Page 23 of Attractive Forces
But I’m pretty sure envy hangs out in your gut, and this feeling has settled lower than that.
What. The. Hell.
Yep, it appears my groin has decided to have a reaction to the sight of Logan Madison’s naked chest.
It’s like I’ve had a bucket of cold lake water chucked over my head. This truth has been circling me like snowflakes in a blizzard, but I’ve been doing a crazy dance, trying not to let them settle on my shoulders.
Now they’re melting into me, imparting some impossible truth.
I’m attracted to Logan.
My stomach has finally decided to react, hurling nausea my way.
I automatically reach for my phone. Which is kind of a stupid move at this point. What am I going to do? Type ‘Am I gay’ into Google? Right here, right now, surrounded by Logan and his friends?
Am I going to try to find some kind of checklist to see if I match the clinical description for gayness?
Even better, I should just ask Siri, right? See what response I get.
I can’t deny what I’m feeling while I’m watching Logan goes beyond the realm of friendship. Several galaxies beyond.
Luckily Logan is completely oblivious to the nuclear meltdown happening inside my brain. He finishes stripping, then joins his friends as they run toward the lake. They whoop and holler as they plunge themselves into the icy water, splashing each other because, you know, idiocy.
Adam and Maeve are the only ones who remain at the fire. They’ve both stood up so they can watch the insanity without obstruction. I join them, all three of us automatically moving closer to the crackling fire because it appears just watching people plunge into icy water makes you cold. Adam and Maeve have their phones out to record their friends’ antics, but I leave mine in my pocket and just watch. Even in the dim light, half-submerged in the lake, Logan glows like a beacon, holding my attention.
Logan and his friends don’t last long in the water before staggering back to the fire like it’s the elixir of life.
I suck in a breath as Logan picks his way gingerly across the pebbles on the beach, his arms wrapped around himself.
“It was actually quite warm in the water,” he says, teeth chattering as he comes over to where I’m standing. I move back automatically so he can get closer to the fire.
He’s dripping wet, and this close, I can see the goosebumps on his skin, the droplets carving their way down his body.
Yep, it appears I’m just as attracted to a wet Logan as I am to a dry one.
“Sure, it was warm.” My voice shivers almost as much as his.
Logan shakes his hair and rubs his hands up and down his arms vigorously.
He throws me a grin. “You’re about to tell me how it only seemed warm because of how cold the air is, right?”
I have to swallow hard before I can reply. “I believe that is the scientific principle.”
A high-pitched squawk draws my attention away from Logan.
“I’m not wearing wet underwear all night,” Jennifer says on the other side of the fire. Which starts an intense debate among the shivering participants about what to do now. No one is keen to put on their clothes over wet underwear.
Maybe they should have thought about these logistics before heading into the lake? I decide not to mention this.
Eventually, they decide the best solution is to remove wet underwear and go commando, but it leads to an animated discussion about whether the girls or guys get to stay by the fire to get dressed.
Logan leads the chivalry, heading to the car park to get changed behind the cars. I tag along with the guys because I don’t want to be accused of perving at the girls. Although, where my mind’s at tonight, there’s a bigger danger of being caught staring at the rugby players.
My skin feels weird as if it’s too tight for me now. It’s like the knowledge I’m attracted to Logan has caused my insides to expand and my exterior hasn’t caught up yet.
Luckily Logan with clothes on is easier to cope with than Logan only in wet boxers.
I trail back to the fire after him, trying to work out how to handle my new reality.
