Logan (Chosen Champions #1) - Macy Blake Page 0,29

a smile on his face and come dripping out of his ass.

“Logan? You coming?”

Logan had to clear his throat so he could answer. Instead of risking it, he nodded and held the door open. Inside, he breathed in the amazing scents from the soups of the day. Ahh, French onion. His absolute favorite.

Bailey breathed in the aromas of the bistro as well and let out a very pleased sigh. “This place smells incredible.”

“Told ya so.”

Bailey looked up at him in surprise, then laughed. “You’re such a brat.”

No, Logan really wasn’t, but he wanted more than anything to see that smile back on Bailey’s face. What the hell had happened to him? Was he an alpha or a lovesick fool? Logan needed to get his shit together. He needed therapy. Or perhaps a good fuck. Maybe that’s what this was. He needed to get laid.

His wolf snarled inside him, protesting the direction of Logan’s thoughts. Whatever this was with Bailey, this powerful attraction that had him wanting—Logan pulled in a breath as they followed a server to a table in front of the windows—pack, would wane. He inhaled the heavenly scents of soups and bread… and Bailey.

Bailey sank into a chair and smiled at the server who handed him the printed paper with the day’s specials. Logan sat as well, then forced his attention to his copy of the menu.

“Soup,” Bailey mumbled. Logan glanced up, worried he’d misjudged, but Bailey looked up at him with wide eyes. “Soup.”

“I highly recommend the French onion. But the chicken tortilla is also amazing. Especially with a grilled cheese.”

“They make grilled cheese?”

“They do.”

“You’re a genius.”

Logan laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Soup is the best comfort food. Fight me.”

“That wouldn’t really be a fair fight, though, would it?”

Bailey sniffed. “I’m scrappy. I could take ya.”

“Yeah,” Logan replied. “Yeah, you could.”

Bailey swallowed, opened his mouth, then closed it again. “You’re… Are you actually flirting with me, or am I imagining things? Because, Logan, it’s been a really crappy day. Days? Last day. Whatever. I can’t think because you’ve got this twinkle in your eye, and then you licked your lips and my brain sort of imploded.”

Logan reached across the table and ran his thumb over Bailey’s bottom lip. “I’m a terrible flirt.”

“Good God, if this is you being terrible, I’m in big trouble.” Then Bailey nipped at Logan’s finger before pushing his hand away. “Now behave. I have to pick soup. This is a major life decision. I need to concentrate.”

Logan leaned back in his chair and smiled as the waiter dropped off glasses of iced water for them. Bailey didn’t even notice. He had his lip between his teeth again as he studied the menu.

“Do you need a few more minutes?”

Bailey looked up and shook his head. “No. But here’s the thing. I need to have a magical moment with a bowl of soup. Which one will give me that?”

“Any of them. And I’m not just saying that. But I’m a huge fan of the white chicken chili, and we have a chicken panini that pairs perfectly with it.”

“Sold,” Bailey said.

“You want the usual, Logan?”

He nodded, and the waiter left them.

“The usual? You come here so much you have a usual?”

“I can’t cook, but I like to eat. Ergo…”

Bailey shook his head. “It always makes me batty when people say they can’t cook. I just don’t get it. How do you afford to eat out every meal? I mean, that was rude… but you know what I mean!”

“I never learned. In the military, we had our meals prepared, and when I got out and started working, I was always too busy. These days, I never know when I’m going to get called to a job, so it makes it hard to plan.”

“Okay, now that’s a halfway decent excuse.”

“I’m good at other things,” Logan said.

Bailey grunted. “I just bet you are.”

“What? I’m trained in agility, hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, surveillance, hostage negotiation, and recon. I’m good enough to have my own team that I train to handle difficult situations.”

Bailey narrowed his eyes. “So you aren’t actually a cop.”

Logan shook his head. “And I’ve said too much.”

“No, you haven’t said enough. What were you and your team doing at the bar last night, Logan? If you aren’t cops, why were you there, and who exactly are you?”

10

Bailey

Bailey wasn’t necessarily surprised by Logan’s list of skills, but apparently, based on the stunned expression on Logan’s face, he hadn’t been expecting Bailey’s question.

“Well?”

Logan leaned back in his chair, and his expression