“I heard you talking.” Logan rested his forearms on the railing, leaning toward her.

The positioning did interesting things to his shoulders, his biceps.

And her imagination.

“You sounded…upset.”

“Oh.” Focus, Pepper. She should have thought about their sliding doors being open. But until Logan, she’d never had to. Not for a very long time had any man showed interest. “No, I’m fine.”

He tipped his head, scrutinizing her. “You look upset, too.”

More like agitated. Where creeps and criminals were concerned, Rowdy was far more recognizable than she’d ever been. Anytime he showed himself, he ran the risk of one of Morton Andrews’s flunkies noticing him. Granted, Morton and his following had no reason to be around here. They were well away from his domain, but still…

“Sue?”

Think, think. “Are you ready for me?” That blurted question held very distracting overtones. Pepper prayed that it worked.

And it did.

Logan slowly straightened. “Ready?”

She nodded. “I’ve been thinking about…you know.” Sex. “I can come over…now?” So  pushy. But thanks to Rowdy, she had to be. “That is, if there’s time before dinner.”

A new, hotter emotion replaced the concern in his dark eyes. “Yeah, you can come over. Anytime. I told you that, remember? Dinner isn’t ready yet, but I—”

She walked off in the middle of him talking. Now that she’d decided what to do, a pulse beat of anticipation expanded throughout her system, throbbing, curling in her lower belly.

Snatching up her keys and purse, she went out her door, closed it, and as she turned toward Logan’s door, it opened.

Sexual tension held them both still, gazes locked. They stared at each other as expectation built with every breath. She felt a little uncertain. He just looked turned on.

What to say, how to explain? “I, um…”

“C’mere.” Logan reached for her, dragged her into his apartment, and pinned her back against his door the second he got it closed.

“I need—”

His mouth on hers cut off her attempt to steer them into the bedroom.

Knees going weak, she let him have his way, relishing the damp heat of his mouth, the slide of his tongue past hers, the urgency.

He held her upper arms as he ate at her mouth—and she liked it. A lot.

God, truthfully, she liked him. How he seemed to care. His interest and patience and his keen sensuality.

“You’re a tease,” he whispered against her mouth, then kissed his way to her cheek, her throat.

“Mmm.” That felt so good. But she had to get it together. Rowdy would only be safe if they were off in another room, door closed, fully involved.

If he ever found out, her brother would detest her tactics, but too bad for him.

Putting her hands flat to Logan’s chest, she levered him back. “Bedroom.”

He pressed her shoulders to the door, his breath coming fast, aroused color slashing his cheekbones. “I like the idea of taking you right here.” He wedged in closer to her. “Like this.”

Oh, such a wonderful idea—but like so many things in her life, not possible.

Sad, she whispered, “I can’t.”

Butterfly kisses teased her temple, her jaw. “Tell me why.”

“I’m sorry, Logan.” Closing her eyes, Pepper swallowed hard and shook her head. “It’s either in the bedroom, right now.” A deep breath didn’t help. “Or not at all.”

She expected an argument. She waited for irritation, maybe even anger.

Given how wonderful he’d been so far, she should have known better.

His small smile personified sex appeal. “Then let’s go, honey. Right now.”

God love the man, could he be more considerate?

Logan caught her hand as he stepped away to lead her down the hall. Once inside the room, he went about closing the drapes without her having to ask. “Okay?”

That was so…sweet. When was the last time a man had been sweet to her?

Touched, her throat tight with emotion, Pepper covered her mouth and nodded. “Yes. Thank you.” And then, before he could steal the lead, she went to the foot of the bed. “Do you think we could try something a little different?”

The heavy shadows didn’t hide everything. Soon their eyes would adjust. She had to rush things—and honestly, that worked for her.

“Whatever you want, honey.” He moved nearer but didn’t touch her. “Tell me what you have in mind.”

Boy, it wasn’t easy to spell it out. She started with the first priority. “I need my clothes on.”

“All right.”

She heard the click of his snap, then the slow hiss of his zipper coming down. “You don’t mind if I get naked, do you?”

Her mouth went dry. Her heart started pumping hard. “No.”

“Thanks.” He pushed his shorts down and off, then kicked them away.

A hot, naked, buff temptation stood before her, waiting, expectant, obliterating her priorities. Pepper could hear him breathing, feel his heat.

Smell his unique scent.

Blindly she reached out. In deference to the dark quiet of the room, she kept her voice low. “Do you mind if I touch you a little?”

Replying in the same way, he said, “I’d prefer that you touch me a lot.”

Oh, yeah, she’d prefer that, too. “Okay.” Laying her palms over his shoulders, she absorbed the warmth of his flesh, the tautness of his muscles. Coasting down over his collarbone, she spread her fingers wide, dragging them through his chest hair to his ni**les.