And she couldn’t imagine anything hurting more.
LOGAN GAZED ACROSS the table at Rachel’s face. She threw her head back and laughed at a bad joke his father had just cracked. Warmth spread throughout his body as he watched her interact with his folks. They’d talked long into the evening and now the last rays of the sunset were throwing vivid red streaks across the sky, made only more beautiful by the pristine reflection on the lake’s surface.
It had taken a little while, but Rachel had finally started to break out of her shell during dinner. Showing her his mother’s wall of memories had helped. He hoped that she was truly convinced now that he wasn’t like her father. That he would never trade love for money. And that he’d never felt this way about anyone before.
It was ridiculous to think that only a couple days ago he’d been fighting his attraction for her. That had been a hopeless battle. He was falling for Rachel and fast. He could only hope that what happened at the gala hadn’t put a wedge between them forever.
“You kids finish up out here,” Nancy said finally, throwing her son a sneaky smile. She tugged on Ned’s arm and pulled him from the table. “The guest rooms are ready for you. Us old folk have an early bedtime. We need to tuck in soon or we’ll forget where we left our dentures tomorrow morning.”
“But it’s only eight-thirty,” Ned protested, looking down at his watch.
Nancy shushed him and pulled him toward the house, nodding conspiratorially at the young couple. Logan wanted to hide his face in his hands. As much as he loved them, sometimes, family could also drive him nuts.
When they’d gone, he peered up from his hands to see Rachel watching him with an expression so sorrowful he thought she was going to burst into tears. The moment their eyes made contact, her face returned to a neutral expression and she stood from her chair to face the lake.
“Rachel?” He wasn’t sure what had caused such a terrible sadness in her, but every muscle in his body ached to comfort her. She leaned on the balcony as he approached and stood next to her. “Is everything okay?”
“Your family is wonderful,” she said softly. Her brown eyes searched the darkening scene before them. “It’s no longer a mystery why you’re such an upstanding guy. I can feel the love here. It’s tangible. Like the water in that lake. You’re so lucky to have them.”
He reached for her hand and held it tight. “I’m lucky to have you, too.”
She glanced up at him, worry clouding her eyes. “Don’t say that.”
“Why?” He softly brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. She closed her eyes, leaning into him. “It’s true. You’re an amazing woman, Rachel. It didn’t take long for you to work your way into my heart. I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
She uttered a sigh as he cupped her cheek and his thumb brushed across her lower lip. Her mouth parted slightly as her chest rose and fell in forceful breaths. He allowed himself a moment to drink in her face, from her delicate eyelashes splayed over her high cheekbones to her generous lips. He’d never seen her look so beautiful, as she did tonight.
He leaned forward until his lips brushed her ear. He felt a shiver go through her and she clasped tighter onto the balcony.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said in a husky voice, heat blazing in his gut. “We don’t need anyone’s permission now.”
She nodded only the tiniest bit, her eyes still closed. Working his hand into the fine hair at the base of her neck, he claimed her mouth as gently as the urgency in his heart would allow. Her desperate sigh in response to his kiss nearly undid him.
She turned fully toward him and placed her hands on his chest. The flame in his gut roared into a wildfire as they embraced, their lips working together. She deepened the kiss with a passion that made him groan. He wanted her. All of her. And nothing would ever come close to this sensation again.
The sweet taste of lemon creme filled his mouth. It was just what he imagined she would taste like. He moved both his hands to the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her long, sleek hair. He’d never felt anything so soft. Rachel pulled at his shirt, causing him to gasp when her hands splayed across the bare skin of his muscular abdomen. She tugged him closer with his belt buckle, until he couldn’t tell where she began and he ended.
When he was sure they were going to start a fire on his parents’ balcony, he gently pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, his breathing labored. She closed her eyes again and sighed.
“You have no idea how many times I’ve imagined doing that,” he whispered with a chuckle. “But my imagination wasn’t nearly as nice as the real thing.”
She laughed softly, disengaging her hands from under his shirt. “I’d have to agree with that.”
He leaned back just enough to scan her face one more time. Her cheeks had a beautiful pink tint to them and her lips appeared swollen. He could look at her forever and never tire of it. An emotion bubbled up in him, so strong he couldn’t deny it. Before he could stop himself, it had spilled out onto his tongue.
“Rachel, I love you,” he uttered, softly running his hands through her hair.
Her eyelids fluttered open and she pinned him with a startled expression. “You do?”
“Yes.” He placed gentle kisses along her brow, inhaling the floral scent of her shampoo. “I think I have for a while now. I couldn’t help it.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled it to he
r mouth, kissing his knuckles. The smoldering embers in his gut flared to life again, sending his heart into a thumping march.
“I love you, too, Logan,” she whispered so softly he almost couldn’t hear it.
He pulled her into his arms, his heart singing as they gazed over the lake together.