The Billionaire's Practice Kiss - Tamie Dearen Page 0,73
stand up straight.”
His shoulders drooped. Kara’s argument must’ve gotten through his thick skull.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” He moved beside Ellery, his fingers gently pushing her hair back from her face. She still tingled from his touch, though it came rarely now.
“I’ll be fine.” Ellery took a sip of ice water to cool her slightly raw throat, inflammation still lingering from the smoke inhalation. “I want you to get some rest.”
“I’ll be back tonight.”
“Okay.” Ellery could tell it was as much concession as she was going to get.
The tender press of his lips to her forehead drew an ache in her chest. It was the same every time. He’d expressed no affection beyond platonic kisses since she’d arrived at the hospital. She squeezed back the tears that sprang to her eyes. Whatever had happened to change his feelings from passionate to sisterly, this wasn’t the time to hash it out. For now, he needed to get some sleep before his body broke from sheer exhaustion.
When he finally trudged out the door, Kara let out a low whistle. “Is that really all he does now? Just a peck on the forehead?”
Ellery released her tears to spill down her cheeks. “Every time.”
“Maybe he’s afraid he’ll hurt you if he kisses you for real.”
“It’s not just the kisses.” Ellery struggled to swallow. “He hasn’t told me he loved me since we got here.”
“But he said it in the ambulance, right?”
“Yes, but only because I said it first. He might’ve felt obligated to say it.”
Kara shook her head. “Why don’t you just talk to him?”
“I’ve tried,” Ellery said. “But every time I bring it up, he changes the subject. All he wants to talk to me about is the Krupins, and how they’re still out there, but he’s going to keep me safe.”
“That makes sense, though. He probably feels like he failed you. Could be some kind of male ego thing.” Kara dug her fingers into the dirt in one of the potted plants. “I think some of these need to be watered.”
She snagged a plastic cup from Ellery’s bedside table and moved to fill it with water from the sink.
“But that doesn’t explain why he won’t kiss me or say he loves me,” Ellery said. “And why he changes the subject when I try to talk about our feelings. He won’t talk about the future either.”
“Maybe he’s planning to pop the question, and he wants it to be a surprise.” Kara poured the water into the pot and returned to the sink to refill her cup.
“At this point, if he popped the question, I’d probably die of shock.”
“What’s your theory, then?” Kara asked, as she tested each pot on the window sill.
“The only explanation that makes sense is that he’s lost his feelings for me.”
“Between the time he said he loved you in the ambulance and when you woke up in the hospital?” Kara wrinkled her nose. “I don’t buy it.”
“No, I think he’d already lost his feelings for me. Back when I forced him to be with Allegra. And anything he said… any affection he showed… that was out of guilt. Logan has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility.”
“Takes one to know one,” Kara quipped. “Maybe you’re too alike to be compatible.”
Ellery couldn’t help smiling. “Yes, yes. I know. You’ve lectured me plenty of times.”
Kara found another dry pot and dumped water into it. “And I don’t think he’s in love with Allegra. She’s back in Houston now—out of the picture.”
“I agree. But don’t you think it’s possible his feelings dwindled when we weren’t together? I mean, that’s sort of what I was trying to test in the first place—whether what we had was just a comfortable habit or something strong enough to last.” Though Ellery kept her voice steady, speaking her fears aloud was slicing her heart open.
“I think you’re reading too much into it.” Kara plopped down on the seat and leaned back, crossing her feet at the ankles. “I don’t think any man would show that much devotion out of sheer guilt, especially a billionaire who’s used to paying other people to do things for him.”
“Then why is he treating me like his sister?”
“Isn’t this Logan we’re talking about?” Kara said. “From the time you met him, you told me how awkward he was. Sure, you’ve helped him a lot, but deep inside he’s still the same uncomfortable guy who’s terrible at communicating with real people.”
Dying embers of hope sparked to life. Could Kara be right? Was it possible