?”
A big smile crossed his gorgeous face. “Yes, I believe I am.”
“Hot damn!” I hopped off the counter. “I’ve never been wooed before.”
“I’ve never wooed before. Never wanted to until you. I might not be good at it.”
With my entire body vibrating from the kissing, the touching, and his words, I moved closer to Logan and placed my hands flat on his chest.
Looking up, I said, “You’re better at it than you think.”
I placed a quick kiss on the tip of his chin.
He took both of my hands in his. “So, I’ll pick you up tonight at seven.”
“Typically, date nights are Friday and/or Saturday. Tomorrow being Monday, it is a work day. I couldn’t stay out all night, of course.”
“I promise to have you in your bed by a proper hour.”
“That’s a sexy innuendo, isn’t it?” I said.
“Yes, it is.”
“Okay, it’s a date. So, where are you taking me?”
He placed a quick kiss on my forehead. “It’s a surprise.”
“Is it really a surprise or is that code for you have no clue?’
Heading toward the door, Logan said, “I’ll be at your place at seven sharp.”
I followed him. “I need to know what we’re doing so I can dress appropriately.”
“It doesn’t matter what you wear, you’ll look beautiful. Besides, all I’ve been picturing for the past twenty-four hours is you in booty shorts.”
“So, casual?” I teased.
Just before stepping out the door Logan whipped around, took me by my shoulders, and planted a kiss on me that pushed out all the breath in my body.
“I’ll see you in a few hours, Miss Smacker,” he said, then gave me a playful smack on the ass.
I stayed glued to my spot enjoying the view as Logan left. I still couldn’t get my head around the way things had changed in such a short period of time. I left here a couple of days ago with doubts and frustrations. I returned with a full heart, a hopeful attitude, and a tingling hoo-hah. Not a bad weekend.
SINCE LOGAN GAVE ME no clue as to our date destination, I figured I’d play it relatively safe in regards to my outfit. It was times like those when I missed my mom the most. The last time she helped me get ready for a date was my junior prom, and she had been more excited than I was to be getting all dolled up for my first big dance.
Mom, Wavy, and I had made it a girl’s day of pampering. All three of us got our hair done, our nails painted, and our makeup professionally applied. It’s one of the best memories I have of my mom. Then when my date, Billy Smith—that’s right, the same goof who teased me about my name—showed up, my dad was like the paparazzi. So much flashing that Billy and I almost had to cancel due to temporary blindness.
I took a minute to cherish that memory and feel my loss before heading into my closet. I decided on my black and white sleeveless maxi dress with black gladiator sandals. This outfit would work for either casual or a little fancier date. Digging in the overnight bag I had used this weekend, I pulled out my mom’s diamond earrings. She may not have been able to help me get ready, but she’d still be a part of this special night. I kept my makeup simple with my favorite neutral palette eyeshadow and a bolder wine-colored lipstick.
Taking one final look at myself in the full-length mirror, it dawned on me how much I favored my mom. I thought of my parents every single day. Coming up on the five-year mark, the tears didn’t come as often, except when I wished I had someone to share the good times with. Out of nowhere tears spilled over and down my cheeks. I blinked, hoping to stop the flow when the doorbell rang. I looked at the clock on the wall, 7 p.m. on the dot. Taking a tissue, I blotted away the tears and went downstairs.
I opened the door to find Logan dressed in a pair of dark gray jeans and a light gray short sleeve shirt that molded around his biceps and chest perfectly. His hair was combed back, but the wind had messed it up a little. It looked sexy and suited him. To top it all off, he held a bouquet of peonies and wore a big smile on his face.
“I do declare,” I drawled. “My gentleman caller has arrived. Right on time at that.”
“In all honesty, I’ve been circling the block for the past twenty-five minutes.” A flush fell across Logan’s cheeks.
Again. A-dorable.
He held out the flowers. “These are for you.”
Lifting them up, I inhaled their sweet scent. “Thank you.”
“You ready to go?”
“Yep. Let me just put these in water and grab my purse.”
I turned to go inside when I noticed Logan wasn’t following me.
