The Guy Next Door

by Lori Foster

  Jett shifted, cleared his throat and allowed her the change of topic. “It’s a little snow—no big deal. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Hopefully as we get farther south, it’ll lighten up.”

  “Maybe.” He stretched out his left leg, shifting again. “If things start to get too dicey, we might have to stop at a different hotel along the way. You okay with that?”

  “Jett, I’m fine with whatever we need to do. Really. But it might be difficult finding a hotel that accepts pets.”

  “We’ll see.”

  She reached over to touch his biceps. “Your leg is hurting.”

  His brows came down and again he glanced at her. “I’m fine.”

  The cross way he said it let her know that he was touchy on the subject. “Why don’t you let me drive for a while?”

  “Not necessary.” He eyed an exit, but it was buried in snow, nearly invisible.

  As he passed it, Natalie scowled. “You don’t trust me to drive?”

  “I trust you plenty.” His hands flexed on the wheel. “But I’m driving.”

  Exasperated, Natalie let out a breath. “Your leg is bothering you, I can tell. You don’t have to be so macho about it.”

  “Macho?” He snorted. “It’s not my leg bothering me, honey. It’s a boner.”

  “Oh.” Natalie looked at his lap, saw the truth of his words, and elation rolled over her. Even now, in these less-than-ideal circumstances, Jett wanted her. She was so pleased by that, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “I see.” She started to ask him what she could do to help, but Jett cut her off.

  “A change of topic is in order.” He shifted again. “Did my sisters grill you? I sort of got caught up in caring for Buddy and didn’t really think about leaving you alone with them in the outer room.”

  Given that his leg wasn’t the reason for his restlessness, Natalie decided to let him off the hook about having her drive. After all, they really had nowhere to pull over to make a switch anyway. “We talked, but they weren’t intrusive.” She wouldn’t tell him how the women had complimented her. “In fact, they were very kind.”

  “I want you for more than convenience, and they know it. Of course they were kind.”

  Natalie bit her lip at that. Was that how Jett saw most women, as “convenient”? Normally she’d be up in arms on behalf of her sex, but this time, more pressing thoughts took precedence.

  How could Jett possibly expect to keep things casual if he involved his entire family this way? Being too direct left Natalie’s stomach jumpy, but she had to know, so she mentally braced herself, then asked, “How much more?”

  His expression sharpened, turned a little grim. Keeping his gaze focused on the slick road ahead, he said, “Now there’s the million-dollar question, huh? Especially considering that I had to twist your arm to get anything more at all.”

  Talk about evasive answers. Well, Natalie refused to put him on the spot. “I have a suggestion.”

  He speared her with a glare then cursed as the car in front of them fishtailed before regaining control. He held the wheel a little tighter. “I’d love to hear it. Shoot.”

  “I say we don’t get too serious. We both want to have fun, for now…for as long as it lasts.”

  JETT SQUEEZED THE WHEEL HARD. For as long as it lasts. Those carefree words pounded through his brain. Her sentiments mirrored his, because he really didn’t know where their relationship was headed, or even where he wanted it to head.

  But he did know that once he’d introduced her to his family, things would be trickier. He couldn’t even claim that he’d been surprised by his siblings’ attendance at the vet clinic. He’d known that Natalie would have them all there. It was a wonder his mom and dad hadn’t shown up too.

  For years, his family had been on him about settling down. It was payback for all the times he’d played big brother, running off guys he considered not good enough.

  But regardless of his siblings’ acceptance of Natalie, he still felt free to make up his own mind about their future, free to guide things as he saw fit. Every woman he’d ever dated had wanted more from him, and he’d been the one calling the shots, keeping things casual.

  Not Natalie. She left him feeling indecisive and antagonistic and provoked by her lack of interest. Hell, she looked at him and he got hard—and how did that affect her?

  She laughed.

  Before he could think of a reply to give her, a small car a few yards ahead of him started sliding again, and this time it didn’t recover.

  “Damn it.” Jett did some fancy driving to avoid getting caught as the car swung wildly one way and then swung the other way before going off the road and into the sloping area between the southbound and northbound lanes. It stopped hard, sending up a spray of snow and ice.

  Glad that he’d kept so much distance between him and the other drivers, Jett slowed even more.

  “Oh my God!” Natalie leaned toward him to look out the driver’s door window.

  Jett didn’t want to take his gaze off the road. “Driver okay?”

  “Looks like.” Natalie settled back into her seat. Sounding shaken, she said, “I saw a couple of people in the front seat, and the passenger was already on the phone.”

  Good. They’d be fine—not that he would have endangered Natalie by stopping on the treacherous road anyway. “Cops are patrolling. Someone will be along soon to…” His words trailed off as they both noticed a semi, bent in half, on its side in the gully. The trailer had spilled its load, and now boxes were everywhere.

  “This is nuts.” Natalie put her hands to her face. “I’ve never seen so many wrecks.”

  She no sooner said it than a truck zipped past them at a much higher speed. Jett made a sound of disgust. “I have a feeling we’re going to see a whole lot more too, since some drivers don’t have enough sense to slow down.”

  Over the next hour they did indeed see more cars and trucks off the road. And at one exit they even saw an ambulance overturned. The police were out in force, but already they’d spotted at least two cruisers also off the road.

