Page 54 of The Lost and the Found

“Step on my foot,” he repeated.

I frowned. I did hear him right. “Why?”

He let out a low chuckle, wrapping his arms around my waist and hauling me up against his body until we were chest to chest. I wasn’t wearing a bra—this dress didn’t allow it, and I have never been so aware of that until now.

I let out a small gasp.

“Later, baby,” he promised. “Now, step on my foot. I’ll lead, and I won’t let you fall.”

Later? Hmmm…

“I might hurt you,” I said.

He rolled his eyes. “Please. You can’t weigh more than ninety pounds soaking wet.”

I scowled. Only Logan could make me forget about everything but how much he could annoy me with his words. “I’ll have you know, I weigh in the triple digits.”

“A hundred then,” he said, tweaking my nose. I didn’t miss the amusing glint in his green eyes. I stepped on his feet, no longer worried about hurting him. Logan looked like he wanted to laugh.

The song ended then, and a slower one picked up immediately. We couldn’t have timed it better. I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning in close until there wasn’t a single inch of space between us.

I looked into his eyes, and everything ceased to exist. From the way those strangers stared at us, to Gage and Clarissa, to the band. They all disappeared, and nothing mattered but Logan and me.

Logan began to move. I tightened my arms around him and, even though I was standing on his feet, he was still taller than me. Still so strong and secure. So fearless. I cupped his cheek, running my soft hands against his stubble.

“Look at this,” he said, swaying gently to the music.

“What?” I asked softly.

“Look at how perfectly you fit in my arms. Like you belong here. Like you belong with me.”

I looked down to where our bodies touched, and I knew my eyes were sad when I looked back up at him. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

“You belong to me,” he said with conviction. “You’re mine. And I can’t let you go, Hayden. I don’t know how.”

He sounded pained when he said that, and I didn’t know what to make of it.

“I’m not yours.” My hands moved down, from his jaw to his neck and, finally, to his chest. “I spent so long being mine, I don’t know how to be anyone else’s.”

Least of all, yours,I didn’t add.

“You’re doing great, as far as I can tell.”

“I have been trying everything to make us not happen from the start. And you say that’s a good thing?”

He threw his head back and laughed, and I noticed we hadn’t been dancing to the beat of the music for a while. I didn’t mind, and it didn’t look like he did either.

“Everything about you is perfect. Even when you fight me.”

He leaned down and kissed me, and I closed my eyes, savoring the taste of him. I didn’t care that we were in a room full of people. I didn’t care that everyone here had more money than me and was probably judging me from a distance. I didn’t even care that Gage might not like me, because Logan was kissing me, and that was all that mattered in that moment.

He pulled back and I noticed his heart beating frantically beneath my palm. I did that to him.

“I think we’ve been here long enough. It’s time to go home.” He looked at me, his dark eyes assessing. “Home with me,” he added thoughtfully, and didn’t move until I nodded in agreement.

“Okay,” I breathed out. I might regret this later, but right now, I couldn’t think of why that might be. I just wanted to be with him. I wanted a night where I felt safe, and Logan made me feel safe.

His smile couldn’t be described as anything but radiant as he helped me off his feet and led us back to the table. I was still barefoot, and I didn’t care if it made everyone stare at me.

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