1) His MacGyver hands
2) Laughs at my jokes
3) Likes me better--- period
4) His car
Reasons to date Bobby:
1) Um…
I got up bright and early the next morning at ten o'clock. It was a perfect morning. No alarm clocks going off, no rabid sister making a racket in the kitchen.
Hopping out of bed, I took a luxuriously hot shower and got dressed in what I thought was an outfit that would fit anything Logan had planned for today: jeans, sporty tank top, and my funky green tennis shoes. I tossed a sweatshirt on the bed so I'd be ready to go and went to the kitchen to make some coffee. Yeah, I did all that before I had coffee. Amazing what you can do when you're motivated.
I expected to find Jean mixing her vile beverage, but there wasn't any sign of her in the kitchen, not even a washed cup. Odd. I looked toward her room. The door was still closed. Maybe she hadn't gotten up yet? Was that possible? She was always up at dawn.
I shrugged and set a pot on the stove to heat for coffee. I'd measured the beans and started grinding them when the office door slammed open.
"What are you doing?"
I whirled around, relaxing when I saw it was just Jean.
A demonic looking Jean. Her hair was matted to one side of her head but stuck up in a messy clump on the other. She still had on her plain white bra and wool pants, wrinkled beyond acceptable Jean standards. But it was the crazy look in her bloodshot eyes that really inspired fear.
She looked a little too unstable to trust her at my back, so I kept an eye on her. "How's it going?"
She growled--- really. I almost dropped the grinder. I was so shocked. I'd never heard her make a sound like that. Ever.
My good mood must have made me sympathetic because I said, "Hung over, huh? I'm making coffee."
She growled again, stomped into the kitchen, and pulled out a new container of instant coffee, all the while glaring at me.
I shrugged. Hey, I tried. I readied my press pot, poured in the water, and leaned against the counter to watch my sister fix the crap she called coffee. I didn't grin, though I wanted to. Especially when she opened every cabinet looking for the mugs and still couldn't find them.
Finally, I couldn't help myself. I pointed to the cupboard to the right of the sink. "In there."
She scowled daggers at me and pulled the cabinet door so forcefully it banged open and instantly shut again. She muttered something-- Jean never cursed so I'm sure she didn't say what I thought she did-- and opened it again, this time managing to actually get the mug out.
I watched in morbid fascination as she made her coffee, wondering how someone so smart could drink Instant coffee. Shudder. "Do you have any plans today?"
She barely glanced at me before she stalked into the living room and huddled on the couch.
I followed and plopped down on the other side of the couch. "I take it you feel less than optimal this morning."
"Marie-Elizabeth," she barked.
I raised my brows.
"Shut. Up."
I pursed my lips and considered her. "Are you saying you don't feel like the attention? Because last night you sure wanted some."
She narrowed her usually lovely eyes that, this morning, looked rusted over.
"Don't expect me to feel sorry for you. It's not like anyone poured those Sexual Trances down your throat."
She moaned softly and buried her face in a pillow.
Oh, bother. With a huff, I got up and went to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. I poured four Advil onto my palm and went back to Jean, who hadn't moved an inch. "Here."
When she didn't look up, I shook my hand in front of her. At the rattling, she peeked. I held out my open palm and, when it registered what I offered, she pounced.
I sat down again, sipping my coffee and studying her. Her head was still lowered, but the expression on her face was more one of waiting, like she was counting the seconds till the ibuprofen kicked in.
I shook my head. "You'd think you would have learned in college."
"When?" She tilted her head enough to scowl at me. "When I was seventeen and a senior in college? Because I know the other seniors really wanted to hang out with a teenager. Or when I was studying twenty hours a day?"
She had a point. I'd never thought of it that way. "Is that what this is all about?"
Jean moaned. "Marie, just leave me alone."
"Something's wrong with you. You come here and don't want to tell Mom and Dad. You want to go out. You drink exotic drinks. You dance on a bar." I frowned. "Are you terminal?"
"SHUT UP."
I opened my mouth to ask her more questions, but she got up--- slowly, probably because of her head---, threw the pillow at me, which missed due to her abysmal aim, and stormed off to her room. The door closed softly, once again probably in deference of her head.
Interesting.
I scrounged around till I found my cell phone and called Scott.
"Hello?" he asked on the fourth ring.
"Do you think Jean's dying?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because she's acting weird."
"If that were the precursor to death, I could argue that you're a breath away."
"Ha, ha. You're so funny."
