Chapter Eight

And in this darkness, in this gloom, your voice it reigns, supreme, undoomed, that somehow you'll come back to me. Just wait in time; just wait, you'll see.

"So?" Asha asked when she had returned.

"It's nothing." Logan tried to blow it off.  Yeah it was nothing, that's why his heart was still racing with her desire.  That's why he had spent the last five minutes thinking about mud only to find his mind wander back to the shower she was currently using.

Twelve years had done nothing to that unmistakable attraction.

Asha laughed at his comment.

"Logan that was more intense then anything I've ever seen from you. And at one time I was your wife. If that was nothing, I sure don't wanna see something," she laughed.

"Asha." he warned.

"I know. You don't want me butting in. I got it. But if you're planning on sending her packing you'd better get control of yourself, because I can tell you right now, she won't make it out of that door if you don't.  I've gotta go.  Thanks again for taking Danny on such short notice."

Logan didn't know what scared him more.  The fact that Asha was right, or the fact that he didn't know if he could send Max out of his door ever again.

The warm water washed over her sore muscles. Max had hoped it would help her forget her previous actions but she'd hoped in vain.

Closing her eyes, she touched her lips, still swollen from his attentions.  She'd meant to stay distant enough to leave afterward.  Tackling him had not been on the agenda.  Why did he have such a strong pull on everything inside of her?

And then she'd opened her mouth and asked to stay.  What the hell had she been thinking?  As if her earlier actions hadn't been bad enough, great Max lets just spend the night at his place so we can have more uncomfortable moments together, lets just sleep mere feet from him...

Who was she kidding there was no way on earth she'd be able to sleep in the same apartment with him. 

Before she'd left she'd spent nights here, and most had been intense torture.  Enhanced hearing was not a quality you wanted when trying to sleep in the room next to someone like Logan.  He wasn't a loud sleeper; on the contrary, it was just that she could hear every breath like her pounding heart.  And every breath did things to her that she knew were wrong.  Some nights it had taken everything in her to stay in the guestroom and not storm into his room, rip his clothes off, and spend the rest of the night not sleeping.

And now, after everything...  What, did she think she could just sit there, and listen to him sleep, and not do exactly what she knew she couldn't?  Yeah cause it had been so easy in the past.

At least Danny would be staying.  He'd make it a lot harder for her to lose control.  He'd make things safe.  Whoever he was. 

That was the other thing, who was this kid that Asha just dropped off like Logan had no choice but to take him in for the night.  Sure Logan was a great guy and wouldn't object but really.  Who did Asha think she was?  It was more then a little rude of her to just assume he wouldn't have a problem, it didn't matter how good a friend he was.

Realizing that she couldn't hide out in the shower for the rest of the night as the water turned cold she turned the water off and slipped into a towel only to realize she hadn't thought this far ahead and currently had nothing to wear.

Logan's bathrobe hung in the corner invitingly.  Smiling she grabbed it and slipped into it.  It was soft and smelled like him.  Letting herself drown in it for a moment as images of the past filled her mind, she was shocked to hear a knock on the door.

"Max?" Logan questioned.  Not able to answer him she listened in silence.  "When you're done...there's food in the kitchen."  He finished with a sigh.

She waited until she'd heard him settle in front of his computer again before leaving the bathroom to find something to wear.  The last thing she wanted was for him to see her in his robe. 

At one time he'd given her a drawer to keep some clothes at his place, for business reasons.  Eyes Only jobs often had a tendency to leave her dirty and smelly.  Max wondered momentarily if that drawer still had her clothes in it.   Nah. After twelve years he would have moved them.

Curiosity won out and she made her way over to his dresser.  Opening the drawer she found that she'd been correct.  None of her clothes remained.  In fact the drawer was totally empty. Trying to shake off the weird feeling that resulted from finding the drawer empty, Max turned to the bed to find he'd laid out some of the clothes that once resided in the drawer. 

Pulling the tank top on she found it was loser then she remembered it, and the pants hung loosely as well.  Folding the elastic band down a few times she was able to keep them from falling off.  She didn't remember losing that much weight. 

Looking in the mirror at her reflection she unrolled the elastic band on her pants to try and cover the expanse of stomach they revealed when rolled. The last thing they needed was exposed skin, it would only tease.  No luck, they hung precariously low and threatened to fall right off.  Rolling them up again she pulled on the top to try and remedy the problem, still no luck.  Well Logan was just going to have to be stronger then she was. 

Grabbing her hair she pulled it up and off her neck fastening it in place with an elastic band, no longer needing to hide her barcode, glad that its cold strands could no longer bother her.  She always hated the way it left her shirt wet and her feeling chilled.

Max's stomach growled its objection at having to wait so long for food. No more stalling apparently.

Sneaking past the guestroom, she couldn't help but peak in.  What she found threw her momentarily. 

It wasn't the same.  Decorated instead now to suit the tastes of a small boy and not the neutral domain of a guest.  Lost in blankets on the bed lay Danny.

Max had a sickening feeling that maybe Asha had every right to bring him here tonight.

Making her way to the kitchen, she tried to push the thoughts out of her head.  She hadn't expected him to wait for her after all.  But maybe she had.

Logan was good enough to allow her to eat in peace, staying in front of his computer. But Max knew they couldn't avoid each other all night and a soon as she finished her meal, she went to face the inevitable.