‘I’m not a child! I’m really not, Logan.’ She looked at him fearlessly.
‘No, I don’t believe you are,’ he said slowly. ‘And you’ll never lose me, Callie, I can promise you that.’ His arms tightened about her. ‘I have too much to lose.’
His lips covered hers as they clung together, Logan’s hands caressing, cupping one of her breasts, his thumbtip finding the erect nipple.
Callie could feel his full arousal against her thigh, and a weakness invaded her own limbs as his hand moved beneath her loose top to touch the nakedness of her breast, to caress the silky skin.
‘I want to make love to you, Callie,’ he groaned.
She knew that, knew that with every fibre of her body; a primitive force was driving him onwards tonight as he demanded her full submission. And she wanted to submit, denying them both at the cost of much pain to herself.
‘We have to wait, Logan,’ she breathed softly. ‘We have to wait.’
‘Do we?’ He looked down at her with dark eyes. ‘Yes, we do,’ he sighed, helping her to her feet. ‘We’ll just have to make the wedding soon,’ he attempted lightness. ‘And damn what everyone thinks.’
She looked at him seriously. ‘You don’t think I’m being—silly? That I—’
‘No,’ he denied forcefully, clasping her upper arms. ‘You aren’t being silly at all. And I’m sorry if I upset you earlier. I was only teasing you.’
‘Were you?’ She wasn’t so sure.
‘Yes,’ he smiled. ‘I love your ability to enjoy a variety of things in life.’
‘Jeff always said—’
‘I’m beginning to hate the sound of that name,’ Logan rasped, frowning darkly.
‘No!’ she gasped.
‘Yes,’ he insisted grimly. ‘You’re forever quoting the man. I’m the one you’re supposed to love—’
‘And I do,’ she said fervently.
‘Then stop talking about him as if he were some damned god, whose every word was immortal!’
‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered in a choked voice. ‘It was just that I loved him, you see. And—’
‘And he’s dead!’ Logan scowled. ‘I’m the one that’s alive. Remember that.’
‘Yes.’ She swallowed hard, finding it impossible to respond to his hard goodnight kiss.
As she lay in bed that night she was full of uncertainties. Oh, not about her love for Logan, that was unshakeable, undeniable. But how well did she know this man she loved? Would she ever understand him?
* * *
Logan still seemed as grim when he called for her the next morning, and the drive to his mother’s home was made in total silence, Callie shooting nervous glances beneath lowered lashes in his direction.
Finally she couldn’t stand it any longer. ‘Logan—’
‘Callie—’
They both began talking at the same time, and now she ruefully invited Logan to talk first.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said abruptly.
‘Sorry…?’ Her eyes were wide, the gold flecks in the brown more noticeable.
‘Yes,’ he nodded tersely. ‘I behaved like a fool last night.’