"Want me to come over today? I was thinking of rebuilding that radio Hank gave me. You can bring over a couple of Philly cheese steaks."
Of course this was about his stomach. "Sorry. I've got plans."
"What kind of plans?"
"The kind that are none of your business." I didn't want him to know I was going out with Logan. Scott didn't like the guys I went out with. Plus I really had no clue what we were doing, Logan was very mysterious about it.
He audibly bristled. "What the hell do you mean, it's none of my business?"
I hummed. It's unholy, the pleasure I get from harassing my loved ones.
"If you don't want me to know your plans, you either don't know what you're doing---"
Scott knew me so well..
"---or you're afraid I'm going to disapprove." he paused. "Do I need to be close to a phone in case they only allow you one call?"
I laughed "I'm not doing anything illegal. At least, not that I know of, though the day is young and you never know."
"Do your plans have to with Drake?"
I rubbed my nose, thinking. Originally, going out with Logan would have had a lot to do with Bobby. But this time Bobby wasn't aware we were going out, and Bobby wouldn't be there to see Logan and me interacting.
Also, there was the matter of how Logan played me like a violin last night. He'd had every atom in my body quivering for a kiss, his kiss. And they were still reverberating. I hadn't thought of Bobby once since Logan put his hands on me.
So I concluded, "No. It doesn't have anything to do with Bobby." It didn't. It had everything to do with dying to know if Logan tasted as scrumptious as I thought.
"I'm not sure I believe you."
I frowned. "It's not like I can lie to you."
"Yeah, but you aren't being entirely truthful."
"Fine." I huffed. "If you must know, I'm going out with Logan."
A pause. "Who's Logan?"
"A guy I met."
"And this has nothing to do with Drake?"
I hesitated. "No."
"You're lying."
"No, I'm not."
Disbelieving silence.
"Okay, maybe in the beginning seeing Logan had a little to do with Bobby---"
"Who is Logan?"
"A boxing instructor."
"A boxing instructor," Scott repeated. "How did you meet a boxing instructor?"
I made a face.
"Because, correct me if I'm wrong, but the only person you know who takes boxing is Drake."
"Fine! God. Interrogate me, why don't you?" Scotland Yard needed to recruit him. "He's Bobby's instructor, but I'm not going out with him because of Bobby."
Scott snorted.
"I'm not."
"You're lying again, Rogue."
I growled. "Okay, maybe I started seeing him because of Bobby, but that's not why I'm going out with him now."
"You have absolutely no ulterior motives?"
"Um. No."
He said nothing.
"All right already! There's his car, but that's only secondary." Mostly.
"What kind of car does he have?"
"A '67 Shelby Mustang." I heaved a lusty sigh. "It's absolutely beautiful."
"You're so pathetic." But there was a smile in his voice. The man knew how to appreciate a good car. "Will you have time for me tomorrow?"
"Want to do pizza and a movie tomorrow night?"
"Yeah. About seven? You rent the movie, I'll bring the pizza."
"You're coming here?"
"Sure," he replied. "Is that okay?"
"Um---" Jean was here. My first impulse was to say I'd meet him at his house, but I didn't want to leave her alone. She'd been acting so strange. "Yeah, come over here."
"Watch yourself today."
I stuck my tongue out. He was such a big brother.
He laughed. "Save that for your date, he'll appreciate it more. Bye, Rogue."
Scott thought he was such a comedian.
I still had a lot of time before Logan was due but I didn't know what to do with myself, so I decided to take a magazine and the phone (in case Logan called) down to the stoop to look it over as I sat in the sun and waited.
On my way out the door, I noticed Jean's jar of Sanka on the kitchen counter. I walked over, picked it up, opened the trash---
Sigh. I dropped the lid shut, opened the cupboard, and put the jar back where Jean had hidden it. Smiling faintly, I went downstairs to wait for my date.
I was reading my magazine when the side door opened and Raven emerged from the basement.
She cocked her brow when she saw me on the porch. "Enjoying the weather?"
I smiled, eyeing her ever-present bag. Was it my imagination or did it have a monster-sized dildo bulge on the side? "Yeah. Thought I'd wait for my ride out here since the weather is so nice."
She set her bag down and turned to lock the door. "Big plans?"
"Just getting together with a friend. You got anything fun on the agenda for today?" I blinked innocently as if it were a casual question.
She hefted her bag onto her shoulder. "Just work," she smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Take it easy."
