Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Olivia
The world is full of magic things,
patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.
~ W.B. Yeats
We walk quietly back to Logan’s apartment. He looks down at me with a devastating grin. I’m cupping my bowl of ice cream like a security blanket. When we get to his door, Logan puts his hand on the small of my back, opens the door and gently ushers me in. Rhett trots along beside us, picking something up off the threshold on his way in.
“What do you have, sweetie?” I ask Rhett.
Logan looks down and chuckles.
“Where do these things keep coming from?” he asks. “I could have sworn nothing was in my doorway when I left here only minutes ago.”
“Maybe you were preoccupied,” I suggest.
“Oh, I definitely was.” He looks down at me.
His eyes are molten. Still steely blue, but with a heat that’s nearly overwhelming. I’ve never seen this side of Logan Alexander. I’ve caught and misread glimpses of his kindness. But I’ve never seen Logan when his laser-focus and attraction was centered on someone. And that someone is me.
“Drop it, Rhett,” Logan commands.
Rhett plops the fortune cookie on the floor in front of himself and looks up at us with a forlorn expression.
“Can he have a T-R-E-A-T?” I ask Logan.
Rhett starts dancing around.
“I hate to break it to you, but he can spell treat, and walk, and food . I’ve spelled those words far too often to my dog walkers and family over the years. He made the association. And, yes, he can have a treat. Wait here.”
Logan returns with a handful of treats. He looks over at me and waggles his brows. “This is going to do you in, Pennington. You already loved my dog. Now he’s going to be irresistible.”
He’s not the only one who is irresistible . I smile at Logan.
“Okay, Rhett. Don’t let me down, buddy. We’re here to impress.”
I cross my legs and sit on the floor, taking a bite of my ice cream, my attention fixed on Logan far more than Rhett.
Logan lifts his arms to form a circle off to his side. His deep, commanding voice is all serious business when he says, “Jump, Rhett.”
Rhett leaps into the air, flying through the hoop of Logan’s arms.
“Of course you can’t do something simple, like sit or down ,” I tease.
“He does those tricks too. But I’m here to impress you, Olivia. Not to show you an average night with an average dog.”
“Well, it worked. I’m impressed.”
Our eyes lock, and we both know who’s really impressing me.
“Good. But the show’s not over. Rhett loves to show off. Especially when he really likes someone.”
“And … he likes me?” There’s a note of question in my voice.
“More than he likes most people.”
I smile. “I like him more too. Than most people.”
Logan doesn’t look away from me. He stands over me, treats in hand, Rhett sitting at his feet. The way Logan stares into my eyes, transparent and guileless, sends chills skittering down my arms. I’ve never felt so simultaneously vulnerable and safe. I want to jump up and wrap my arms around Logan, to kiss him again—to talk until we fall asleep. But I’m not as brave as he is, so I smile shyly and turn my eyes toward my bowl of ice cream to take another bite.
“Next, Rhett will act out a movie scene,” Logan says. “Ready?”
“I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life,” I admit. “Also, how many hours have you spent training him? This is worthy of America’s Got Talent .”
“An embarrassing number of hours, to be honest, but I love it. Time with Rhett relaxes me. And he likes learning tricks.”
It occurs to me that it will take a lifetime to unearth all of Logan Alexander’s layers. And my new mission is to keep discovering his numerous facets for as long as he will let me.
“Rhett, I’m the bad guy,” Logan says.
Rhett hunkers down with his front paws extended and his rear in the air. He growls at Logan.
Logan picks up a toy bone off the floor. “I’m stealing the money, Rhett!”
Rhett leaps in the air, clamping onto the bone while Logan holds the other end. When Rhett lands, they play tug-of-war. Then Logan lets go.
“You got the money, Rhett. But I’m not happy!”
Rhett runs around the couch. Logan chases him.
“I’m going to get that money back!” Logan says.
Rhett speeds up.
I start laughing. They’re so focused on their act, I don’t know if they even notice my laughter.
