Page 39

A fter reading Lana’s text, I grab my strawberry pie and head for the town square. She’s running late from the art studio, so she’s meeting me there.

It’s a perfect day. Only a few clouds, but it’s enough to block the sun, making the sizzling summer day more tolerable.

I pull the fallen strap up over my shoulder, hoping this dress covered in a strawberry pattern isn’t too much. It’s fun. Cute. But maybe a bit tacky and screams trying too hard.

When I arrive, the square is full of people gathering, kids running and playing. From the mere sight of it, I gain an ache in my chest. I don’t want to leave this place. It felt like home and it’s something I longed for. For a long time.

“This looks amazing!” Shelby gushes as she glances at my strawberry pie.

“Thank you. I’m quite proud of it myself.” I am. The fancy piping and strawberries strategically placed with chocolate drizzle on top. If I were a judge, I’d choose it for at least second place.

“Here, let me take it to the table. Someone’s been looking for you.” She smugly grins, but my heart leaps into my throat.

When I follow her line of sight and see who it is, I relax immensely. Logan stands at the vegetable and fruit booth, hands in pockets, scanning around.

I smile. “I’ll see you later, honey,” Shelby says to me.

We’re friends. That part is true, so why am I always so nervous to first see him?

“I’d like to be confident enough in asking if you’re looking for me, but I don’t want it to sound conceited,” I joke as I stop in front of him while he’s pretending to shop for Granny Smiths.

The sunlight reflects off Logan’s eyes, making them appear bluer, and when we stand in front of each other like this, the outside world doesn’t exist.

“I’ll boost your ego and tell you I am, in fact, looking for you.”

My cheeks warm from the intense way Logan glances at me. It’s the same as he always does. Like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world and I’ll admit, if he ever stopped, I’d miss it. This man does something to me and it’s becoming a torturous hunger.

“You look…” He glances down, examining my entire figure.

“Silly. Goofy. Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have matched the theme of the festival.” I have a slight regret about the outfit choice.

Logan takes a step toward me, brushing the bare skin of my shoulder as he pulls the loose strap over, fixing it. My heart quickens at the slightest touch. “Actually, I was going to say agonizingly cute.”

Cute.

But the sizzle of his stare says otherwise.

“Thank you,” I tell him as I pretend to scratch an itch that doesn’t exist on my arm.

“Strawberry picking?” One of the beauty salon workers from town holds up a small wicker basket with a toothy smile.

Logan shoots me a look that says, I will if you are, so I kindly take the basket from her.

“We don’t have to pick strawberries if you don’t want to. We can walk around, get food—”

Logan reaches around my back to where I hold the basket and forces my body to his. He holds onto it while keeping his arms locked around me. “I’m in the mood for something sweet.”

Ah, okay.

The fast thumping of my heart is going to give me away as it vibrates off his chest.

Damn traitor.

He snatches my hand, and the quick gesture takes me by surprise. My heart is going to leap right out of my damn chest, I swear to God.

When we make it into the strawberry fields, I shoot Lana a text in case she goes looking for me and then I start plucking the ripe berries from their vines.

There’re a few giggles from a couple who walk by with their basket overflowing.

“These are damn good.” Logan finishes biting into his strawberry, tossing the stem to the ground.

“I bet they’ll be delicious inside a dessert.” My head turns with recipes.

Logan plucks one off its vine, holding it up for me. “Here. Try one.”

I pause, staring at the crimson fruit at mouth level. I could just take it from him, but with a quick bite to my lip and my mouth parting with hunger, I slowly bite into it, my tongue teasing along Logan’s fingers. His eyes fill with lust as I suck the sweet juice and pull away.

Logan feeding me fruit is intimate—very intimate.

“You’re right. They are delicious.” I swipe the left-over juice from my lip using my tongue.

Logan watches me like a hungry animal, and I’m his prey. He caresses the side of my face, gently wiping away strawberry with the pad of his thumb.

I don’t mean to, but I lean into his warmth with hooded eyes. He wrecks me, and I want every minute.

“Sora.” His voice strains like he’s suffering.

And so am I.

He moves closer, the heat from his body makes the sun feel like an amateur. The tips of his fingers slowly move up my arm causing goosebumps to rise. And when he gently closes his hand around my shoulder, drawing me nearer by my hip with his other, I throb. His yearning gaze never leaves my mouth.

My eyes close, trying not to jump on this man, kissing him until we’re both suffocating.

“Hey!” At the sound of Lana’s voice, I back away, forcing Logan to drop his hands from me, his face appearing with disappointment. “Found you both. When you said you were picking strawberries, I didn’t think you were actually picking strawberries.”

I let out a sexually frustrated laugh because yes, I desperately want to jump Logan’s bones. And even though it should feel wrong, it feels so fucking right.

I recollect myself. “What did you think I meant?”

“To be honest, I don’t know.” Lana looks at Logan, who’s trying his hardest not to murder her. “I interrupted something, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Logan grumpily says.

“Want to help?” I quickly add, hoping she lets it go.

“Uh, sure.” Lana casts one last quick glance at Logan, then plants some berries into the basket.

After about twenty minutes, someone in a microphone says they will announce the winner of the baking contest, so we head back, awkward silence spilling out between us.

