Page 28

I ’d hoped that Logan’s de-stressing would have lasted a bit longer.

Whatever she’d seen while communing had made her twitchy and she couldn’t seem to look Seth or me in the eye.

I did my best to ignore it. After getting her situated on the porch with some tea, I helped Seth make some food for us.

Luckily the cabin provided some of the basics and had a barbecue on hand.

We’d picked up all the ingredients for steak and baked potatoes, and I was more than ready to stuff my face.

It was nice to work peacefully next to my brother. Our talk and “zoomies,” as Logan called them, had obliterated most of the lingering tension and we seemed able to exist comfortably around each other for the time being.

In other circumstances, this would have been an incredible vacation. The lingering specter of death and danger put a damper on the mood, but I was determined to steal moments of peace and happiness where I could.

We brought out foil-wrapped potatoes and the seasoned steaks to toss on the grill.

I kissed the top of Logan’s head and she lifted her face for another.

She tucked her fingers into the collar of my shirt and held me there, taking her time brushing my lips with hers until I was in a dreamy state and Seth loudly cleared his throat behind me.

I flipped him the bird before lifting a giggling Logan into my arms. In life-or-death situations, I’d take every kiss I could.

I parked myself in her seat and held Logan in my lap, letting Seth man the grill. She nuzzled the side of my face and pressed a kiss to the stubble.

“I wish this was a holiday,” she said with a sigh. “I love the mountains.”

“I vote if we survive this, we spend at least a solid week on vacation,” Seth said.

“Yes please .” Logan grinned and cuddled closer to me. “In lieu of that, for now, can we have a movie night?”

“Anything you want.” I stole another kiss.

“If you two are going to canoodle the whole fucking time, I get to pick what we’re watching.”

“I’ll let you pick if I can have veto power in case you have the worst taste in history,” said Logan before she laughed as Seth tossed an oven mitt at her.

“Watch the food,” Seth said, nudging my leg with his foot. “I’m going to poke through the DVDs they have here.”

I reluctantly settled Logan on one of the patio chairs and went to stand guard at the barbecue.

Not content to stay seated, Logan joined me, looping her arms around my waist so she could stay snuggled up.

The food smelled incredible. My stomach grumbled, impatient for it to be ready.

I rotated the potatoes, desperate for them to cook faster so I could add the steaks into the mix.

Logan nuzzled her face against my chest. “We should get a fancy grill like this at home.”

“I’d cook for you on it every day it isn’t cold enough to freeze my balls off.”

She slid teasing fingers over the front of my jeans. “I’d keep them warm for you.”

“Quit tempting me when there’s food ready to burn.”

She grinned. “What will you do if I don’t?”

A growl rumbled in my chest and I grabbed a handful of her ass. “If you don’t stop, you’ll find out tonight.”

“I got one!” Seth leapt back onto the porch, snaring my attention away from Logan. “How do we feel about A Haunting in Connecticut ?”

“You want to watch a horror movie while we’re fleeing for our lives?” I asked.

“Listen, I’d rather be terrified of fictional fuckery than the very real beastie that’s hunting us,” Seth countered.

“He makes a valid point,” Logan said quietly.

I didn’t say out loud that I didn’t want Seth to learn how horror movies affected Logan. We always ended up messing around when we watched them because she was just too fucking turned on being terrified. She wasn’t calling veto, so hopefully she could keep it together until the end of the movie.

Seth took over the grill again while Logan and I stood in the slim bits of sunlight that made it onto the porch. I slipped into my small form so I could lie in a sunbeam and toast myself. Logan gathered my clothes up and set them inside to avoid any spiders climbing up my ass later.

It was more peaceful than it had any right to be. Logan sat next to me, absently stroking my fur while she and Seth argued about the finer points of the horror genre and its evolution. I fell asleep at some point and woke to Logan scooping me up.

“Dinner’s ready, sleepyhead.” She kissed my head and carted me inside.

I pulled on pants after changing to human form and sat down at the kitchen table.

The food tasted so fucking good I had to stop myself from tearing into it like my panther form would have preferred.

I could have probably scarfed down at least three steaks, but I made do with filling up on baked potatoes since that was a hell of a lot less expensive.

By the time we’d finished eating, Logan was looking sleepy from stuffing her face on these glorious potatoes. I was so full I thought I might burst, and Seth didn’t look to be in a much better state.

“Caden, you have to roll me to bed tonight.” Logan patted her food baby.

“I’ll start with carrying you to the couch for the movie.”

She groaned as I picked her up. “Too full. I’m gonna die.”

“You’ll digest, Lo,” Seth said, gathering the dishes to set them in the sink.

I was surprised he started washing them without prompting or complaining. I got Logan situated with a blanket and went to dry the few dishes we’d used and tucked them away. She was fussing with the remote and getting everything set up for the movie.

When all three of us were on the couch, Logan stretched out, her head in my lap and her feet across Seth’s.

His eyebrows had risen up his forehead at the casual sprawling, but he didn’t make a peep.

He stared at me, his hands hovering awkwardly over her calves, and when I nodded, he gently lowered his hands and let them rest on her.

