Logan wanted to break the guy’s fingers.
It was bad enough that he’d had to watch Valerie walk down the aisle with her arm looped through Max’s during the opening ceremony. Then the bastard had to go and wrap his arm around her before practically kissing her on the mouth. And now that they were at the reception, the asshole still hadn’t stopped touching her. Every time Logan glanced up, there was a hand lingering on her back, an arm sliding around her waist, or lips whispering near her ear.
And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
“If that fucker doesn’t get his hands off her, I’m going to forget my promise to Valerie about behaving myself tonight,” Brett said, leaning against the bar.
Logan wanted to agree, but someone needed to be the voice of reason. “It’s fine. They’re friends, aren’t they? He’s just being…uh, friendly.” A little too friendly, if you asked him.
Valerie’s pale pink dress complemented her figure, but it was her impressive cleavage that stole the show. And apparently Max thought so too, since his eyes kept gravitating back to her chest. But it wasn’t until Valerie gazed up at Max, an infectious smile flirting on her lips, that Logan groaned under his breath in agony and glanced away to keep from being too obvious.
Damn it. He hated this.
Beauty surrounded them in every direction, yet the only thing Logan was happy to stare at was her. And he wasn’t even allowed to do that for very long without tipping off Brett to something going on between Valerie and him. He turned back to the open bar and motioned to the bartender. “Two shots of whiskey, please.”
Brett shook his head. “You already know I’m not drinking. I’m the designated driver, remember?”
“Yep. Both of them are for me.”
“You already had two beers.”
“You keeping count?”
His friend grinned. “No, but I couldn’t help but notice that now you’re moving on to the harder stuff. What’s bothering you tonight?”
Logan grimaced. “Nothing.” Everything. The bartender slid two shots of whiskey toward him, and he immediately lifted one to his lips and knocked it back.
Since Brett had driven him to the event, it was safe enough for Logan to have a drink or two. Okay, four. Whatever. But he was pretty sure he would need each of them in his system for the ride home.
As maid of honor, Valerie had ridden with Leah earlier in the day to help her get ready before the wedding. But since Leah and Sam were staying the weekend at the beach for their honeymoon, Valerie was planning to ride back home with Brett and Logan. The three of them stuck in a car together for two hours straight? Yeah, that was bound to be the most awkward road trip ever.
He glanced back over in time to catch Max playing with her hair. God. Did he really have to keep putting his hands on her? That kind of crap definitely wasn’t helping his attitude tonight.
“Excuse me,” a feminine voice rang out, snaring their attention.
A pretty, young brunette stood next to Logan, twirling a strand of her long hair around her pinkie. She licked her pouty lips as her gaze flitted over his face. “Hi, I’m Amy. Is this seat taken?” she asked, gesturing to the one next to him.
He glanced down at the empty chair. “Yeah, it is. Sorry.”
The woman blinked in surprise and then walked away with a scowl on her face, clearly disappointed with the entire exchange.
Brett punched Logan in the arm. “Dude! What the hell did you do that for? That Amy chick was hot. And she was flirting with you.”
Logan shrugged. “I guess I’m not in the mood for company right now.”
“But Amy was—”
“Damn it, Brett, if you like the girl so much, then go pester her and leave me the hell alone.”
Brett’s lips collapsed into a frown. “Christ. You’re a grumpy ass tonight. You going to tell me what the fuck’s got you wound up so tight, or do I need to punch the shit out of you?”
With a yeah, right gaze leveled at his friend, Logan said, “Any time you want to give it a go, you just let me know.”
Brett shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time I had to kick your ass.”
“You mean it wouldn’t be the first time you tried.”
His buddy shook his head. “Man, you really are in a shit mood tonight. Lighten up already.”
Logan smirked. “Like you have any room to talk?”
“Yeah, well, that’s different. You’re not the one who’s been sitting here watching some guy paw at your sister all night.”
No. Logan was only watching the asshole put his hands all over his fucking girlfriend. Way worse, if you asked him.
Brett gestured across the way, and they watched helplessly as Max led Valerie out onto the dance floor, his large hand falling so low on her back that Logan held his breath and counted to ten to keep from marching out there and breaking the guy’s fingers.
“If I go out there and say anything, Valerie’s gonna be pissed,” Brett said, nudging a sharp elbow into Logan’s side. “So you do it.”
“Do what?”
He nodded toward his sister. “Go cut in or something and get her away from that dickhead for me. I’ll owe you one later.”
Logan shook his head slowly. He couldn’t do that. Especially just because her brother had asked him to. Valerie wouldn’t appreciate it, and he would only end up looking like a jealous prick to her and probably everyone around them.
Then he saw Max dip her and graze his lips over her neck.
Logan lifted the crystal of whiskey to his lips and tossed it back. “Done,” he said, then headed toward the dance floor to get his woman out of another man’s arms…before Logan happily broke both of them for him.
As he reached them, he tapped Max on the shoulder. Probably a little harder than he meant to. “Mind if I cut in?”
They stopped dancing, and Max grinned at him. “Actually, I do.”
A red haze dropped over Logan’s eyes. “Well, I wasn’t asking you,” he ground out. “I was talking to her.”
Valerie’s eyes widened at his caustic tone, and she glanced around frantically, as if she was checking to see where Brett was. “Um, Logan, I don’t think we should—”
“Damn it, Valerie,” he interrupted, holding out a hand to her. “Now.”
She blinked but didn’t move.
Logan reached for her, but Max thrust his arm up to block the motion, which only succeeded in pissing Logan off more. He shoved Max away from her. “Back off,” he growled. “I wasn’t going to hurt her. Besides, you really don’t want to go there with me.”
