Page 34 of Reject Him

“I -” It had been what she was trying to tell Logan a few minutes ago, but she hadn’t had the chance. And right now, she doesn’t feel like admitting it. Not in front of her father. Not this way. This is a private matter, and she’d like to tell him when she isn’t pressured to do so.

“That’s what I thought,” her father assumes. He sighs and looks at Logan. “You need to push her. She always was a stubborn child.”

“I won’t push her into anything,” Logan growls.

“And if the alliance falls apart? Because I assure you I hold to my word. By week’s end-”

“We will see what comes at the week’s end,” Logan interjects again.

Lee’s jaw flexes. “Very well.”

“You may stay at the guest house but as a guest, not another alpha.”

Eme squeezes Logan’s hand, needing comfort. She does not want him to stay here. To her, it feels like going backward. She’s not interested in going backward.

“Very well,” he says again. “I’ll show myself to my accommodations.” And with that, her father leaves, but not before he gives her one quick stern look.

“Well, that was awkward,” Logan mumbles when Lee shuts the door behind him.

“I’m sure he means well,” Eme whispers.

Logan breathes deep. “We should go to bed.”

She nibbles on her bottom lip then turns to him. “What he said -”

He places a finger on her lips. “You don’t have to worry about what he said.”

She moves her face so that she can speak again. “It’s important to me, Logan. Please don’t dismiss it.” Searching her eyes, he nods for her to continue. “I didn’t want to say it in front of my father because I’m still figuring it all out myself. I do care for you. I do. I’ve never had these feelings before, but . . .” How does she say it? How does she voice her feelings?

“Eme, you can talk to me,” he says softly. His tone is so understanding that it breaks her.

“I think that I do have feelings for you.” And she knows now that it’s more than a crush.

He cups her cheek. “You don’t have to tell me what I want to hear.”

She leans into his hand. “And what if what I’m telling you is the truth.”

Logan doesn’t say anything. He only searches her face for the truth, and when he finds no lies, he presses his lips to hers. The kiss is sweet and gentle, and when he’s finished, he whispers against her lips. “Then sleep with me.”

“I’m not ready for-”

“I’m not talking about sex and mating, Eme.”

“Oh,” she murmurs. He means sleep-sleep. He grins a small smile that melts her heart and molds it back together again. “Okay.”

An owl hoots outside as Logan lays in bed beside Eme. He watches her soundlessly sleep while the wind pushes against his windows. A storm had blown in, but thankfully, the fire lit in the fireplace continues to roar, keeping the room warm.

He can’t sleep. What she said to him . . . what she said to him is something he’s never heard directed toward himself before. She cares for him. She cares deeply for him, and it’s causing him to lay wide awake.

Of all the other girlfriends he’s had, none have come close to saying those words or even expressing those feelings. The attitude toward those relationships had always been mutual. But there’s something about Eme that’s different from all the others, and it has nothing to do with the alliance. He knew the moment he met her that this would be different.

Careful not to jostle the bed, he lifts his hand and rubs at his eyebrow. What if he fucks it up? What if he does something that’ll break this fragile but growing bond? The only role models he’s had when it came to sturdy relationships were his parents, and they passed before he could pick up any tips. He had been too busy with his rise in the pack and what would soon be expected of him.

Truth be told, he didn’t love Eme in the beginning. No, it was far from it. He just knew this would be different. She has been a hard person to love, let alone be around, but he did have immediate feelings for her. A pull he couldn’t and still can’t explain. He cared for her the way a woman is supposed to be cared for, the way his mother taught him to care for people. This wasn’t just caring for a new member of the pack. This was entirely different.

Again, it’s something he can’t explain.

He lowers his hand and looks at her. Her chest rises and falls at a soft but even rate, and her face, which is normally lined with the stress of her situation, is smoothed into an easy expression.

He reaches over and brushes a hair from her face. The moment is peaceful, and in this moment, he realizes that he’d do anything for her because it’s what she deserves. Those words she said to him are something not to be taken lightly.

Carefully, he pulls her close and closes his eyes. He vows to be worthy of them.