Page 43 of Spilled Coffee

Logan sank onto the couch and stretched out, propping his boots on the armrest.

Cradling the mug against his chest, he let out a ragged sigh, running a hand through his damp hair. His fingers brushed the nape of his neck, lingering, before falling away, frustration carving deep lines into his brow. He took another sip of coffee. Ethan was right there, behind that half-open door, naked under the quilt, a warm, vulnerable sprawl in the next room.

Fuck.

Would Ethan remember that kiss tomorrow? Part of him hoped the alcohol would wipe it away from Ethan’s memory, make it easier to pretend nothing happened. Another part—a part he refused to acknowledge—wished Ethan would remember and want more.

Logan squeezed his eyes shut against the image. Vulnerable wasn’t Ethan—not the man who oozed confidence most of thetime. But tonight? Tonight had left a version that stoked a fire low in Logan’s belly, one he couldn’t afford to feed.

Recently he’d dreamed of this—nights tangled with Ethan, skin slick against skin, their bodies knotted in sweat-damp sheets, pressed so tight the lines between them blurred. Those were the type of fantasies that haunted him ever since Ethan’s glances had started to linger too long.

But reality clamped down hard. They couldn’t cross that line. The fallout was too large. Sleeping with a teammate would shatter everything, taint every order, every mission, with the scorch of desire.

Logan was a leader—steady, unshakable—but letting lust bleed into duty would unravel everything he’d built. How could he command with images of Ethan’s naked form etched into his mind? It’d ruin them both, and endanger the team.

“Christ,” he muttered, taking another long sip from the mug still clutched like a lifeline. He closed his eyes, and again Ethan’s image flared—naked, glistening, that sloppy kiss in the bathroom. His cock stirred, a traitor to his resolve.

“Can’t happen,” he growled, a mantra against the throb in his chest, as if words could cement it. “It’s just the way it has to be.”

He’d vowed to keep his wants locked down tight, a rule he’d already bent too far with Ethan. But it wasn’t about rules or duty—it was survival. Giving in would mean surrendering control, and Logan wasn’t sure he’d come out whole.

Sleep was a heavy tide, and setting the mug on the table, he stretched out fully. Then, closing his eyes, he let it pull him under.

CHAPTER 22

Logan stirred from a deep,dreamless sleep, his body heavy as hell, fighting as he clawed his way back awake.

A low, gravelly “Hmm…” grumbled out, half a complaint as his hand scrubbed at his temple. He moved slow and stiff, like he was stuck in mud, the kink in his neck a quick reminder he hadn’t made it to bed.

The couch creaked under him, springs digging into his back, but it was the warm weight sprawled across his chest that stopped him cold.

It wasn’t just warm, it was real, and it was pinning him down.

“Hey,” Ethan mumbled, voice still thick with sleep.

Logan’s pulse jumped as he cracked an eye open, the living room’s dim light bleeding in. His head was foggy, but he didn’t dare move, scared to fuck up whatever this was.

Ethan’s face was right there, close enough to feel the heat from his lips. Sleep softened him—mouth slack, skin flushed, smelling like soap and something else… something rough and earthy.

He was too damn close.

“Hey,” Logan breathed out, sounding like a stranger. “Comfortable?” His lips quirked in a half smirk.

“What can I say?” Ethan chuckled, a low rumble vibrating where their chests touched. “You’re warm… and you didn’t seem to mind.” He shrugged.

Logan opened his mouth, but the words died when Ethan moved, not sleepy this time, but on purpose.

He didn’t think, just reacted.

His hand shot up, fingers digging into the curls at the nape of Ethan’s neck, pulling him down.

Their lips crashed. No slow build, just hard and needy—everything Logan didn’t know he needed until now.

His other hand clamped on Ethan’s hip enough to bruise. He yanked them closer, bodies mashing together, hands grabbing at bare skin, mouths ripping apart to gulp air before smashing back harder. Hips bucked, tension stretching tight like a fuse about to blow.

They finally broke apart, foreheads pressed together as they panted for breath.

Ethan grinned, without doubt, just a bold hunger. “I want you so fucking much,” he whispered, voice shaky but serious. His fingers twisted into Logan’s hair, tugging harder as he pressed his naked body closer. “I’m done waiting.”

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