Taking a long draw on his cigarette, he blew out the smoke.
She saw him. Her hazel eyes were right on him.
There had been so many times throughout his life he’d thought of those eyes. He’d watched her all the fucking time, to no avail.
She stepped back into her room, closing the doors, but he wasn’t ready to end their little staring contest.
Throwing his cigarette to the ground, he stamped it out, heading inside. On his way to the stairs, Hunter crossed his path.
“What’s on the agenda for the day?”
“Nothing. Have your fill of entertainment on the town.”
Hunter grabbed his arm. “I know all about vengeance, my friend. Maybe you should come with me. I saw a lot of women more than willing to grace your bed.”
“I don’t want any of them.”
“This woman, Ava, she’s more than the reason for your imprisonment, isn’t she?” Hunter asked.
This man before him was the closest he’d call a friend in recent years.
“You don’t need to know a single detail about her.”
“Don’t let her consume you.”
“Did I ask for your opinion?” Logan asked.
“No. You didn’t. Force of habit. I will give you one final piece of advice though.”
“What?” He was growing tired of this conversation and had far more important details to work through than what his friend wanted.
“Find out what it is you want to do with her, and make a decision before you do something reckless. Ava clearly still has power over you.”
He grabbed Hunter’s jacket, drawing him close. “She is nothing.”
“She’s something to have you reacting this way. Just think about it. It’s important for you to know how you feel in the scheme of things. It’s you I care about, no one else.”
Logan let Hunter go and turned back to the stairs.
Walking up them, he stopped at Ava’s door. He’d had this room specially decorated for her.
He spared no expense. There was no way for her to get out. He had the key, which was currently in the lock right now.
Opening the door, he found her, with the curtains wrapped around her, sitting on the edge of the bed.
He closed the door, key in hand, and locked the door.
“I’m a prisoner now.”
“Yes, but don’t worry. I’m not going to lock you in the basement or behind bars. I’d say your room is rather comfortable. You have a nice, comfy bed. A bathroom.”
“And I’m guessing there are cameras, right?”
There weren’t, but she didn’t need to know that. He wasn’t an idiot. Of course he’d have loved to have the ability to watch her when he wasn’t there, but to do that, he would risk others watching the two of them together, and that he couldn’t have. The only room in this house with cameras was his office.
“What do you want, Logan?” she asked. “I don’t know what I ever did for you to hate me this much?”
“You don’t? Still playing up the innocent act, I see.” He removed his jacket, putting it on the chair beside the door.
Next, he started on the buttons of his shirt.
“What are you doing?”
He kicked off his shoes and removed his pants. He was careful to push past the hardness of his dick. He was so fucking hard for her, it was unreal.
“Logan?”
She stood up as he did, to his full height.
Compared to him, she’d always been a small little thing. During their high school, girls had thrown themselves at him, but he hadn’t been interested in any of them. Sure, he fucked a few of them. Why not? He was one of the most popular guys in school and could have his pick of the best of them.
Ava never threw herself at him. She did everything to avoid them.
“Did you touch yourself?” he asked.
She opened her mouth, closed it, and looked away.
He laughed. “I figured you would. You were all nice and wet, fucking my hand. Desperate for it.”
“Please stop.”
“It’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? To come?”
“Why are you doing this?” she asked.
“Because it’s so fucking easy. You’re this little goody two shoes who thinks she’s better than everyone else.”
“I don’t.”
“You don’t?”
“You don’t know me.”
“Oh, but I do. You’re nothing but a coward that runs at the first signs of danger.” He took a step toward her, and once again they were playing this cat-and-mouse game. One step forward, one step back.
There was nowhere else for her to go.
The wall, this time, stopped her.
He slammed his hands on either side of her head.
“You couldn’t handle what I did to you, and rather than tell me, you ran to the Sheriff. Do you know what it’s like to be arrested? To have your rights shouted at you? Or better yet, to be tarnished as a sexual predator? Or how about being locked up? To be surrounded by fucking filth and disgust? Having your rights taken from you all because of lies?”