“Logan, you can come in.”
“I didn’t want to assume. Last time you made me sit out on the steps.”
“I did do that, didn’t I?”
My townhouse was basically one huge open floorplan on the first level with living, dining, and kitchen space exposed. The guest bedroom was downstairs in the basement and my master suite took up the entire second floor.
I took a vase from the cabinet and filled it with water as Logan walked around with his hands in his pockets, surveying the place. After I placed the new flowers in the vase, I sat them by the first bouquet he’d sent only a few days ago. The peonies were still as fresh as the day they arrived.
I made my way around the kitchen island and observed Logan.
“Find anything interesting?” I said.
“Just taking in my surroundings. You’ve got a great place, Lip.”
He was standing over at the wall where I had made a photo collage. The pictures were a mix of family and friends over the years. Logan seemed to study each picture with intense interest. I walked up next to him.
“Are you looking for something specific?” I said.
He stared at the wall. “Not really.”
Then it dawned on me. He was looking for evidence of my love life. How do I know this? Because I’d have done the exact same thing if this were his place.
“They’re not in any of the pictures,” I said.
Logan glanced over at me. “Who?”
“All my lo-o-o-vahs.”
He chuckled a humorless chuckle. “I’m not looking for that. Why would you think that?”
“Because even though these pictures mean the world to me, they’re not masterpieces shot by Annie Leibowitz.”
“You caught me. I was just looking for any competitors I might be facing.”
“You don’t have anything or anyone to worry about.”
“I like that.”
“What? That I’ve yet to have my epic romance?”
“Yeah.” He held my gaze for several seconds before clearing his throat. “We better get going.”
“Do we have a reservation somewhere?”
Taking my hand, we walked toward the door. “Kind of.”
“How do you kind of have reservations?”
“You don’t like surprises, do you, Lip?”
“Not especially.”
“You’ll have to get used to it. This is all a part of the wooing.”
“I’ve never heard of keeping secrets during a woo.”
“It’s wooing 101,” Logan said as he ushered me into his shiny white jeep.
For the entire ride I tried to get Logan to tell me where were going. I’d never thought about it before, but I really don’t like surprises. Not knowing makes me uneasy. We drove for about fifteen minutes until we were in downtown Charleston. Even though it was Sunday evening, there was still a lot of life happening. Charleston wasn’t exactly the city that never sleeps, but it does stay up very late every night.
We pulled into the parking lot off Cumberland Street and Logan paid the attendant before taking my hand in his. We walked, enjoying the sounds of music coming from street musicians, laughter from outside cafes, and the smell of delicious food wafting from all directions.
After about fifteen minutes we arrived at Magnolia Restaurant, located in a breathtakingly beautiful two-hundred-year-old stone house. I had passed by it countless times throughout the years wondering what the inside looked like. It had always been one of my favorite buildings downtown. The window boxes overflowing with pink snapdragons, blue violas, white hydrangeas, and bright green English ivy popped against the white-washed brick and weathered gray wooden shutters.
As we walked up the steps framed on either side by ornate wrought iron railings, my stomach gurgled with excitement and starvation. Opening the large, dark-gray farmhouse door, Logan placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me through.
Standing at the hostess station, I whispered. “This is quite a surprise. I’ve never been here to eat.”
Logan’s face beamed with pleasure. “Oh, we’re going to do more than eat.”
Dear Jesus, were we running a scam? A dine and dash? Was Logan one of those people who look like they have money, but in actuality was dirt poor? My head was swimming with possibilities. I knew this was too good to be true.
“Mr. Heath, Easton is ready for you.” A middle-aged man dressed in a tux had appeared at the host desk while my mind was running wild.
We followed him down a hallway away from the dining room and through an old wooden door into what appeared to be a kitchen. It wasn’t a restaurant style kitchen. It was warm and inviting, with exposed brick walls, dark beams on the ceiling, and a rustic wood-burning fireplace in the corner. It reminded me of Tuscany. Not that I’ve ever been to Tuscany, but this is what it looked like in my head.
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