"Yeah," I said, scooting over so she could ease past me down the steps. "You, too."
I watched her long-legged confident stride go down the block and disappear around the corner. I grabbed the cell phone and dialed Scott.
"Hello?"
"Why do you think Mystique parks around the corner?"
Pause. "Does she always?"
"Whenever I see her."
"Hmm. Maybe she's afraid one of her johns will follow her home. Or that he'll randomly drive by and see where she lives."
I nodded. "Yeah, I hate taking my work home, too."
"Exactly."
"Okay. Thanks." I heard Logan's car come around the corner before I saw it. "Gotta go."
"Behave yourself," Scott said, hanging up before I could make a retort.
I closed the phone as I hopped down the steps. Logan pulled up just as I reached the sidewalk and then he got out and came around the car just as I reached it.
My heart rate kicked up and my gut tingled in an oh-my-God-this-is-it kind of way. Like the intellectual I am, I said, "Hey, sugar."
He smiled and stopped inches in front of me. I could smell his just-showered scent and was suddenly overwhelmed by this need to burrow into him and sniff his body.
"What's wrong?" he asked, watching me intently.
He always watched me intently. Like he wanted to peel away my layers and discover what was underneath. Unnerving, yes. Arousing, oh God, yes. I'd never had anyone look at me like that, like I was all the mysteries of the world rolled into one package he wanted to unravel.
His brow furrowed and he reached out to push back a strand of my hair that got loose from my ponytail. "Marie? You okay?"
I smiled and leaned into his touch. "I'm perfect."
The corners of his lips turned up just a little, but his eyes were serious as he said, "Yeah, you are."
I smiled brilliantly-- I couldn't help it. "I'm glad we're going out today."
"Me too. You ready?"
I had the feeling he was talking about more than getting in the car and going, but I pretended it was a simple question and nodded. He was reaching to open the door for me when I asked, "No chance I can drive, is there?"
He glanced at me. "You know where we're going?"
Uhm. "No."
He grinned as I climbed into the passenger seat. "Maybe you'll get a turn later."
Yes! I grinned at him as he closed the door and fastened my seatbelt like the good girl that I am.
I am. For real. Underneath it all.
I watched him settle into the driver seat and start the car. Masterful was the only word for the way he took command. It made me shiver in anticipation. I never thought I'd be the kind of woman who'd want a guy to dominate her. It wouldn't work, but something inside me was dying for Logan to try.
"What are you thinking?"
I started, turning to face him. "Sorry?"
His glance was brief so he could keep his eyes on the road. "You were miles away. Wondered what you were thinking."
"My mind was just wondering," I blushed, wondering what he'd say if he knew.
He knew. I could tell by the look he gave me. In his eyes, I could see him struggling to trap my hands above my head and me writhing against him to stop it.
Whew. I fanned myself.
He grinned, but I noticed his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so hard.
"So," I said brightly. "Where are we going?"
"The coast."
"I love the coast. What are we going to do?"
"Not what you want to do."
Pout again. "Why not?"
He glanced at me. "We haven't kissed yet and you want to go there?"
I faced forward, my arms crossed. Did it matter what we did first? "Are you the type of person who'd take exception to me ordering dessert first? Because I'll tell you right now, sometimes I want pie before dinner."
"Thanks for lettin' me know."
Were his lips twitching? "I'm serious."
"So am I." He glanced at me. "I like knowin' about you."
"You do?" I asked suspiciously.
"Yeah."
"So you should know I like kisses," I said, like a princess.
He briefly looked over at me again. "Good to know."
"I love kisses." I glanced at him to make sure he was paying attention. "I'd do anything for kisses."
"Also good to know." His eyebrow quirked the tiniest fraction. "What else do I need to know about you?"
"That my family is insane and my best friend is a guy." Bobby may have mentioned that detail to Logan before, but I'd never personally brought it up. I figured he should hear it upfront from me. Guys were weird about stuff like that, and no way was I changing my relationship with Scott. No way in hell.
"How long have you been friends?"
"A long time," I stressed the middle word with a meaningful look. "Seven years now.
Logan nodded. He appeared to understand what I was saying, but I knew for certain when he said, "Will he approve of me?"
I pretended to size him up. "Depends on how you treat me."
"And how well kissed you are?"
I smiled. "Exactly."
We spent the next half hour in silence; Logan drove and I watched the scenery go by. A couple of times I tried to get where we were going out of him to no avail. Though we were headed toward the coast, so I don't know why he wouldn't tell me. But I just went with it. Dwight would have been so proud of me.
