Lila
Las Vegas, Nevada
I wake up slowly, the unfamiliar feel of crisp hotel sheets against my skin.
For a moment, I stay still, hoping the haze of sleep will soften the clarity of my memory, but it doesn’t.
It all comes rushing back in vivid detail: the glittering lights of the city around us, Logan dropping to one knee on the Strip, the heat of his gaze, the teasing curve of his smile.
The feel of his hands on my skin, his lips at my ear, the way he made the world outside this room disappear.
And I can’t even blame alcohol since I’d had a glass of champagne and a mojito.
Logan’s strong arms are around my waist, my back flush against the warm, solid ridges of his chest. Even in sleep, he holds me like I’m something he doesn’t want to let go.
I gently pull his arms from around me, scooting slowly out of his grasp, careful not to disturb his steady rhythm of breathing.
He is still asleep. I can see the sharp edge of his jawline, the slight furrow in his brow even in rest. His dark brown hair is a mess and somehow it makes him look impossibly human.
I’m not a tag chaser. My life’s been intertwined with the military for too long to willingly add another layer to it.
And for all I know, Logan’s the kind of guy who doesn’t mind getting tangled in bedsheets with girls chasing that fantasy.
But he kissed me like I mattered. And even though I don’t do this.
Even though I don’t sleep with guys I just met, not even the one I agreed to marry, I’m no better than the girls posted up in military bars, waiting for the next uniform to walk through the door and sweep them off their feet.
My cheeks burn. I like control, stability, things that make sense.
One-night stands don’t make sense. They’re confusing and messy.
But he’s so beautiful. Those piercing gray-blue eyes are imprinted in my mind and the way they lit up when I told him about my new job, like he’d genuinely cared, unraveled something in my heart.
He shifts slightly beside me, and I freeze, biting my lip. Will he feel awkward when he wakes up?
I can’t blame him. After all, we met less than twelve hours ago, drawn together by some unexplainable chemistry that pulled me in faster than I could stop it.
But I’d felt alive with him. There is no other way to describe it. He’d seen me—not just the surface me, but the me who craves adventure even though I always play it safe. The me who wants more than just plans and lists and predictable, immaculate outcomes.
I glance at him again, running my hands over my face and through last night’s knotted curls.
His face is so relaxed now, but there is strength in the set of his jaw, the faint shadow of stubble along his skin.
He stretches his right arm across the bed, and I can’t help but notice the definition of muscle beneath the dark lines of his tattoos.
My gaze traces the ink I’d been too distracted to study last night.
It suits him—strong and intricate, bold but not overpowering.
I see the partial lines of what looks to be a broken sword, the handle nearly touching his hand on the side of his forearm, the jagged blade reaching up toward his elbow and ending abruptly where it’s intersected by a very detailed fighter jet.
The self-deprecating part of me scoffs. Of course he’s this perfect.
But that’s what the military does—it takes lanky, immature boys and shapes them into men.
Irresistible men. Men who belong to something bigger than themselves.
The kind you can’t help but look at, even knowing you’ll always come second.
My mom is proof of that. So am I. And once Logan finishes training, he’ll be sent across the world, chasing missions and orders.
He flies F-22s—I know exactly what that means.
A knot of disappointment is heavy in my chest. I’ll never see him again. That’s the deal, though. This was one night, a memory to take with me back to Virginia, back to my real life—a reminder that for one moment, I’d let myself really live, regardless of the inevitable ending.
Logan isn’t mine to keep and I’m not the type of girl to cling to things that aren’t meant to be.
I slip out of bed, carefully tiptoeing toward the bathroom. I can’t exactly leave, this is my hotel room, but I also can’t stay in bed with Logan sleeping so peacefully beside me. Not when my thoughts are racing like this.
I grab my phone from the nightstand and open the group chat with Alinna and Ivy.
LILA: 7:30 still to meet for the hike?
Before I lose my nerve, I text again.
LILA: Don’t freak out, but I brought Logan back to my room last night.
I make my way to the bathroom, shutting the door as softly as I can. I lean back against it, sliding to the floor, and focus on the cool tile against my overheated skin.
A buzz comes from my phone.
IVY: That’s our girl! ;) you better spill!
IVY: And yeah, 7:30.
Before I can answer, Alinna chimes in.
ALINNA: Are you okay? Are we calling an extraction team or are you just bragging?
I smile despite myself. They’ll surely pull every detail out of me once I see them. I glance at the clock on my phone: 6:48 a.m. I have just enough time to shower and get myself together.
I peel off the oversized T-shirt I’d thrown on at some point during the night, twist my hair into a clip on top of my head, and step into the shower. The warm water pours over my back, soothing me.
