Logan was trying not to overthink things as he and Katie went upstairs to the bedroom he always used when he stayed in this house.

The sheets were clean, and the bed nicely made, but that didn’t last for long.

If he started to worry about what Katie was thinking, how she would feel about this tomorrow, then he wouldn’t be able to enjoy being with her now.

If this was the only time he could ever have her this way, then he wanted to pour himself into it completely.

It wasn’t long before both of them were naked and he was kissing his way down Katie’s soft, slim body. He’d known her legs were amazing, and now he could see that her breasts were perfect too—firm and rounded and incredibly sensitive to his touch.

She was moaning uninhibitedly as he caressed her, and he was already achingly hard again. But he wanted to give her everything he could, so he reined in his own desire so he could bring her as much pleasure as possible.

When he parted her thighs and lowered his mouth to her warm, wet arousal, he was leveled by the primal scent of her, of how much she wanted him.

“Please, Logan,” she gasped, rocking her hips, clearly incapable of holding still. “Please, please, please. Make me come again.”

He bit back a moan at her eagerness for him and focused on bringing her to climax again and again with his fingers and mouth.

He loved how readily she came for him, how loud and shameless her cries of pleasure were. She wasn’t putting on a show. She wasn’t trying to impress him. He knew her too well for that to work.

She was being real, letting herself go with him completely.

His mind was nothing more than a roar of pride and exhilaration and absolute need when he finally repositioned himself so he could roll on another condom.

When he settled himself between her legs, she was gazing up at him with an expression that took his breath away.

Yes, there was heat and desire and passion. But there was also trust, affection. A need as deep as his for hers.

This wasn’t just a beautiful, sexy woman in his bed.

It was Katie.

His Katie.

And now he was making her his completely.

He leaned down to kiss her, and he kept kissing her as he fit himself inside her again, as she wrapped her legs around him, as they started to move together with a heat and urgency that neither could deny.

He was in such a state that the slightest nudge would send him over the edge, but he managed to hold out until he felt her body start to tighten, her huffs turn into sobs of pleasure and anticipation.

He felt her coming all around him, and then he could finally let go himself. The rush of his release was better than anything he could remember.

Afterward, when they were under the covers and she was nestled against him, he was totally leveled, exhausted. He could barely keep his eyes open.

But he pressed a few kisses against her hair, wondering if his entire life had changed in one afternoon.

***

They both dozed off for about a half hour, but Logan woke up again when he felt Katie pulling away from him.

He blinked, trying to orient himself. His body was still tired and deeply satisfied in a way it almost never was. His mind was still clouded with the pleasure from earlier. But a prickling of recognition had begun, and it grew stronger as he focused on Katie.

She had sat up. Pulled the sheets up to cover her naked body. Her expression was worried.

“It’s okay, Katie,” he managed to say, responding to the feeling he could sense in her. “Everything’s not going to fall apart.”

She took a shuddering breath. “What… what were we thinking? What did we do?”

The joy he’d been feeling earlier was totally gone now. This was more like what he’d always expected out of life.

The world just didn’t offer everything, didn’t give him exactly what he wanted.

He was pleased that his tone was composed as he replied, “It was obviously what both of us wanted.”

“I know.” Her fingers were clenched in the sheet. “I know, but… I don’t… I don’t want a relationship. We both know that. I shouldn’t have had sex with you.”

His heart dropped painfully at this, although he should have known to expect it. Of course she didn’t want a relationship—with him or anyone else. One afternoon of amazing sex wasn’t going to change that.

Sex had no power to fix everything.

It had no power to fix anything.

It was only an expression of a moment’s feelings—whatever those feelings were.

He cleared his throat and clamped his mind down around the weight of crushing disappointment. “It’s not the end of the world.”

“But it will make things… messy between us.” She was so upset she looked like she was close to tears. “Logan, you’re so important to me. I couldn’t stand for things to be messy between us.”

“Then we’ll make sure they aren’t.” It was some sort of miracle that his devastation wasn’t evident in his voice. He sounded… perfectly normal.

“How?” Her eyes were wide and anxious.

“We’ll just be honest with each other. If we’re committed to our friendship, then we’ll be fine.”

She let out a long, shaky breath. “You’re sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. It was just sex. Our friendship is the most important thing.”

Just sex.

What a ridiculous lie.

She seemed to believe it though. She nodded and gave him a little smile. “I guess going so long without sex finally caught up to me. Who knew?”

And that was like a knife to his chest. Maybe that was why she’d been so eager, so passionate, so completely uninhibited. She’d just gone too long without. It wasn’t about him at all.

He wasn’t going to let her see it though.

He might not have her in his bed, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to lose her from his life. If he told her his feelings, that would be the end.

He knew it.

“It catches up to everyone.”

She still looked self-conscious as she leaned over the bed to search for her clothes, but at least she was smiling.

She wouldn’t let him give her everything—no matter how much he wanted to—but at least he could give her that much.

He could make her smile.