Page 70 of A Dash of You

“The kind that is struggling like hell not to cross that line with hisfriend.”

I guess I deserve that but my heart flutters, anyway. Logan isn’t only flirting, he is being transparent, and I can see straight through him. Right now, I’m playing with his feelings. One minute I’m running away and the next, I’m basically telling him to throw himself at me.

I want so badly to swim the tiny distance between us. To throw my arms around his neck and feel his skin against mine like back at the motel. But it’s not fair to him in the end. So, I take the cowardly way out and hold my breath, drowning everything out. But the problem with temporary solutions… the predicament is always there when you come back.

I swim away from the man, needing to escape, but pop back up only a short distance away. “You claim you can swim, but can you catch me?”

What am I doing?

But is there a rule saying we can’t have a little fun regardless of the fucked-up situation?

He grins, sending my heart screaming with excitement as he dips underwater.

Oh God.

My arms burn with each stroke, my muscles yelling for me to stop. Only when Logan catches up to me is when I freeze. Water sprays over us and what he does next is completely unexpected.His powerful arm wraps around my waist, pulling my naked form against his. With my breasts pressing against his stone like chest, every breath in me diminishes. I struggle to find air—struggle to find the words as I’m held up against his firm body. Logan is unmatched, and it scares me to my core. This natural pull between us is becoming impossible to ignore, and my body is howling for me to accept it.

“I caught you,” he whispers with such gruffness that I want to burst into flames.

Jesus.

My hands itch to move on his skin as he has me trapped within his grasp with no way of escape.

But would I even want to?

I play with his chest, the tips of my fingers slowly creating circles on his wet skin.

The toe-curling sensation rushes between my thighs and ignites my entire body.

His eyes move to my lips, then slowly back until I’m lost in his stare. There’s aneedbehind those eyes.

“What if I can’t be caught? What if this can’t be anything more than what it is?” The words are faint, quiet, leaving my lips. Like I need to say them, but don’t want him to hear them.

And just like that, the fire dies. The light slowly dwindles, leaving my heart aching with sadness.

“Then I’ll let go,” he tells me. The words sound like a broken song. “But only if that’s what you want. If that’s the only reason because I swear to God, Sora...” He sucks in a troubled breath, letting it out slowly.

It’s not. What I really want is to know what Logan tastes like. The man holding me so tightly in his arms. To answer my curiosity about what every part of him is like. But it’s just not realistic and I’m living in a fever dream.

I gently push at his chest and the arm once wrapped so tightly around me lets go and the world suddenly becomes too great again.

The water moves around us as his presence slowly fades away.

“Logan—”

“You don’t owe me a damn thing. I’ve told you that before.”

“Just… just wait and let me get this out, please.”

His throat bobs, him in silence, letting me continue.

“My life is complicated right now. Extremely complicated. And… you’re right, I am running, and I’ll always be hiding. Dragging you down with me isn’t fair.”

He swims back over to me. His ocean blue eyes I get lost in turn dark. The color of the sky on a stormy day. “Whoare you running from?” Such power, intensity behind his question. I want to confess. Want to seek comfort in him but…

I shake my head. “The less you know, the better.” I swim past him, heading for the pier, and when I reach it, I pull myself up, not caring if he sees me in my vulnerable state.

I grab my top, letting it stick to my skin as I pull it over my head, then shimmy into my shorts.

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