Page 52

“Believe me, I know what I want. But I also know I’m not allowed to have it.” The heat of his expression jolts me.

“This will only lead to trouble,” I whisper.

His eyes darken and he steps closer. “Sometimes trouble can be good. I’ll take whatever trouble you want to give me.”

Fire dances up my spine and through every nerve in my body.

He raises a hand to my face and brushes his fingers through my hair. “You wouldn’t believe how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

I can’t help it. I lean into his hand. His touch feels sogood—comforting and relaxing and right—but my heart is thundering with anticipation and fear of what this means.

“I know I was a jerk to you when you were debating joining the game and I’m sorry,” he continues. “I thought maybe if I was rude enough, then you’d decide the game wasn’t worth it. Which, I admit, was a really selfish plan. And once it was clear that wouldn’t work, I tried ignoring you. I tried staying away. But it turns out ignoring you is almost impossible.”

His fingers skim down my cheek to my neck. “You’re addicting, Quinn. I talk to you for a minute, and it makes me want to talk for an hour. I touch you for a second…” He brings his other hand up so I’m perfectly positioned to kiss him. “And I’m going to want more.”

I’m putty in his hands. I’m seconds from lifting onto my toes to kiss him and ending the misery building inside me. But a tiny voice of self-preservation shouts at me from the back of my mind. The worst experience of my life happened because I got involved with someone in my game. I lost my best friend. I lost my entire circle of friends. It wasn’t my fault, and it shouldn’t have happened that way, but that doesn’t change the fact that itdidhappen. And maybe, if I’d never gone on that date with Caden, everything would be different now. I don’t want to repeat the same mistakes.

“Logan…” I pull away and rub my hands over my eyes like I can rub some common sense into my brain. “I don’t know.”

He pulls his hands from me. “That’s fine. I meant what I said—you don’t owe me anything. But I promise, I would never treat you the way he did. You deserve so much better than that.”

“It’s not just that. Things like this can ruin friend groups.And D&D groups. You said it yourself when I first joined—there’s a rule against dating party members for a reason. It makes everythingmessy.You love being part of this group and so do I. I love hanging out with everyone—they’re all so tight-knit and I’m grateful they’ve included me. I can’t lie to them.”

“Right, yes. I did say that. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the group either.” He might be agreeing with me, but his eyes are still on my lips.

“Friends don’t look at each other like this.” I swallow. “And they don’t touch each other.”

“I’m well aware.” He takes a step away and puts his hands behind his back. “You have no idea how much self-control I’ve had to build up since meeting you.”

“I might have some idea. And you seem determined to tear down the thin layer of self-control I have left.”

“Thin?” he says hopefully.

“Thinner than the flimsy pages in the comics you just bought.”

He leans toward me again and then pulls away. We probably both look drunk, swaying into each other like this.

“But we’ve decided?” I whisper.

“It’s decided. Totally platonic. Nothing more.”

I nod. “And just out of morbid curiosity, if that self-control of yours had dropped a moment ago?”

“Then I’d have pressed you against that door and kissed you until the sun went down and I was your only source ofheat.”

“Oh.” I try to swallow. “That’s, um, good to know.”

“Logan?” Kashvi’s voice calls from far away.“Quinn?”

I jolt back to reality. Holy hell, I’d forgotten anyone else was around. From the dazed look in Logan’s eyes, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.

Guilt swirls in me as we climb the steps. That was so close. What if Kashvi had found us hidden away like that? Or doing something more than talking?

“Quinn, are— Oh! Hey!” Kashvi hurries over. She looks between us and the small doorway we just came from. Her eyebrows lower and I know her mind is whirling, trying to understand what we possibly could have been doing down there together.

“Hey!” I wave too enthusiastically. “I missed you.”

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. What were…”