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  Then he turned his attention to the other breast and all thoughts of reality vanished as the excitement levels became almost unbearable.

  She needed him to touch her. Properly. And he obviously knew that because she felt the smooth slide of his hand over her heated flesh and then the subtle movement of his fingers as he removed the final item of her clothing, leaving her naked and exposed.

  His fingers cupped her and he paused for a moment, his breathing fractured as he struggled for control. His mouth hovered above hers, their breath mingling as he murmured her name, and then he lowered his head and kissed her again, his fingers moving gently and skilfully until he found that one secret place that was waiting to be discovered.

  ‘Logan, please…’ she sobbed against his mouth, and reached down to fumble with his zip, driven by an emotion far more powerful than common sense.

  She forgot that they were on a public beach and that others might chose to walk the way that they had walked. For Evanna, the world began and ended with Logan. No one else existed.

  ‘Evanna—my beautiful, gorgeous, Evanna.’ His voice was a deep, husky caress and she was so dizzy with excitement that her only response was a shake of her head.

  She wasn’t his Evanna. Neither was she beautiful or gorgeous, but she didn’t even care. All she cared about was now. What he was doing to her. And what she wanted to do to him.

  Her fingers were on his zip again but he shifted away from her and slid down her trembling, excited body, tasting and touching, using his lips and tongue to expose all her secrets. And he wouldn’t let her hide. When she tried to pull him back up her body he gently resisted, pulling away from her seeking fingers, and she felt the rough scrape of male stubble as he moved his lips across her stomach. Then came the gentle nip of his teeth on the inside of her thigh, and finally the skilled flick of his tongue against the nub of her womanhood. And the heat of his mouth and the damp stroke of his tongue felt so maddeningly good that all thoughts of protest evaporated before they’d even formed in her head and she allowed him intimacies that she’d never allowed another man.

  And then, when she thought she couldn’t stand it any longer, when she thought she was going to have to beg, he moved back up her body and slid a strong arm under her hips, raising her slightly. She felt weak and drugged under the skill of his assault and when she felt the blunt tip of his erection brush against her she gave a sob of delicious anticipation. Stopping him was not an option. Instead of stopping, she encouraged him, opening for him, breathing his name against his mouth until he finally thrust into her, entering her by degrees until she was aware of nothing but him, the hardness and the fullness, and she closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the feelings that erupted as he deepened his possession.

  For a moment it felt like too much and she ceased to breathe, her body held tense against the fullness and pressure of his.

  And then he stilled.

  For a moment everything was suspended. Her body was humming with excitement and his elusive male scent made her dizzy with longing.

  He lifted his head just enough to speak. ‘I just had to be inside you.’ As if that were all the explanation that was needed and she didn’t even need to question his explanation because she understood.

  He gave her time to adjust, allowed her body time to accommodate him, and then he slid a hand through her hair and lowered his mouth to hers in a kiss so possessive that her head spun and excitement spurted. Unable to help herself, Evanna moved her hips and he gave a low grunt of masculine satisfaction and anchored her against him, taking back control.

  She slid her hands down his back, over satin-smooth skin and hard male muscle, drawing him still deeper inside her. And still he moved, occasionally withdrawing and then sheathing himself again until his movements became more demanding and he drove them both hard towards completion.

  She felt her body explode and tighten around his, heard him mutter something against her mouth and then felt the spasms consume his own body.

  And then, finally, peace descended on them.

  Lying there in the semi-darkness, Evanna gradually became aware of her surroundings. She heard the soft hiss of the sea and the distant laughter of people enjoying the last moments of the beach barbecue. She smelt sea and sand and healthy, sexy man.

  And she couldn’t believe what had happened.

  She kept her eyes tightly shut, unwilling to open them in case looking somehow broke the spell and returned her to her old life. Because she could never go back, she knew that now.

  She’d had so many dreams and none of them had ever come close to the reality of making love with Logan. She’d always thought that she understood what it meant to be close to someone, but suddenly she realised that she hadn’t understood at all. She’d been entirely ignorant of the depth of connection that was possible between a man and a woman.

  She was aware of him deep inside her, of the fact that he was still hard, and she shifted her hips slightly, enjoying the intimacy.

  ‘Evanna…’ His voice hoarse, he lifted his head and brushed his fingers over her cheek. Then he gave a soft curse and moved deeper into her, triggering another set of fireworks in her head. ‘I can’t let you go. Not yet.’

  Why would he want to? She slid her arms round his neck and moved her hips, feeling his instant response.

  ‘We should stop,’ she murmured, groaning softly as he moved deeper inside her. ‘Someone might walk past.’

  ‘I’m not stopping. No way.’

  And she had no real desire to persuade him. ‘Then we should move,’ she whispered softly, ‘somewhere more discreet.’

  He didn’t reply and she wondered whether he’d even heard her. And then he lifted his mouth from his determined seduction of her breast. ‘All right. Your house. It’s closer and we don’t need the car.’

  How they got there she didn’t know.

  He pushed her bikini in his pocket, pulled her dress over her head, zipped his shorts and slung his shirt over his shoulders. Then he took her hand and propelled her up the path that provided a short cut to her house.

