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‘Your stag do is next week - make sure you, and anyone important to you, are there. My brother and father will join you all, along with their men.’
She turned as she reached the door.
‘Don’t do anything stupid, Logan. I actually like you and I’d really rather not have a war with you.’
Fire burned in my stomach as they left me alone.
It had been for nothing.
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
VALENTINA
Logan was quiet as I curled up in his lap on my sofa, his fingers gliding through my hair as we watched a movie. My stomach knotted as I toyed with the sleeve of my hoody and tried to focus on the film. I couldn’t. He was too quiet and hadn’t even tried to hit on me the past two times we’d met.
I rolled over and looked up at him, his hand resting on my stomach as he kept his eyes on the TV.
‘Are you not into me anymore?’
He blinked slowly before looking down at me, his expression unreadable.
‘I am.’
‘Why are you being so distant?’
Logan sighed before pulling me up into his lap and circling his arm about my waist.
‘I’m sorry. There’s just a lot going on.’
‘With your wedding?’
‘That and other things.’
‘Is it because we agreed to keep this going until the wedding and then calling it quits? I’d prefer to have you all in until then rather than being here but not being present.’ I brushed my lips over his neck as he pulled me against it.
‘I’m struggling. Ever since you came bursting into my life, you’ve made me realise a lot of the things I wanted so badly don’t matter at all. I want to be with you, Valentina, but I can’t. I can’t back out of my agreement without people getting hurt. I can’t go through with it without hurting you.’
‘We can keep doing what we are doing. I don’t need your name and your ring to be with you.’
Logan closed his eyes tightly before tipping my face up and kissing me tenderly, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. He tasted like whisky, and the smell mingled with his aftershave in a heady male scent.
‘You deserve to be someone’s whole world, Valentina, not a dirty little secret. You need a man who can put you on his arm and tell the world that he’s proud to call you his. I can’t do that, no matter how much I want to.’
His words hit me in the chest as I sniffed in his arms, fighting back tears at the emotion packed into his words.
‘I would prefer to be your secret than not be yours at all.’
‘I know, baby.’ Logan pulled me down onto the sofa, his body caging me in as he kissed the tears from my cheeks. ‘I love you Valentina. So fucking much that it’s tearing me apart.’
‘I love you, too. We can make it work.’
His mouth closed over mine, swallowing down my words as he poured his love into his kisses. Kissing me like he’d never get to kiss me again.
‘Please, Logan,’ I begged as goosebumps prickled my arms. ‘Please don’t leave me.’
‘I’m drowning.’ His voice was pained as he spread my thighs.
‘Pull me under with you.’
