Everything You Ever Wanted
Marie’s astonishment just seemed to increase when he led the way back to Toby’s. He found himself bracing himself against the reaction as they walked in, and he acknowledged for the first time the real reason he’d refused to let her accompany him earlier—it was a statement, pure and simple.
Sure enough, there was a hiss of activity as the two of them were spotted. Logan kept an arm around her waist as they made their way to the end of the bar, acknowledging salutations from some of the regulars with a brief nod. A blonde woman he didn’t know was behind the bar, but Marie greeted her at once as she came over.
“Lynn, this is Logan.” He saw the woman’s start of recognition.
“Logan! I’ve heard so much about you.” She held out a hand and he shook it. “Toby’s downstairs changing a keg—we ran out of Abita. He’ll be up in a minute.”
“Lynn started here last month,” Marie explained. She leaned closer and spoke more quietly. “She and Toby are together.”
He had so much to tell her, but he didn’t know how to start, and Toby would probably do that for him, if he would just get back from wherever he was. Fortunately, the big man did appear then, breaking into a huge grin as soon as he saw them and coming up to crush Logan in a hearty embrace.
“Wasn’t expecting you quite so soon, mon ami. You met Lynn? How you doin’, sweetheart?” He draped an arm over Marie and kissed her on the cheek. “Haven’t seen much of her lately. Too busy to hang out with the Bayou trash, cherie?” He waved at Lynn. “Babe, get that bottle out. We gotta have a drink.”
Marie looked a little overwhelmed at the flood of words, and even more so when Lynn started setting out champagne glasses. “Toby—what’s this all about?”
“What, he didn’t tell you?” Toby was opening a bottle of Dom Perignon. He gave Logan a look of jovial astonishment. “What’s the matter with you, buddy? Tell her.” He didn’t give Logan a chance. “We’re gonna be partners, darlin’. Gonna expand the place, add a kitchen, music on the weekends—it’s gonna be great.” Logan saw Marie’s eyes change as she shifted her gaze to him. Toby rambled on about his plans, and she picked up a glass Lynn had filled for her and moved closer to him.
“That right?” she asked softly.
“Yeah.” He watched her intently. “What do you think? Sound like a good idea?”
“I think…it sounds like a great idea.” She still looked a little tentative, unsure, but then she smiled. “As long as you work on the sociability factor. If you’re gonna run a bar, you can’t be scaring off the patrons.”
Logan put his hands around her waist and boosted her up onto one of the barstools. “Yeah, well, you can give me some pointers.” He wanted to erase that lingering uncertainty he still saw in her eyes, but damn, he was no good at this. He leaned in to kiss her quickly, and jerked back as something like an electric shock hit him as his lips touched hers. Her hand flew to her mouth.
“I’m sorry! Oh, god, Logan, are you okay?” She looked really upset. “That hasn’t happened in years—say something, please?”
“I’m fine. Was that—“ He shook his head to clear it.
“My skin, yeah.” She set her glass down. “Damn it, I don’t even have gloves with me—I’m sorry, Logan. Every once in a while, if I’m really distracted, it just slips. Give me a second, that’s all.”
“What’s it do exactly?” he asked curiously.
“Well—I think I told you, I absorb people. Their thoughts, what they’re feeling.” She gave him a quick, tight smile. “Even their mutations, if they have them. It’s temporary, but it kind of knocks people for a loop, I know. I’m sorry, I’m just unfocused right now.” She looked down, obviously trying to gather herself.
If that was the way it worked—Logan didn’t give her the chance to turn it back off. He just braced himself and leaned in to bring his mouth down on hers firmly. Her hands flew to his shoulders as he felt that shock again and then a strange pull. His thoughts seemed to flow without conscious effort.
Butterflies. Fireworks at night. Jasmine in Hermosillo. The touch of hands covered in silk.
“Hey. This stool taken?”
Logan jerked himself back before his vision greyed out completely, and when he could focus on her again she was looking around the room with a slightly dazed expression.
“Wow.” She reached one hand up as though something were passing in front of her face. “The colors—I didn’t know you saw things that way.”
“Marie—“ He put a hand on her arm, careful this time to avoid her skin. “Never mind that.” If that hadn’t worked—but she closed her eyes briefly, and he saw her inhale. “What do you see, baby?”
“Mexico,” she whispered, and when she opened her eyes a tear trickled down one cheek. “Really?”
“Yeah. Really.” He started to reach toward her face, then hesitated. “You got it under control?” She nodded, her lips trembling on the edge of a smile, and he wiped away the moisture, letting his hand rest against the soft skin. “You okay?”
“Definitely.” Her eyes were shining, and she reached up to tighten her arms around his neck. “I love you too,” she said quietly, her lips against his ear, and he caught her up in his arms with relief. She laughed and he kissed her, thoroughly this time, and when he finally set her back down all her old ease of manner was back. “I want you to tell me straight out one of these days,” she teased. “No fair using my mutation to get out of it.”
“I’ll work on that.”
“And…I want you to stay at my place, not here. Don’t worry about those two, I’ll deal with them. And I want to see Mexico for myself, okay? I’ve never been there.”
He had to laugh at that. “You want a lot, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” She laced her fingers through his. “What do you want?”
“I want you, darlin’.” He watched as she absorbed the words, her eyes sparkling.
She tugged him closer. “That all?” He ran a hand through her hair, mingling the auburn and silver strands between his fingers.
“That’s everything.”
Finis
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Back to the bar. Drinks are a good thing.