Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

MIRA

I shivered at his words, turning my head to watch him walk his fine ass out of the kitchen. Those swim trunks hung from his hips like they were being held up by nothing more than a whim and a prayer, accentuating his firm butt and flat, toned stomach.

Still shirtless and with his skin having acquired a warm glow from the sun this morning, he didn't look like the unapproachable, city slicker I'd thought he was when he'd walked onto our rig. I also didn't see the smooth, well-dressed player from Jude and Mickey's wedding.

What I saw instead was someone real. Someone multifaceted who had a lot more grit than I'd have given him credit for. All of which was wrapped up in the body of a golden god that I wanted to lick all over.

Damn it.

When he stepped outside, I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and chugged it. My heart was racing and my whole body was tingling with lust after that almost-promise he'd made. I hadn't been sure if he was still interested after the drama with my brother.

He definitely seemed to be the drama-averse type, but it didn't look like it'd bothered him too much this time. And since those words had stirred up all kinds of memories of our explosive night together last week, I needed to cool off before I went back to the party .

Unfortunately, the cold drink didn't help. The guy just knew how to push my "on" button, and he'd done so shamelessly and easily, and then he'd left me behind to deal with the consequences. I couldn't be pissed at him for it, though.

It wasn't like he could get me off right here in my brother's kitchen—or anywhere else in his house. Especially because he'd already told me he intended on following Slate's rules here.

So a quickie in a locked bathroom was out of the question. Life sucks.

Shaking my head at myself, I dumped the empty water bottle in the trash, then headed out and got in the pool with Anya and a few other friends. As I lifted my coverup over my head, I felt eyes burning into me and I swallowed hard, doing my best not to squirm.

I knew who those eyes belonged to, and I also knew they weren't supposed to be on me as I got ready to get into the water, but I was still perversely pleased that he wasn't following Slate's command to the letter. Slowing it down, I felt my nipples get hard as I lowered the coverup to a chair, draping it across the back carefully and sticking my butt out a bit as I bent over.

When I straightened back up, I risked a glance over my shoulder and yep. It'd been him. Logan was circling the pool, handing out shots while Slate manned the barbecue. But he'd stopped at the far side of the pool to watch as I got half naked, and I could see his pulse hammering below his jaw.

I shot him a coy smile, locking my gaze on his as I approached the edge of the pool, but as soon as my toes hit the rough side of the pavers, I winked at him and jumped in. Doing what I hoped was a spectacular cannonball, I grabbed my knees a split second before I hit the cool water and then I went under, my overheated body immediately feeling a little less needy once I was immersed by the relative quiet of being below the surface.

I stayed put down there until my lungs started burning. Then I pressed my feet against the floor and rocketed myself back up, breaking out of the water with a huge smile on my face. For just a moment, my eyes landed on Logan's again. A smile ghosted across his lips, barely there until he turned toward the next group of people and held out the plastic tray containing the shots.

As I watched, they each grabbed a tiny glass and let out a cheer before they tossed it down the hatch and all around them, people were doing the same. I have a feeling it's going to be a wild night.

Anya grabbed my attention then, clapping as she swam up and pumped her eyebrows at me. "Impressive. I'm assuming you're going to live to see another day, then?"

"Don't even get me started," I grumbled, wiping my wet hands over my face and wishing that would wash away my frustration.

The one person I wanted to spend time with today and go home with tonight was forbidden. I was in my damn thirties and my brother was picking the company I kept—in my bed. There was something not right about that.

Even when the company I wanted was his best friend. Fuck the bro code.

As the frustration and irritation simmered within me, Anya rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand under the water. "Come on. I've got you covered. I brought cocktails!"

"You're my hero," I said honestly as I grinned, doing my best to shake off the negativity and just have fun.

For the rest of the afternoon, I swam, I drank, I had fun with Anya and my other friends, and I tried to ignore Logan's eyes on me. I felt them, though. Every so often, a tingle rushed through me, and inevitably, if I looked, I found him already looking at me.

Just like he often found me already looking at him.

I was starting to feel like one of those hopeless, giddy girls, but when it came to him, it seemed that was what I was. At least the cocktails made me feel better about it.