She did pretty well through the first bit of the movie, but once the jump scares started, it was over. She had her eyes poking over the top of her blanket and buried her face against me as one of the ghosts flickered across the screen.

Seth laughed and patted her leg. “Don’t worry. We won’t let you get eaten by ghosts.”

Logan shivered, her scent spiking deliciously as another jump scare jolted her. I breathed her in, the maddening new addition of jasmine mixing with the intoxicating hint of her arousal. She squirmed, her legs gliding over Seth’s lap. His knuckles turned white as he gripped her calf.

I should have told her to trade spots with me, to pause the movie and come to bed, but I didn’t do either.

Instead I slipped my hand beneath the blanket and teased the tempting line where her shirt had ridden up.

She bit her lip, smothering a gasp at the contact, and Seth slid a questioning glance toward me.

I didn’t stop like I normally would have.

In almost a dreamlike state, I trailed my fingers up the side of her, and when she tipped her face up to look at me, I laid my hand over her throat.

Her squeak of surprise combined with the potent spike of her scent.

Fuck.

I should stop.

My brother was sitting two feet away. He could smell her as well as I could. He knew what was going on in her body.

His fingers flexed against her calf and she groaned.

I watched him move up her leg in the tiniest increments, curving over her knee to hold a solid handful of thigh.

Logan was shaking, her own fingers holding on to my jeans for dear life.

Neither of us made any move to tell him to stop touching her.

She gazed up at me with pleading eyes, deep as the ocean and filled with a longing she wasn’t putting into words.

I stroked my thumb over her cheek, over her soft bottom lip. Her tongue darted out to lick the tip and I hooked it into her mouth. She let out another perfect gasp of surprise and curled her tongue around my invading digit. My other hand came up to play with her hair.

She was so perfect. Sweet and yielding to every pleasure.

Logan rolled from her side and onto her back.

Her gaze locked on me, and Seth’s fingers grazed the inside of her thigh with the change of position.

He was absolutely silent, his breathing forcibly smooth and level, despite the pounding of his heart that was so loud to me I could hear it where I sat.

The movie blurred out of my attention, and all that remained was the heat in Logan’s gaze.

I slipped my hand back to her throat and she tipped her head to give me a better grip.

Seth sucked in a sharp breath at that. I had the massively inappropriate thought that I could turn and pull her into my lap, peel off every item of clothing and spread her open so Seth could see everything but touch nothing.

The compulsion burned deep and it took every ounce of fortitude not to do just that.

Part of me was curious if Logan would object to any part of that fantasy. She’d stop anything I started if she wasn’t enjoying herself. I trusted her fully to know and understand her limits, and it was easy enough for me to pick up on her being genuinely uncomfortable.

I trailed my fingertips down, letting the maddening compulsion guide me.

I slipped right into the neck of her shirt and under the cup of her bra.

Her eyes were so wide, her pupils flared as she made a helpless sound.

I didn’t look up just yet, focusing on the tease and tweak of her nipple until she lost control of her squirming.

“ Caden ?” She gasped out my name and her eyes lit with confusion, but she still arched into my hand and moaned.

I spared a glance to Seth and he looked surprisingly similar to Logan with his pupils dilated, a rush of confusion and desire painting his features.

I focused back on Logan. It was so easy to ruin her.

I kept up exactly what I was doing, moving slowly and methodically, knowing every tweak pulled her closer to the edge.

I could yank her over that edge in a couple of heartbeats if I put my mouth on her right now, but this was more fun.

We’d never played while having someone watch. We’d talked about it. Between the movie and Seth being right there, she was as keyed up as if I’d already taken her apart.

Logan gave a telltale whimper. Her body twitched and squirmed, and I continued teasing. She arched up, muscles tensing, a pitiful little cry falling from her lips.

I waited for her to settle and looked down at her. “Do you want him to stay?”

Her gaze flickered to Seth for a second. She nodded softly.

“Use your words. Tell us what you want, Logan.”

“But…” she said softly, “what do you want?”

“I want to give you what you’re looking for. What it’s pretty obvious you’re both looking for, but with boundaries.” I glanced at my brother. “What do you want, Seth?”

He swallowed hard. “I don’t think I should say that out loud.”

I could hear the uptick of Logan’s heart rate as my senses focused onto her.

“Tensions are high,” I said. “I’m willing to play to a point.”

Neither of them moved, and the air felt thick.

Logan’s bottom lip quivered. “I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do.” She reached out, setting delicate fingertips against my chest.

“If I ask you to do something, assume I’m okay with it,” I said. “If Seth wants to stay or go, he’s free to. You know how to hit pause or end things entirely if something isn’t to your liking.”

Both watched me with an intense silence. It was probably a terrible idea to have offered. I knew Seth wanted her and I knew she would react to him, whether she noticed it or not. Hopefully we could take the edge off without making shit weird.

“If either of you don’t want to, say so now. If you stick around, I can only assume it’s because you want to.”

Logan was exquisite, watching me with her lips slightly parted and her eyes still wide.

I never got to show off how perfect she was when she came apart, and sure, maybe part of me was feeling petty even though Seth had been honest with me.

He could want, he could see, but she wouldn’t touch him and he wouldn’t touch her without my go-ahead.