Page 8 of Viking
I shrug, looking away from him and back to my shoes and yanking my laces a little too tight. “Maid-of-honor duty calls. We’re going hiking.” I stand but my eyes remain locked on the floor.
He nods, his expression unreadable, though his eyes still gleam with something sharp and knowing. “That color looks good on you.”
My head snaps up, and I swear my face catches fire. I glance at the ceiling, sending up a silent thanks that I rarely ever miss my morning barre class. “Thanks,” I mumble, pretending to pick a piece of lint off my leggings just to give myself something to do.
“So…hiking,” he drawls, dragging the word out like he’s testing it. “Sounds fun. Do you guys do that a lot, or is it a Vegas thing?”
“It’s a pre-wedding thing,” I rush out. “The bride’s idea. Something about bonding with nature before we catch the red-eye home tonight.”
Logan laughs, the sound rough and devastatingly sexy. “Ah,” he says, standing up, wearing only boxer briefs. He stretches his arms above his head and the movement pulls every muscle taut, the ripple of them beneath his skin is hypnotic. When he drops his arms, he tilts his head, watching me like he’s weighing his options. His expression is innocent, cute even, but the way his eyes dance has me bracing for whatever he’s about to say. “You could be late?” He bends to grab his jeans, sliding them on slowly, like he’s giving me time to change my mind.
I freeze, heart lodging in my throat. I don’t mean to but my gaze shifts to the bed. What would happen if I just crawled back into it? One step. One tug on his arm. I know he’d let me.
“I can’t, I already missed last night.” I don’t try to mask the longing. I don’t want to leave him. The idea of it makes my heart ache. But it doesn’t make any sense.
“Well, I hope you enjoy the hike,” he says, but there’s a teasing lilt to his voice—like he knows I’ll be thinking about his suggestion the entire time I’m out there. “Lila, this was—”
“I should go,” I blurt, my heart slamming against my ribs. I grab my water bottle like it’s a lifeline and rush to the door so fast I nearly trip over my own feet.
He watches me, amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth.
I linger for half a second too long, rooted in place, pulse roaring in my ears.
He’s across the room before I can move, his hands settling on my hips like they’ve been there a hundred times before.
“I had a really good time last night,” he says, voice low.
My heart catches. “Me too,” I whisper, and it may be the most honest thing I’ve ever said.
He leans in, brushing his lips over mine like a promise he can’t keep but desperately wants to. Then he smiles softly, almost shy. “Bye, Lila.”
“Bye, Logan.” My voice is breathy and I mentally slap myself for letting him have such an effect. “I really do have to go.”
A flicker of sadness crosses his face. “Okay,” he says, but the word feels heavy, like it hurts to say.
Then I am gone, stepping into the hallway and shutting the door behind me. Closing my eyes, I lean against it hoping to take a second to steady myself.
I suck in a breath as my phone buzzes again.
IVY: Get down here! We need all the spicy details.
I stare at the screen, my mind a kaleidoscope of Logan’s smile, his voice, and the way he’d said my name like it was something special. I can’t let myself dwell on it. Whatever spark I thought I felt, whatever warmth lingered when he kissed me goodbye, it doesn’t matter.
He’s just another fleeting moment in a city built on them. Except this one feels like it’s going to haunt me for a very long time.
6 Years Later
Hampton, Virginia—Langley AFB
April 27, 2024
1058
Logan
The crowd is already buzzing by the time we step onto the tarmac. Thousands of eyes are fixed on the sky, waiting for the show to begin. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve done this—every flight demonstration feels like a new kind of pressure. And this one? At Langley, our home base? That pressure is doubled.
My best friend, Ryan Carter—Spartan—is beside me, pulling on his helmet, his easy grin firmly in place. “Big crowd today, James. You nervous?”
