“Thanks again for breakfast,” Marie said once they got back to the room. With the way their first real conversation had stalled down there, she figured Logan was probably having second thoughts about her. She’d just make a graceful exit. She grabbed her duffle. “I, um, I have some errands to run, so . . .”

Logan’s eyes were fixed on her bag as his gaze followed her to the door. “You’re comin’ back,” he said, and it may or may not have been a question.

Marie sighed. So much for a graceful exit. “Logan . . .”

He walked over to her and tugged the bag off her shoulder, tossing it on the foot of the bed. “You’re comin’ back,” he said again, a hint of a smile playing at his lips, though nervous shadows danced around his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her. “Back to this hotel and back to New York with me. That’s just—that’s how it’s gonna be. I’m keepin’ you.”

Her mouth fell open. “Is that so?” she asked, amazed at his presumption.

He nodded, leaning into her, his lips a hair’s breadth away from hers. “Uh huh. You traveled half the damn continent with strangers, Marie. So I’ll be goddamn offended if I can’t get you to hitch a ride to New York with me. Got an apartment in Westchester. Plenty of room. I leave tomorrow. You gonna be ready?”

Marie was floored. “I—I—I dunno,” she said dumbly.

He brushed his lips across hers, pulling away with a shrug. “Okay. I’ll wait. Day after tomorrow?”

She shook her head, grinning in disbelief. “Logan. This is crazy.”

He kissed her again and walked her backwards, pressing his full body into hers and pinning her to the wall. He rubbed up against her deliciously, and they both groaned. “Do you feel that? That’s the best thing I ever felt in my life, darlin’.” He nuzzled his cheek to hers and seemed to be smelling her again. “That’s heaven, right there. All the other shit, it’ll work itself out. We’ll work it out. I’ll take—“

“—care of me,” she finished. “I—I s’pose New York couldn’t be any worse than Anchorage.” Wow. Did she really say that?

His hands twined with hers. “That a yes?”

“Oh God. I’m outta my damn mind. Y-yes.”