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Chapter Seven
Logan
I was the first to wake the next morning. Aria and I only managed a few hours of sleep. Though I hadn’t taken her virginity, I spent most of the night teaching and showing her other things we could do to one another that didn’t involve me putting my cock inside her. Not like I hadn’t been dying to since the moment I met her, but I was truthful when I told her she was better than losing it on some random couch.
Okay, so it wasn’t random. It was my couch, and I knew I wasn’t some random guy to her. But she still deserved to be made to feel special when she gave herself to me completely.
One thing was for certain, this wasn’t some casual rebound like Liam was concerned about. My feelings for Aria ran much deeper than that.
I stared down at her sleeping form, admiring her classic features. She was more beautiful than she thought she was with her pretty face and curves in all the right places. I wanted to knock out all the guys in her past who had ever made her feel less than beautiful.
Aria sighed in her sleep and snuggled deeper into my side, her long, vibrant red hair splayed out behind her. I cupped her face and stroked her cheek. How could anyone ever bully such a sassy, driven, beautiful soul? Their jealousy clearly knew no bounds.
I kissed her forehead as I realised that I was falling for her.
How was that possible so quickly?
It wasn’t so long ago that I’d split up with Chrissy, although we’d been distant for a long time before she’d skipped out on me. I acknowledged that it was my fault—I was an asshole to her.
I wasn’t sure if I deserved or was ready for Aria. But whether I was ready or not, I felt the desire to want to be for the sake of whatever was forming between us.
Slipping out from underneath Aria, I made my way upstairs to my ensuite. I washed my face and wiped a towel over it. I studied myself in the mirror and noticed there weren’t any dark circles under my eyes for the first time in months. I was feeling more and more like my old self every day.
I opened the medicine cabinet and proceeded to take my meds. I’d loved my job in the SEALs, but there was no doubt that it came at a price. It had given me a shoulder injury that may never heal correctly and caused me daily pain, not to mention the arthritis in my knees. I also suffered from insomnia, and when I did sleep, I experienced terrible dreams.
My last mission was a clusterfuck of epic proportions. We were supposed to take out a target deep within a terrorist organisation in Yemen. Unfortunately, our informant was made, but forced to communicate false information to us, leading us into an ambush. Akif was executed, along with my CO and two other members of my team. Scott and I were the only survivors. We were kept to be tortured for information. Thankfully, we held strong until we were extracted a week later, which was when I got shot to shit.
I thought everything was going to be okay—we’d both been getting counselling after the fact—but then Scott killed himself. I guess it was too much for him to handle.
I still hadn’t come to terms with the fact that I was the mission’s sole survivor. I also wasn’t adjusting to civilian life too well, so I was grateful for Lee and everyone at Cole Security for taking me on. Now that I’d filled out the forms and passed their physical and psychological tests, I was primed for my first job. Mark was impressed with my espionage work and thought I’d be good for undercover or fact-finding missions. I hoped something would come along soon. I hated sitting around twiddling my thumbs.
“Logan?”
My heart thudded at the sound of Aria’s voice. “In here.”
She tiptoed into the bedroom and I immediately felt lighter at the sight of her. I didn’t miss the lightning-fast glance she threw towards the bed. I smiled at the way she blushed and tried to cover up her reaction.
Aria walked into the ensuite and set down two mugs of instant coffee. “I wasn’t sure how you took it. I hope it’s okay.”
I sipped from the mug. “It’s good.”
“Okay, cool.”
I set my mug back down and studied her. “How are you this morning?”
She smiled a little, but it was hesitant. “Alright.”
“Only alright?”
“I enjoyed last night. Did you?”
I could see the insecurity in her eyes, and I cupped her face. “Absolutely.”
“You’re not bummed we didn’t go all the way?”
“No.”
“Okay then.” Aria arched an eyebrow. “When can we?”
