see discalimer chapter 1

"Really, you should stop sneaking up on people, it doesn't make one popular," she said smoothly.  Sonja's nerves tingled sharply at being so near to him and she quickly moved around the counter to get some space between herself and the man.  She began grabbing up everything that went back into the refrigerator.

Logan just grunted at her and sat back down, watching the woman busily move around the kitchen with an intense and unwavering concentration.  He liked the way her body moved so smoothly, every movement was coordinated perfectly with the next.  He could see quite a bit of skin around the small tank top and shorts, and he definitely liked what he saw.  Suddenly, Sonja put down the tray of brownies that she had had in her hands and glared right at him.  She could feel his eyes all over her and it made her want to squirm uncomfortably.

"You know, it wouldn't have killed you to let them stay, they were actually doing me a favor," she said, challenging him to say something to her instead of doing nothing but sitting there, gawking.

Logan just grunted again.  What was he supposed to do, break the rules for a couple of kids?  Let them act like they were the one's in charge?

Sonjas mind whirled.  What is wrong with this guy? Sonja thought.  She wasn't about to stand there and just let him stare at her while she cleaned up.

"A grunt is all I get. Logan?  Well, isn't that articulate," she snapped testily.  He might have the kids scared, but she'd be damned before she let this guy's brooding attitude get to her.

"What the hell do you want me to say?  That I should have been all chummy with them and let 'em break the rules? " he said in a deep, threatening voice.  This woman was really pissing him off.  Who was she to tell him what he could and couldn't say?  She hasn't even been here a week.

Sonja knew that he was trying to intimidate her, telling her she had been doing something wrong by letting the raid continue.  But a few accusations and a forceful tone would never be enough to make her back off.

"You could have lightened up some, you don't have to scare them half to death to get your point across.  Why don't you just calm down a little?"

She turned away from him and jammed the containers of ice cream back into the freezer, knowing very well that she was the one who was all worked up.  What was it about this man that infuriated her so much?  She had dealt with the intimidating type before, but there was something about Logan that had her constantly stirred up.  Why didn't he just leave her alone?  She had had enough of feeling all keyed up for one day and the longer Logan stayed in the room the more she felt her calmness seeping out of her.

Logan sat there, dazed for a moment.  How was he supposed to respond to her? He sat back down on the stool and popped open a can of soda, nosily gulping it down in a single swallow, trying to think of something to say and contemplating just leaving altogether.  He stood up from his chair and walked out of the kitchen brusquely.

Thank god, Sonja thought as he left.  She braced herself against the counter for a moment, trying to steady her nerves.  She only had a second of solitude before Logan stormed back into the kitchen bearing a large gray trash bin.  Sonja jumped back when he reentered the room and he grinned at her reaction.

"Just trying to be helpful.  Why don't you calm down?" he said, satisfied that his presence could cause that kind of reaction despite the woman's cool demeanor. He didn't think he'd ever be able to explain it, but whatever it was about her that made him get so upset was also what excited him.  He had lusted over women before, but when he first laid eyes on Sonja he had felt that familiar tug almost immediately.  Sure, she was gorgeous, but there was something else about her that he liked that made him want to get closer to her.  The women at the bars downtown didn't even compare to her; as far as pure attraction she pretty much blew away every other woman he had known... well, almost every one.  Logan shook his head, it's just been too long.

Damn him! Sonja thought as she picked up the tray of brownies again.  She snapped the top on with far to much force than was necessary, then put it back inside one of the cabinets.  Why was she so jumpy around him?  If she didn't keep talking she was sure her mind would race away with her.

"What, you're not mad at me anymore for taking you hostage?" she asked just to keep the silence at bay.  Logan let out a hearty laugh.

"You really think that you had me hostage?" he asked, sarcasm ringing in his voice.  Sonja felt her temper start to boil again.

"Well, no, not really, not after I found out."  Wishing she had never brought it up, Sonja let her voice fade away, but Logan wouldn't let it stop there.