“I’m pulling out my gun, Rhett.”
Logan pantomimes pulling a gun and turns his fingers into a pistol.
Rhett stops in his tracks and stares at Logan.
Logan says, “Bang! Bang!”
Rhett spins in a circle, falling down and rolling onto his back until all four legs stiffen in the air. He stays there until Logan says, “Good boy!”
Then Rhett jumps up and sits at Logan’s feet. Logan gives him a treat and pats his head. I’m still laughing softly.
“That was amazing!” I tell them both.
Logan bows. “Thank you. We aim to entertain.”
“Since when?” I say, seriously curious.
“Since you let me.”
Logan has been willing to be this man with me. But my stubbornness kept me from letting him in.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Thank you for forgiving me,” Logan answers. “I did some unfortunate things in high school. I didn’t think through the way everything would impact you. I never meant to hurt you, Olivia.”
He plops down on the ground next to me, crossing his legs in a mirror of my stance. Rhett pads over and crawls into Logan’s lap. Logan scruffs his head.
“Want to open that thing?” Logan offers, tipping his head toward the cookie still sitting on the floor where Rhett dropped it.
“How could we not?”
He grabs the cookie from the floor and tears the wrapper.
Rhett hops off Logan’s lap and runs around excitedly, as if he’s getting a treat.
“Want to do the honors?” he asks.
“You can. I’m busy with my ice cream.”
I lift a spoonful and pop it in my mouth. Logan watches the movement, his eyes lingering on my lips longer than usual. I feel my blush warm my cheeks.
Logan cracks the cookie and pulls out the paper. He tosses the cookie bits to Rhett.
“ This night is the beginning of an amazing future ,” he reads off the paper. Then he looks at me and says, “This is too coincidental.”
In a sudden rush of boldness, I say, “I hope it is.”
“Coincidental?” he asks.
“No. The beginning of an amazing future.”
I glance away from Logan, and he places his fingertips under my chin, turning my face toward his.
“That’s what I want too, Olivia. A future with you. I know that’s a lot to say right now, but we’re not meeting for the first time. You’re not just a coworker I developed an attraction to or a neighbor who caught my eye a month ago. You’ve been a part of my life for nearly as long as I can remember. I know you. And I can’t imagine wanting anyone else.”
“You don’t mess around, do you, Alexander?”
“Call me Logan, just for this.”
“I’m sorry. This is just … a lot. I’ve been running away from you as fast as I could. When I finally stopped running, I saw you for who you are. It’s overwhelming, a bit embarrassing, and a little confusing. But also … amazing. If you are all that you seem to be, I can’t even believe you want me the way you do.”
Logan leans in and kisses my forehead—one soft kiss, placed carefully. My eyes flutter shut, and I sigh. Then he kisses my cheeks, one at a time. When his mouth finds mine, he deftly takes the ice cream bowl out of my hands and kisses me in earnest. He lifts me in one swift motion, and as proficiently as he does everything else in life, he pulls me onto his lap so I’m sideways, my legs extending in front of me, our mouths still connected in a kiss I’ll remember until the day I die.
He runs his hands through my hair, pulling his face back just far enough that we can look into one another’s eyes.
“You are the only woman who challenges me like you do. You’re brilliant, feisty, spirited, but you're also tender, thoughtful, and loyal. I finally woke up to something I’d been dancing around for a long time. You are the only one I want. I know you, Olivia. And you are it for me.”
He kisses me again. His kiss is full of promise and longing, confirming every declaration.
When we separate, I nestle my head on Logan’s shoulder, and he rubs his hand up and down my back.
“It’s a lot to absorb,” I say softly, bleeding the wound so we can move past the residue left in my heart as soon as possible.
“I get it,” Logan says softly. His words vibrate through his chest, rumbling against my cheek. “If the shoe were on the other foot and I discovered you liked me after all we’ve been to one another, I’d be floored and off-kilter for a while too. You’ve got time. Take all you need to get used to this new thing between us. I’m not going anywhere.”
