by SJ McCoy
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Not in a bad way, just different. They do coupley things. It’s no fun being the fifth wheel.”
“Yeah. I can see that.” He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked across the square. “Do you think it’d be cool if we were together? Would it make it easier for you to hang out with your friends?”
She looked up at him. “It’s not about that.”
“I know. I don’t know why I said it.” They walked on in silence for a little while. “Actually, I said it because it’s easier than asking if you like the thought of us being together just for the sake of it.”
She smiled. “I know. We’re both tiptoeing around the edges here. So, I’ll wade in and put myself out there first. Yes. I do like the thought of us going out together. I like you.”
He felt relieved and like an asshole at the same time. He wasn’t a coward—usually. “I like you, too, Rox.” He hadn’t meant to make her be the first to put herself out there. He didn’t want her to feel that she had to take the lead. He might not have a lot of experience at this—but he wasn’t a pussy. “In fact, I was asking because I was wondering …” He almost stopped and changed course, but if they were going to do this, he needed to go all in. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?”
She stopped walking and looked up at him. Her expression was the same as it had been this afternoon when she’d seen that battered heart necklace in the jewelry store. It made his heart buzz. He knew her answer before she spoke.
“Yes. I would. I’d like that a lot.” She chuckled. “I don’t know if people our age ask each other to be boyfriend and girlfriend—it seems like a kids’ thing. But I’m glad you did.”
He grinned back at her. “I know. It sounds a bit cheesy, but I’m new at this. From what you’ve said, we both are. You were mean to me because you liked me. I’m asking you to be my girlfriend. Maybe we are both like kids, but we can grow into it.”
She pushed at his arm. “I wasn’t mean to you. I just call you out on your shit—and that isn’t going to stop.”
He laughed and carried on walking. “Fair enough. So, you’re not going to be that girl who hangs on my every word and agrees with everything I say?”
“Ha! You already know the answer to that one. And if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“Oh, believe me. I’m fully aware of that.”
Just like last night, they reached her house all too quickly. He didn’t want the evening to end, but he knew it had to. He didn’t want to rush into bed with her—well, he did, but he didn’t think she’d want to. And part of him was still hung up on it. Sleeping with a woman normally meant that he wouldn’t see her again—not that it was the beginning of something. With Roxy, that was exactly what he wanted it to be. To his surprise, that made him nervous.
She opened the gate and raised an eyebrow at him. “What happens next?”
He chuckled. “I was just asking myself the same thing. What do you want to happen?”
He loved the way she tried to hide her smile but didn’t manage it. “I’m not sure I should say. I think you know, but I’m not sure it’s a great idea.”
He nodded sadly. For a moment there, he’d been ready to throw caution to the wind. “It’s probably not. Not yet. What are you doing tomorrow?”
She shrugged. “Not much.”
“Want to hang out again?”
She smiled. “I’d love to.”
“Okay.” He was surprised that his heart was hammering in his chest. He’d never felt so conflicted about what should happen at the end of the night. Usually, it was a foregone conclusion. This should be a foregone conclusion that he should let her go to bed alone, but he couldn’t make himself want to walk away.
He put his arm around her shoulders and walked her up the path to her front door. She was feeling it too; he could tell. Her eyes sparkled, and her breath was coming slow and shallow.
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes.
She dropped her gaze.
“Remember, I told you I wanted you to put my mind at ease about something?”
She looked up. “About what?”
He smiled. “I wanted to ask if it was okay that I kissed you last night.”
She nodded. “It was.”
He lowered his lips toward hers and stopped just a couple of inches away. “And would it be okay if I do it again?”
She nodded almost imperceptibly as he closed his arms around her waist and drew her against him. It was a bad idea. The feel of her soft, warm body pressed against him did nothing to strengthen his resolve to walk away.
Her arms came up around his neck, and her full, soft lips met his. He started out slowly, not wanting to scare her off—or to give in to his instincts and kiss her senseless until she had no choice but to take him inside.
She kissed him back, tentatively at first, but she soon picked it up, opening up to him, kissing him hungrily, until he had to lift his head. She was driving him crazy with need for her.
She gave him a sad smile, apparently believing that he was being the one with the self-control. “You’re right. I should go inside; you should go home.” She blew out a sigh. “But you’d better go quick before I drag you in with me. Last night I talked about it; tonight, I might just do it.”
He closed his eyes for a moment. She was trusting him to be the responsible one. It took everything he had, but he nodded slowly and then planted one last kiss on her lips. “Get inside while you still can. I’ll call you at ten.”
She searched his face, and he wondered if she was going to ask him to come in. He wouldn’t be able to say no if she did.
She winked at him. “Thank you for being stronger than I am. Goodnight, Logan.”
“Goodnight, Rox.”
He watched as she opened the door and stepped inside, then he leaned against the porch when she closed it behind her. Damn. Here he was out in the cold for the second night in a row—and he was proud of himself!
