Say You'll Marry Me

A grunt burst from Logan’s lips when Joy landed on his stomach. She took advantage of his shocked immobility to scramble her position until she straddled him, pitchfork handle leveled across his chest to keep him pinned down. He blinked up at her in disbelief.

“What the he—”

Hell was smothered by her mouth covering his.

Soft lips, hot breath, wet tongue. Still stunned, Logan let the kiss happen for a few dazed moments. Then she slid her tongue past his parted lips and demanded his participation.

His head said no. He was mad at her for using him as a stand-in for her ex in every part of her life. No—he was mad at himself for letting himself be used while stupidly hoping there might be more to her attentions.

Actually, he was pissed at the both of them, but that was neither here nor there. Kissing her, wanting her, loving her, were not smart things to do, and he knew that. Self-preservation was exactly why he’d given her the cold shoulder when avoidance was no longer an option.

Unfortunately, with her body on top of him and her mouth devouring his, his heart pounded out of control, rushing blood through his veins, overriding any possibility of obeying rational thought. The familiar reaction presented a real hazard whenever she got too close.

So what did he do? He reached up to pull her closer.

The stupid pitchfork handle got in the way and bit into his biceps. His rumble of frustration made her lips curve against his when he yanked the thing out from between them. Kissing resumed with her flush against him, her breasts crushed against his chest as he roamed his hands over her back and lower, to the curve of her denim-covered bottom.

His fingers flexed on the textured material of the pockets, and he fought not to hold tight while thrusting up against her. Shit. He’d never met a woman who turned him on as fast as Joy. It was absolutely crazy and wildly thrilling at the same time.

He skimmed one hand up her spine to bury his fingers in her silky hair as the oxygen-robbing kiss continued for God only knew how long. Long enough to make him dizzy and hard—so damn hard.

She dragged her lips from his and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Her labored breath warmed his skin in frantic puffs, and the evocative, rhythmic sensation wrung a groan from deep in his chest.

“That was the complete opposite of talking,” he rasped.

“I know.” Soft lips curved against his skin as she turned to nuzzle his neck. “But I needed to get your attention.”

“Well, you damn sure got it.” He tightened his fingers, holding her in place over his erection. “A little more than you bargained for, maybe.”

Her breathy little laugh sizzled through him. He turned his head, searching for her mouth while using his grip at the back of her neck to guide her lips back to his.

“Uh-uh.” She pushed up with the protest, bracing her hands on his chest until she sat up. His hands slid to rest on her thighs as she gazed down at him from astride his hips. “Talk, remember?”

“You started it. It’s only fair I get to finish it.” Molten desire erupted at the thought of driving deep into her moist heat. God, please let me be able to finish it.

“Logan, this is important. At least, I think it is.”

He let loose a sigh and released her, pulling his arms back with a surrendering hands off gesture before resting them in the shavings. “Okay, fine. Go ahead.”

Joy glanced down between their bodies. “Um, this might be a little awkward for the conversation I’d intended.”

“Then get off me.” The second she shifted to swing her leg over and off, Logan changed his mind and seized her waist to hold her in place. “No, don’t.”

“You sure?”

“Hell yes. Stay right there.” The pressure of her weight combined pleasure and pain, but he wasn’t giving up the position for anything. It took effort to shift his gaze from the rapid rise and fall of her breasts beneath the snug fit of her butter-soft, cream sweater, to her face. “Now, what did you want to talk about?”

She hesitated one last moment, then looked him in the eye with his erection pulsing hard between them. “I do not love Luke anymore. Not even a little bit, and not for quite some time now.”

The sonofabitch’s name was the last thing he’d expected to come ou

t of her mouth after that searing kiss. Just hearing the guy’s name raised his hackles and doused ice water over his desire. It reminded him exactly why he was where he was at that precise moment, and who he was compared to the other man.

Anger swirled with resentment as Logan shifted, suddenly desperate to get out from under her. Joy caught him off guard again by grabbing his wrists and leaning her weight forward to pin his arms above his head.

He had the superior strength to buck her off, but her face hovered only inches from his, her hazel eyes skewed mostly brown as her gaze bored into his. Her hundred twenty pounds might as well have been a two ton weight on his chest.

His heart pounded hard at the intensity in her eyes.