Chapter 5 – Gratitude & Sparks

Logan’s POV

I light a cigarette I don’t even want, leaning back against the brick wall outside the bar. My head’s still spinning, not from the booze but from her. From the way she looked at me before she stormed off, heels snapping like gunfire.

Aria.

Older. Polished. Rich as sin. She catfished me, lied through her perfect teeth, and yet here I am—smoking a damn cigarette and replaying the feel of her hand on my arm like a lovesick idiot.

I drag in smoke, cough out frustration. “Shit.”

I didn’t mean it like that. Not really. I wasn’t calling her an ATM. I was trying to get under her skin, to prove I could read her. Instead, I carved a wound I didn’t even see coming.

But the fire in her eyes… Christ, it was almost worth it.

Because for a second, just a split second, I saw past the perfect dress and the diamonds and the limousine waiting at the curb. I saw the woman underneath, trembling but furious, like I was the first person in years who’d actually touched a nerve.

And maybe I was.

I flick ash onto the sidewalk, jaw tight. I should hate her. I should walk away and never think about her again. She lied. She’s dangerous. She’s not my world, not my type.

But hell if she isn’t in my blood already.

Her perfume is still clinging to my shirt, haunting me. My palms are still tingling from the way she shoved me back, like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to slap me or drag me into the limo with her.

She’s poison. Too polished. Too controlled.

But goddamn… I want another taste.

She’s already at her limo, door open, when I catch up.

“Aria!” My voice comes out rough, harsher than I mean.

She turns slow, head tilted, one perfect eyebrow arched like she’s a teacher about to scold me. “What, Logan? Haven’t you caused enough chaos for one night?”

I grin, sharp and lazy, like I’m not bleeding inside. “Came to say thank you. Not my fault your city bouncers are trigger-happy.”

Her laugh is short and cold. “Not your fault? You nearly broke the man’s jaw because you couldn’t find your wallet.”

“Because it was stolen,” I shoot back, stepping closer. “Big difference.”

Her eyes narrow, mouth curving tight. “Reckless boy.”

The word slices, but instead of pissing me off, it sparks low in my gut. I drag my tongue over my teeth, smirking. “Careful, cougar. Don’t think I didn’t notice you watching me in there.”

Her eyes flash, cheeks heating just enough to crack that perfect composure. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Oh, I don’t need to.” I close another step, close enough that her perfume hits me, sharp and sweet. “You were burning holes in me from across the room. Thought your drink was gonna boil over.”

Her lips twitch like she’s fighting a smile, and it makes me hungrier than it should. I step closer, crowding her against the limo door until she has no choice but to tilt her chin up at me.

“You saved me tonight,” I murmur, voice low. “Can’t decide if that makes you my guardian angel… or my manipulative sugar mama.”

Her eyes go wide for a second, then narrow into slits. “Or maybe I’m just someone who hates watching boys punch above their weight.”

I chuckle dark, letting my hand slap the roof of her limo beside her head, caging her in. “Baby, if I punched above my weight, you wouldn’t still be standing.”

Her breath catches. Yeah, I fucking hear it. She tries to cover it with a scoff, but her chest rises too fast, betraying her.

“You think you’re irresistible, don’t you?” she says, trying for cold, but her voice trembles just enough to ruin it.

I lean down, my mouth brushing the shell of her ear, close enough she can feel my words. “No, sweetheart. I know I am. Ask your pulse.”

She shoves lightly at my chest, but I don’t move. If anything, I push closer. “Cocky bastard.”

“Mm.” My lips graze her jawline, not quite a kiss, just enough to make her shiver. “And you like it. Admit it. You like a man who doesn’t beg, who takes what he wants.”

Her hands press against me harder now, like she’s trying to keep me back but her body betrays her. Her pupils are blown, her lips parted. “You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re still standing here.” I smirk, tilting my head until our mouths hover an inch apart. “If you hated me half as much as you say, you’d already be gone.”

She lets out a shaky laugh, but there’s no humor in it, just heat. “God, you are impossible.”

“Maybe.” My voice drops lower, rougher. “Or maybe you’re just dying to know how I taste.”

Her eyes flick to my mouth. Just for a second. But it’s enough.

“Caught you,” I whisper, grinning wickedly.

“Fuck you,” she breathes, but it sounds more like a plea than a curse.

I drag the tip of my nose along her cheek, slow and taunting, savoring the way she trembles. “Careful, baby. Say that again, and I’ll take it as an invitation.”

She’s trembling, even though she’s trying to play queen in heels. I plant my palm flat against the limo beside her head, caging her in. She’s got nowhere to go, not unless she plans to crawl inside the car to escape me.

“Logan,” she warns, voice sharp, but the tremor in it ruins the effect.

I grin, leaning closer, close enough to taste the heat off her skin. “What, baby? Afraid of what’ll happen if you let me a little closer?”

Her throat works as she swallows. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Liar.” I drag the tip of my nose along her cheekbone, slow, savoring, until my lips hover right over her ear. My voice drops to a growl. “Your pulse is sprinting like you’ve been caught with your hand in the cookie jar.”

She exhales shakily, pushes at my chest again, but her fingers curl in my shirt before she lets go. Oh yeah—she wants this.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she snaps weakly.

“Not flattery. Observation.” I dip my head lower, until my mouth hovers just above hers. My words ghost across her lips, teasing her with every breath. “You’ve been imagining this. Every filthy message, every sleepless night. You’ve wondered what my mouth feels like. How deep I’d take you apart.”

Her lips part, a tiny sound slipping out before she bites it back. My cock twitches hard, but I don’t move in yet. Not fully. I want to hear her break first.

“You’re out of your mind,” she whispers.

“Maybe.” My smile curves slow, wicked. “Or maybe I’m right where you want me. Right here.”

Her lashes lower, her body leaning before her brain catches up. For a split second, she’s inches away from giving in, her lips so close I can almost taste the wine still clinging to them.

“Say it,” I murmur, voice raw now. “Say you want me.”

Her eyes snap open at that, fury and heat warring across her face. Then—shove. Her palms slam into my chest, pushing me back just enough to breathe.

“Don’t.” Her voice is steel now, even if her hands are still trembling. “Don’t make me regret saving you.”

For a heartbeat, I just stand there, chest heaving, fists clenched at my sides because all I want to do is drag her back and show her exactly what regretting me would feel like.

But she’s already slipping into the limo, armor snapping back into place.

She’s gone before I can even blink, slipping into that sleek limo like a queen reclaiming her throne. Door slams, and the sound cuts me deeper than I expected.

I stand there, chest heaving, trying to swallow the burn twisting low in my stomach. The streetlights glint off her hair, and even from here, I can see the flush creeping up her neck. That heat? That’s mine. And I’ve got half a mind to rip the door open and drag her back into my arms.

“Fuck,” I mutter, hands balling into fists. “I want her.”

A laugh slips out of me, low and rough, more to myself than anyone else. “Damn it, catfish,” I growl under my breath. “You lied about your age, but every inch of you is exactly what I want. Every. Fucking. Inch.”

The limo pulls away, tail lights fading like the last warning before the hunt begins. My jaw tightens, and a wicked grin spreads across my face.

“She’s mine. Fuck anyone who thinks otherwise.”

To Be Continued…