We passed a winery I recognized because Bobby favored their sparkling wines. Sparkling wine was the same as champagne, and I hated them both. Bobby always foisted them on me, as if the next time I'd realize how much I loved them. I never did.
I shifted in my seat so my left leg was bent under me and I faced my date. "Logan."
"Yeah, darlin'?"
"I don't like champagne."
He remained silent for a long time, like he was processing what I told him. I could tell he realized the importance of this statement even if it baffled him. Finally he said, "I won't buy you champagne then."
"Thank you." I relaxed and settled back to enjoy the rest of the drive. While I watched the scenery, I plotted. Hey-- it's what I'm good at. If Logan was going to insist on refraining from kissing me, more power to him. It was honorable. Stupid, but honorable. But I wasn't going to make it easy on him.
I saw a reflection of my grin in the window and it was evil. I couldn't help it. I was down with his reasoning--- excellent intentions. That didn't mean I had to play along. Not that I was going to take him down to pillage his mouth. No, I was going to respect his wishes. I just wasn't going to make it easy on him.
Sometime while I was plotting his downfall, Logan turned off the two-lane highway that led to the coast. I sat up and took a look around. "Where are we going?"
"We're almost there."
"That didn't answer my question."
"Do you always have to be in control?"
"Not always." What a lie.
He glanced at me, brow raised. Hmmph. "Is that such a bad thing, anyway?"
He actually smiled at that. "No, but don't you think it could be refreshin' to surrender every now and then?"
The first thought that popped into my head was Logan in pirate garb and me in a flowing peasant dress, open to the waist, tied to his bed.
"What is it?" he asked.
I squirmed in my seat. "Do you own an eye patch?"
"No."
"A whip?"
"Uh… no."
Shoot. Oh, well. Christmas wasn't far off. I sat up. "Is that a carnival?"
"Yep."
"I love carnivals," I murmured, staring at the moving rides. It'd been so long since I'd gone to one.
"I know."
I frowned at him. "How do you know?"
A faint smile ghosted his lips. "I asked your sister the other night when you went to get her a glass of water."
"Oh." I didn't know what to make of it, that Logan did something so thoughtful as well as Jean remembering such a detail. "The last time I went to a carnival, it was closer on land and Scott, my best friend---" I glanced at Logan to see how he'd react to my mentioning Scott. Nothing but interest. "Well, Scott challenged me to a cotton candy-eating contest."
"And you won." He didn't sound surprised.
"Of course," I grimaced. "I still can't stand the sight of cotton candy though."
He laughed. "No champagne, no cotton candy. Got it."
We had to walk through the dirt parking lot for quite a while, but with each step I got more excited about the carnival. "Are we going to ride the Ferris wheel?"
"If that's what you want."
"Yes!" I jumped up and down only once. No, I didn't clap too-- my left hand was busy burrowing into his jeans' back pocket. "And the merry-go round."
"Sure."
"I want a corndog, too."
"Okay."
"And---"
Smiling, Logan stopped and squeezed me to him. "You can have anything you want."
"Really." I glanced at his lips. "Anything?"
His gaze fell to my mouth. "I'll get in trouble with that kind of promise, huh?"
His voice was low and husky and touched something deep inside me. Low inside, like in the vicinity of my private red-light area. My mom didn't raise a dummy, so I plastered myself against him, reached up, and ran a finger over his lower lip. It felt soft and firm and perfect.
"Do you want to get into trouble?"
He leaned down until his lips hovered over the most sensitive spot on my neck. "You're playin' a dangerous game."
"I'm not playing," I whispered in his ear.
With a finger, he lifted my chin and gazed into my eyes. "I'm not either."
"Aren't you tempted to kiss me at all?"
The barest smile touched his lips. "I'm dyin' to kiss you."
I wrinkled my nose. "Then why don't you?"
"It's not time yet."
As far as I was concerned, it was way past time. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
I sighed and pulled back. "The next time I try to entice you to kiss me, play along and act like I'm irresistible, okay?"
"You are irresistible."
Ha. So said Iron Man. But I let him pull me along to the carnival.
True to his word, we did it all, without any reserve on his part even though I could tell this wasn't his usual cup of tea. We rode rides, played games, and at corndogs. I won him a pretty big purple panda and he won me a tiara, which I immediately put on my head and refused to take off. Amazingly, he ran circles around me at the bumper cars--- I nearly wet myself at the site of him uncomfortably stuffing his long legs into the tiny clown car-- but I beat his pants off at the shooting games. Not literally, unfortunately.
