Page 71 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

But he had. He was right there with me.

I opened my mouth to speak but I was at a loss for words. So instead of trying to find them, I launched myself into his arms and crushed my mouth to his.

He kissed me back, stroking his tongue against mine as his hands threaded through my hair. I swung up and onto his lap, straddling his thighs and grinding down against the hardness growing in his jeans.

I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, but my lips were swollen when he finally broke away. He framed my face with his hands, holding me captive as I swayed on weak knees. “You’re a dream, Thea Landry.”

So are you.

“But we have to stop. I’m out of condoms.”

I shook my head, climbed off his lap and stood. “I went to the gas station while you and Charlie were on your adventure earlier and bought some.”

“You did?”

I nodded.

He surged off the couch and wrapped me up, kissing me breathless. Then he took my hand and led me upstairs, where the condoms were hidden under my pillow.

I’d bought them on a whim when I’d been getting ice earlier.

Just in case, I’d told myself as I’d grabbed a pack. Just in case Logan melted down my defenses.

Just in case Logan turned out to be more than just a dream too.

“Hi, peanut.” I held out my arms for Charlie as she came into the kitchen. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, then came right to me and crawled into my lap, burrowing her head into my shoulder.

Thea came over to the kitchen table and kissed Charlie’s hair. “Good morning, my love. Want some pancakes?”

Charlie nodded as she yawned.

“Chocolate chips or blueberries?”

“Chocolate chips,” Charlie and I said in unison.

Thea smiled at me and went back to her bowl of pancake batter.

“Morning.” Hazel came into the kitchen from the back porch, kicking off some garden clogs by the door. “Nice shirt, Logan. It’s so similar to the one you were wearing yesterday.”

I grinned. “Nearly identical.”

Thea and I had gotten up early, wanting to beat Charlie out of bed. I’d intended to get to the motel and shower and change, but when Thea had handed me a cup of coffee, we’d ended up talking for an hour and I’d lost track of time.

So I was in the T-shirt I’d worn yesterday, the one she’d worn to sleep in after we’d used three of her condoms.

Cramped in her bed that was much too small for the two of us, I’d slept like a rock with Thea at my side. We’d heard Hazel head outside early, then had sex again before coming downstairs.

I needed to get to work since my team at the firm had already been at it for three hours. But I couldn’t seem to get my feet to walk out the door. I couldn’t break away from the girl in my lap and the woman at the counter.

“What’s the plan for today?” Hazel asked Thea, coming to sit at the table with a cup of coffee.

“Since I’m off, I was thinking about going shoreline picking.”

Charlie’s head flew off my chest. “Can I come?”

Thea twisted to look over her shoulder. “Of course.”

“Yes.” Charlie smiled up at me. “Can you come too?”