Wait, why did he stop talking? And what was that ruffling—oh, crap!

My eyes flew open and I scurried up in horror, tugging at the bag in his hand, but was too late. He pulled it out of my near-miss grasp and held up the handcuffs.

“Interesting choice.” The corner of his mouth quirked up. “You sure planned one hell of night. I hate to disappoint, but even if you hadn’t been waxed raw, I wasn’t planning on having sex with you.”

“What?” I gasped incredulously.

He was lying. Had had to be.

“So, what, then? You would have just teased me and then left?” A hard laugh shot out. “You’re lying!”

“That was exactly what I was planning on doing if you couldn’t get out of your head long enough to see you were acting unreasonable.” A serious scowl settled between his brows. “You think I couldn’t see through your act all evening?”

Was he serious? I stood, wincing at the burn between my legs, glowering down at him with a harsh gaze through narrowed slits.

“Oh, I’m sorry, does that upset you? Would that have led. You. On?”

The sarcasm in his curt tone sent me over the edge. The bag of sex goodies in his hands was ripped away and thrown at his head. He ducked, a roguish chuckle filling the room at my outburst.

He was just going to tease me! I was floored. Logan always had to have control, and it pissed me off tonight.

“Tell me why that would bother you, sweetheart.” He feigned innocence and sat back against my headboard, legs extended and crossed at the ankles.

He really wanted to know why I’d be upset that he was planning on walking out on me before I’d had my fill? Before I finally had a piece of him, like he did me?

“Why?” I snapped, exasperated. “I don’t know…maybe it’s because, yet again, you managed to manipulate me into calling the shots. Now that you finally got a real taste—” I recoiled and dropped my head, unable to face him.

“It’s over,” I breathed after a beat. “Whatever this was, you made your point. We aren’t friends, and never can be again—it’s too hard—and anything else is too ridiculous to consider. I wanted you, you hurt me, and yet I let you do it all over again. I thought I could do this. I thought I was stronger.”

I slumped back down to the bed, pulling the blanket over my lap. I lifted my head just enough to peer over at him, and the intensity in his eyes hooked me in.

“You’re gorgeous, okay?” I confessed. “Sexier than any man I’ve ever met, and I freaking hate you for it. There—is that what you wanted me to admit? That I’m weak around you? That no matter how hard I try, I keep falling over and over again?”

His eyes grew softer, and he let out an unexpected chuckle.

Humiliation stung my nerves and filled me with enough strength to push myself back to my feet. I tugged my dress closed. Before I got two steps from the bed, however, he yanked me onto his lap.

“Let me go!”

He must’ve seen the blood rushing to my cheeks when he ground against my ass, because he moved quickly and pinned me down on the bed, his arms on my shoulders. He smashed his mouth to mine, kissing me into oblivion.

He pulled back too soon, just enough to speak, his breath caressing my swollen lips.

“Do you honestly believe I could give you just one night? After everything we’ve been through, you think I can handle just spending the night inside you? And then what…you walk away feeling as though you bested me? Who’s the one still playing games, Cassandra?” He released me and stood up, his jaw working hard.

Sliding forward, I perched myself on the edge of the bed with slumped shoulders. He knew what I was doing.

“Logan, we can’t have more. I offered you friends and I offered you tonight, and then—”

“And then what!?” he shouted, startling me. “And then you expect me to leave? Disappear out of your life? You may think me a bastard for my past liaisons, but I’ve never taken a woman to bed who didn’t know exactly what she was getting—who didn’t know I wasn’t available for a relationship. But you…you turned the tables. And although I admire that about you, sweetheart, I’m not playing.” He stalked closer, kneeing my legs apart and standing between my open thighs.

I regarded him warily as the start of a smirk played on his lips.

“But if it’s a game you need, sweetheart, all you had to do was ask.”

What the hell did that mean? The whiplash of his mood was exhausting. I needed to end things—break it off before it went any further. Honesty was the best bet.

“I just thought that if we…” I blushed, then blurted out, “…if you finally just fucked me already, we could both move on…have some closure, and remove the tension destroying us.”

He cocked his head to the side, frowning. “The problem with that is I don’t want closure, nor do I want to fuck you.” His eyes lit up and traveled down to my breasts, which were peeking out from my open dress. I closed it in quick, tight clutch.

A sweet, unexpected smile formed over his gorgeous, kissable lips. “I want to make love to you, Cassandra. I want to hear you tell me you feel it, too. And when you’re mine, body and soul, then I want you on your knees begging me to fuck you till you’re screaming my name.”

I shuddered, his words filling me with something I’d never felt before. I wasn’t scared, but strangely aroused.

We needed to stay on topic.

“Logan, this is the end for me. It’s over. Done.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but it’s just the beginning. And after what you instigated here tonight, you’ve proven exactly what I’d been hoping for. You feel it too. You want me, but you’re scared.”

Scared didn’t even begin to describe how I felt about letting Logan back in.

“Please, just let this go. Why can’t you forget about me and move on? We can’t go back.”

He either wasn’t listening or couldn’t hear, because he walked out of the room. I saw the glow of the bathroom light, then heard the sound of running water.

When he returned a moment later, I noticed a washcloth in his hand. He took my hand from my lap and pulled me to my feet in front of him.

“You’re so beautiful, and yet you think you need all this to get me into bed.” The warmth of the wet washcloth caressed my cheek, wiping away the layer of blush and bronzer. He continued cleaning it away until it was just me, fresh faced, staring back at him.

“There you are,” he murmured with a sweet, caring smile. “Put on the balm they gave you and get some sleep. We’ll talk about things later.” His brows raised. “Unless you want me to stay. It seems as though you had been planning for me to, anyway.”

I sighed, staring down at my feet sheepishly. “Logan,” I sighed. Yes, I wanted him to stay, but I didn’t know how to say it.

“I’ll go.” He surprised me with his gentleness.

His head tilted to the side, and I closed my eyes as he placed the most delicate kiss upon my cheek. “Good night, Cassandra.”

With that, he handed me the washcloth, picked up his socks and shoes, and walked away.

I slid down to the bed, falling onto my back and staring up at the dark ceiling. My heart was wide open, fully ready to consume my buried feelings he’d stirred back to life.