THE ILLUSIONIST WOMAN

nine. Burning Embers

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FOLLOWING XIMENA INTO HER house, Logan took in the warm natural feel of it. The space was built with her culture in mind. Everywhere he looked possessed Ximena in every little detail. From the clay potted plants, to the low hanging wooden beams lining the length of the living room.

White painted brick archways and elaborate, Bohemian patterned rugs staged on top of each other in different angles. Rusted metals and intricate, hand crafted tapestries in cozy spots. A brick laid fire place with trinkets and knickknacks from the many years Ximena had been alive -- some too old to touch in fear they'd come apart.

And last but not least, her paintings hanging on the walls and in any large, blank space. Logan paused in the living room just to take a serious look around. He was taking it all in. The colors, vibrancy, overall coziness of the house. Better yet, it wasn't a house – it was a home. Personalized just to make everyone who walked through the door comfortable.

He admired the sheer domestic authenticity of it all. It was everything that described Ximena and more.

Picking up a weird shaped totem in the shape of an eagle, he furrowed his eyebrows at it with intrigued. It was obviously hand whittled from a thick block of red oak, unstained yet still rich with color. Flipping it over, he saw an initial of 'DO', and nosily wondered if it was someone close to her.

"Hey," Ximena came from the back room with an ease filled grin on her face. However, when she spotted what was in his hand, she winced like something offended her. "Don't mess with that... it - it's really old."

"Sorry," He offered lamely.

She took it from his hands, maybe a little to urgent, a little too fast. Her hands lingered on it for a moment before placing it delicately where he found it, her brown eyes swimming with an unreadable emotion.

Snapping out of it, she grasped his hand and Logan was starting to get whiplash from her swiftly changing emotions. "C'mon, I want to introduce you to everyone."

The Nomad eyed the way she held his hand. How small it was compared to his and just how right it felt to hold it. Although she was simply leading him into the courtyard of her elaborate home, it was an intentional gesture that made his affection grow.

Ximena's backyard space was covered in terracotta tile. Fenced in by tall white brick walls with a gate into the thick forest behind the house. The middle had a eye catching fountain. The outside space given proper shade by the overhanging leaf covered tree.

Small groups of people were mingling in different sections of the courtyard as the savory smell of a fired up barbeque grill saturated the air. Rhythmic music bumped through the speakers. Children ran around in circles, resounding with joyful laughter. Men cluttered around a table for a round of poker, smoking cigars and sipping beers. It was a whole party back here.

An entire community of people simply enjoying their lives in the sun.

"Chuy, this is Logan. Logan, this twerp is Jesus." Ximena grinned towards the teenage boy who carried her bags in earlier.

"Hi," Logan muttered half-assed. He shook his hand, nodding in greeting because he rarely ever smiled.

The boy was a curly haired and green eyed bean stalk, getting taller by the day. He had a dorky personality, standing by an older woman who resembled him. "And this is his mama, Veronica. She looks after my place for me when I'm away. She's the real boss of this house."

"Ah," She waved her off, wrapping the shawl around her shoulders. Veronica stood to her feet and unexpectantly pulled Logan into a low hug. His back bent at an odd angle because of short stature, causing him to cough. Leaning back, she held him by the arms, looking him over with narrowed eyes.

Logan warily glanced at Ximena over her shoulder, to which she shrugged. "Así que este es tu novio?"

Ximena choked, brown eyes widening as she shook her head. "No, no. He's just a friend, Roni."

Logan smirked, understanding the meaning of her question off the top of his head. "Es su culpa. We would've been together by now if it was up to me." He grinned charismatically, lightly and unnoticeably taking Veronica's hands off of his arms.

The Doctor was slightly surprised he knew Spanish. Frankly, she found it hot. Folding her arms over her chest in amusement with a good-natured roll of her eyes. "Yeah, that's not happening."

"What's not happening?" A man came up behind Ximena, grabbing her around the waist before spinning her in a circle. She squealed, turning on her heel to embrace the handsome gentleman. "Hermosa Ximena!"

He towered over her, with dark tanned skin, most likely from working out in the yard. His face was covered in a curly beard with a pair of glasses pushed up the bridge of his nose. Her grin had never been so wide as she looked up at him, reaching up to pinch his cheek.

"Jamie, good to see you. How are you?" She sighed happily, readjusting her clothes as her cheek reddened.

"Better now," His nose wrinkled with a chuckle, running his hand down her arm in a gentle caress. Logan stared at his hand for moment, feeling his jaw clench briefly.

"Jaime, this is Logan Howlett. A good friend of mine," Ximena moved to the Wolverine's side, laying a hand on his muscled chest. She didn't completely comprehend it, but the action was slightly possessive.