I got so caught up in the moment and the fun we were having, I forgot to taunt him to see if I could wear down his willpower. I didn't even remember my plan until nighttime when we were leaving, and even then the seduction began innocently. I swear.
We were walking to the car, holding hands, when impulsively I turned to him. "I feel great."
He didn't say anything, but he looked amused.
"No, I mean, really great." I threw my arms out as if to hug the world. "I haven't felt so light and carefree in weeks. Maybe months. It's like all this weight I was carrying on my shoulders is gone."
"Did you have a lot of weight on your shoulders?"
"You wouldn't believe how much. But look at me now." I bounced on my toes as I walked to show him how light I felt.
He stopped and drew me to him. He held the panda in one arm and was holing my hand with his other, so he bent down and rubbed his nose to mine. It was a simple gesture, but it stopped my heart with its tenderness.
"God, I love---" he paused. "--bein' with you."
I felt curiously deflated. I didn't know what I thought he was going to say. We'd only known each other for a week, after all. So I just smiled.
"I'm glad you walked into my gym," he murmured in my ear.
I shivered and opened my mouth to reply. But I felt the butterfly brush of his mouth against my jaw and I was lost. His face rasped faintly against my cheek and I shivered again, wondering how his five o'clock shadow would feel on other parts of my body.
He let go of my hand and, looking into my eyes, held the back of my neck. His fingers slowly speared through my loosened pony tail, using it to tilt my head back so we gazed into each other's eyes.
Oh, God. He was going to kiss me.
My mouth fell open, partly in preparation and partly because I couldn't believe the moment was finally here. I lifted my hand to his shoulder--- and for more balance in case kissing turned into groping.
His thumb caressed the corner of my jaw in slow deliberate strokes. I wanted to tell him to do that lower but I didn't think I could form the words. Breathing was challenging at the moment.
He brought his head down until I could feel his lips hovering over mine. All I had to do was crane my head forward a tiny, tiny bit and we'd touch.
Only I didn't want to be the one to initiate it. As much as I was dying for it, I wanted him to initiate it first, this time. It seemed paramount.
Next time, he was mine.
So I swallowed and waited, trying not to sway forward. His fingers tightened in my hair; oddly, it made my nipples tighten too.
Kiss me, damn it.
He dropped his forehead to mine, briefly, and stepped back.
No.
But I managed to control myself from shrieking in frustration, even when he let go of my hair. I cleared the passion that had lodged itself in my throat, smiled like the siren I am, and asked, "Can I drive home?"
He studied me like he was considering pinning me to the ground and ripping my clothes off. I tried to convey with my gaze that I wouldn't be averse to that idea. But then he smiled and handed me the keys. "Go for it."
We made it back in record time, even though I took the long way just so I could savor the Mustang. Reluctantly I pulled in front of my house. It was dark except for the porch light and a light inside Raven's apartment.
"Is your sister home?" Logan asked, also looking up at my house.
I shrugged. "She was in bad shape this morning. I have no idea what her plans were for today."
He nodded and turned to face me.
The dark emphasized how masculine he was and the sharp planes on his face. I gave in to my longing to run my hand over his wild hair--- who knew it'd be so soft?--, finally letting it rest on the nape of his neck. His eyes looked fathomless and I thought I could drown in them.
"It's late."
I nodded, even though all I wanted to do was climb onto his lap and rub myself all over him. But I managed to control myself and got out of the car.
He walked me up to my porch. I unlocked the door and then turned around to face Logan. "Today was one of the best days I've had in as long as I can remember."
"For me, too." He trailed a finger down my cheek and then picked up my hand, massaging my knuckles. "What are you doin' tomorrow?"
"I have plans tomorrow night but I'm free during the day."
He nodded. "I'll pick you up at eleven."
I grinned. "Are you always so bossy?"
"I prefer to call it singleness of purpose." He caressed my hand one last time before he let go.
With a smile and wave, I went in and locked the door so Jean wouldn't have a fit in the morning. Then I ran up the stairs and rushed to the living room window. I grinned as I watched him drive away.
I couldn't wait until tomorrow. As I went to my bedroom, I wondered what he had planned. Not that I cared. Though if he really wanted to please me, it'd be some activity we could do naked with a can of whipped cream.