I purse my lips and go to shove him away. Dexter is on the floor behind him now, and Logan trips over the dog and falls back onto the couch, taking me down with him. That same heat ripples through me again, making my skin break out in goosebumps. My heart lurches and is beating so fast I’m sure Logan can hear it.
I should push him away.
Run and hide.
I definitely shouldn’t be inching closer, taking note of the way his cologne smells, or the fact that his shirt is pulled up a bit, exposing a few inches of his abdomen.
I shouldn’t want more.
Our eyes meet and I part my lips, feeling my heart beating faster and faster in my chest. I know one kiss is all it will take to change things between us, and the thought terrifies me.
My life has been one mistake after another, and each seems to try its damnedest to outdo the last. I love what we have between us. Logan is my best friend. I don’t want to mess that up.
But Lord have mercy on me right now. His heart is hammering along with mine, and he looks at me with an intensity I’ve never seen before. One that heats me from the inside out, melting the panties right off me. My face is moving slowly toward his, eyes zeroed in on his perfect lips. He closes his eyes, long lashes coming together, and inhales, pushing his chest up against mine.
And then Dexter jumps up, barking, startling us both. He runs through the living room and into the kitchen, disappearing into the small mud room to greet whoever just came in the house.
Logan’s brows furrow, and I get off of him, too drunk to think logically right now. Whiskey and tequila swirl around in my head, though it’s nothing but a small buzz compared to the way Logan just made me feel. He springs to his feet and rushes through the house, and it’s only then I remember Owen isn’t supposed to be home tonight.
I don’t remember locking the door behind us. Eastwood is a slow-moving, peaceful town, but it’s not a crime-free paradise. People break in, and there’s been a rash of burglaries lately. So far, all have happened to empty houses, but maybe they didn’t know we were home.
Suddenly, I’m scared, and I look around the room for a weapon.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Logan asks, but he seems annoyed, not terrified for our lives.
“Miranda’s sister brought some friends over. We needed a place a little more private.”
I let out a breath. It’s Owen. I sink back onto the couch, head spinning. I cup my face in my hands. What the hell was I thinking?
But also…why not?
No. Nope. No way José. I thought with my heart instead of my head my whole life and look where it got me. I’ve spent the last year making logical choices, and I’ve never been happier. Hearts are wild things needed to be confined to cages. They can’t be trusted.
“What, did I interrupt something?” Owen moves into the kitchen and immediately goes for the fridge. Most of the main floor is an open concept, and the kitchen, breakfast nook, and living room are all one big area. A pretty girl with short black hair follows along behind him, nervously looking at Dexter. The dog is big for a puppy, but he’s still in that I love everyone phase and hasn’t gotten too protective yet.
I close my eyes, feeling the pull of the alcohol making me tired. I let it lull me to sleep, passing out right there on the couch, dreaming of something other than the feelings that are taking me over right now. Though there’s just as much of a risk of dreaming about Logan and how good we could be together.Chapter 3Danielle“I could get used to this view.” Scarlet lowers her sunglasses and winks at Weston, Logan’s oldest brother and Scarlet’s husband.
“They do look good,” I agree, stretching my legs out in front of me. We’re lying out by the pool at Logan’s parents’ house, watching all the Dawson brothers help put in a new patio. Sweat drips down Logan’s chest, glistening in the sun. I grab my lemonade and take a big sip. I almost kissed Logan last night and watching him move heavy cement pavers is doing bad things to my head.
And even worse things to my body.
It’s a hot summer day, but the heat coming off of Logan is no comparison to the noon sun in the middle of June.
“I’m related to them all,” Quinn says, shaking her head. “Now I know how Dean feels when Archer and I joke about hooking up.”
“Oh, honey.” Scarlet pushes her sunglasses back up onto her nose. “You do not joke.”
Quinn flushes a bit but laughs. “It is fun to watch Dean recoil in disgust.” A cry comes through the baby monitor that’s sitting on the side table next to Quinn. She takes another drink of her lemonade and gets up with a sigh. “That was a short nap.”