But Max apparently had no qualms going there with him because he came right back and got into his face. “I don’t care what you were planning to do with her. You reach for her like that again, and we’ll go there…and anywhere else you want.”
Swift, hot anger coursed through Logan, and he clenched his fists to keep from throwing a punch. “You might want to get out of my face.”
A grin tipped Max’s mouth. “Make me.”
Make me? What? Were they suddenly in junior high? What the hell was this make me shit?
“Last warning,” Logan sneered.
Valerie shoved her arms between them and pushed them away from each other, both of them allowing her to squeeze in between. “Stop it. You two are causing a scene at Leah and Sam’s wedding reception. People are starting to look.”
“So let them look,” Logan said.
She gazed up at him. “Damn it, Logan. Knock it off already. Brett’s watching.”
He grinned. “So? Who do you think sent me over here to begin with?” He hadn’t planned on telling her that, but she was obviously worried that her brother would realize something was going on between them.
“Oh, really?” Her eyes narrowed. “Max, thank you for the dance. But I need to speak to Logan in private.”
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, a tiny smile lifting her cheek. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for your concern.”
“Okay. But you know where to find me if you need anything. And I do mean anything.” He winked and then bent his head and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before sauntering away with laughter in his wake. Fucking prick.
For a second, Valerie looked flustered, and that only made Logan want to go after Max and rip his head off. But he didn’t want to ruin Sam and Leah’s wedding reception. So instead, he tossed Valerie over his shoulder and marched off in the opposite direction.
* * *
Valerie couldn’t believe it.
Not only had Logan thrown her over his shoulder—again—but he’d done so right in front of her own brother. Did he have a death wish or something?
“Put me down right now, Logan. What the hell are you doing?”
“I’ll put you down when I’m good and ready,” he replied, rounding another bend and marching a good distance away from the reception.
When he finally came to a stop in a dimly lit area and set her on her feet, she swayed. She’d hung upside so long that all the blood had rushed to her head, making her light-headed. He held on to her as they waited for her equilibrium to balance out, and then she gazed up at him, locking her eyes to his.
He focused completely on her but didn’t say anything.
“Well?”
“Well, what?” he asked.
“You tell me. You’re the one who dragged me out of there like a Neanderthal.”
Logan grinned. “I have every right to haul you over my shoulder and take off with you. Especially when you’re letting another man flirt with you.”
She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t letting Max flirt with me.”
“You damn sure weren’t stopping him.”
“I didn’t need to. He never got out of line.”
His eyes narrowed, and a strangled sound came out of his throat. “I think that depends on whose perspective you’re looking at it from. Where I was sitting, he crossed the line the moment he got anywhere near you. That’s why I came over.”
“I thought you came over because my brother asked you to.”
“That too,” he said, nodding. “But if you thought that was the only reason, then you obviously have no clue what you’ve gotten yourself into with me. When it comes to my girlfriend, I don’t play well with others, and I sure as fuck don’t share.”
She couldn’t help but grin. “I guess that means we’re scratching the orgy off the list.”
His hard gaze leveled on her. “If you want a dick smorgasbord, I’ll take you to a sex toy shop and buy you as many as you want. But that’s the only kind of orgy you’re getting anywhere near.”
Thank God. But she wasn’t going to tell him that. “Hmm. I think I’m willing to compromise on that.”
“Valerie.”
She giggled. “Okay, so no orgies. I agree.”
“Didn’t matter whether you agreed or not. It wasn’t going to happen.”
“Okay, now you’re starting to act just like my brother. Controlling much?”
Logan’s mouth curved. “Oh, baby, there’s no way I’m as controlling as Brett. Max is still alive, isn’t he?” Logan stepped into her personal space, and the hard bulge in his pants rubbed against her abdomen. “Besides, does this feel very brotherly to you?”
Valerie swallowed. “Um, not exactly,” she said, flashing him a sly grin. “It feels more like something to look forward to later tonight.”
Logan winked. “It’s all yours.”
“Good. Because I don’t share either.”
He bent his head and let his mouth linger near hers as he whispered, “Perfect. Because I don’t want anyone but you.”
Her heart squeezed painfully tight in her chest, and she licked her lips in anticipation as she waited for him to close the distance and kiss her fiercely. But he didn’t. Instead, he just stared at her, his dark eyes overflowing with tension. In those few seconds, his body radiated more heat than she’d ever known, and she shuddered as a sharp spasm of desire rippled down her spine.
His lips parted in a slow smile.
In the past, every sexy encounter she’d ever had with Logan had been fast and hard and hot as hell. But this was nothing like those other times at all. Now there seemed to be a growing intimacy between them and a sexual awareness that went well below skin deep.
His hands moved to her neck, his thumbs stroking her jaw, and he tilted her face up to his. “I’m falling hard for you, princess. And I don’t think I can stop myself.”
“I don’t want you to,” she admitted, her stomach fluttering. “Go ahead and fall. I’ll be waiting there to catch you.”
Logan’s mouth closed over hers, and, with heart-stopping tenderness, he kissed her slowly, deeply, and more thoroughly than ever before. Her lips softened under his as he focused only on her mouth, explored her depths, tasting every crevice, and feasting on her tongue for what seemed like days. And even though the kiss was tame in comparison to others they’d shared, there was no doubt that this one was the one to beat.
When he finally lifted his head from hers, he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her, as if he never wanted to let her go. Endorphins flooded her bloodstream, and she snuggled into his chest, feeling his heart pulsing rhythmically under her hand. Damn this man. She’d secretly craved him for years but never thought he’d be hers.
Now she couldn’t imagine her life without him.