"Ah, Hola." He moved forward to shake his hand in a firm grip. Logan met him head on, squeezing his large hand as if they were in a silent staring competition.

Ximena glanced between the two suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. "Okay... Well, I'm going to get some more drinks inside for the party. Emmanuel is drinking enough for all of us." She pointed towards the group of guys playing cards, mainly at the man laughing obnoxiously with his friends.

"I told you to cut him off an hour ago," Veronica slapped at her sons arm, shooing him to do as she told. "Go take his bottle opener."

"Why does it always have to be me," Chuy grumbled, sighing in annoyance as he walked away.

"Need any help with that?" Jaime asked, following after Ximena as she went back in the house. However, she waved him away with a polite smile.

"No, it's okay. I've got Logan to help me." The Wolverine perked, not expecting her to ask him, but not complaining either. He made a smug face, jogging after Ximena with flirtatious intent.

Running her hands through her hair, Mena led Logan into her storage room. She adorably reached for the overhead light. pressing on the tips of her toes. Chuckling in amusement, Logan leant over her and easily tugged on the chain and the room flooded with a warm glow.

"Thanks," She smiled at him over her shoulder, tilting her head back. In the close quarters of her pantry, Logan wanted to kiss her exactly in that moment. Maybe it was to lay some type of claim on her after seeing her relation to so many competitors.

Maybe it was simply the way she looked today. The warm light shining on her supple features. The curve of her jaw and the acute scrunching of her nose when she concentrated or smiled too hard. He didn't know if she was aware of the obvious tension between them whenever they were alone but he sure as hell felt it. And he wanted to do something about it.

"So what's with the cheesy bastard outside?" He spoke nonchalantly, leaning back against the wall.

His voice was rough and grit, speaking from the side of his mouth, like he always has a tooth pick settled between his lips. Ximena furrowed her eyebrows at him in amusement, not taking his sudden bluntness seriously. "Jaime, has a name."

"Yet, you knew who I was talking about," Logan grinned, causing her to scoff.

"He's had a thing for me for a while, but I never encouraged it because... well, I don't know." She scratched the back of her head before shifting her attention to the beer cases.

"You don't like him?" He challenged.

Her head shook in disagreement, "No, it's not that. He just reminds me of someone." Sighing, she stood back up as if frustrated with her inability to communicate her thoughts. She blew the hair out of her face, meeting Logan's eyes with uncertainty. "Know the feeling when you're with someone and something bad happens with the relationship so anybody who resembles them leaves a bad taste in your mouth?"

"Uh," He paused, "I don't know how to answer that -- but I'll go with yes."

The Illusionist felt her shoulders sag with a deep exhale. "A long time ago, I was -- married to a man named Daniel Ortis and well, Jaime reminds me of him and it just never sat well with me to get involved with him. Plus, he's a little too clean for my tastes."

"Married, hm? And you like them dirty?" Logan arched a single brow seductively, stepping closer to her in the minimal space. Ximena bit her bottom lip to fight the temptation to touch him.

He backed her into a corner, slowly laying his hand on the built in shelf beside her head. She sucked in a sharp breath, tilting her head back to look him square in the eye. "Filthy," She muttered confidently. "But that's besides the point."

"Then, what is the point Mena?"

She shuddered as his voice deepened. A sudden magnetism towards him growing with every inch he divided between them. Wetting her bottom lip, she became bewitched by his calloused fingers brushing her hair behind her ear.

The caress of his thumb as it lingered on the side of her neck, pressing her pulse point, stayed with her. Put her in a trance as she felt the zapping sensation all the way down to her core. "That I'm unavailable."

Logan furrowed his thick brows, scowling briefly. "By who?"

 She raised her chin, "Myself."

The rumble of his laughter caused her toes to curl. A swirling within the depths of her stomach she hadn't felt in what seemed to be forever. Her eyes fluttered close when he leant down till he was at the top of her ear. His breath tickled her skin, subtly making her body tremble with anticipation. "I don't think you could make yourself come as well as I can."

"Is that a challenge?"

"If you're willing to raise the stakes," She felt his smirk against her skin and instantly knew the expression he was making. Inhaling through her nose to gather her bearings before she placed her hands on his chest and lightly pushed him enough distance away to slip by him.

"We need to bring the beer before Emmanuel throws a fit." Ximena swiftly changed the subject, her mind reeling from the intensity of the moment.

She grabbed a case and placed it in Logan's awaiting hands with renewed vigor. "I think he could spare a minute if it helped you unwind."

