Page 53 of Defiance
“Well, whatever you were doing, you looked peaceful.”
Cole wanted to laugh.If only you knew what I’d been thinking about.
He doubted West would be so jovial towards him then.
They ate their food, and soon enough Cole was back in the chair. He let his mind wander again as the buzz of the tattoo gun started up, only stirring when the door opened.
Logan and Aaron entered the room, taking their seats on the sofa. They didn’t look annoyed or worried, so whatever Paul had said couldn’t have been that bad.
Cole gave them a smile, then closed his eyes again, content to listen to the three of them talk without him.
* * *
“There.”West wiped Cole’s arm and sat back to survey his handiwork. “That’s a fucking awesome tattoo, even if I do say so myself.”
Cole sat up and inspected his arm. It’d looked good before, but now that West was done? It took his breath away. “Wow.”
West grinned at him. “I know, right? That mate of yours, what pack is he in?”
“Cox pack.”
“Well, when you eventually get to leave this place, make sure you thank him. It was a privilege to use his design.”
So he does know what’s going on with me.
For a few hours, Cole had almost forgotten that he was more of a prisoner than a normal pack member. “Thanks,” he said, managing a smile. “I will.”
“Come on,” Logan said as he and Aaron stood. “They’re waiting for us in the training facility.” He thanked West, then opened the door.
As soon as they were outside in the hallway, Logan stopped him. “Can I see?”
Cole huffed. “You could’ve just looked in there instead of hustling me out.”
“I know.” Logan didn’t offer more of an explanation, so Cole gave up and turned his arm for Logan to inspect.
He stared in silence for what seemed like ages before looking up to meet Cole’s gaze. And yeah... now Cole understood why he waited until they were outside. Logan’s blue eyes were almost black, pupils dilated until only a thin line of colour remained. A familiar scent filled the air, faint but one Cole recognised.
“You really like it, huh?”
Logan nodded. “It’s...” He went to touch it, stopping at the last moment and taking hold of Cole’s fingers instead. “Perfect.” His voice pitched low, a rumbling growl that had the hairs on the back of Cole’s neck standing on end.
“Thanks.” Cole swallowed, his body beginning to respond to Logan’s obvious arousal.
“For fuck’s sake, shake it off, Logan.” Aaron glared at the two of them and Logan immediately stepped back.
“Sorry.” He turned away from them and walked a couple of paces, rolling his shoulders. “I knew it would look good, but...fuck.”
“It’s just a tattoo.” Cole didn’t understand. He liked tattoos as much as the next guy, but he wasn’t expecting that reaction.
Logan swung around to face them but didn’t move any closer. “It’s not just a tattoo. It’s a pack tattoo.Mypack.” He sighed, frustrated. “I can’t explain it.”
Cole frowned. He didn’t get all hot and bothered when he looked at Logan’s. It was sexy as fuck, yes, but he didn’t get an instant semi like the one it appeared Logan was sporting. His eyes drifted to Logan’s forearm, and as if he read his mind, Logan pushed his sleeve up.
Cole stared at it, taking in the familiar detail. It looked good on him, but Cole didn’t feel like he was about to lose control over it. Should he? Was something wrong with him? With them? They’d barely touched in the last few days, the opportunities to be alone few and far between.
Was their attraction fading?
Cole didn’t think so. Despite the circumstances surrounding them, he still wanted Logan just as much as he always had. More, even.
