Ethel drops the burger-filled plates on the table and the two eat in an uncomfortable silence. Every so often, Logan lifts his eyes to meet hers. She offers a small smile, trying to patch the heavy feeling they’ve let settle over them.
Finishing his lunch, he leans back in the seat and patiently waits for Avery to finish eating. She really is stunning. Even after her outburst, Logan would still be willing to slide himself right into her smart mouth. He shakes his head at the vision he has created in his head. Logan can tell through her morose appearance that home is a touchy subject with her. He figures for the sake of his working environment, he needs to make things right.
“Avery?” Logan starts and she looks up at him, large blue eyes questioning. “I’m sorry I upset you. I’d like for us to get along, be friends even, since we’ll be working together.”
The most beautiful smile in the world glides across her succulent lips and Logan can feel his heartbeat quicken. All is right
with the world.
Yep, I’ll deal with all of her problems if she’ll smile at me like this every day.
“Thank you, I’d really like that. To be friends, I mean.”
His mouth has become significantly drier after watching her speak and he has to lick his lips before he continues, but as his tongue settles back inside his mouth. Logan sees Avery’s eyes dilate and her cheeks redden.
Interesting.
“Friends it is. Are you ready to go home?”
“Yea, I guess so,” she says wistfully, hesitantly moving out of the booth to stand next to him at the head of the table.
Placing his hand on her elbow, Logan tries to ignore the sizzle of awareness as he guides her out of the diner’s door.
The ride back to her apartment is much quicker than he had hoped. Her body pressed against his sends delightful sparks racing through his nerves.
As she hands him back his helmet, Logan can’t help staring at her as she glides her hands through her hair, unweaving it from its elegant up-do. Her head is tilted to the side as she fixes her wayward strands, eyes closed, lips pursed, and the sun beaming behind her. She looks like an angel. Logan finds that he has to adjust himself on the seat in the hopes she won’t notice the effect she’s having on him.
“Thanks for the ride,” she says, her attention back on him, eyes scanning his face.
“You’re welcome. Do you want me to leave you my number in case you need another ride?”
Shuffling her feet timidly, she tucks some loose strands of hair behind her ear before gazing at him behind her long lashes.
“I don’t have a phone, but I was going to go purchase a new car this afternoon.”
No phone? Who doesn’t have a phone?
“Ok well, if you need me, just use Nikki’s phone I guess.”
Strapping the helmet back onto his head, Logan instantly regrets the deep breath he takes. His helmet is engulfed in her sweet floral scent. It must be from her shampoo.
“Well, see you later, Avery,” Logan hollers as he turns the engine.
“Bye,” she says, her mouth moving as if she wanted to say more but stopped herself.
Back at the office, Logan finds himself distracted by thoughts of Avery while he’s busy seeing the remainder of his patients.
Logan’s past is the reason why he doesn’t trust women - or really anyone for that matter - but she wants him to be her friend… and all he wants to do is sink deep inside her. Sex with Avery would be explosive; their chemistry is volatile just when they’re in the same room together.
But friends?
That’s just something he hasn’t done with a woman. They throw themselves at him and he willingly accepts, none of this mental foreplay that a friendship seems to require.
Logan releases a sigh as he opens the folder and views the symptoms for his next patient. All he can think about is her smile. Not her rocking body, not her lush tits and ass, no. Her smile and that just infuriates him more.
Friends?
Yeah, for her, he’ll take whatever he can get. Something about Avery makes him feel more than he has felt in years. She seeps into his bones, filling the empty crevices of his heart.