in the drawer. “Dani?” His hand came to rest on her shoulder. “Are you upset because I kissed you? I shouldn’t—”
Damn him. “Do. Not. Apologize.” Turning her back on him, she slid a mitt onto her hand and removed the hoagies from the oven. “Please don’t say you’re sorry. Obviously, we’re attracted to each other, and I’m okay with that.” She glanced over her shoulder. “But you’re not for whatever reason, so no more kissing.”
He focused on her in that direct way of his. “It’s a matter of honor.” Picking up his plate and beer, he sat down at the table.
They ate in silence, her mind churning with questions. Did he mean Evan, that he felt it was wrong to kiss his fallen comrade’s wife? With Logan’s strong sense of loyalty, that was a good possibility. Or was he thinking of Maria? If he meant he couldn’t kiss her because he was already involved with someone, she could respect that.
It was unfortunate he was involved with someone, because he was the first man since Evan to whom she was attracted. She also believed Evan would applaud her choice, had even teased her that Logan had a crush on her. More than anything, though, Evan had wanted her to find a way to be happy if something happened to him.
“I want you to promise me something, sugar,” he’d said on his last night before deployment.
“Anything,” she’d said, inhaling his scent and missing him before he’d even left.
“If I don’t come back, you have to promise me you’ll find a way to be happy again.”
She’d pressed herself against him, hating talk of the danger that loomed over him as long as he was a SEAL. “Please always come back to me, Evan.”
“I’m going to do my best, sugar, but this has to be said. If anything ever happens to me, Logan will always be there for you if you’re ever in need. You’ll have to ask him to come to you, though. He won’t willingly trespass onto my property.”
She giggled and punched him. “I’m not a piece of property.”
“No, you’re my heart.” He kissed her like there was no tomorrow.
“Sugar,” she murmured.
“Pardon?”
Dani slid a pickle across her plate, transfixed on the wet trail it made. It seemed to upset Logan whenever she mentioned Evan, but damn it, she wanted them to be able to speak of her husband and his friend.
“I was just remembering how Evan liked to call me sugar. I think it was a Texas thing.”
His eyes shuttered and he stood, taking his plate to the sink. Had Evan been right? Had Logan harbored secret feelings for her, and did he still? No, he might have once, but he had the delectable Maria now and was obviously over any attraction there might’ve been for her. Didn’t explain why he had kissed her twice, though.
She sighed and carried her plate to the sink. Logan took it from her and busied himself washing the dishes while she dried and put them away.
“Is there anywhere you would like to go?” she asked after they finished.
He leaned back against the counter and shrugged. “I’d like to go by—”
He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, but she was at an angle where she couldn’t see the caller ID. Jeez, was she calling again, already?
“Hello, Suzanne,” he said, and walked out the back door, shutting it behind him.
Suzanne? Well, he had been in the Navy and maybe practiced the old adage of a girl in every port. His tone of voice had been different with this one, however. With Maria, he sounded soft and sweet, but with Suzanne, clipped and distant. Dani pictured a slim, blue-eyed woman with sleek, streaked blond hair and a cool, sophisticat ed demeanor.
If he had the black-haired Maria and the bleached-blond Suzanne, it seemed to her that she could round out the colors with her red hair. Now there was a stupid thought. She had no intention of joining a harem.
“You Had Me from Hello”by Bon Jovi chimed from the wall speakers. Dani went to the door and peered into the peephole. Smiling, she unbolted
Damn him. “Do. Not. Apologize.” Turning her back on him, she slid a mitt onto her hand and removed the hoagies from the oven. “Please don’t say you’re sorry. Obviously, we’re attracted to each other, and I’m okay with that.” She glanced over her shoulder. “But you’re not for whatever reason, so no more kissing.”
He focused on her in that direct way of his. “It’s a matter of honor.” Picking up his plate and beer, he sat down at the table.
They ate in silence, her mind churning with questions. Did he mean Evan, that he felt it was wrong to kiss his fallen comrade’s wife? With Logan’s strong sense of loyalty, that was a good possibility. Or was he thinking of Maria? If he meant he couldn’t kiss her because he was already involved with someone, she could respect that.
It was unfortunate he was involved with someone, because he was the first man since Evan to whom she was attracted. She also believed Evan would applaud her choice, had even teased her that Logan had a crush on her. More than anything, though, Evan had wanted her to find a way to be happy if something happened to him.
“I want you to promise me something, sugar,” he’d said on his last night before deployment.
“Anything,” she’d said, inhaling his scent and missing him before he’d even left.
“If I don’t come back, you have to promise me you’ll find a way to be happy again.”
She’d pressed herself against him, hating talk of the danger that loomed over him as long as he was a SEAL. “Please always come back to me, Evan.”
“I’m going to do my best, sugar, but this has to be said. If anything ever happens to me, Logan will always be there for you if you’re ever in need. You’ll have to ask him to come to you, though. He won’t willingly trespass onto my property.”
She giggled and punched him. “I’m not a piece of property.”
“No, you’re my heart.” He kissed her like there was no tomorrow.
“Sugar,” she murmured.
“Pardon?”
Dani slid a pickle across her plate, transfixed on the wet trail it made. It seemed to upset Logan whenever she mentioned Evan, but damn it, she wanted them to be able to speak of her husband and his friend.
“I was just remembering how Evan liked to call me sugar. I think it was a Texas thing.”
His eyes shuttered and he stood, taking his plate to the sink. Had Evan been right? Had Logan harbored secret feelings for her, and did he still? No, he might have once, but he had the delectable Maria now and was obviously over any attraction there might’ve been for her. Didn’t explain why he had kissed her twice, though.
She sighed and carried her plate to the sink. Logan took it from her and busied himself washing the dishes while she dried and put them away.
“Is there anywhere you would like to go?” she asked after they finished.
He leaned back against the counter and shrugged. “I’d like to go by—”
He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, but she was at an angle where she couldn’t see the caller ID. Jeez, was she calling again, already?
“Hello, Suzanne,” he said, and walked out the back door, shutting it behind him.
Suzanne? Well, he had been in the Navy and maybe practiced the old adage of a girl in every port. His tone of voice had been different with this one, however. With Maria, he sounded soft and sweet, but with Suzanne, clipped and distant. Dani pictured a slim, blue-eyed woman with sleek, streaked blond hair and a cool, sophisticat ed demeanor.
If he had the black-haired Maria and the bleached-blond Suzanne, it seemed to her that she could round out the colors with her red hair. Now there was a stupid thought. She had no intention of joining a harem.
“You Had Me from Hello”by Bon Jovi chimed from the wall speakers. Dani went to the door and peered into the peephole. Smiling, she unbolted
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