Chapter 52

CHAPTER 52

MIRA

A t Ariane's birthday party, I was really hitting it off with all the women. I'd met them all before, but I hadn't spent much time with Penny and Payton before and I was finding that I loved them both.

After having a few conversations about practical ideas to save the world—all of which would be forgotten by the time the wine left our systems—Ariane finally turned toward me again, but with a naughty twinkle in her eyes this time.

"So, are you going to tell us about Logan yet? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're around to keep him in line and to convince him to push forward with his plan to go green, but what gives, girl? How did you two get this past your brother?"

"Slate?" I scrunched up my nose and took a giant gulp of the ice-cold white wine.

As I swallowed it, I let my gaze wander along Ariane and Flynn's patio, taking in the solar-powered twinkle lights they'd strung up overhead and their little girl's pool toys littered all over from an afternoon spent paddling around before we'd arrived. These two had created an amazing life for themselves and I knew their story.

I knew Ariane's mother hadn't approved of their relationship, the dirty oil worker with her environmental princess. I also knew the press had had a field day with them a couple years back when they'd been where Logan and I were now, trying to figure everything out.

In fact, every girl around this table had a similar story with her man. They'd all had their fair share of challenges and they'd all overcome them, now living their respective happily ever afters. It gave me hope that the same would be possible for me one day, but Ariane mentioning Slate had brought up all those terrible memories of the last conversation I'd had with him.

"Trust me, you don't want to hear about my woes with my brother. Suffice it to say that we didn't get it past him. We just stopped letting him dictate how we were going to live our lives, but still. It's been tough."

To say the damn least.

Mickey's features softened with sympathy, her eyebrows drawing together and the very corners of her lips turning down. Out of all of them, she was the one who knew me best. She knew exactly how much Slate meant to me and how much I'd always relied on having him to back me up.

As much as I was comfortable with the decisions I'd made, I missed my brother and I had no idea how to fix what had been broken between us.

Mickey picked up a bottle of wine and topped everybody off as she nodded at me.

"Talk to us, Mira. I realize that they don't know Slate, and that I don't know him that well, but maybe we can help. He's your big brother. It must suck not to have him on your side when you're in your first serious relationship."

"It really does suck, but I don't want to be a buzzkill."

Ariane waved me off, her brow furrowed with concern as she looked back at me. "Let us have it. If we can help, it'll be worth it, and even if we can't, you'll feel better if you get it off your chest. I don't mind. Really. Talk. We're listening."

I inhaled deeply, reaching for that place inside where I could be vulnerable. The place that allowed me to be open instead of guarded. Outside of going there with Logan and occasionally touching it with Anya, I hadn't accessed that place for a really long time.

I wanted to tell them about it, though. Not only could I use some advice, but it really would help just to talk about it.

Before I got started, I glanced at where Logan was laughing at the bar with the guys. Even as I looked at him, he checked on me. It was just a quick look in my direction, but he smiled and gave me a wink before he turned his attention back to his friends.

I sighed. "Slate thinks Logan is only going to want me while it's new. He says that Logan gets bored easily and that as soon as the chase is over, he'll be gone."

For a long moment, none of them spoke. Then Mickey twisted to glance at the guys this time. "I've known Logan for a while now. Before he met you, he did get bored easily. There's no denying it. I don't even think he'd try to because it was true, but now?" She turned back to me. "Has Slate seen you two together like this?"

"No," I said softly. "He's only seen us together on the rig and then that one time at his house, but none of that has been like this."

"Then I think you should ask him to spend some time with you," she said cautiously. "As soon as he does, he'll see how different Logan is with you. Also, he hasn't shown any sign of getting bored yet. If anything, he's more into you every time I see him. Now granted, Slate might think it's the chase, but I've seen Logan get bored of that too."

"It's true," Ariane said thoughtfully. "Flynn used to be the same, from what I've heard. So did Jude. I'm not sure about Maverick and Karson, but I'd imagine they were like that too. Hell, even Slate might be that way, but I know a lot of girls who are as well."

"So do I," I said, thinking about Anya and her constant need for new . "Do you really think this is different for Logan, though? I know it's different for me, but it seems too much to hope for to believe that he's suddenly changed."

"It hasn't been sudden, Mira. You two have been feeling this way for a while now, if not longer. A couple months maybe. Logan has seen behind the curtain and he wants more. That's the first step toward retiring for any player. "

Payton nodded wholeheartedly, scoffing down laughter as she glanced at her husband. "Truer words have never been spoken. We were all warned against the men we're now married to. I was hellbent on never settling down and look at me now. People grow, Mira. Slate knows the guy that Logan used to be. If I had, I'd probably have been worried too. He needs to see that he's not the same with you, and that will only happen with time."

I took their words in, thanking them by clinking my glass against each of theirs before I blinked the tears out of my eyes and smiled. "Enough of that. We're here for a party, so let's get to it. I'm going to get us a round of shots. Everyone good with tequila?"

Cheers burst out from the girls and I headed over to the bar and got our shots before Jude helped me carry them back to the table. After that, Flynn turned up the music. They'd all gotten babysitters for the night after spending the day swimming with the kids, and when the deck became a makeshift dance floor, I assumed they were all as happy as I was that there were no underage viewers around.

Logan held my body close to his, his leg between my thighs and his hands gripping my hips. It was sexy and intimate, with his voice in my ear and his scent completely enveloping me. "I know I told you earlier how hot you look in that dress, but right now, it's begging me to take it off. Can we get out of here yet?"

I nodded against his cheek, wondering just how fast we were going to be able to leave. As it turned out, we had to stay for a couple more hours. Dinner was served and we ate from the platters between songs, dancing until our feet hurt and drinking so much that Logan called his driver to take us to his place, but we weren't drunk when we got there.

Tipsy at most but mostly just happy.

While I took off my makeup and heels, Logan came up behind me, sliding his arms around my waist and flashing me a sexy smile in the reflection of the mirror. "Can I run you a bath?"

"Depends." I ran my fingers across the length of his forearm and entwined my hands with his. "Are you going to be in it with me?"