"Not after you found out that you really couldn't hurt me after all, and your threats wouldn't have mattered," he said triumphantly, his face grinning and his eyes daring her to admit that she had been wrong.  Sonja glared up at him angrily and her gaze clashed with his.  The sight of Logan's smiling face directed at her caused Sonja's mind to go into a whirl.  My god, he is so handsome, she thought, her heart beating erratically as she got lost in his deep brown-green eyes.  Sonja felt her knees go weak and she quickly turned away, forcing Logan's face out of her eyesight.  Where the hell did that come from? she chastised herself.  This man infuriates you and dont forget it! Pull yourself together!

"If you think I'm going to apologize, you're wrong," she said, facing him again now that her mind was clearer.  "Too many women are taken advantage of in this world because they don't know how to protect themselves.  In case you haven't noticed, your appearance doesn't scream friendly guy, in fact, it sort of screams dangerous."  Oh no, I didnt just say that

Logan smiled at her again, knowing that he had an edge.  No matter how hard she was trying, he could smell her attraction to him and could see her eyes getting brighter.

"Dangerous, huh?" he said, moving in on her.  He had recently been coming to grips with the fact that he would never have Jean, but this woman was proving to be an exciting challenge, one that he was definitely willing to take on.  "Does that mean you can't protect yourself from guys like me without your gun?" he said, his voice laden with innuendo.

Ignore him, ignore him, ignore him, Sonja chanted to herself, pushing the last of the food into the fridge.  When she closed the door, once again Logan had moved right up next to her.  She caught her breath for a second and just stared up into his eyes, unable to move, her brain not formulating anything.

Oh no-, was the only thing Sonja thought as she felt Logan's thoughts once again invaded her mind.

Flash-  Jean smiling, shaking her head at him

Flash-  A smoky bar, cigar in hand, women gawking at him and making suggestive gestures

Flash-  Jean smiling at one of the children

Flash-  the bar with a pretty but trashy looking woman, intents obvious.

Flash-  Jean kissing Scott, wishing it was him instead.

Logan saw Sonja reach out and grab the counter in an attempt to steady herself. Her eyes were squeezed tight and a guttural sound escaped her lips before her knees began to give away.  For the second time he instantly reached out and just before she was about to crumple to the ground he had wrapped his arms around her waist and she sagged against him.

Worry and anxiety flashed across his face and he got a sickening feeling in his stomach.  Again he felt the same odd sensation in his mind that he had felt with her before; she was seeing his thoughts.  He was so close to her now, her face just inches from his, that with every breath he was taking in more and more of her peculiar scent.  It wasn't just the pheromones anymore, it was her too, and he couldn't avoid it.

Her scent was completely different than any other woman he had ever been this close to.  Not powdery and delicate like Jean, not primed and experienced like the women that came on to him in the bars.  When he stood this close to her, it was like he had stepped into a different world, her scent was totally unique compared to anything he had smelled on a person before.  It reminded him of walking out into the forest and catching the first whiff of fresh air after a rain.  The crispness of her, the naturalness and freedom, and all the mysterious things he could catch in the breeze he sensed on her.

It was all over soon, only a few more thoughts had passed through her mind before she felt her normal consciousness return.  Her eyes fluttered open again, hazy looking as if she were drunk and her hands moved to his arms in an effort to support herself.  She had never lost herself in someone else's mind like she did with Logan and, though she was personally proud of her control over her powers, for some reason it was like he was breaking all her self-imposed rules.

Sonja could feel his arms on her waist and her body reacting without permission, her chest heaving and warmness rushing through her from every spot that his skin touched hers.  She was still shrouded in a hazy fog of her own mind and was powerless to move independently.  She closed her eyes again and bowed her head, focusing on regaining her balance.  Every time she moved against Logan her body became very aware of the friction and her nerves tingled brightly.  It took a few moments, but finally she felt her strength return and was standing on her own feet.

