Page 20 of Ransomed to the World
She glanced at him over her shoulder, and he leaned forward, gently rubbing a finger across the furrows between her brows, as if to brush away her worries. “He doesn’t like that you’re in danger because of him.”
“That’s ridiculous. I—”
“And he needs to work that out for himself.” The rest of the guys headed back toward camp, keeping them in sight, but giving them as much privacy as they could. Logan fiddled with her fingers, not meeting her gaze. “I’m not sure if you know what it’s like for a guy to see his mate in danger. Our primal instincts take over. While we might know you can take care of yourself, it’s another thing to curb our impulse to protect.”
Annora wanted to roll her eyes. “Do you think it’s any different for a girl?”
Logan gaped at her, his mouth parting slightly. “I…that’s…you…” He huffed under his breath. “It isn’t the same.”
She snorted at the absurdity.
“Maybe?” He no longer looked so certain. He studied her out of the corner of his eye, then shook his head. “Since you’re our pack grá, it’s possible the same instinct could be riding you too.”
When they arrived back at the camp, the whole area had been broken down. The supplies were put away, the fire put out, the place wiped clean, leaving few signs that they had ever been there. Stepping into the clearing was like a signal, and everyone leaned down and retrieved their bags.
They were on the trail in under five minutes.
Logan lingered at her side, watching her more than the trail, and she didn’t have the heart to scold him. “Tell me more about this pack grá idea of yours. Somehow, I have a feeling that you guys haven’t told me everything.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “To be honest, we’ve been a little busy with other things.”
She hummed and nodded, conceding the point to him. He jumped over a fallen tree that blocked the path, then reached back, grabbed her around the waist, and swung her over it. She fell against his chest, and his breathing seemed to stop, his gaze dropping to her mouth.
“You can kiss me if you want,” she whispered.
He’d kept his distance from her ever since his return, and she worried he blamed her for the terrible things that were done to him.
Not that she could fault him.
Because he would be right.
“Hey…stop that.” He cupped her chin, lifting her face up to his. “I want nothing more than to kiss you.” He tunneled his fingers into her hair, holding her still, his lips a hair’s breadth from her own. “I just want our first time together to be perfect.”
Up close, she could see his eyes were dilated, his grip almost rough, a tremor going through him.
He was…nervous?
Of her?
She grabbed his wrists, then pulled his arms down, trapping his hands between them.
“Sit.” She gave him a little push, and he plopped down on the log they just crawled over. He looked up at her with lust darkening his wide blue eyes, only a slight trepidation remaining, and he gripped his knees to keep from reaching for her.
She began to pace back and forth, her breathing ragged from agitation. The guys remained in sight, but turned their backs to give them privacy.
“Annora…” Logan reached out and snagged her arm as she passed, pulling her to a stop.
He looked hesitant, almost afraid, as he gazed up at her, and she clutched at him, panic threatening to claw up her insides. “I know I’m pushing you. I don’t give a shit about the sex, but I can feel you pulling away, and I can’t stand the idea of not having you in my life.”
His grip on her hand tightened almost painfully, and she covered his mouth with her palm when he tried to speak, panic quickening her pulse. “My uncle nearly destroyed you—nearlykilledyou—and I don’t know how to make things better between us.”
Logan stood slowly until he loomed over her, his eyes so bright they nearly sparkled. He kissed her palm, then peeled her hand off his mouth and pressed it to his chest, where she could feel his heart beat erratically. “You will never lose me. It’s impossible, since you are in here.”
He didn’t smile, didn’t joke, his usual easy charm gone.
All that was left was just him as he bared himself to her.
Her breath shuddered out of her, and she pressed her forehead against his chest and sagged in relief. Then she pulled back and nodded. “Okay. Good.”
