Page 73 of Coff

The idea of someone bursting in here when we are in the middle of nowhere scares me. At least Duke has his gun. Wait, he can’t; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten on the plane.

“Duke had a gun but—”

Logan stares at me. “I made him get rid of it when you were in the bathroom at the rental car place.”

I swallow as I stare back at him. “Do you have a gun?”

He shakes his head.

They have a stocked house but they don’t keep a gun here? Wait, if no one has a weapon…a tear escapes. “What if someone breaks in with a gun?”

“Hey,” he says. “I don’t need a gun to protect us. Trust me, all right?”

I nod, but I’m still scared.

“Come here,” he says as he pulls me into his arms.

My hands are plastered against his chest, and I don’t move. He rubs his hand up and down my back, and with just that movement, I’m transported to all those years ago when being in his arms felt so natural. I relax and move my hands down and around his back. It doesn’t go unnoticed that he is solid muscle under his shirt. He’s filled out since I knew him. And despite the fact I was scared a minute ago, all I can think of now is what he might look like without his shirt on.

“What the hell is going on?” Duke asks.

We break apart. “He was just comforting me.”

Duke crosses his arms. “Was he now? Or is he taking advantage of you?”

Logan walks over to Duke. “It was only a hug. Now we should all get some sleep.”

“He’s right. Come on, Delaney, I’ll walk you to your bedroom.” He glares at Logan.

I’m too tired to deal with Duke right now, so I go.

Once inside, Duke leans down. “You should lock your door.”

I check, and sure enough, the door does have a lock. I nod, and as soon as it’s closed, I lock it to appease him.

The bedroom has a bathroom attached, and in there is a toothbrush and toothpaste. I brush my teeth, then climb into bed.

Duke was right to interrupt. Even if Logan was only comforting me, my thoughts were starting to go somewhere else. Somewhere they can’t go. Not as long as I’m married. Even if it isn’t a marriage of love, I have to be free from Nelson before I even consider anything with Logan.

What the hell am I even thinking? The man comforted me; he didn’t hit on me. I take a deep breath. If I don’t get out of my own head, I will drive myself crazy. I might not have my phone, but I can do the bedtime meditation from memory. And that’s what I force myself to do, even though it’s a struggle to keep thoughts of what Coff would look like without a shirt on out of my head.

CHAPTER13

Logan

Once Delaney and Duke are in their bedrooms, I fall back onto the sofa, wondering what the hell I just did. Why did I pull her into my arms? She was upset, and the urge to hold her was too strong to deny. And once she relaxed, it felt right.

Maybe I’m not the right person to be protecting her. Can I even be objective? Throughout the drive today, I found my mind wandering back to the past. That’s not something I can afford to have happen again. I must stay focused.

Maybe I’ll ask Reed in the morning if someone else can take over. Who’s not out on assignment? I quickly scan the messages from the guys. We have an official text chain that includes our boss, Reed. But then there is another one that doesn’t, and it’s basically the guys cracking jokes.

Durango and Axel are in town. Ozzie is, too, and he’s my first choice because I’m fully aware he’s hung up on someone, which means he wouldn’t look twice at Delaney. But the other two are the other single guys in the group. The idea of one of them being there for Delaney when she cries or needs help doesn’t sit right. Dammit. I need to suck up how I’m feeling and stay here with them.

I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

Glass breaks, and I jump up and look around.

“Sorry,” Duke says. “I dropped a glass.”

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