My mind drifts back to Logan. The way he’d kissed me—slow, deliberate, as if he’d had all the time in the world. The way his hands had felt on my skin, calloused, careful.
I shake my head and reach for the face wash.
There is something about him that feels so easy, so natural.
I sigh, rinsing my face. It doesn’t matter how I feel. This was a one-night thing.
By the time I step out of the shower, my resolve is back. I wrap a towel around myself and get dressed in the slate-blue leggings and matching one-strap cropped tank I’d brought for the hike. The color reminds me of Logan’s eyes. I outwardly groan.
I quickly run my curling iron through my long hair, adding some loose waves, and then apply mascara to my lashes before glancing at my reflection in the mirror. My skin is glowing, whether from the shower or from last night, I’m not sure. Either way, I look different. Lighter.
I take a calming breath and open the bathroom door.
Logan’s sitting up in bed looking at something on his phone.
The sheet rests low on his waist, his sculpted body on full display in the soft morning light.
His gaze flicks to me as I step into the room, and a slow, lazy smile spreads across his handsome face.
“Morning,” he says, his voice rough with sleep, the rasp of it sliding over my skin like a caress.
He drops his phone on the bed beside him.
“Morning,” I manage, my voice embarrassingly breathless. I cross the room to grab my sneakers, hyper-aware of every inch of space between us. My fingers fumble with the laces as I kneel.
“You’re up early,” he says, leaning back against the headboard. His bicep flexes as he rests his arm behind his head, the casual sprawl of him almost criminal.
I shrug, looking away from him and back to my shoes and yanking my laces a little too tight. “Maid-of-honor duty calls. We’re going hiking.” I stand but my eyes remain locked on the floor.
He nods, his expression unreadable, though his eyes still gleam with something sharp and knowing. “That color looks good on you.”
My head snaps up, and I swear my face catches fire. I glance at the ceiling, sending up a silent thanks that I rarely ever miss my morning barre class. “Thanks,” I mumble, pretending to pick a piece of lint off my leggings just to give myself something to do.
“So…hiking,” he drawls, dragging the word out like he’s testing it. “Sounds fun. Do you guys do that a lot, or is it a Vegas thing?”
“It’s a pre-wedding thing,” I rush out. “The bride’s idea. Something about bonding with nature before we catch the red-eye home tonight.”
Logan laughs, the sound rough and devastatingly sexy.
“Ah,” he says, standing up, wearing only boxer briefs.
He stretches his arms above his head and the movement pulls every muscle taut, the ripple of them beneath his skin is hypnotic.
When he drops his arms, he tilts his head, watching me like he’s weighing his options.
His expression is innocent, cute even, but the way his eyes dance has me bracing for whatever he’s about to say.
“You could be late?” He bends to grab his jeans, sliding them on slowly, like he’s giving me time to change my mind.
I freeze, heart lodging in my throat. I don’t mean to but my gaze shifts to the bed. What would happen if I just crawled back into it? One step. One tug on his arm. I know he’d let me.
“I can’t, I already missed last night.” I don’t try to mask the longing. I don’t want to leave him. The idea of it makes my heart ache. But it doesn’t make any sense.
“Well, I hope you enjoy the hike,” he says, but there’s a teasing lilt to his voice—like he knows I’ll be thinking about his suggestion the entire time I’m out there. “Lila, this was—”
“I should go,” I blurt, my heart slamming against my ribs. I grab my water bottle like it’s a lifeline and rush to the door so fast I nearly trip over my own feet.
He watches me, amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth.
I linger for half a second too long, rooted in place, pulse roaring in my ears.
He’s across the room before I can move, his hands settling on my hips like they’ve been there a hundred times before.
“I had a really good time last night,” he says, voice low.
My heart catches. “Me too,” I whisper, and it may be the most honest thing I’ve ever said.
He leans in, brushing his lips over mine like a promise he can’t keep but desperately wants to. Then he smiles softly, almost shy. “Bye, Lila.”
“Bye, Logan.” My voice is breathy and I mentally slap myself for letting him have such an effect. “I really do have to go.”
A flicker of sadness crosses his face. “Okay,” he says, but the word feels heavy, like it hurts to say.
Then I am gone, stepping into the hallway and shutting the door behind me. Closing my eyes, I lean against it hoping to take a second to steady myself.
I suck in a breath as my phone buzzes again.
IVY: Get down here! We need all the spicy details.
I stare at the screen, my mind a kaleidoscope of Logan’s smile, his voice, and the way he’d said my name like it was something special. I can’t let myself dwell on it. Whatever spark I thought I felt, whatever warmth lingered when he kissed me goodbye, it doesn’t matter.
He’s just another fleeting moment in a city built on them. Except this one feels like it’s going to haunt me for a very long time.