Chapter 8

• Logan
• Logan woke up with a raging erection and immediately became aware of his surroundings. He knew he needed to move his arousal away from Ashley.
• Making a sudden movement out of the bed was out of the question for Logan. He was not only sore from the previous night’s half-assed fight but also had to contend with a hundred and sixty pounds of willowy blond clinging to him.
• Ashley was curled on his side, with one thigh wedged between Logan’s own and an arm draped over his chest. Her fingers held onto Logan’s biceps possessively. Ashley’s face was mostly obscured by a messy tangle of hair, except for the tip of her nose and her wide, pouty lips.
• Originally, Logan had planned to discreetly create some distance so that Ashley wouldn’t feel his erection pressed against her. However, his attention was now captivated by Ashley’s mouth. It brought back the vivid memory of the previous night’s incident—Ashley’s hands and lips exploring Logan’s body while he struggled to suppress his reactions, failing as miserably as he did in other aspects of his life lately.
• Logan’s Orthodox Christian mother had always been concerned about Ashley’s excessively affectionate nature towards him since they were children. Over time, she realized that Ashley simply yearned for love and affection, as most people, including her own family, rejected her hugs and kisses.
• That’s why Logan had stopped pushing her away after initially rebuffing her, especially when Ashley would lower her gaze to hide her dejected expression. Even as a girl, Ashley had tried to mask her pain with silly grins and wide-eyed expressions. So, Logan had allowed her to embrace him, unable to bear the sight of Ashley’s face falling in disappointment. Eventually, their interactions evolved into something more intimate.
• Ashley had demanded that Logan practice kissing with her during their preteen years, and Logan had complied without fully understanding his own reasons. It had gradually escalated into mutual masturbation sessions, with hardcore pornography playing in the background.
• Ashley always chose the videos. Logan assumed Ashley did it for his sake. Sexual encounters were rare for Logan, only occurring after high school, and his overall interest in other people was usually close to nonexistent. However, with Ashley, he found himself constantly aroused.
• Ashley was well aware of this but allowed Logan to attribute it to being “hard up” whenever they engaged in their “platonic” activities.
• Regardless of their shared history, Logan had made a determined effort to abruptly end all their non-platonic interactions after they had slept together.
• Logan made a conscious decision not to touch Ashley, not to let himself fall for her, even though Ashley had the power to make his heart race with just a sideways glance and a playful smile.
• Perhaps one day, Logan thought, the effect Ashley had on him would fade, and he would be able to resist the temptation to touch her. But that day hadn’t arrived yet. It remained as impossible as ever.
• Whenever Logan was in Ashley’s presence, when their bodies brushed against each other and their lips grazed, he couldn’t help but want her. It was this lack of control that caused his resolution from the previous night to crumble.
• Damn it.
• Why couldn’t Logan master himself when it came to Ashley? He had no interest in casual sex. Between his various odd jobs and fighting, he rarely pursued romantic relationships. The thought of dating someone barely crossed his mind, even when he was asked out, and he seldom felt inclined to engage in romantic involvement with someone he barely knew.
• His friends couldn’t understand it, and the women who had invited him out over the years couldn’t either. He was content with pornography and his own hand to satisfy any late-night urges.
• But as soon as Logan started spending more time around Ashley, his indifference to sex transformed into a constant state of arousal. He despised himself for it because that seemed to be everyone’s reaction to Ashley. It was part of the reason Ashley had such issues—he believed that playing the role of a seductive and willing partner was the only way to hold someone’s attention.
• Logan didn’t judge Ashley for her various sexual exploits. What bothered him was the fact that Ashley believed she needed those encounters to make people like her.
• “Ashley, get off me,” Logan said firmly.
• “Mmm,” Ashley responded, clinging tighter to Logan and pressing her knee against Logan’s bulge. “It’s more fun if I get you off.”
• Recoiling, Logan pushed Ashley away and practically threw himself out of the bed. Ashley lazily opened one eye to look at him before burying himself deeper in the blankets and falling back asleep.
• Within seconds, the sound of her deep breaths filled the room again, and Logan paused, wondering if Ashley had even been fully conscious when she made her proposition. Not that being awake had ever stopped her before.
• Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Logan stumbled into Ashley’s bathroom for a quick wash and gargle. Sleeping in Ashley’s comfortable bed hadn’t refreshed him, and he knew he needed a few more hours of sleep before heading to the gym for a proper workout. Otherwise, he’d be knocked on his ass by Adrian, especially with an upcoming tournament where he would likely face him.
• Logan was already dressed by the time Ashley woke up enough to realize he was halfway out the door.
• “Wait,” Ashley called after him, her voice still rough from sleep. “When will we see each other again?”
• Logan’s hand was on the doorknob, but he hesitated. “I don’t know,” he replied. Glancing back over his shoulder, he noticed the familiar look on Ashley’s face—a mix of dejection and heartbreak as she sat amidst the ruins of his expensive bedsheets with a thread count in the millions. “Ashley, it’s not what you think, okay? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
• For a brief moment, Ashley’s hangdog expression flickered, and a glimmer of fire flashed in her silvery-blue eyes. “Then why are you avoiding me?” she asked, her voice filled with both frustration and a demand for answers. “You evaded the question last night, but I deserve to know.”