Change of Heart

on the back of his chair.
    He said something, but his mouth was full.
    I couldn't contain my laughter. "Chew your food."
    He took a long swallow of his glass of iced tea and then smiled up at me. "Come sit down and eat. You look like shit."
    The hand sliding across my back drew my attention.
    "Jin," Delphine sighed, leaning into my side. "It's so wonderful to have you here. Let me introduce you to my mother."
    I met Logan's mother, Eva, and her smile and eyes were both warm. He had two other siblings besides Delphine and Ruslan, whom I had met, and Korneiley, or Koren, whom I had not. He and Logan's father, Peter, were missing from the warm gathering in the kitchen. Nice that even though the room itself was huge, the people in it made the space seem small and intimate. I felt the earlier tension rolling off me.
    "Logan."
    He turned to look at his mother.
    "Does he know?" she asked him.
    "Yes," he answered quickly, "and no."
    "Russ came in here first," she said, her eyes returning to her son. "Are you sure?"
    "Yes."
    She let out a quick breath. "Well, I'm glad, more than you know."
    He smiled warmly at her. "I know."
    "The timing is terrible, though."
    "I could care less."
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    She laughed. "Well, I'm sure that's true."
    They were talking about me, but exactly what about me, I had no idea.
    "Well, Jin," she said as she smiled at me, "come here, you beautiful thing, and get something to eat. Take off your jacket and stay awhile."
    She made me a plate of Russian delicacies with names I couldn't remember, even though she named them as she served them. I had never had rabbit stew, but it was really good when I tasted it, so I sat and made myself comfortable next to Mikhail.
    He lifted a pitcher off the table. "Can I pour you a glass of tea?"
    "Sure."
    "Mikhail."
    His eyes went to his semel, and Logan held his hand out for the pitcher. There was no missing Mikhail's stunned expression as he passed his leader the tea. Logan filled my glass, and I thanked him before I took a sip.
    "Jin."
    I turned to look at Delphine.
    "Tell me all about yourself."
    "There's not much to say," I assured her.
    "No, there's a ton, I'm sure. For starters, where were you born?"
    Not on her life was I answering personal questions. "How
    'bout you tell me what you were doing all alone on the streets of Reno at two in the morning instead?"
    There was instant silence as all eyes went to her.
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    "Note to self: kill Jin," she muttered under her breath.
    I couldn't contain my grin.
    "You know, that's an excellent question," Eva said, arching a brow as she regarded her daughter. "What were you doing out so late?"
    As she stammered, shooting me a look before launching into a long, halting, very contrived story, I ate. As odd as the circumstances were for getting me there, listening to everyone talk, laugh, and just be a family was nice. I could get used to it.
    "Jin."
    I almost came out of my skin, I was so surprised that Logan had leaned in close to me and whispered my name. His warm breath down the side of my neck sent heat straight to my groin.
    He inhaled deeply. "You smell like burning firewood and rain."
    I had to swallow down my heart. "Do I?"
    "Yes," he growled, and the sound, the deep, sexy, very male sound made my cock rock-hard. When he turned his head to look at me, I was swallowed in gold.
    My breath caught.
    "You're trembling," he said, his voice low, husky.
    He was possibly the hottest man I had ever met in my life.
    I needed to run.
    "Tell me where you're from, Jin."
    "All over. I travel a lot."
    He nodded. "You're traveling with your friend, keeping him safe."
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    "We look out for each other."
    "I suspect that you take better care of him than he does of you."
    "Well, then, you would be mistaken."
    "I doubt it."
    I cleared my throat. "No one needs to take care of me."
    "I'm sure that's true," he said slowly, "but it doesn't mean no one should."
    I would have argued with him, but he rose suddenly and excused himself from the table. It made sense that he couldn't just sit with us; he had a whole house full of people who had basically come to see him.
    "He'll be back," Eva said, reaching across the table for my hand.
    It felt like an electric shock ran through my body. Why was she trying to reassure me? What must my face have looked like that she would be compelled to say that to me? Why did Logan's leaving mean anything to me?
    "We should