"Honey, I only need two things to help me loosen up." Ximena lips curled into a slow, competitive smile as she held up two fingers with a knowing flash of her warm brown eyes. "And both of them are on my right hand."

Patting his shoulder, she was pretty satisfied with herself as she strutted out, leaving Logan there with the heated imagery she gifted him. His chest rumbled, responding to her effortless sensuality.

With an attitude like that, he'd follow her anywhere.

...

WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN the party never stopped. A fire was lit in the floor leveled barbeque pit. Children sat beside it, making smores as the adults danced around it under the strung up fairy lights.

Ximena stood next to her pregnant friend, Adora. She was a single mother who Ximena got in contact with through Veronica. A friend of a friend seeking somewhere to say. Who was Ximena to say no? She instantly welcomed her here and as the months went by, their friendship grew. The Illusionist had been keeping an eye on her, using her precognition to foresee when she needed to be home to deliver the baby.

They chatted by the drink table, catching up on the time they spent away. Adora's bright ginger hair and dark brown freckles is what Ximena thought added to her uniqueness. Her Cuban background shining through beautifully.

Logan watched her from the poker table he joined out of willingness to gamble. He rolled his lips around the lit Cuban cigar held within them, a full house held in his left hand.

The Nomadic mutant realized he wasn't the only one giving her the eye. Adjacent from him, across the courtyard, Jaime was flickering his puppy love eyes towards her. Honestly. though he saw him as competition, he didn't fault him for staring.

Ximena was ravishing in the glow of the Masen jars above. Her pearly white teeth on display as she laughed openmouthed, putting her heart into every interaction with her friends. He'd think it'd be a crime if Jaime wasn't watching her right now. And although he was stewing in his seat, wondering why the hell he wasn't capturing her attention right now, Logan knew he could spend his whole day just mesmerized by her.

"What cha' got, hombre?" Cesar, the dealer and what hell of a jokester, nudged his head upwards in question.

Logan blinked away from his hypnotist and laid out his cards on the wooden table with flourish. The entire group groaned in annoyance, leaning back in their loss. For a moment, he reached for the pile in the middle to gather his winnings. But then the song changed on the stereo serenading the party... and instead, he stood up.

"Keep it. Only just this once," He hummed as they laughed, making comments about how he was won't win next time and all that comradery. Logan waved them off, tapping his cigar into the nearby ash tray.

Ximena glanced up just as Logan started walking her way. His eyes were filled with fiery determination. A predatory glimmer in his chiseled features. Adora whistled lowly beside her, laying a soft hand on her friend's shoulders.

"He's yours?" She nodded her head at the majestic man. Sheer power in every stomp of his dark combat boots.

The Artist was speechless for a second, stuttering over her words as she tapped her fingers against the glass of her beer bottle. "Seems like it, doesn't it," She openly admired him, eyebrows pinching together.

"Ladies," Logan greeted, oozing enough confidence from his pores to make her knees buckle. He reached for her drink and set it on the table beside her, taking her now free hand within his own. "Mind if I take your friend away for a dance?"

Adora grinned deviously, eyebrows raising. "Definitely not. Take her the whole night while you're at it."

"Adora!" Ximena blushed deeply, eyes widening in embarrassment. Now she knew how Jean felt when she threw her under the bus with Scott most of the time.

"I'm not complaining," Logan muttered smoothly, pulling her towards the other dancing couples.

By now, she had decided to roll with the moment, sighing to herself in resignation. Wrapping her arms around Logan's neck, she felt her heart flutter when his grip secured tightly on her hips, pulling her a breath away.

They swayed under the warm lit night. Keeping a gentle tempo to the music. "You know, I actually love to dance."

"My lucky day, " He mused, tugging her snuggly against his tall frame. Something told him she fit there for a reason. It felt right, having her heart beat erratically against his own. Spurring him into an intimate connection with her he simply couldn't refuse or deny. "This place... all these people. It is definitely something."

"Too weird?" She asked genuinely, subconsciously fiddling with the wavy brown locks on the back of his head.

He made a face that suggested he agreed with the statement, making her lips part in appall. However, he chuckled and shook his head. "I'm joking. It's admirable, really. You're an amazing woman."

Ximena slowly met his gaze, her entire body feeling like it was set on fire with the compliment. For a time, she just beheld him. The unkept facial hair growing on his face and starting to stretch down his neck. The unrelenting intensity of his eyes. They never gave her room enough to breath, always searching, always scrutinizing any and everything. It was relentless.

Logan Howlett was relentless.

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Unedited. 6/6/21

I almost had them kiss this chapter but I was like... I'll make em wait lol What did you think of this chapter? Let me know with a comment, vote! Xx