Chapter 4--More in Common
Well?" Logan rose from the leather sofa he'd been perched on when Dr. Grey and I came into the room. "Everything alright?" He was freshly showered and dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans and he smelled even more wonderful than before.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I waved a dismissive hand in the air. The doctor had given me a mild sedative to help me relax, and I was feeling no pain, grinning expansively at everyone and everything.
"Her healing factor took care of any injuries she might have had," the tall elegant Dr. Jean Grey added. She smiled softly at the expression of shock on Logan's face.
"Healing factor?" He looked pointedly at me, arching an eyebrow. "Really."
"Yup. You're not as unique as you thought, buddy." I socked him in the arm playfully.
Logan exchanged a long, intense look with Jean. I could sense the deep affection he had for the beautiful doctor, and I felt a stab of jealousy. "Anything else that might interest me, Doctor?" he growled.
"Um…adamantium skeleton?" I brightly volunteered before Jean could answer. Logan's ferocious gaze flicked from Jean to me and back again, searching for confirmation. I just grinned widely at him, while Dr. Grey nodded slightly.
"Yes, Logan. Brianna's been through pretty much the same procedure as you, adamantium grafting and claw implants. But, like you, she has no memory of who did this to her, or why." I heard something in the lovely redhead's voice that told me she knew more than she was letting on.
The three of us stood for a long moment, not speaking. Then the silence was broken by the quiet whir of a motorized wheelchair and a very distinguished bald man glided into the room. "Hello, Brianna. I'm Charles Xavier," he greeted me with a very cultivated accent. I felt the overwhelming urge to curtsey, so strong was the sense of respect and love for the man that suddenly permeated the air.
I settled for stepping forward and shaking the Professor's hand. "Nice to meet you," I said humbly, already in awe of him.
"I understand you've had a very trying day, Brianna. Would you prefer to talk after you've had some sleep?" Professor Xavier asked kindly.
My mind was bursting with unformed questions that I desperately wanted answers to, but I realized that I was indeed dead tired and emotionally exhausted, as well. "Actually sleep sounds like heaven right now," I admitted.
"Very well. Jean, will you please show Brianna to a guest room?" The professor's request was directed at Dr. Grey, but Logan quickly responded, "The room next to mine's the safest place for her."
Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at him simultaneously. I had learned from Jean that she and the professor were telepaths, so I guessed that they had also picked up from Logan the strong wave of protectiveness that was directed at me. It was a very nice feeling, to say the least. I beamed giddily at everyone.
Dr. Grey and Professor Xavier both smiled knowingly, and the professor nodded in agreement. "Indeed. We'll speak again after breakfast, Brianna. Good night." Jean followed him to the door, then turned and looked at Logan in silent communication. He scowled ferociously at her, and the lovely doctor's soft laughter followed her out the door.
Walking through the dimly lit corridors with Logan, I happily studied this man who had, in the space of a few hours, become a central part of my life. He wanted to protect me, and that was something I had never experienced before. Why he was so concerned for me, I didn't want to try and figure out just now. I was more than content to bask in the warmth of the feeling. Tomorrow I'd worry about the rest.
Logan
didn't even quite know what was going on between us.
Why
did I keep feeling him in my head?
Logan stopped in front of one of a half-dozen heavy wooden doors that lined the hall. He opened it and stepped in to turn on the lights, revealing a very spacious bedroom, complete with an overstuffed sofa and easy chair, computer desk and possibly the most comfortable looking bed I had ever seen. My eyelids began to droop sleepily.
Logan strode across to the window, checking the locks and seals. When he was satisfied with their security, he turned and spoke to me for the first time since leaving the Professor's study. "My room's right through there." With a nod of his head he indicated a door set in the wall next to the dresser. "If you need anything…"
Logan stepped forward quickly and got an arm around my midsection just in time to keep me from collapsing on the floor. The stresses of the evening, combined with the sedative, were all too much for me, and I was falling asleep on my feet. Logan scooped me up in his arms and carried me over to the bed. I nuzzled my cheek into his wonderfully broad shoulder and thought how perfect it would be to curl up and sleep for hours, wrapped in the Wolverine's protective embrace.
Logan laid me down gently and, in response to my unspoken thought, peeled his T-shirt off over his head. My eyes widened in astonishment. Oh, my… "You can sleep in this. It's not quite the same but…" he trailed off, his teasing tone vanishing as he slid the soft cotton shirt over my head and helped me get my arms through the sleeves. I wondered briefly about the tattered white tank top I was still wearing underneath, then Logan's hands were suddenly up against my bare ribcage. I gasped at the unexpected heat on my skin. I heard a soft tearing sound and the remains of my shirt cam away easily, leaving me enveloped in Logan's scent and the sensuous feel of soft fabric against my bare flesh.
Logan sat on the edge of the bed with the shreds of my tank top clutched in his fists. We stared at each other, the mutual attraction we'd felt since our meeting now vividly apparent to both of us. I could feel the conflict in his mind that echoed in my own. Things were very perplexing to me right now. Did I want to complicate it any further by acting on pure animal lust?
If he keeps looking at
me like that, I thought, the desire
to sleep rapidly diminishing, I'm
likely to…
Logan shook his
head slightly, like a man waking from a daydream. "I'd love to
find out what you've got in mind, darlin', but now's probably
not the best time," he growled softly. He rose to go, the remnants
of my shirt still in his hands. He
wanted very badly to kiss me…
"We gotta talk," I mumbled, sleep already overtaking me again, "about this habit of yours…"
"I can't get you outta my head either, Vixen," Logan responded brusquely, heading for the door that separated our rooms. He stopped with his hand on the knob, took a deep breath, and turned his gaze back to me. The warmth in those intense hazel eyes was a mental good night kiss that left beautiful sparks of color in my consciousness as I drifted to sleep.
