Page 25 of Bittersweet

Kayla did as she was told, watching Harper’s every move, seemingly enamored by her.

“You’re pretty,” Kayla said as Harper tossed the tissue in the garbage.

Harper smoothed Kayla’s hair down and out of her face. “Thank you. So are you.”

“Daddy calls me cute.”

“You are cute.”

“Breakfast.” Logan finally spoke.

Harper put Kayla on the same bar stool she’d sat on the night before and stared at Logan, who wasn’t making eye contact with her. She moved into the kitchen again while he set a plate of food in front of his daughter. When he turned to hand Harper her plate, he nearly slammed smack dab into her, but she managed to veer just in time.

“Thanks for all your help there,” Harper sneered as she reached past him for the salt shaker and shook a little on her eggs.

Logan was in her personal space now, and he smelled really good—like cinnamon and coffee grounds.

“You handled it just fine.” His voice was low as he leaned closer. “Seeing you with her … it’s like …”

“It’s like what?”

“Nothing.” He took his plate and went to sit beside Kayla.

What was he going to say?

She glanced over and found him staring at her. It was probably best he didn’t finish that sentence.

When breakfast was eaten and the plates were cleared and loaded in the dishwasher, Harper went to her room to straighten up before leaving for work. Savannah was going to be so mad at her for being late and not calling.

She was bent over, making the bed as quickly as she could, when Logan walked in.

“We’ll be out of here in a few,” he announced as he tugged a shirt over his head.

“Oh, don’t rush out on my account. Stay and get cleaned up for the day. I don’t mind. Just lock up when you leave.”

She rounded the bed and reached for the edge of her comforter, but Logan stepped forward and grabbed it too.

“Let me help you.”

His hand clasped hers along with the comforter, and she stared at it, willing herself to let go of the bedding and let him finish making the bed. She started to loosen her grip, but his hold remained.

“Logan,” she warned.

He slid his hand up her forearm slowly until he reached her elbow and his fingers pressed into the skin there, urging her closer, leaning into her space, his breath mingling with hers. “I could barely sleep last night.” His voice was low and gravelly. “Lying here in your bed with the scent of you all around me, knowing you were in the other room.”

Her stomach flipped, and she was suddenly warm all over. She dared to look into his eyes and wasn’t surprised to find a familiar fire there.

“It drove me crazy, wishing you were in my arms … here in the clouds.” He smirked.

If she didn’t already have a boyfriend and if Logan hadn’t demolished her heart all those years ago, that might have been one of the most romantic things he could have said to her. But she did, and he had, and this moment was all wrong.

“You can’t say things like that to me.” She quickly abandoned the unmade bed and walked out of the room before she gave in to the longing to be near him.

His footsteps sounded behind her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

She stopped abruptly at the sight of Kayla holding kitchen scissors.

Logan ran right into her back and gripped her waist to keep from knocking her over.

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