We head toward the middle of the town and wait. It’ll be cool to win. I’ve never won anything before, and it’d be an achievement I can call my own.

A figure walks over to the other side of Logan and without glancing at him, I can already tell its Crew just by the way Lana grows tense next to me. “What did I miss?” He stands with his arms crossed over his chest.

“They’re going to announce the winners of the bake contest,” I fill him in.

Crew nods. “Why bother? We all know you won.”

“We don’t know that.” I blush, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

Lana scoffs. “If you don’t, it’s only because they’re old and they have zero taste buds left.”

“Lana!” I giggle, nudging her with my elbow. “That’s not nice.”

She shrugs. “Doesn’t have to be nice to be true.”

After a few minutes drag on, my name is called.

First place.

I got first place.

I won.

Lana squeals, Crew says, I told you so, and Logan smiles proudly.

“Congratulations, dove. Knew you could do it.”

Tears form, burning my eyes, and I’m embarrassed for being this happy over winning a dessert contest. I’m handed a ribbon that’s reads: First Place and I grin head to toe.

Rejoining my friends, I can’t seem to wipe the enthusiasm from my face. “I know it’s silly to get so emotional, but… I’ve never won anything before.”

“We’re proud of you, Sora. You deserve it. You deserve to smile.” Logan encloses me in his embrace while I run a finger over the lettering of my award.

“It’ll look pretty hanging from your mirror, girl,” Lana tells me like I’m back in high school.

But I suppose it will.

“All right. Let’s celebrate. I have a bottle of Champagne that needs to be opened.” Lana grabs my hand and starts guiding me toward the house.

“Hey! What about us? We don’t get an invitation,” Crew shouts over the distance we’ve already put between him and Logan.

“ You are not invited. However, Logan can join if he wants, considering he lives next door.”

“You’re both invited!” I yell over my shoulder.

Lana scoffs clearly irritated. “Why’d you invite him?”

“I don’t want to be rude. He’s Logan’s friend.”

When she says nothing, I stop us both by grabbing her arm. “Hey,” I whisper. “If Crew being there bothers you, I’ll uninvite him. You come first.”

She lets out a heavy sigh. “No. It’s fine. This is your night. I’m okay.” She smiles, but it’s not entirely convincing.

When we reach the street, the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight. It’s the same eeriness as before when I thought someone was watching me. It’s a feeling I can’t explain, but…

“What’s wrong?” Logan asks when he catches up to me.

My eyes search the now deserted streets. “It’s nothing.” I flash him with a smile of dismissal but can feel Logan’s burning stare on me the entire way back.

Logan

Why would I want to focus on anything else when the most beautiful woman on the planet is dancing?

Laughing with her best friend, carrying on without care in the world.

Her strawberry dress flows behind her as she twirls in the moonlight.

That damn dress. It’s cute, sexy, and fuck, did it look good on her.

The waves in her dark hair move like the ocean on a summer night, and it’s elegant, downright sexy as fuck.

It's only when Crew holds out a beer for me to take did I remember he’s here. “So… what’s up with you two, anyway?” He leans back, propping his boots up on the railing as he takes a swig, the girls still dancing in the grass below us.

“Nothing.” It’s true. Plus, I don’t like discussing my personal life, even though there isn’t anything going on between me and Sora.

Though, her tempting me in the strawberry fields… I wanted her so badly. To taste her. And man, was I jealous of that piece of fruit.

It’s unusual for me to be so open. Sure, Crew knows about my past, but it took way longer for me to trust him versus Sora. She changes something inside of me. For the better. I’ve known Crew a long time, both of us met inside the club, but it’s obviously different.

“Whatever you say, man.”

“She’s married.”

He lets out a snorting laugh. “I’d say it’s only a piece of paper and his sociopathic tendencies that keeps that title.”

My hands clench at the thought of who she’s bound to.

Crew knows everything. He had to, so he could pull his strings for me. She trusted me to keep her secret, but I only broke that trust for her sake, and I’m not sorry.

“Have you at least told her?”

Beer still in hand, music still pouring from the speakers, I whip my head to him. “What’s with questions?”

He casually shrugs. “Just asking.”

I groan. “No. I haven’t told her. The MC was a long time ago and that part of my life is behind me. Besides, it doesn’t matter if she knows anyhow.”

“Right, because there’s nothing going on between you two.”

“Exactly.”

The motorcycle club was a long time ago. I got out. Left. Period. End of story.

Sora spins, then looks up with a growing smile. Her first-place ribbon secured tightly in her delicate fingers. I am so fucking proud of her.

My dick twitches, my heart flutters, and all I can do is grin back.

“Right. Nothing going on.” Crew throws his head back in laughter.

I watch his smug expression line his bastard face. “Fuck you,” I say.

A deeper laugh explodes from him, and I smirk with a shake of my head.

Sora sends another quick glance up to me while Lana throws Crew the finger.

This time, it’s my turn to laugh. “What’s that about?”

Crew’s cocky smirk disappears. “We share a mutual hate.” He chugs the rest of his beer before getting up from the chair. “Want another?”

“No. I’m good.”

A mutual hate. Now that I can believe.