Page 34 of Defensive Desire

Logan grunts. "Eli's been trying to set me up since I joined the Icehawks. He thinks I need a good woman to 'settle my wild ways.'"

"Do you? Have wild ways?"

Those blue eyes lock onto mine, intense and unreadable. "Not the kind he means."

I open my mouth to ask what kind he does mean, but the words catch in my throat. My mind races with possibilities—images of Logan's large hands gripping my hips, his mouth hot against my neck, those wild ways playing out in a tangle of sheets.

Heat blooms across my chest and creeps up my neck. I reach for my water glass, suddenly parched.

When Eli returns with our beers and takes our food orders, I watch Logan navigate the menu with surprising knowledge.

"I'll have the shepherd's pie," I tell Eli.

Logan looks impressed. "Good choice. Eli makes it with Guinness gravy."

"You know Eli's recipes?"

"I've eaten here enough times." He orders the same thing, then turns back to me. "Most people order the burger. It's safer."

"I don't do safe," I say without thinking, then immediately blush as Logan catches my drift.

His eyes darken. "No. I'm starting to realize that about you."

After we start eating, the conversation flows easier than I expected. Maybe it's the warm atmosphere of the tavern, or the beer loosening our tongues, but Logan seems more relaxed than usual.

"So," I say, cutting into my shepherd's pie. "The community program. Arena café space. We're doing well, right?"

Logan nods. "Good opportunity for you."

"It is. If we win." I take a sip of beer, feeling bold. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm reaching too high, you know? Like maybe I should just be happy with what I have."

"Why?"

The simple question catches me off guard.

"Because... I don't know. Because that's what people expect? My mom certainly thinks Chapter & Grind is just a phase. She didn't even stop by my booth today... can you believe that?"

I hadn't meant to say that last part. It slips out, carrying more hurt than I intended.

Logan sets down his fork, giving me his full attention. "That's her loss, Em."

"Is it? Sometimes I think she might be right. That I'm just playing at being a businesswoman. My sister has it all figured out… the husband, the kids, the suburban dream. And here I am, thirty-one and still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up."

"You're not playing at anything." Logan's voice is firm, certain. "You're building something real. People feel it when they walk into your place."

"They do?"

"Yeah. Trust me. It feels like..." He searches for the words that seem like they come easier between us lately. "Like somewhere to land. Somewhere safe."

The sincerity in his voice makes my chest tight. "You really see that?"

"Absolutely. Plus, you're stubborn as hell," he says with a smile that I can't help but gawk at. "That's what makes it work. You don't give up. Ever."

Logan clears his throat, looking almost embarrassed by his own openness.

"Need another beer?" he asks.

"Yeah. I could use one."

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