  Once inside he barely closed the door before he brought his mouth down on hers again.

  Evanna felt her head swim and clutched at his shoulders. ‘Logan—the bedroom.’

  ‘Too far.’ He scooped her into his arms, carried her into the living room and laid her on the sofa. ‘Kiss me.’

  And she did.

  She wrapped her arms round his neck and felt his hand slide her dress upwards and then he thrust hard inside her and she cried out because it was so perfect.

  CHAPTER TEN

  WHEN she woke up he was gone.

  Evanna sat up slowly, aware that her entire body was aching in a way that it had never ached before. But no one had ever made love to her like that before.

  Where had he gone?

  When had he gone?

  Now that the storm had settled she had so many questions that needed answering, but the biggest was why. Why had he made love to her?

  She wanted to believe that what they’d shared was unique and special.

  He’d been tender and caring, passionate and demanding all at the same time. Could a man make love like that, give so much, and yet feel nothing? Was that possible?

  And then she remembered what he’d said that evening she’d talked to him in the garden. He was ready for sex. He’d wanted to have sex with a woman.

  And she was that woman.

  It hadn’t meant anything to him except another step forward in the recovery process. Hadn’t he told her that he wasn’t interested in a relationship? Hadn’t he told her that he wanted sex? Well, finally he’d slept with another woman.

  She took a deep breath.

  The fact that he’d left before she was awake said everything there was to be said. He was obviously wondering how on earth he was going to deal with the fallout of their night of passion.

  Evanna bit her lip and swallowed back the lump in her throat. She needed to let him know that she underst
ood. That she wasn’t going to demand anything of him. She’d given him what he’d needed and that was fine.

  Except it wasn’t fine, was it?

  For her, everything had changed.

  She’d loved Logan all her life. Lived alongside him. Shared his life. But this was entirely different. What they’d shared couldn’t be ignored.

  They couldn’t just go back to the way they’d been before.

  She walked towards the kitchen, stepping over her discarded dress, a cruel reminder of the wild passion of the night before.

  In the kitchen, she flicked on the kettle and then stood staring out at the sea.

  And suddenly she knew. She knew what had to be done.

  She’d deal with Logan and then she’d leave.

  She’d leave her beloved Glenmore.

  What choice did she have?

  Logan was moving on and it was time for her to move on, too. Somewhere else. Somewhere without Logan. She needed to build a new life. While she’d been working on the labour ward in the hospital, they’d made it clear that they’d give her a job any time. She’d call them. Accept the offer.

  She glanced around her, realising that moving away would mean selling her precious cottage by the sea.

  Change, she reminded herself. Things changed, whether you wanted them to or not. And you had to ride the wave or drown.

  I love you, Evanna.

  Slumped in the hammock in the garden, Logan rehearsed the words in his head.

  He was stunned by the strength of his feelings. Nothing in his past had prepared him for what he’d felt when he’d made love with Evanna.

  So much for all his resolutions about staying away from her. He’d taken one look at her in her bikini and had had red-hot thoughts. So red-hot that he hadn’t even been able to look at anyone else all evening, let alone dance with them. Women had approached him, dropping hints, but he’d brushed them all aside as politely as possible. For him, Evanna had been the only woman there. No one else had existed.

  Even now his body tightened at the memory of how she’d looked. Her hair had been damp from the water and had hung, glossy and dark, over her bare shoulders. Her eyes had been as dark as sloes, her lashes thick and unbelievably long. And then there had been her mouth.

  Logan groaned and closed his eyes.

  Her mouth.

  Her mouth, curved and laughing at something he’d said. Her mouth parting in shock under his. Her mouth responding, greedily to his demands. Her mouth touching him…

  He’d been celibate for over a year but he knew that what he’d shared with Evanna had been so much more than just a physical release.

  So much more than sex.

  They hadn’t just shared their bodies. They’d shared everything.

  And that sharing, that giving of everything, had somehow cleared his thoughts and he’d realised at the moment of deepest intimacy just how much he loved Evanna. Just how much he needed her. How much he’d always needed her. Her warmth, her kindness, her endless compassion.

  Her gentle hands, her soft mouth and her warm, amazing body.

  He’d always thought that what they’d shared had all been about friendship, but he realised now that it was so much more than that.

  So much more than he’d imagined possible.

  A smile touched his lips. He wished now that he’d called the babysitter and asked her to stay the night. Then he would have been there when Evanna had woken up. He wouldn’t have had to wait to tell her that he loved her and he wouldn’t have had to wait to look into her eyes and seen that love returned. And he had no doubt that it was returned. Why else would she have responded to him with such unrestrained passion?

  Evanna was an old-fashioned girl. She didn’t do one-night stands or casual flings. She never had. There was no way she would have allowed him to make love to her unless she had strong feelings. True feelings.

  All he had to do now was give her the chance to tell him how she felt.

  ‘Logan?’

  Her soft, breathy voice came from right beside him and he felt his body’s immediate response.

