startled.
"Tell Koren it's off unless he wants to do it."
"Logan," he gasped, eyes flicking to me, to his brother, and then turning his head to look around before looking back at his brother. "That's it? All this time and then... it'll be my fault because I stopped to—"
"No," Logan breathed out, smiling warmly as he reached out and squeezed his brother's shoulder. "When Mikhail and Yuri came in, they both smelled like... him," he said, looking back at me. "I was on my way to the car to talk... to be sure before... and I am, now, so with or without you being here, talking to him... it was done."
"Swear?"
76
Change of Heart
by Mary Calmes
He nodded, looking me up and down, turning quickly to give his brother a final pat. "Now go. Find Koren and let him know what's going on."
"But what should I—"
"Excuse me," I said quickly, grabbing my parka out of Russ's hand, turning to leave, feeling like an idiot for standing around while they were trying to talk, obviously being careful because I was there.
"Wait."
I looked up at Logan, who stepped in closer to me.
"Go away, Russ," he said, and his voice was more growl than anything else. "Please... I don't want to hurt you."
"I need to go," I said, turning fast, slipping through the crowd to the front door. Outside, on the porch, I felt like I could breathe again. I had my jacket on, zipped up, and was down the steps before I remembered that I had to go back in and get Crane.
"Shit," I muttered. That was the problem with the quick exit. If it wasn't coordinated in advance, it wasn't clean.
"I told you to wait."
I froze where I was.
He walked around me, but his wingtips in the snow were all I could see, because I was looking down instead of up.
"Please look at me."
He took a step closer as he gave the gentle demand so that I had to tilt my head back to meet his golden gaze. He was taller than me, easily six-five, with broad shoulders and a wide chest. His thick blond hair was streaked gold from the sun and was longer on top, shorter on the sides and in back.
77
Change of Heart
by Mary Calmes
The open collar of his shirt under the V-neck cashmere sweater he was wearing gave me a clear view of the smooth golden skin at his throat. He was probably gold all over. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I found myself trembling with barely controlled need. I hated feeling that way; he was to be mated, after all.
"Mr. Church, I—"
"It's Logan," he said, and I saw the muscles in his jaw clench. "And you?"
I needed to get it together. I had seen a lot of gorgeous men in my day, slept with plenty, and knew even more who were much better looking than Logan Church. And my brain understood that even as it shut down. "Jin—Jin Rayne."
"Jin." He repeated it, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You're shaking."
"I'm just cold."
He nodded, his eyes locked on mine. I felt the sliver of heat run straight to my groin. No matter what I tried to tell myself, I had never met a man like Logan Church before. He had all my senses on full alert.
"You already knew my name. Why make me repeat it?" I asked to have something to say; then I took a deep breath before stepping away from him, hoping that by putting a little distance between us that I could clear my head. I felt like I was drunk.
"To hear it as you prefer it spoken."
Which was nice, except my name was easy. No way to mess up Jin. "So you're to be mated."
78
Change of Heart
by Mary Calmes
"I was," he answered, taking a step forward so he was back to where he was, just inches separating our bodies. "I'm not anymore."
"Why?" I licked my lips because they were dry, and his eyes were suddenly there. He wasn't looking into my eyes anymore. He was staring at my mouth.
"You're a reah. She is not," he said, his eyes back on mine, locked there.
As I stared up into his eyes and watched them slowly darken until they were absolutely molten.
"Come back inside. I want to talk to you." Out came an undignified snort of laughter
"Tell Koren it's off unless he wants to do it."
"Logan," he gasped, eyes flicking to me, to his brother, and then turning his head to look around before looking back at his brother. "That's it? All this time and then... it'll be my fault because I stopped to—"
"No," Logan breathed out, smiling warmly as he reached out and squeezed his brother's shoulder. "When Mikhail and Yuri came in, they both smelled like... him," he said, looking back at me. "I was on my way to the car to talk... to be sure before... and I am, now, so with or without you being here, talking to him... it was done."
"Swear?"
76
Change of Heart
by Mary Calmes
He nodded, looking me up and down, turning quickly to give his brother a final pat. "Now go. Find Koren and let him know what's going on."
"But what should I—"
"Excuse me," I said quickly, grabbing my parka out of Russ's hand, turning to leave, feeling like an idiot for standing around while they were trying to talk, obviously being careful because I was there.
"Wait."
I looked up at Logan, who stepped in closer to me.
"Go away, Russ," he said, and his voice was more growl than anything else. "Please... I don't want to hurt you."
"I need to go," I said, turning fast, slipping through the crowd to the front door. Outside, on the porch, I felt like I could breathe again. I had my jacket on, zipped up, and was down the steps before I remembered that I had to go back in and get Crane.
"Shit," I muttered. That was the problem with the quick exit. If it wasn't coordinated in advance, it wasn't clean.
"I told you to wait."
I froze where I was.
He walked around me, but his wingtips in the snow were all I could see, because I was looking down instead of up.
"Please look at me."
He took a step closer as he gave the gentle demand so that I had to tilt my head back to meet his golden gaze. He was taller than me, easily six-five, with broad shoulders and a wide chest. His thick blond hair was streaked gold from the sun and was longer on top, shorter on the sides and in back.
77
Change of Heart
by Mary Calmes
The open collar of his shirt under the V-neck cashmere sweater he was wearing gave me a clear view of the smooth golden skin at his throat. He was probably gold all over. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I found myself trembling with barely controlled need. I hated feeling that way; he was to be mated, after all.
"Mr. Church, I—"
"It's Logan," he said, and I saw the muscles in his jaw clench. "And you?"
I needed to get it together. I had seen a lot of gorgeous men in my day, slept with plenty, and knew even more who were much better looking than Logan Church. And my brain understood that even as it shut down. "Jin—Jin Rayne."
"Jin." He repeated it, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You're shaking."
"I'm just cold."
He nodded, his eyes locked on mine. I felt the sliver of heat run straight to my groin. No matter what I tried to tell myself, I had never met a man like Logan Church before. He had all my senses on full alert.
"You already knew my name. Why make me repeat it?" I asked to have something to say; then I took a deep breath before stepping away from him, hoping that by putting a little distance between us that I could clear my head. I felt like I was drunk.
"To hear it as you prefer it spoken."
Which was nice, except my name was easy. No way to mess up Jin. "So you're to be mated."
78
Change of Heart
by Mary Calmes
"I was," he answered, taking a step forward so he was back to where he was, just inches separating our bodies. "I'm not anymore."
"Why?" I licked my lips because they were dry, and his eyes were suddenly there. He wasn't looking into my eyes anymore. He was staring at my mouth.
"You're a reah. She is not," he said, his eyes back on mine, locked there.
As I stared up into his eyes and watched them slowly darken until they were absolutely molten.
"Come back inside. I want to talk to you." Out came an undignified snort of laughter
Similar Books
