He hadn’t asked for it back. And I hadn’t offered.
I wasn’t sure either of us knew what we were doing anymore.
+25 BONUS
The estate staff we passed didn’t say much–just bowed heads or polite greetings, stepping back with the kind of practiced deference that always made me uncomfortable.
I wasn’t one of them, and I wasn’t Logan’s either. Not really. Not like they all seemed to think.
By the time we reached the corridor that split toward our respective rooms, I could feel the pull in my chest like a clock ticking down.
We slowed together, footsteps quiet against the floor, until we both stopped just outside the door to my room.
“I meant what I said earlier,” Logan said, his voice as soft as the lighting. His voice broke the hush–not loud, but steady. Low.
I turned slightly toward him. “About what?”
“That you could’ve picked anything today. And you picked something… real.”
I didn’t answer right away. My fingers toyed with the edge of the jacket still draped around my shoulders.
“It wasn’t a performance,” I said softly. “I wanted you to see something that means a lot to me. I didn’t think you’d want to come. It’s no luxury picnic.”
“I came,” he said. “And I listened.”
That part was true. He hadn’t interrupted. Hadn’t redirected the narrative. Just… stood beside me. Moved branches out of the way. Offered me warmth without saying a word.
I looked up at him, and for once, he wasn’t wearing that blank expression he so often reserved for press briefings and internal strategy sessions. He just looked tired. And thoughtful.
And maybe… hesitant.
He stepped closer, the space between us narrowing like the breath hadn’t realized I was holding.
“I should let you rest,” he said.
My heart sank a fraction. Not because I wanted more–but because I wasn’t sure what more would even mean.
“I’m fine,” I said instead, the words quiet and neutral.
He reached up slowly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His fingertips didn’t linger, but the touch left a trail of heat across my cheek.
And then, with a gentleness that caught me off guard, he leaned in and pressed his lips to my cheek.
It was… sweet. Measured. Like he was testing the weight of something fragile.
His breath warmed my skin for a split second longer than the kiss lasted. And then he pulled away.
I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Didn’t trust myself to say anyting.
“Goodnight, Emily,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded once, afraid my voice would crack if I opened my mouth.
He turned and walked away, his footsteps receding down the hall.
I stood there until the sound disappeared completely, my hand lifting on instinct to brush the spot where his lips had touched.
Chapter 63
+25 BONUS
I wasn’t shaking. But I wanted to be. I remembered the feel of those lips on other parts of me.
Islipped into my room and closed the door behind me with more force than necessary. I shrugged off Logan’s jacket slowly and folded it over the back of a chair, the scent of sandalwood and sage Logan’s scent – still clinging to the fabric.
And then I sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on my knees, staring at the floor like it might offer clarity.
He’d kissed me.
Not like a man claiming something. Not like a politician solidifying an alliance. But like a man who wanted to and promised he would when it was right.
And somehow, that was worse. Because I wanted more.
And I knew–deep down, bitter and sharp–that I probably wasn’t allowed to ask for it. Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