“Are you still out there?”
He chuckled when her voice came through the door. “I am, but I’m about to make myself leave—before I kick your door down and come in there to get you.”
She laughed. “Ooh. I like the sound of that.”
He shook his head. “Don’t tempt me, Rox. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He heard her heave a big sigh. “Okay. Goodnight.”
~ ~ ~
Roxy couldn’t believe it when she opened the curtains on Sunday morning and saw everywhere coated with a hard frost. The sun shone down and made everywhere look sparkly and beautiful, but she’d been hoping for a warm day. She’d had visions of going for a walk with Logan, getting to know him better. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought—her boyfriend! She hadn’t had one of those since college. Sure, she’d dated a little, but nothing serious.
She went through to the kitchen to see if the coffee was ready. Serious wasn’t a word she’d thought she’d ever use about Logan, not with any woman, and especially not with her. It was probably still too soon to use it, too soon to say whether it might turn into something serious. She wasn’t even going to allow her mind to go near the question of whether she wanted it to.
She was just going to enjoy it for what it was, for however long it lasted. Today, that meant hanging out together again. She hoped the weather would cooperate. If it was too cold, they could do something indoors. She pressed her lips together as she poured herself a mug of coffee. The only trouble was, there was one obvious thing they could do together indoors, and as much as she wanted to, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to do it yet.
He’d been so sweet last night—and the night before. If he’d made any attempt to persuade her, she would have given in. She had no doubt about that. But he’d respected her, and that meant a lot. She knew she’d be feeling a lot less confident about the two of them if they’d started out with a bang, so to speak.
When he did call, a
little while later—at ten, just like he’d said—she was both nervous and excited about what he suggested. He wanted her to come over to his place. She’d been there a couple of times, but always as a part of a group. She hadn’t been alone with him before.
He’d said that he’d come pick her up again, but she’d told him that she’d walk. It was sweet that he liked to do that, but if they were going to start seeing each other, he’d have to get used to the fact that she liked to walk as much and as often as she could. She sat on her ass most of the time at work. So, in her free time, she liked to get out and about for the fresh air and the exercise.
She’d said she’d be there around noon, and she set out ten minutes early so that she could take a detour down by the lake. She loved to see the water on frosty days like this, and she had a feeling that she and Logan wouldn’t be venturing out.
She stopped when she passed the parking lot that served the public beach. There were only a couple of cars there. She considered going down to the beach, but she didn’t want to take the time. She’d be able to see the lake for most of her walk, and not only was she in a hurry to see Logan, but there was a cold wind whipping off the water.
She walked on and watched as a group of people got into one of the cars and pulled out of the lot. The car slowed as it passed her. She expected it to be tourists asking for directions but was surprised to see Jana roll the window down and wave at her.
“Hi, Roxy.”
“Hey, girls.” Roxy felt bad that she hadn’t given them another thought since she’d left the Boathouse on Friday night. “I hope the party went well?”
Lucy leaned forward so she could see her from the driver’s seat. “Thanks, Roxy. It was a good time. I’m sorry again that I didn’t invite you.”
“There’s no need. It was nice to see you. I hope the wedding goes well.”
“Thanks. I’ll send you photos.”
Roxy nodded, knowing that she probably wouldn’t and that it didn’t matter. When she’d first seen Courtney at the lodge, she’d felt a little hurt and left out. Now, she was over it. Life had moved on—hers and theirs. She was better off not keeping in touch with them. The friends she’d made here were much better friends—better people. She didn’t feel like a second-class citizen here.
She waved as the car pulled away. It seemed fitting, as though their departure marked that part of her life as being over, just as she was on her way to Logan’s house, hopefully, to embark on a new chapter.
~ ~ ~
Logan had been watching the driveway since ten before twelve. He still wished she’d let him go pick her up. He checked out the window again and then looked around the kitchen. Everything was clean and tidy—not that that was unusual for him. He took good care of the place. Growing up with three older sisters might have made some men spoiled and unable to take care of themselves. That wasn’t the case for him. His sisters had taught him how to do for himself and not just the basics. He’d done his own laundry for as long as he could remember—and that included sewing and mending, too. He loved to cook, and he liked to keep his place clean. He smiled as he checked the spinach dip in the oven—five more minutes. Up until now, he’d thought of all those skills as necessary, but not something he’d ever brag about. Now, he was hoping to impress Roxy with just how domesticated he was.
He felt a big grin plaster itself across his face when he looked out of the window and saw her. Damn, she was beautiful. She looked up at the house as she made her way up the drive. He could tell that she liked it. For some reason, that made him like her all the more. He loved this house. It was old and full of character. He might build new houses, but he didn’t love them the way he loved this place. He was glad that Roxy seemed to appreciate it. He didn’t want her to be one of those girls who liked everything modern and soulless.
He went to open the front door and stepped out onto the porch. “Come on in, it’s freezing out here.”
