Page 78 of The Risk Taker

He wags his eyebrows. “You seemed very into the dirty talk the other day.”

I roll my eyes, a scoff escaping me. “Why are you like this?”

“Genetics. Probably,” he says with a shrug, which makes me huff out another laugh.

My lips twitch as I glance at him, trying not to smile. I’d never say it out loud, but part of me is glad he’s here. That he saw what I usually keep to myself, the stuff I never show anyone and actually… cared.

Even if he’s still the most annoying, smug, insufferably hot pain in my ass I’ve ever met.

The room’s quiet, save for the faint hum of the TV downstairs and the occasional thud of someone moving around. Neither of us says anything. We just sit here, our eyes locked.

Logan shifts, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve been thinking about the other night.”

My stomach flutters. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” His eyes stay on mine. “I know you’re still figuring shit out. And I’m not pushing you. But I need to know what you want from me. Because I’ll wait, Hayes. I’ll wait as long as you need. I just…” He exhales. “I need to know you didn’t regret it. That you’re not going to disappear on me now.”

“I’m not gonna disappear,” I say, my throat thick as I hold his gaze. “And I didn’t regret it.” I swallow. “Not one bit.”

His eyes linger on mine and he smiles a little. “Then tell me what you want.”

I glance down at my hands, the faint smudges of graphite still clinging to my fingertips. I turn the pencil slowly between them.

“I want to know,” I say.

“You still don’t?”

I shift in my seat, staring down at the sketchpad even though I’m not really seeing it anymore. “I don’t know,” I say quietly. “I know I liked it. I know I keep thinking about it. About you.” My fingers grip the pencil harder. “More than I should.”

When I look up again, he’s watching me carefully.

“But I don’t know what it means,” I admit. “I don’t know what I am. Or what I like. Or what any of this makes me. I just…” I trail off, breath catching as I press my lips together.

His hand brushes mine and his thumb drags gently over the inside of my wrist.

“We’ll figure it out,” he tells me. “That’s what you want from me, right?”

I press my lips together, hard, because what I want from him is too much to say out loud. Too much to even admit to myself.

So I nod instead.

Logan’s mouth tugs into a grin. “Then I’ll help you figure it out,” he murmurs, leaning closer. “And have so much fucking fun doing it.”

I let out a breathy laugh, leaning back slightly in my chair. My heart’s still beating faster than it should. “You don’t havea problem with… going slow? Waiting for me to figure my shit out?”

His brow lifts like the question honestly confuses him. “Why would I?”

I bite my bottom lip, trying to figure out how to say it without sounding stupid. “Because… I haven’t… I mean, I haven’t done this with a guy before.”

He smirks at that. “Stop worrying. You’re learning,” he says. “And I happen to like teaching.”

I exhale, something tight easing in my chest. “And what about you?”

He cocks his head. “What about me?”

“Won’t you get bored since you’re not… getting laid?” The second the words are out, I wince. “Unless you are? Which is fine,” I add quickly, even though the idea sits like glass in my throat. “We didn’t really talk about it so?—”

“Jesus, Hayes,” Logan cuts in, laughing as he shakes his head. “Stop scrambling. I haven’t hooked up with anyone in weeks.”