The Long Road Home Read Online Free Page B

learn in that class?"
    Good grief. How did we get on this embarrassing subject? "Gorillas can have sex face-to-face, men don't particularly care for condoms, there's some weird stuff out there, and consensus states size does matter."
    He threw back his head and laughed, great belly laughs, full of unexpected amusement, sucking in air between bouts of guffaws. After a short time, he faded to chuckles, wiping at his watering eyes. "Damn."
    Gwen tilted her head in question.
    "Babe, of all things to learn in a human sexuality class, I think you missed all the really important bits."
    "Such as?"
    His eyes sparked with mischief as a sultry expression crossed his face. "Hot spots, techniques, and mind-blowing orgasms."
    She blinked. "I don't think the professor taught any of that. Otherwise, the class would be called 'Sex 101, Tab A, slot B, and the various ways they interact'."
    Logan's eyebrow shot up. "Would you sign up for that class if it was offered?"
    "Ummm." She found her feet enthralling, buying time to think of a sufficient answer. When in doubt… Her gaze lifted to meet his. "Would you?"
    "You better believe it. Every guy on campus would be signing up for that class." He leaned in close. "Imagine the group projects."
    A blast furnace blew across her face at the image his words provoked.
     
    * * * *
     
    Logan caught the crimson stain on her cheeks and chuckled to himself. Innocent little Gwen. He so loved to tease her. Always did. Watch the blushes appear and wonder how low they traveled down her chest. The flash of her eyes, the nervous wiggling. Everything came back to him like they were back in their dance class, partnering up for the first waltz.
    Too busy sowing wild oats his senior year, he'd never given serious consideration to Gwen. Besides, he had been graduating, moving on with life while she'd just started her college career at the University of Maryland. Any relationship between them carried a mark of future failure. Not that he thought about long-term commitment at the time. Instead, he focused on finishing his last semester, planning for the next stage, and going out with a bang.
    He hadn't laughed this much in weeks. Not since the roadside bomb took his leg and almost his life. Little humor existed when one struggled to survive, to learn to walk again, to read the pity on people's faces as they stared. Yet, somehow, with Gwen, none of that mattered. She returned him to a happier time and paid little attention to his disability. What questions she asked seemed to stem from curiosity rather than anything morbid or malicious. Instead, she rallied his sense of humor, stroked his ego, and, at least for one night, made him feel like a man again.
    Hell, he'd watched Rudolph with her and had a remarkably good time. Who would have thought?
    "Tab A and slot B, huh?" He couldn't resist teasing her a little more.
    Gwen rolled her eyes. "I suppose you have better names?"
    "Oh, yeah. You want to hear them?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.
    "No thanks. I'm at my allotment of embarrassment for one day." She yawned widely.
    For the first time, he realized the time. Six am. Neither of them had any sleep for over twenty-four hours. No wonder she looked to be wilting, fast approaching fatigue showing on her expressive face.
    "Ready for bed?"
    "I'm afraid so. My second wind is all blown out."
    He could empathize. After the large meal, his body drifted toward relaxation and downtime. "You're welcome to stay here. In my bed or my parents'. Or there's Maria's apartment. Your choice." As much as he wanted her close by, separated by a single wall, he refused to push. After all, they barely knew one another, and many changes had happened since he saw her last. Like his damned leg.
    "If it's okay with you, I'll borrow Maria's apartment." She focused on the table, not quite meeting his eyes.
    "Sure." Reaching out, he wrapped his hand around hers. "Hey, don't worry. It'll be okay."
    She looked up at him.
    He grinned encouragingly. "You