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Chapter Six
Aria
The gathering spilled out onto the beach behind Liam and Natalie’s house after lunch. I watched the older kids splash around in the water with their parents while Ashton and Natalie occupied the smaller children with sandcastles and cuddles.
I couldn’t get over how attractive they all looked in their swimming costumes. The whole lot of them could model for magazines, including Logan.
He made his way out of the waves to me wearing nothing but his swimming trunks. Rivulets of salt water trickled down his abs, and the way he moved was as though he was born in the water—as though the ocean was his true home.
He stood in front of me. “Aren’t you coming in?”
“No. I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
“We can stop back at your holiday apartment if you forgot it.”
“No, I—” I hesitated. How would I tell him this? I looked at Logan, who was waiting expectantly. “I don’t have a swimsuit,” I confessed.
“You came to Virginia Beach without a swimsuit?” Logan looked perplexed.
“I’ve never owned a swimsuit in my entire life. I couldn’t think of anything worse than showing off my body. Look at me!” I threw my hands towards myself and let them slap my thighs. I gritted my teeth together when I felt tears well in my eyes.
Logan’s gaze didn’t falter. “I am looking at you. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
I rolled my eyes and began to turn away from him, but he caught my face in his hands.
“You are a beautiful woman.”
“That’s not true.”
“Who says?”
“Only everyone in my whole life.”Except Mum and Pop,I finished silently.
“They’re wrong.”
I threw my hands up.
“Aria.” Logan tightened his grip on me. “They. Are. Wrong.”
Logan stroked his thumbs under my eyes and brushed away my tears.
I was vaguely aware that I was stepping into him. “How can so many people be wrong?”
“Because they’re jealous of you.”
“What on earth have they got to be jealous of?” I scoffed.
Logan twisted his mouth up. “How many of them have family on the other side of the world? How many have left your hometown to go out and see the world, or settle in a big city, or even in another country? How many of them are highly intelligent and driven?”
I thought about it for a moment. “Maybe two other girls.”
“None of the guys, huh? You outshined them. That’s why they were jealous. I’ll bet none of them got to do this.” Logan flashed a cocky smile and then his lips were on mine.
I froze.
I didn’t know what to do. I’d never experienced this before. Was I meant to respond, and if so, how? My mind raced, but not with anything coherent.
Logan pulled back. “I’m sorry, did I overstep the mark?”