By the time only the stragglers of the evening were left, all those cocktails I'd drunk in the sun had definitely caught up to me. We were sitting around Slate's fire pit, sipping spiked coffees and making s'mores or marshmallows, and I felt pleasantly tipsy.

I relaxed back in the plastic chair I was on, my body mellow and my head swimming just the right amount. Since it allowed me to let go of all the stress I'd been feeling lately, it was nice. I rarely lost even a tiny bit of control, so this was a little like a drunken vacation.

I chuckled quietly at my own joke, letting out a soft, contented moan as Slate and his friends shot the breeze around me. Anya sat a few chairs away from me, immersed in conversation with a girl who hated traditional office hours as much as she did.

As I watched a plume of smoke rise from the fire and breathed in that unrivaled, campfire scent, I was glad we'd stayed when the party had started winding down. Even if Logan was sitting all the way across from me.

At the other side of the firepit, he was leaning back in his chair, his attention on the guy sitting next to him. They were talking, but I couldn't make out what they were saying from over here.

During the day and even now, I'd noticed that although he'd received plenty of attention from the women in attendance, he hadn't given any back. To me, it'd seemed like he'd only given them a polite smile, had gently removed their hands if they'd tried touching him, and had then walked away.

While I couldn't be sure that it had anything to do with my presence, it was certainly interesting. As my head spun and a deep laziness sank into my bones, I stared at him across the fire, unable to help myself.

The way the flames made his blue eyes glow was captivating, as was watching the shadows dancing across his face in the flickering light. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a book or a movie poster, and in fact, right now, he was the very picture I used to imagine when I thought of summer love as a teenager.

A hot guy, relaxed and happy after spending the day in the sunshine, sipping a beer with his friends around a fire. It was so cliche and yet so damn endearing. Even as I sat there, I knew I was going to be fantasizing about this view for the next several nights, and I had no idea how he'd corrupted me so quickly.

When we'd first met, I'd found him equal parts amusing and aggravating. Then he'd shown up on the rig and he'd gotten on my last nerve .

But after last week, when he'd made me feel so protected, and seen, and empathized with? I didn't see that annoying boy anymore when I looked at him.

I now knew him to be a strong, capable man. A man who was smart and generous, who made me laugh— and who's still Slate's best friend.

I sighed. It kept freaking coming back to that. Left to our own devices, Logan and I could've figured out what this was. We could've taken things slow and tried to work out if either of us wanted to give a real relationship a try.

But we had a dark-haired, six-foot obstacle between us—and we both loved him too much to just ignore him completely. While Logan had alluded to the fact that he was only following Slate's rules in Slate's house, I also knew it went further than that.

We wouldn't be able to explore what might've been even away from here. Maybe we hooked up again. I really hoped we did, but it was unlikely to ever go further than that.

Which I was okay with. Sort of.

I really did like him, but I supposed it all came down to whether I liked him enough to risk my relationship with my brother. And I had a feeling the answer to that would be a resounding no .

But who I date shouldn't be up to Slate. That was the other side of it. I would never be so presumptuous as to forbid him from seeing one of my friends. I knew guys were precious about this kind of thing, but jeez.

If he and Anya liked each other, I would be over the damn moon. At least I'd know both of their hearts would be safe with the other. I'd know that neither of them would willingly hurt the other, even if things didn't work out between them.

Slate doesn't know that about Logan, though. He doesn't know my heart would be safe with him.

I sighed out loud, yanking my gaze away from the forbidden fruit on the other side of the fire. This was ridiculous, this mental back and forth about a situation that wasn't about to change.

Abruptly getting up, I skirted around the backs of the chairs placed in a circle around the fire, and went to take a seat on the vacant chair on Anya's other side. She glanced at me, shooting me a radiant but lopsided grin.

"Mira! Where'd you geroff to?" she slurred, her eyes hazy, shiny, and very much unfocused as she swayed a little in her chair. "I mithed you."

"I missed you too, honey." I shot a look at the girl on her opposite side, and she nodded toward Anya's mug.

Where the rest of us had been drinking enhanced coffee, it seemed like she'd stuck to the strong stuff. Worry shot through me when I realized she'd definitely had one too many, but I tried to hide it behind a smile.

"How do you feel about taking a little nap? I'll go ask Slate if he's got a bed available for you tonight."

