Pretty Polly. Wasn’t that what all the boys had called her at school? Evanna knew that she’d be only too thrilled to be approached by Logan, so why was he hesitating?
Part of her wanted to leave for her own self-protection but a bigger part of her wanted to see Logan happy.
She walked over to him. ‘All you have to do is ask, you know.’
‘Ask?’
‘You say something like, “Do you fancy joining me for a walk on the beach?”’
‘Oh.’ He put his drink down on the upturned crate that had been placed on the sand. ‘In that case, do you fancy joining me for a walk on the beach?’
Evanna giggled. ‘Not me, you idiot. Polly. She’s standing there, looking hopeful. If you want to approach her, this is a really good time.’
‘But I’ve already asked you.’
‘W-we were j-just practising,’ Evanna stammered. ‘Role play.’
‘All right. In that case, I want you to walk along the beach with me. Call it role play, if you like. It’s been so long since I’ve walked along the beach with a woman, I’ve forgotten how to do it. I might put my feet in the wrong place.’
There was a dangerous glint in his blue eyes that made her feel strangely uncertain. She couldn’t read his thoughts. She really had absolutely no idea what he was thinking. ‘Logan, you should be asking Polly.’
‘I’m asking you.’
He was obviously still afraid to approach Polly. Deciding that he clearly had no idea just how attractive he was to women, Evanna smiled. ‘All right, then. Let’s walk. Towards the road or towards the cliffs?’
‘The cliffs.’ He’d pulled on a loose lin
en shirt over cut-off shorts but his feet were bare.
‘Is it so hard, Logan? Approaching another woman. Is it because you’re thinking of Catherine? Does it feel strange? Wrong?’ She wanted to understand. She wanted to help. Despite the late hour, there was still enough light for her to make out his features.
‘I’m not thinking of Catherine. Not at the moment. Should I be?’
‘No. I think it’s good. But I don’t understand why you were reluctant to approach Polly.’
They moved closer to the water’s edge and the sea rushed in, swirled around their ankles and then retreated with a gentle hiss.
She glanced back and suddenly realised how far they’d walked. ‘I can’t see the others.’
‘Does that matter?’
‘No. I just thought you might want to be getting back so that you can—’
‘Are you afraid of the dark?’ He gave her a lazy smile and took her hand in his. His fingers closed over hers, his grip strong and firm.
‘I’m not afraid of the dark.’
Without announcing his intention, he gave her a gentle pull and started walking away from the sea in the direction of the dunes.
What was he doing? ‘Logan—’
‘Don’t say anything.’ His voice sounded strained and suddenly her heart was beating so rapidly that she felt dizzy. This was ridiculous. She was walking hand in hand along a beach with a man she adored. And she didn’t have a clue what was going on. She just didn’t know what to say or do.
They crested the first dune and then slithered and slipped down into the dip. The sea breeze immediately faded away and they were enclosed, cocooned by the gentle swell of sand that created an intimate atmosphere.
‘Logan, I really think we should—’
His mouth came down on hers with a hunger that knocked the breath from her body. For a moment Evanna just stood still, so shocked that she couldn’t move. She felt the firm pressure of his hand behind her neck, felt his other arm slide round her waist, dragging her hard against him. And then she felt the tip of his tongue demanding an entry and excitement devoured her like a ravenous beast.