When she looked up into his eyes, Sonja felt the warmness turn to fire all over her body and her breathing became erratic.  His eyes were shining and he had an erotic, sultry smile on his lips.  There was absolutely no doubt that he was enjoying her squirming against him, and it was like he knew how much her own body reacted to his embrace.  Sonja turned her face from him, willing her brain to stop sending fizzling messages all over her body

"You all right?" he asked.  Sonja simply nodded her head, her tongue not cooperating.  She mustered all the strength she had left and pushed against him, trying to free herself from the circle of his arms.

Logan didn't budge, his arms still encircling her and holding their bodies closely together.  Sonja looked back at him, shock evident in her face.

Her eyes were shining a brilliant green and took on the appearance of constantly shifting liquid orbs, consuming his thoughts.  He wanted to keep her there, plant a long kiss on those full, invitingly parted lips and make her say she had been wrong about him.  He consciously knew that wouldn't happen and he wasn't sure he could withstand much more close contact with her without really doing something he might regret.  But he just couldn't bring himself to let go, reveling too much in her closeness and alluring scent.

Abruptly, her face changed from surprise to rage.  How dare he come on to her like that after what she had just seen?  She wasn't about to let this animal manhandle her when she knew that his mind was putting a different face over hers.

"Jean is a lovely woman, isn't she?" Sonja said, throwing the words like darts with venom in her voice.  Logan's face went blank and she felt the muscles in his arms go slack.  Hastily she shoved herself away from him.  Blood began to rush to her face and she turned to the sink, giving the water handles a violent jerk to start filling it and pushing around the plates nosily in an attempt to dissipate the tension in the room.

Damn it! Logan thought.  One second her body had been warming up against his and he could smell the attraction just oozing off of her, and now she was acting like he wasn't even in the room!  It was like she had thrown a cold bucket of water over him and herself.  Logan slowly backed away, forcing some distance between him and the woman by putting away the last of the food into the cupboards.  It was no use, now that he had gotten her scent he couldn't get it out of his head. He was standing a good ten feet away from her, but the aroma was still floating around his face like a plume of smoke.

All traces of her pheromones had disappeared from the room and she was brusquely scrubbing at the plates.  He finished picking up the rest of the trash the kids had left behind and hesitated for a moment before moving over to the counter.

"I'll dry," he said simply, flipping the towel over his shoulder.  He leaned back against the sink, waiting for the first plate.  He knew he should have left, just let the woman be, but something in his body was screaming for him to stay. Besides, it wasn't like he could have done any more damage than was already done, he just needed to act easy, like nothing had happened at all.

Sonja's cool attitude would have rivaled a glacier and Logan figured she was calm again so he decided to pick up the conversation where they had left it off.

"You never answered me," he said casually.  "I asked if it was possible for you to use your powers to defend yourself," he said, making slow methodical circles with the towel on the plate she had just handed him.  He felt her bristle and could sense a deep sadness washing over her.  What was wrong with this chick?  Her emotions changed hot and cold in an instant.

"Don't you read the papers?  It seems to me like every person in the world would know what I can do by now."  She shoved the next dish into his hands.  "Besides, what's with all the questions?  I thought you were supposed to be the strong, silent type."  She knew she shouldn't be snapping at him that way, but he had been trying to use her and she knew it.  Logan had just stepped and pivoted on her last nerve.

Of course! Logan thought.  That was why she had ended up here.  He hadn't even recognized her, but now that she had said it, he remembered every detail from the articles he had read.  But that was no reason for her to throw everything back in his face; he was just trying to make conversation with her.  Logan roughly swiped the towel over the plate and slammed it down on the counter, almost breaking it.

"I thought doctors were supposed to be the charming, polite type," he growled back.  Not that he would know, the only doctors he'd ever met were Jean and Hank.  He turned to see if he could catch her gaze, but she refused to look at him and just shoved the next plate into his hands.

They continued washing the dishes in silence until, finally, Sonja handed him the last glass and wiped her hands off on a towel.  He could see the anger glistening in her eyes, and maybe he was imagining it, but there seemed to be a hint of disappointment in her gaze also.

"I guess we were wrong about each other," she said, spitting the words out.  She glared at him for a moment longer, then turned and quickly walked out of the room.  He watched her leave and stared after her until her scent had left the room also.