Chapter 5
-Hailey-
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The bathroom was full of steam. Logan’s shirt hung down to my thighs, soft and heavy, smelling like leather and spice. I rolled down the waistband of the boxers one more time so they wouldn’t slip, and I tried not to think about the fact that I was naked under a stranger’s clothes.
Well, not really a stranger. Not anymore.
When I stepped out, Logan was standing there shirtless, gray sweatpants slung low on his hips. My breath caught in my throat.
His gaze lifted and caught on me.
His skin was covered in tattoos. Ink sprawled across his muscles, down into the waistband of his sweats. Like a road map I desperately wanted to follow. I tried not to stare, but his green eyes locked onto mine. The air felt too thick to breathe.
“You good?” he asked, his voice rough.
Heat climbed up my neck, settling under the bruise on my throat. For a second, nothing in the world existed but the two of us and the space between us.
I nodded, but it was a lie. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t tell if it was from fear or something else entirely.
He didn’t look convinced. “Alright… Bedroom’s yours.”
I wanted to tell him to stay. To not leave me alone. But I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
“Get some sleep, Hailey. You look like you’re about to fall over.”
He pulled the door shut behind him.
Disappointment hit me so fast it made me lightheaded. Stupid. Reckless. I clutched the hem of his shirt in my fists. He’d said my name like it was both a promise and a warning.
Shadows pooled around the edges of the king sized bed. The sheets were crisp, neatly tucked in and folded over. I sat on the edge of the mattress and told myself to breathe.
My phone started buzzing on the nightstand. Matt’s name flashed on the screen, and my stomach lurched.
I flipped it over and shoved it under a pillow, letting it buzz again and again until it stopped.
I lay back and stared at the ceiling. This morning I’d been arguing about wedding playlists. Tonight, I rode on the back of a stranger’s motorcycle. I followed a man covered in my fiancé’s blood up a flight of stairs. And put on his clothes.
Insane. That’s what this was. Ridiculous. Irresponsible. Every word my mother would’ve used. And yet, for the first time in months – years – I felt… safe.
The bruise on my throat pulsed in time with my heartbeat. I pressed two fingers to it and winced.
FA
Through the door I heard movement the faint creak of couch springs, a muttled curse, then silence. I pictured him on the couch, arms folded behind his head, staring at that raven on the wall like it could talk him off a ledge.
I wondered if he was thinking about me the way I was thinking about him. The thought didn’t help… it made it worse.
After a while, I got up, restless, and tiptoed back into the hall. The apartment was dark, TV painting the room with shifting light. He was exactly where I’d imagined him, sprawled on the couch, eyes on the ceiling.
13:01 Mon, Dec 22 MJ.
Chapter 5
He didn’t react when he noticed me. Just flicked his gaze to me and back up again. “You should be sleeping”
“I tried.” My voice came out hoarse. “It didn’t take… I came out for a glass of water.”
“Don’t drink the tap water… There’s a filtered pitcher in the fridge.”
“Okay, bougee…” I poured a glass and joined him in the living room.
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“Do you always keep it this… empty?” I asked, glancing around. “It looks like you live here, but you don’t… live here.”
His eyes tipped toward me again. “I work. I ride. I sleep… It’s all I need.”
“And the raven?” I nodded at the mural on the wall. “You keep that for the aesthetic?”
“My old man would have my head if I painted over it.” Something softer slid through his voice, then it was gone. “It’s his, not mine.”
“Where is he?” I asked, curiosity winning. “He’s the club’s vice president, right?”
He stared at the ceiling long enough that I thought he wasn’t going to answer. “Him and my mom are on vacation,” he said finally. “They got a house on the coast out in Washington. Sometimes they stay out there for months.”
Silence again, but not the brittle kind.
“Thank you,” I said finally. It came out smaller than I meant. “For everything. For… this.” I tugged at the hem of his shirt. “For not making me feel like a stray dog you dragged in.”
“You’re not a dog,” he said, eyes cutting to mine again. “More like a kitten. And I didn’t drag you.”
“Felt a little dragged,” I said. I needed to tease him to keep myself from falling into those eyes.