“So …” I tip my head up to look into Logan’s eyes. “What is this new thing, exactly?”
“Ready to DTR so soon, Pennington?” he jokes.
“I kind of need to.”
“How about you tell me?”
“Are you letting me take charge, Alexander?”
He chuckles. “Yeah. I want you to tell me. What do you want here?”
I look at him. “I want you. I want to give this a shot. it might take a little adjustment for me to overcome my fears, but I want this. I want us.”
“Exclusively?”
“It’s not like I’ve got guys banging down my door.”
“Not the point.” He’s back in serious stoic mode, but this time I see him differently. He’s not shutting me out. He’s focused, intent, maybe even as petrified as I am.
“Exclusively,” I assure him. “Just you. You’re it for me, Logan.”
He gives me a broad, relieved smile. And his eyes take on that hungry look again.
“It’s a good thing I’m a master at pacing,” he says with a softer smile.
“What aren’t you a master at?” I tease him.
“Showing you how sorry I am.”
“I think you’ve done a pretty stellar job at that too.”
Instead of saying anything else, he leans in and kisses me softly. This kiss is patient, tender, comfortable. It’s like coming home—coming home to Logan Alexander.
We stay up way later than usual, talking, reminiscing, and kissing. By the time I’m leaving his place well after midnight, I’m far less freaked out. In place of my nervousness, a feeling of anticipation has settled in. I’m Logan Alexander’s girlfriend. Nothing ever felt so surprising … or so right.
We’re standing outside my door.
“Do you want to run with me tomorrow before work?” he offers just before he yawns.
“You mean today? As in, four hours from now?”
“Right. Today.” He shakes his head in disbelief.
“No. I do not want to even get up for work. I want to snuggle up under the covers, roll over and sleep another two or three hours, wake and grab coffee at Serendipi-Tea, and stay in my sweats all day.”
“Mmmm. That sounds good. Want to play hooky?” he asks.
“Logan!” I pull my head back so I can see his whole face. “You’re kidding, right?”
“We both work hard. We could use a day off.”
“And Untethered could use us showing up.”
“You’re right. You’re right. Let’s take a raincheck on skipping work. I’ll get you coffee at Serendipi-Tea. We can sleep in and not run. Will you join me the next day?”
“If you don’t keep me up past midnight again.” I smile up at him.
“No promises, Pennington. Now that I’ve got you, I don’t think I’m going to want to spend too much time apart.”
“I like sleep.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”
We’re quiet, our arms around one another, not wanting to let go of this feeling now that we’ve surrendered to it.
“Good night, Olivia.” Logan bends in and places a soft kiss on my cheek.
I turn and capture his mouth in a kiss—because I can. He pulls me in, kissing me deeply, like the first kiss we shared, deep, full of yearning and years of pent up desire. My exhaustion melts under the heat of his kiss. I’m wide awake, running my hands through his hair, down his back, over the muscles in his arms.
A small voice reminds me how late it is—on a night when I have to wake to go to work. I pull back, placing one final soft kiss on Logan’s lips and running my hand down his jaw.
“Goodnight, Logan,” I whisper, staring up into his eyes.
His voice is deep and raspy, his eyes fixed on mine, a soft, private smile on his lips. “Goodnight, Olivia.”
He backs away slowly, then leans in to place a kiss on my forehead. “Tell me this wasn’t a dream.”
“It’s real,” I assure him.
He nods once and backs away, this time for real.
I stand in my doorway, watching him as he heads back to his place. He turns around just before he rounds the corner into the lounge area and looks at me.
“I want to watch you go into your apartment,” he says with a kind of protectiveness I should buck against, but instead it makes me swoon just a little.
I shake my head in disbelief, but then I turn, open the door, and step inside. I peek out through the opening until it’s shut. The last thing I see is Logan standing there, smiling at me as if I’m all he’s ever wanted in the world.