Micky stood transfixed and confused by the obvious chemistry between them. His eyes narrowed, following her fingers to the wound, trying to make sense of it all. As his discomfort grew, he cleared his throat, shaking Kristen's arm to jolt her back to the present.
“You remember Micky, don't you Logan?” Astounded by the ferocity of her emotions, her body tautened. Blinking herself back to reality, she held Logan's gaze as his right hand roamed up and down her back.
“Logan, how's it going?” Micky thrust his hand out to Logan. With a vacant stare, he gripped it with his left hand, pulling her even tighter against him with the other. She couldn't breathe.
Micky had no idea what was going on, but applied his usual professional discretion to mask it, leading them to their table.
After they ordered, Micky delved right into it, hashing over the major details of the case and sharing his opinions. The entire time, Logan focused on Kristen, his leg glued to hers while running his fingers along the inside of her thigh. Every so often he brought his eyes to Micky, but he never heard one word he said.
Gulping, Kristen did her best to stay alert and keep Micky from veering off track. The heat spread rapidly from her body to her face, intensifying. She knew Micky saw it, sensed his discomfort.
I hope he doesn’t think it’s because of him. Oh well, either way I look like fool.
Without warning, she rose to her feet, excused herself, and ran to the restroom.
She staggered to the sink. Supported by the countertop she took deep, desperate breaths. Things were definitely not going the way she expected. Her brain was mush; it was impossible to think let alone comprehend one word that Micky said. And when she made an effort to focus by staring directly at him, it made her terribly uneasy. All because of Logan, the magnitude of her reaction to his touch, maddening.
I have to overcome these desires. I have to forget our steamy history. I have to behave like a logical, responsible woman. A mother.
The self-talk didn’t help, her face was still bright red. Growing more distressed, she splashed cold water on it over and over.
I never should've agreed to this! Who the hell am I trying to fool?
She sighed, holding her trembling hands in front of her. With a frustrated cry, she clasped them together rubbing vigorously until they finally settled down.
Logan waited for her outside of the ladies’ room. Before she could utter a word in protest, he pinned her to the wall, his lips crushing hers, his tongue rammed in her mouth. The room spinning, she clung to him, her hands clasped in his hair. Time stood still and she was lost in him.
Wait! Everything is wrong, already out of control and we haven't even eaten yet. Pulling her hands from his head, she pushed him away.
“We can't do this Logan.” She stopped to take a breath. “You have to take this seriously.” Still breathless, she sucked in more air.
His eyes glimmered, fading to a paler shade of blue “I am very serious!” He reached for her face.
“I mean your case! You know what I mean!” In a struggle to control the volume of her voice and blood pressure, she found herself failing on both and let out an exasperated sigh. “Let’s go back. He's waiting.”
“Not yet,” he moaned, sinking into her.
Her eyes ablaze, she gave him a hard shove. “You want him to charge you extra? Come on! This is your life you're playing with!”
“I can't help it if you're so irresistible!” He chuckled, rushing to kiss her before she could resist.
“And you are very drunk!” Grabbing his arm, she dragged him back into the dining area. Not letting the silly grin dissuade her, she steered him back to the table.
Micky raised an eyebrow, trying to hide his annoyance. After downing his second beer, and ordering another round for all of them, his demeanor changed and he went on to tell them about the possibility of a plea bargain. This time, he had Logan’s undivided attention.
“One to two years in prison? Is this a fucking joke? No, no way! She broke into my house!” Troubled, he stared at Kristen expecting a magical fix.
“What are his chances of getting off completely if he goes to trial?” Aware she needed to brace herself for the worst possible scenario, she surrendered to the beer, finishing half of it in one long gulp.
Micky’s focus drifted to her lips on the bottle. Once she dropped the bottle on the table, he regained his train of thought.
“There's always a risk of losing and getting more time. Let me get with the D.A. and I'll have a better idea. The longer it takes, the riskier it gets. Especially if she doesn't pull through.”
Kristen's heart throbbed with a debilitating ferocity. Logan's jaw dropped, he paled staring at him without blinking. After downing some more beer, Micky locked on Logan, hoping to avoid further distraction. “I heard she's still in a coma.”
Logan and Kristen had a simultaneous outburst. “A coma!”
“Fuck! You mean she could die?” Logan grabbed his head in disbelief.
Micky nodded, gesturing for more drinks.
Kristen twirled around to face Logan. The color in his face had drained to a lifeless chalk white hue. His hand searched under the table, gripping hers. She slid her leg next to his.
How could this be? With the utterance of one devastating word, the bad dream had turned into an inescapable nightmare.
* * *
Logan’s car was already in his spot, when she pulled into the parking garage at the condo. 3:00 p.m.—much later than she had thought. Where had the time gone?
What the hell are you doing Kristen? That voice in her head again and she knew the answer all too well. Once again she was out of her head from the beer and controlled by desire. Only this time it was different, a critical situation, a matter of life and death. One that wiped everything else out of her mind except the threat of prison looming overhead like the plague that proved hard to accept.
His hot breath on her neck, startled her. When she whipped around they were face to face.
With one soft touch, his eyes bore into her, his whisper haunting. “Let's go up.”
“I can't stay long, Logan.”
Her words fell on deaf ears.
4:30 p.m. Anxious to get in and out of the shower, she tripped over the clothes strewn haphazardly on the floor. After the last time though, the lesson was clear—regardless of the time, always shower before going home to Jake. Otherwise, it be would be a fast path to disaster.
Being alone with Logan definitely had not been on her agenda for the day. The threat of him going to prison for years, the knowledge that he did it for her, the overwhelming anxiety over the surfacing of the truth, propelled her into it. So, it wasn’t a conscious choice, which meant no guilty conscience whatsoever. Then why wouldn’t it sink into her head?
She hadn't spoken to Jake since the morning but suspected he would be home in a few hours. Whatever her reason for ending up in bed with Logan was, if he found out, she feared it would be over for good. It was crucial that she beat him home and pick up Alex from Cassandra.
Before returning to the bedroom, she examined her image in the bathroom mirror. It was unrecognizable and it wasn't just the fact that her hair was shorter, her tummy and hips a little plumper. No, more than that—she was different, a total stranger.
Logan leaned on one arm, eyeing her, she crouched on the floor by the bed. His eyes were filled with the bittersweet mixture of despair and desire.