She trotted up the steps and greeted him with a smile. Her cheeks were pink with the cold, and she looked even more beautiful than she had yesterday. He was starting to think there was some kind of magic going on; the more he looked at her, the more beautiful she became. It was the opposite of what happened with the women he usually went out with.
When she reached the top, he wrapped his arms around her and dropped a peck on her lips. “Come inside, let’s get you warmed up.”
She tried to hide a smile, and he had to wonder if she’d picked up on the ambiguity of his words at the same time that he had. He’d love to get her warmed up and come inside. He bit the inside of his cheek as he closed the door behind them. He’d set himself the challenge of trying to get through this afternoon without getting physical.
As he took her coat from her and hung it on the coat stand in the hallway, he had a feeling that might be a challenge that he wouldn’t be able to meet.
Chapter Ten
“Thanks,” said Roxy as she took the beer that Logan handed her. It was sweet that he’d bought wine for her, but they’d spent the afternoon watching football, and football called for beer.
He grinned as he sat down beside her. “I told you, you wouldn’t beat us.”
She made a face at him. “If it hadn’t been for that dumb call, you wouldn’t have made that last touchdown.”
He laughed. “Note to self: she’s a sore loser, don’t rub it in.”
“Hey!” She pushed at his arm. “I am not a sore loser. I just hate to see the better team lose because of a bad call.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Did you just claim that the bunch of clowns that you call a team is better?”
She nodded emphatically, trying to hold back her laughter. “You know they are.”
“I know no such thing, and I need you to take that back.”
“Ha! There’s no way I’m taking back the truth.”
He leaned toward her until their noses were almost touching. “Take it back.”
“Or what?” Her heart was racing. This was the closest that he’d come to her all afternoon. The tension had been zinging in the air between them, but she’d been grateful that they’d kept themselves distracted by watching the game and bickering over their teams.
Any chance of distraction disappeared as he took her beer from her hand and set it down on the coffee table. He set his hands on either side of her hips and leaned forward until she had to lean back on the cushions.
“You want to know what I’m going to do if you don’t take it back?”
The way her body was reacting to this closeness, she could barely even remember what it was he was talking about. All she was interested in was what he was planning to do.
He lowered his lips toward hers. “I may have to kiss you.”
She smiled and looked into his eyes. “In that case, there’s no way I’m taking it back.”
His lips came down on hers, and as if they had a will of their own, her arms came up around his neck, pulling him closer. She loved the way he kissed her. Up until now, his kisses had started out tentatively and followed her lead. Now, he was less restrained. He claimed her mouth with his own, and she responded hungrily.
She was disappointed when he finally lifted his head. She’d told herself on the way here that it was too soon to give in to her desire for him. But lying next to him on the sofa like this, it felt like it couldn’t happen soon enough.
He looked down into her eyes and smiled. “Sorry, Rox. I got a bit carried away there.”
She reached up and touched his cheek with a rueful smile. “Don’t say sorry. I did too. It’s not like you had to work hard to persuade me or anything, is it?”
He chuckled. “No, but I was prepared to.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “How hard were you prepared to work?”
“Honestly? As hard as necessary.” He rocked his hips against her. “Does that give you any idea how hard?”
Ripples of excitement coursed through her as she felt just how hard he was. She reached up and cupped his face b
etween her hands. “Is it what you want?”
He turned his face to one side and kissed the palm of her hand. “I think you already know the answer to that. However, what’s more important is whether it’s what you want.”
“I think you know the answer to that, too.”
His smile faded, and he looked serious. “It’s easy to say that it’s what you want in the heat of the moment. But would you be happy about it afterward? The trouble is, I don’t know if you can answer that question until afterward, and so I guess that part of me is trying to put afterward off for as long as possible.”
“Are you saying you think we should wait?”
“I think I am, but I don’t want to.”
Roxy couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
“Hey, don’t look like that. This is me trying to show that I care about you.”
“I know, and on the one hand, I appreciate it. On the other, it doesn’t make me feel great.”
Logan sat back and pulled her up to sit beside him. He put his arm around her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. “I’m sorry I’m screwing this up. I want to make you feel great.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “I’d love to make you feel great in every sense. I’m holding back because I don’t want you to think that’s all I’m interested in. And, if I’m honest, I have a bit of a hang-up about myself.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “I didn’t think you were someone who had many hang-ups.”
“Not like that. What I mean is… This is going to sound dumb, but it’s kind of that I respect you too much.”
Roxy searched his face. It seemed that he was absolutely serious, and that surprised her. She almost asked if he didn’t respect the women he usually slept with, but she thought better of it.
She got to her feet. “Well, the moment has definitely passed for now. What do you say, do you want to go out for a walk?”
He stood to join her. For a moment, he looked like he was about to argue, but his face relaxed, and he smiled. “Yeah. I’m sorry I screwed this up, a walk might help reset things.”