The moment Logan's lips touched hers, Veronica Mars knew the truth that she had been denying, she hadn't been living her life normally without him since their break up this summer. She had only been existing in his absence. Dating Duncan had been like trying to keep her heart on Life Support but it was only temporary, when Logan was with her…it was only then she truly felt alive. She had thrown herself into her private investigation cases and working at Java the Hut, but all this work had only been the balm she used to try and soothe her soul.

Logan had accused her of breaking his heart when she had broken up with him a few months ago, the bitter truth was, she had broken her own as well. A part of her had honestly hoped that the fear of losing her, of losing them would have been enough to galvanise the kind of changes she had been pleading with him to make. To stop his allowing the 09ers to feed his fears and fuel the feud with the Pacific Coast Highway Biker Club, also known as the PCH. It had been just after the drive by on his car while they had been making out in the back seat that she realised she needed to give him an ultimatum for both their sakes. She had hoped that by giving him the choice of continuing the plots against the PCHers or losing her, that he would have chosen her, but they had argued and her father Former Sheriff of Neptune Keith Mars had come home and made him leave before they could really thrash it out, so he never got the message. She was on his side, she had his back too and she had wanted him to let her in, to deal with the threats together.

Veronica had watched in misery as Weevil and the other PCHers continued their harassment of him at school and his behavioural problems with their teachers had escalated, he was often hungover in class and had dropped out of the journalism club. Each of his absences had her heart in her throat until she had see him a few days later, usually spewing some kind of sarcastic remark at her, which she had taken because honestly, everything that had happened to him had been her fault. He never would have been on the bridge that night Felix Toomes had been stabbed, had she only confronted Logan about his alibi the day Lilly Kane, her best friend had been murdered, about why that shot glass had been in Lilly's car. Weevil would never have overheard her conversation with her father, Keith Mars when he had been updating her on giving the evidence to Sheriff Lamb and the PCHers never would have went out for blood looking for Logan that night. She should have trusted him.

"What are you trying to do to me Veronica?" he had asked her. Truly, she didn't know.

Even fresh from the shower, he still smelled like the ocean, he always smelled like the ocean salt and chocolate. It suited him, being with Logan was like riding a stormy sea, thrilling, exhilarating and terrifying. Perhaps it was fitting that she had once been a cheerleader for the Neptune Pirates. Logan Echolls had crawled up and set up camp inside her arteries, he was in her veins and she just couldn't get him out. Their first kiss that day outside the Camelot Motel when he had come to her rescue had been like someone had slapped the cosmos through her body. Star-crossed.

Her father, Keith Mars was currently in San Diego touring for his book. Big Murder, Small Town. The journey into catching murderous movie star Aaron Echolls for slaying Lilly Kane. He wouldn't be home until tomorrow. She didn't have to hurry home. Wallace and his new girlfriend Jackie had rented Pride and Prejudice themselves after she had told him that she was breaking up with Duncan and she wouldn't be available. She had no where else to be tonight. That knowledge coupled with the sight of him standing naked in front of her made her have to swallow hard against her heart beat thundering in her throat.

Veronica had never really considered legs before, but his were quite sexy and seeing all of him like this, just made him that much more breath taking, that much more physically impressive. Her gaze lingered as she memorised every curve of him. Who knew she was this bashful?

When there was so much perfection in front of her, she just didn't know what to do with her hands, she wanted to take her clothes off and rub herself against him, kiss every inch of skin. His body was new undiscovered territory and she just wanted to touch him all over, explore it with hers, with her finger tips, her mouth, her tongue, she wanted to inhale that ocean breeze and have it fill her pores until she didn't know where he ended and she began.

Look whose Horny Mars… she thought scolding herself as a soft happy moan escaped her when his lips collided with hers, he kissed her deep and slowly, pulling her into him and teased her tongue with his, he devoured her mouth until she lost all other thoughts and was melting into his touch and then he pulled away from her, surprising her, leaving her staggering forwards at the absence of his masculine body against her. He stepped slightly away looked at her knowingly, she was trying to catch her breath and his hungry eyes burned into her. It was a challenge.

They would sink or swim depending on her next move.

"Liar" he taunted.

"What do you want Veronica?" his words echoed around her head.

"It's not just about what I want Logan…" she told him closing the distance between them. "It's about what I need" she reached her arms around him and pulled his mouth back to hers. His touch was like a vital organ, his taste was essential, she needed it like air. She scratched her nails into his shoulder as she drew him closer and he lost his hesitations and spun them so she was pinned up against the wall.

"Not good enough.." he gasped. "What do you want Veronica?"

"You… Just you" she whispered as their breath intermingled. "I almost died on that bus Logan.. and when I didn't.. all I could think about was you…" she confessed, cupping his face in her hand.

Say something Logan… she pleaded.

The mention of the bus crash tore through him and he tightened his hands around her waist to hold her closer against him. It had been in the first few days back at school and had killed several of their classmates, when he had heard about it on the radio, his heart had stopped. The only reason she had survived was Weevil Navarro had been giving her a ride after the bus had left the gas station without on their way back from a school trip. He had seen Veronica and Duncan getting onto the bus that morning, and he had been frantic trying to find out if she had been hurt. It had crushed him when he had come back to school when Dick and Beaver's dads' limo had returned them to the school with the surviving kids on the field trip that morning to see her wrapped up in Duncan's arms. He had wanted to hold her, to touch her and make sure she was unscathed but he had had to watch someone else's arms comfort her. He wanted to take care of her, protect her, nothing in the world mattered as much as keeping her safe. It's why he had gotten so caught up in sending the PCHers a message to back off after that drive by on his car that had almost killed them both.

"When I heard about that crash…" he breathed. The thought of never getting to hold her again, of losing any chance to ever make it right, of having the last time he had seen her alive was him behaving like a total jackass…

She ran her hand down his back and kissed his cheek, leaning into his chest, she just stood there, cradled in his embrace.

"If we are going to do this again Veronica… I'm not letting you go this time" his voice was thick with promise.

Logan Echolls was contraband. He was a drug and if they did this, she was going to be hooked.

All or Nothing Mars… she thought boldly as she grabbed the buttons of her pink blouse and started to open them.