her.
Remembering, he moved toward
her now, pulling loose his tie as he went. The music muffled his
steps, and he might have reached her entirely undetected, except
that Jude chose that moment to execute a perfect spin.
She saw him, and her hand
flew to her throat. She screeched in shock, and for a moment, Logan
thought she might pass out. He knew the minute surprise was
superceded by annoyance, but before she could say anything, he
stuck out one hand.
“Dance with me?”
Jude’s face melted into a
smile as she took his hand. Logan spun her once, and then simply
held her hand, moving in synchronicity to her steps and swings as
Sheila E. continued to tout the benefits of a glamorous life.
After a few moments, the
drums gave way to the more mellow guitar of Madonna’s Crazy For
You . Logan pulled Jude close, wrapping his other arm around her
back, just he had wanted to do over twenty years before. In those
days, when the music slowed, Jude always turned away, her eyes
searching for Daniel until he found her on the dance floor.
But tonight, her wide green
eyes fastened on Logan’s. For a moment, he feared she might pull
away; confusion and a hint of trepidation clouded her face. Then
she relaxed and rested her forehead against his shoulder, slipping
her hand around to press against his back.
Logan wondered if she could
hear the pounding of his heart. How many years had this been his
dream? All through high school, definitely. Even when he had known
that Jude would always love Daniel, that he would come first in
heart for the rest of their lives, he had still dreamed. He had
never betrayed how he felt in any way. He had stood up for them at
their wedding as Daniel’s best man, offered the toast, kissed the
bride on her cheek. He’d been there for first Meghan’s birth and
then Joseph’s.
He hadn’t been obsessed with
Jude all those years. He had had lived a full life and had several
relationships, because he knew that being in love with his best
friend’s one true love and wife was an untenable situation. So at
some point, he had simply decided to stop.
But now here they were. Jude
was in his arms, swaying with him. He could feel the heat of her
breath against his chest, her fingers moving absently over his
shirt, her other hand small and fragile in his. Desire rose, and
Logan swallowed, hard.
He knew he should leave it
alone. Enjoy the dance, revel in the feel of her against him, and
for now at least, leave it at that.
Almost of its own volition,
his hand moved up her back, skimming over her neck. He stopped
moving and laid his fingers against her cheek, pulling back so he
could see her. His eyes moved down to her lips, and he tilted up
her chin. He had just begun to lean down toward her when her eyes
flew open and she stepped back.
“Logan...” His name escaped
her on a breath, but in it he heard the rejection.
Forcing a smile, he rubbed
her arm before releasing her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.
I saw the lights, and I just stopped to make sure you were okay.
When I saw you dancing--” He looked away. “I was thinking of the
pavilion dances. Remember?”
Jude licked her lips and
wrapped her arms around her stomach. He felt her discomfort, but
his desire was stronger, and he had to step even farther away to
lean against the counter.
“Of course I remember them.
We used to have so much fun.” Jude walked to the radio and turned
it down. “You must think I’m crazy, dancing in an empty restaurant
by myself.”
“No, but what are you
doing here? By yourself?”
She rolled her eyes. “That
was kind of the point. I haven’t had very much quiet time lately,
and I just wanted to be by myself. I’m cleaning the kitchen.” She
indicated the pile of rags on the floor.
“Well, obviously that was
what you were doing when I came in.” Logan decided a little teasing
was the way to go. Shift the focus, take the pressure off Jude. It
worked, and she smiled.
“Music helps me work, and
Remembering, he moved toward
her now, pulling loose his tie as he went. The music muffled his
steps, and he might have reached her entirely undetected, except
that Jude chose that moment to execute a perfect spin.
She saw him, and her hand
flew to her throat. She screeched in shock, and for a moment, Logan
thought she might pass out. He knew the minute surprise was
superceded by annoyance, but before she could say anything, he
stuck out one hand.
“Dance with me?”
Jude’s face melted into a
smile as she took his hand. Logan spun her once, and then simply
held her hand, moving in synchronicity to her steps and swings as
Sheila E. continued to tout the benefits of a glamorous life.
After a few moments, the
drums gave way to the more mellow guitar of Madonna’s Crazy For
You . Logan pulled Jude close, wrapping his other arm around her
back, just he had wanted to do over twenty years before. In those
days, when the music slowed, Jude always turned away, her eyes
searching for Daniel until he found her on the dance floor.
But tonight, her wide green
eyes fastened on Logan’s. For a moment, he feared she might pull
away; confusion and a hint of trepidation clouded her face. Then
she relaxed and rested her forehead against his shoulder, slipping
her hand around to press against his back.
Logan wondered if she could
hear the pounding of his heart. How many years had this been his
dream? All through high school, definitely. Even when he had known
that Jude would always love Daniel, that he would come first in
heart for the rest of their lives, he had still dreamed. He had
never betrayed how he felt in any way. He had stood up for them at
their wedding as Daniel’s best man, offered the toast, kissed the
bride on her cheek. He’d been there for first Meghan’s birth and
then Joseph’s.
He hadn’t been obsessed with
Jude all those years. He had had lived a full life and had several
relationships, because he knew that being in love with his best
friend’s one true love and wife was an untenable situation. So at
some point, he had simply decided to stop.
But now here they were. Jude
was in his arms, swaying with him. He could feel the heat of her
breath against his chest, her fingers moving absently over his
shirt, her other hand small and fragile in his. Desire rose, and
Logan swallowed, hard.
He knew he should leave it
alone. Enjoy the dance, revel in the feel of her against him, and
for now at least, leave it at that.
Almost of its own volition,
his hand moved up her back, skimming over her neck. He stopped
moving and laid his fingers against her cheek, pulling back so he
could see her. His eyes moved down to her lips, and he tilted up
her chin. He had just begun to lean down toward her when her eyes
flew open and she stepped back.
“Logan...” His name escaped
her on a breath, but in it he heard the rejection.
Forcing a smile, he rubbed
her arm before releasing her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.
I saw the lights, and I just stopped to make sure you were okay.
When I saw you dancing--” He looked away. “I was thinking of the
pavilion dances. Remember?”
Jude licked her lips and
wrapped her arms around her stomach. He felt her discomfort, but
his desire was stronger, and he had to step even farther away to
lean against the counter.
“Of course I remember them.
We used to have so much fun.” Jude walked to the radio and turned
it down. “You must think I’m crazy, dancing in an empty restaurant
by myself.”
“No, but what are you
doing here? By yourself?”
She rolled her eyes. “That
was kind of the point. I haven’t had very much quiet time lately,
and I just wanted to be by myself. I’m cleaning the kitchen.” She
indicated the pile of rags on the floor.
“Well, obviously that was
what you were doing when I came in.” Logan decided a little teasing
was the way to go. Shift the focus, take the pressure off Jude. It
worked, and she smiled.
“Music helps me work, and
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