“Text her,” he replied quickly, grabbing my coat from the closet near the entrance.

I giggled louder. “Caleb will worry. It will only take a second.” He held up my coat, and I slipped my arms inside before he took me in his arms. With a fierce unforgettable kiss on my lips, he nodded.

“I’ll get my car and meet you out front.” He placed another kiss on my lips unable to get enough. Just like me. “Be quick, sweetheart.”

I turned and giggled when the sting of his hand swatted my ass. With a seductive smirk over my shoulder at him, I squeezed back through the mass of people all wanting the same thing as us, to make their escape into the New Year with their lovers.

Finding Hilary and Caleb was harder than expected. They weren’t at the bar and I was eager to get back to Logan. Filling with butterflies just thinking about him, I turned to look back at the door and froze.

He remained at the door—talking to someone. A woman—with her hands placed on his forearms. Instantly my stomach dropped. My feet turned me around and moved me back toward him but I was all the way across the room. The swarm of laughing drunks stood in my way.

My gaze never strayed from Logan and when he stepped back, I took in the sight of the woman. I recognized her from his painting. Oliver’s mother. Logan’s ex-fiancée.

My blood ran cold. She was back. What did this mean? Before I knew it, I was directly behind him.

“Stay the hell away from me and Oliver, do you understand me, Natasha?” he hissed, his hands balled into tight fists at his side. I stopped, suddenly aware of how this was affecting him. I only wanted to pull him away from her and hug him in my arms.

“I know you, Logan, better than anyone.” Natasha smiled with a cold look in her eyes. “You’ll always love me, and in time we’ll be a family again.”

With that, she placed a quick kiss on his cheek, which he instantly drew back from, and turned on her heel, strolling back through the door, into the night.

His hand wiped at the spot her lips touched, anger rolling off him in painful waves.

“Logan.” I placed my hand on his shoulder.

He flinched, then turned back staring at me. The soft carefree azure eyes from earlier were now dark and clouded.

“I can drive,” I said softly. I reached for his keys dangling in his hand. He was too upset to drive, his body vibrated with rage.

His hand ripped back out of my reach and his eyes narrowed at me. “I can drive!” he hissed.

His tone hurt, but I shook it off. “Fine, I brought my own car anyway. We’ll take that. I’m not letting you drive like this.”

“Like what?” He was definitely pissed and ready to unload on the first person to give him a reason. I didn’t have anything to drink tonight since I drove, and I knew Logan had a few, so it made sense for me to drive us anyway.

“Logan, please.” I sighed.

“I’ll drive, damn it,” he snapped and grabbed my hand pulling me outside with him.

I followed behind him gathering my composure. When we stepped on the sidewalk, I ripped my hand from his not wanting to go anywhere with him until he calmed down.

He sighed, running his hands through his short wavy hair. “Damn it!” His voice rang out.

“Just let me drive you,” I pleaded. I placed my hands on his cheeks, wanting him to forget all about Natasha and what it meant that she was in town.

“Kiss me,” he murmured and I obeyed with a smile. The instant my lips touched his, he held the sides of my head, and kissed me deeper, hands roaming wildly over my dress. He held me tight pushing me backward against the side of the building. Lost in my desire to hold him close he whisked me around the corner so we were in the alley, all alone, never once breaking the kiss.

I held him close to me, my lips attempting to wash away the last five minutes. His hand fisted in my hair and the other moved from my ass and lifted my dress around my waist. The cold brick building stung my backside, his body pressing me roughly against it.

Logan’s lips traveled from mine, down my jaw, to my neck, nipping and licking leaving behind a blazing trail in its wake. I dipped my head back, resting it on the bitter wall. He tugged me up and pulled my legs around his waist and I lost myself in the moment.

After what felt like eternity and not long enough he released me. His hands disappeared and I lowered myself to the ground gauging the expression on his face. He was tugging his wallet from his coat pocket, and pulled out a condom.

I recoiled feeling suddenly cheap.

“Logan, I—” I adjusted my dress back down, covering myself. He watched me, bemused.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, breathing heavy. He was kissing me again, pulling me back under his spell until I heard the buckle of his belt opening.

Laughter from the parking lot filled the cool air and I was shot fully from my Logan-fueled haze. I tensed, moving away from the wall, out of his reach, finding my breath.

“Let me drive you home. You should get some sleep,” I said, swallowing.

I frowned when a deep laugh rumbled from his chest.

“Sleep? You think I want to go to sleep!” He continued laughing then took my hand, running his fingers over my knuckles. “You want this as much as I do, Cassandra. No more games. Admit it and give me what I want.”

I froze, his eyes filled with nothing but lust. “And what is it you want?” I asked hesitantly. I knew what I wanted from him. I wanted everything and someday even sex in the back alley would be fun and exciting, but not our first time together.

“You already know what I want, sweetheart.” He grinned wickedly, placing a kiss on my neck, hands back in my hair. His tongue ran up to my ear. “I want to fuck you. Here and now. I’m tired of waiting.”

I shoved him away, tears stinging my eyes.

“So that’s it?” I asked, my chin jutted out to remain strong, yet quivering from the pain of his words. It was my worst fear. The one reason I had kept myself guarded from him. But I wanted to believe what we shared was more than that. I looked down at the charm bracelet adorning my wrist not wanting to believe he didn’t feel something more.

“Yes, you’ve known this, Cassandra. Don’t play coy. It’s who I am.” He stepped back watching me. “I’ve never wanted to fuck anyone more.”

His words ripped the air from my lungs. I shook my head not wanting to believe him. A tear slipped down my cheek.

“You’re just hurt because of Natasha. But I’m not going to let you push me away.” I moved to step forward but his sharp expression stopped me. I looked down, fingers brushing over the gold Ferris wheel charm. “I care about you. Please…let me drive you home. We can talk in the morning. You’re just upset.”

“Don’t kid yourself.” He looked straight through me. “I’ll never want anything more from you than your body. So either give me what I want—” He threw the condom at me and I watched it fall to my feet. “Or leave me the hell alone.”

I couldn’t hold back the gates any longer. Tears spilled from my eyes. “Go to hell!” I ripped the bracelet from my wrist, wincing at the sting as it broke off and threw it at his chest. With my hand covering my mouth, I turned and ran to my car.

A loud sob escaped my throat and the tears broke through harder than ever. My feet pushed me to my car, my pulse racing, and my heart pounding through my ears.