Her eyes went round as she nodded. "A nap! Yes! Napping is my favorite."

My smile got a little bigger. "I know. Give me a minute, okay?"

Slate stood up when I did, and so did a few other people. In my own tipsy state, it took me a minute to realize they were leaving. He was about to see them out, but when I did, I rushed around to him so I could ask before the dragged-out goodbyes started.

My brother and I had barely exchanged a word since I'd told him about Logan, and when he saw me coming toward him now, steely anger glinted in those eyes. Whatever he saw on my face must've appeased him though, because when I reached him, his brow was furrowed in concern instead.

"What's wrong? What happened? What are you so worried about?"

"Anya," I said simply. "We were going to share an Uber home, but I don't think she's going to make it that far. Can she sleep here tonight? I'll go put her in bed myself, get her some water, and leave a few painkillers. Please? She won't cause any trouble."

"Sure," he said without even taking a minute to think about it. "Of course, she can sleep here. God, I'd never send her home if she's not in a state to go. If you think she'd prefer to wake up in her own bed, I can help you get her in a car? "

"I thought about that, but I'm pretty sure she's going to pass out on the way and there's not a chance I'll get her into my apartment or hers without any help."

He nodded and gestured toward the house. "Yeah, you're right. It's not a problem. All the spare rooms are made up. Just in case. I don't think any of them are taken yet. Will you be okay getting her up there?"

A few of his friends had banded around us to say goodbye, and I shrugged. "I'm sure I'll be fine. You go do your host business and I'll take care of her. Thanks."

"You don't need to thank me, Mira. I?—"

A guy I didn't know suddenly cut in, grinning and holding his hand out toward my brother. "Slate, my man. We've got to go. Can I get in here quick to say goodbye?"

Mild agitation tightened Slate's features as his gaze lingered on mine. Then he snapped out of it, nodding at me before turning to grin at his friend. Leaving them to shake hands and do their thing, I went back to Anya and held out my hand.

"All good. Are you ready for that nap?"

She glanced longingly at the girl next to her, obviously wanting to finish their conversation, but the girl picked her purse up off the ground and smiled in the direction of the guy my brother was saying goodbye to.

"Jake's my ride, so I've got to go, but we'll talk again." She gave Anya a quick hug. "Sleep tight, babe."

"You too," she muttered in response, returning the girl's hug before she turned back to me. "Let's go. Jeez. Why is everything spinning so much?"

She canted dangerously on her feet, and as I reached for her, a strong, familiar pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind, catching her and holding her upright. I looked at Logan across her shoulder, once again feeling a surge of gratitude toward him.

I probably could've caught Anya myself, but he'd been in exactly the right place at exactly the right time, and I was thankful not to have had the opportunity to drop her if I'd lost my own footing in the process. He smiled at me, inclining his head toward the house.

"She's sleeping here?"

"In the spare bedroom." I stepped to Anya's side and Logan let go of her to get the other.

Together, we led her upstairs and helped her into bed.

While I removed her shoes and got her tucked in, he went to get her a glass of water and shook a few painkillers out of a bottle, placing them all on the nightstand beside me. Since Slate was still saying goodbye to his guests outside, Logan and I were alone, and he took advantage of the opportunity to talk to me for the first time in hours.

"Split an Uber home with me?" he asked quietly. "I don't want you riding with a stranger alone."

As I looked into those blue eyes, I nodded. "Sure. That would be great. Thank you."

A slow smile spread on his lips. "Of course. I'll go out first and say goodbye, and I'll meet you on the curb. Just give it a few minutes."

"I will," I promised, feeling a thrill of anticipation shoot through me.

Logan gave me another smile, taking my hand and letting it linger in mine for a moment before he left, and I focused on making sure Anya was settled before I followed him out. As tended to happen, the first group of people leaving had sparked a few others, and while I did stop to say goodbye to my brother, I quickly got lost in the small crowd outside his house.

I found Logan in an Uber a few houses away, and I grinned as I slid into the backseat beside him. The driver glanced up at us in the rearview mirror. "Address?"

Instead of responding, I turned to Logan expectantly and he grinned like the devil before he told the driver where to take us.

Together. Alone for the rest of the night.

Fucking finally.