His mouth curled into an almost–smile. “You walked.”
We looked at each other for too long. Heat pooled low in my stomach, mortifying and undeniable. I broke the stare first, wrapping my arms around myself like it would lock the feeling in.
I wanted to crash into him… feel his hands on me, his mouth on mine. I wanted a lot of things I wasn’t brave enough to ask for.
I stood there, clutching the glass of water, my bare feet cold on the hardwood floor. The silence between us felt charged. Logan’s eyes drifted back to the ceiling, but his presence was like a magnet, pulling me closer.
“You’re not really gonna sleep out here, are you?” I asked finally.
He didn’t look at me, but his jaw flexed. “Don’t think sleep is in the cards for me tonight.”
I hesitated, my heart thudding in my chest. The couch wasn’t big enough for someone his size. “You could… I mean, the bed’s big enough…” The words tumbled out of me before I could stop them, and I immediately regretted it. Heat flooded my
cheeks.
His eyes snapped to mine, sharp and searching. “No. I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself.”
Heat curled through my core again. I couldn’t believe he just came out and said it… but it gave me the courage I needed. “What if… I don’t want you to.”
He ran a hand over his face. “Fuck, Hailey.”
His voice was gravelly, and it sent a shiver through me. I took a step closer. The glass of water was trembling in my hand, and I set it on the coffee table before I dropped it.
13:01 Mon, Dec 22 M
Chapter 5
“I’m not… I don’t know what I’m doing,” I admitted, my voice quiet. “But I know I don’t wanna be alone tonight.”
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He sat up slowly, his tattoos shifting with the movement of his muscles. His green eyes burned into mine, and I felt like he could see everything every scar, every bruise, every broken piece of me.
–
“You’re not makin‘ this easy,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “You’ve been through hell, Hailey. You’re vulnerable. You’re probably drunk. I’m really tryin‘ here… to not take advantage of that.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m not drunk. And you’re not taking advantage. I’m asking.”
His jaw clenched, and he looked at the floor, like he was wrestling with something inside him. When his eyes met mine again, they were darker. Hotter. “You don’t know what you’re askin‘ for.”
“Maybe not,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “But I know I trust you.”
That seemed to hit him harder than anything else. He exhaled sharply. “Fuck,” he muttered again, dragging a hand over his face. Then he stood, his presence towering over me, filling the room.
I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest. He stepped closer, his heat radiating against my skin, and I tilted my head back to meet his gaze.
“I never bring girls here,” he murmured. “I don’t do relationships, Hailey. I don’t stick around long enough for anyone to catch feelings. But you’re… different. And that scares the hell outa me.”
His words were raw and honest. “I scare you?” I whispered, almost laughing. “You look like you could bench–press a Honda Civic.”
He smirked. “You don’t get it. You’re too brave. You’re sittin‘ here, bruised and broken, and still lookin‘ at me like I’m some kind of hero. I’m not, Hailey. I’m the guy who breaks things. Including people.”
I shook my head, stepping closer until my chest was almost touching his. “You can’t break something that’s already broken.”
He groaned, low and frustrated. “Hailey…”
I reached up with both hands, my fingers running lightly over his neck. His skin was warm, and I could feel his heart beating. “I know what I’m risking,” I said, my voice steadier now. “And I’m okay with it.”
His hands came up to grab my wrists, stopping me but not pulling away. “You shouldn’t be. You deserve better.”
I tilted my head, meeting his gaze. “Says you.”
His grip tightened, and for a second I thought he was going to push me away. But then he exhaled, a long, shaky breath, and pulled me against him instead. His hands gripped my hips as he stared into my eyes,
“Fuck,” he muttered finally, “I can’t… Not like this. Go to bed, Hailey.”
My heart sank into my stomach. I took a step back. “Fine… But I’m leaving the door open. In case you change your mind.”
As I backed away, I grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the coffee table. And with a smirk, I let his boxers fall to my ankles, stepping out of them as I turned toward the bedroom.
If he followed, fine. If he didn’t, fine. Either way, I wasn’t scared anymore,
13:01 Mon, Dec 22 M.
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