  ‘Evanna?’ He swung his legs out of the hammock and stood up, seeing immediately how nervous she was.

  Her hands were clasped in front of her, she was wearing a simple white shirt with a linen skirt and her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her eyes were shy and there was more than the usual amount of colour in her cheeks.

  Her smile faltered, as if she wasn’t entirely confident of her reception. ‘You were gone when I woke up and I thought we ought to talk.’

  She really was nervous and he frowned. ‘Evanna—’

  ‘No, wait.’ She lifted a hand to cut him off, her smile slightly shaky. ‘There are things I have to say and I won’t be able to say them if you interrupt. I know you must be worrying about what to say but you really don’t need to. Last night was very special to me.’ She stumbled over the words and he found himself wondering yet again how he could have taken so long to discover just how much he loved Evanna. She was gorgeous. Incredible.

  ‘It was special to me, too.’ He held out a hand but she took a step backwards and gave a little shake of her head, as if to warn him off.

  ‘Don’t touch me. Not for a minute. I have to say this and I won’t be able to if you touch me.’

  With a dark sense of foreboding Logan let his hand drop to his side. ‘Have to say what? What is it you have to say, Evanna?’ Why wouldn’t she let him touch her when they’d spent almost all of last night touching? Intimately.

  ‘Last night was a really big step for you. Something you needed to do. And I’m pleased that you chose me.’ She stumbled slightly over the words. ‘Really pleased that you turned to me. After everything that’s happened—it was a really big thing for you. Important. I understand that. A big step in the recovery process. And that’s fine.’

  He frowned. Recovery process? What was she talking about? She was making an incredible, mind-blowing night of passion sound like some sort of therapy. ‘Evanna—’

  ‘We’ve been friends a long time, Logan. A very long time.’

  And he didn’t want to be friends any longer. He wanted so much more than that. And he’d assumed that she did, too. ‘I’m glad you came because I wanted to talk to you. There are things I need to say, too.’

  ‘You don’t need to say them, Logan,’ she said quickly, her eyes sliding from his. ‘We both know how things are. One steamy night isn’t going to ruin our friendship. Nothing is going to change. Our friendship is precious and nothing is going to damage that. So we’re just going to forget it.’

  ‘Forget it?’ He stared at her, stunned by just how sick her words made him feel. He wanted things to change. He wanted everything to change. He wanted them to be together. And he certainly didn’t want to forget it. ‘You want to forget it?’ Her fingers were clasped in front of her and he saw that her knuckles were white.

  ‘Of course. I think we should both see it as what it was. An interlude. Hopefully now you’ll be able to start going out more. And eventually you’ll find someone that you can share you life with.’

  So she didn’t care for him.

  All that giving—all that loving—it had been about therapy, Logan thought dully, feeling as though someone had hollowed him out with a sharp knife.

  She hadn’t slept with him because she loved him but because she cared about his rehabilitation. She felt sorry for him and wanted to help him get over Catherine. What they’d shared had been a sacrifice on her part.

  Not love.

  Somehow he made his lips move. ‘So, that’s it, then?’

  ‘Of course. We should just forget it ever happened and you should get out there and start seeing other women. No guilt. No regrets. You know it’s what Catherine would have wanted. Life is so fragile, Logan, you should snatch happiness whenever it presents itself.’

  He had.

  Last night.

  ‘Yes.’ He watched as his fresh chance at happiness melted away in front of h
im. ‘Evanna—’

  ‘I really have to go.’ She backed away and waved a hand. ‘I just didn’t want you to feel awkward or embarrassed or anything—I wanted you to know that everything’s fine. Fine. No problems.’

  She was babbling again, the way she always did when she was nervous, and Logan wanted to drag her into his arms and tell her to stop talking and just kiss him the way she’d kissed him the night before.

  But before he could move she turned and walked quickly towards the gate, leaving him staring after her.

  Now what?

  Now what was he supposed to do?

  She’d kept saying that everything was fine. Fine. When everything was far from fine.

  After two nights without sleep and a ridiculously busy day during which she’d successfully managed to avoid Logan, Evanna was sitting in her kitchen, wondering whether she even had the energy to drag herself to bed, when the back door flew open and Kyla marched in.

  ‘Is it true?’

  Tired and jaded by the events of the weekend, Evanna looked at her warily. How much did she know? ‘Is what true?’

  ‘That you’re selling the cottage.’ Kyla slammed the door shut behind her and glared. ‘When did you put your house on the market?’

  ‘Oh.’ Evanna blinked several times, surprised at how fast the news had travelled. ‘How did you find out?’

  ‘Ed Masters is the only estate agent on the island so it wasn’t hard,’ Kyla said, her tone sarcastic. ‘And I happened to be taking bloods from him today.’

  ‘Word travels fast. I only saw him a few hours ago.’

  ‘He was my last patient of the day. So it’s true? You spoke to Ed before you told me?’ Kyla put her hands on her hips. ‘You’re selling your cottage and you didn’t think it was worth mentioning? Buy a new lipstick or a pair of shoes, fine. That’s information that I don’t need to know for a couple of days. But selling your house? What’s going on?’