  Natalie seemed so concerned, Jett went out of his way to keep her occupied. Together, they sang along with an older song on the radio. He shared a few ribald jokes with her that had her both blushing and laughing out loud. Buddy took turns sleeping, leaning over the seat to lick Natalie’s ear and gnawing on his chew toys and bones.

  Jett told her more about his family, and she told him more about her sister’s writing career, especially the movie deal in the works.

  They went through some of the snacks they’d brought along, so neither of them was overly hungry. They enjoyed a comfortable familiarity, making slow but steady progress toward the cabin. All in all, it was a pleasant trip despite the weather hazards.

  And then Buddy stopped being patient. He decided he needed a break and he needed it now.

  Natalie did what she could to calm the dog, but he was not only unused to riding in cars, he wasn’t used to holding it either. He paced the space available to him, howled and put his paws up against the doors and the back of the seats.

  He became so frantic that Natalie looked ready to cry over his upset.

  “He’s all right, Natalie.”

  “He doesn’t understand.” And then, “What if he goes in your car?”

  Jett shrugged. “Then I guess I’ll be cleaning it. Just keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t aim for the luggage.”

  She went mute before snickering.

  “What?”

  “Ohmigod, can you imagine if that happened?”

  Jett grinned. “If it did, we’d be doing laundry right off. Either way, it wouldn’t be all that tragic.” He felt bad for Buddy too, but at the same time, he appreciated Natalie’s empathy, how hard she worked at trying to soothe Buddy.

  Seconds later, good fortune shone on them. “I think I see a clear exit. We can get some food and gas too, but I don’t see any signs for lodging.” He heard her cooing to Buddy, promising him rel
ief, and Jett smiled. “I’m guessing you could use the break, too?”

  “Are you kidding? I needed to go hours ago.”

  Jett carefully veered off on the slick exit. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “What could you do about it? Nothing. You had your hands full just keeping us on the road.”

  Sensible, considerate, sexy Natalie. Every second with her deepened his feelings.

  Jett shook his head and made it off the highway, but just barely. The one and only gas station he saw, attached to a small store of supplies, had a sign offering hot dogs and coffee.

  “I’ll pull up close to the building to let you out under the overhang, then I’ll drive Buddy over to that semi-clear spot behind that big metal garbage bin. Wait inside for me, okay? When Buddy’s done, I’ll pull back up front and you can wait with him while I run in.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  He noticed that Natalie had her knees together and bit back another grin. If he’d known things were so dire for her, he could have figured out something. What, he didn’t know, but he could be resourceful when it came to her comfort. Pretty soon, if everything went as he planned, she’d be comfortable enough with him to tell him everything she needed, even outside the bedroom.

  Buddy again worried that he was being dumped, so Jett had to take extra time to convince him otherwise. He had to crouch down by the dog as Buddy did his business in ten different locations. All the while, Jett talked to him, rubbed his ear or scratched his back.

  By the time Buddy finished and Jett had the gas tank refilled, his own situation was critical. His jeans now snow-covered up to his knees, his ears and nose red from the cold, Jett again pulled up in front of the gas station.

  Natalie had her arms laden with hot dogs, chips and colas. While he stowed the food on the floor of the front seat, she crawled over the seat into the back to dig out food and water for Buddy. The dog hadn’t yet learned manners and he made a mess, and a racket, refilling his belly.

  Shaking his head, Jett told her, “Be right back.”

  He left the SUV running to keep her warm but locked the doors on his way out. After he finished inside, he asked the cashier about weather reports. Unfortunately, it sounded as if road crews couldn’t keep up with the downfall and shops were closing early so workers could avoid being stranded.

  When Jett got back out to the SUV, he found Natalie looking dazed. He used the remote to unlock his door and got behind the wheel, relieved that she’d forgotten all about taking a turn driving. No way in hell would he let her behind the wheel. He did trust her driving ability, but she was far jumpier than him.

  He frowned at her expression. “What is it, honey? You okay?”

  She had her fingertips pressed to her temples and her eyes closed. Jett touched her chin to bring her face around to his.

  “Natalie? What is it?”

  She groaned as if in pain then covered her face. “I feel like such an idiot.”

  He had no idea why but said, “Not even close.” Catching her wrists, he pulled down her hands. “Why do you say that?”

  Avoiding his gaze, she let out a long shaky breath. “I don’t have my suitcase.”

  Jett pulled back. “How?” He’d carried out everything she had by the door—and it was plenty. “I know I put all your stuff in the back. I even double-checked to make sure I didn’t leave anything behind.”

  “You didn’t.” She flicked a look at him. “Last night I’d carried my suitcase back into my bedroom to switch out a few things.”

  “What things?”

  “Pajamas that were…nicer.” She rolled her eyes. “Since you were coming along with me.”

  Ah. He opened his hand on the side of her face then bent to see her eyes. “Nicer, as in sexier?”

  “Yes.”

  Well, damn. Sorry that he’d miss it, Jett stroked her cheek with his thumb. So damn soft. “You left it in your bedroom?”

  She nodded miserably.

  He tried not to smile at her woebegone expression. “Honey, when you’re sleeping with me, you won’t need pajamas of any kind, I promise.”

  “I get cold at night—” She held up a hand, anticipating his claim that he’d keep her warm. “Seriously, Jett. I’m not at all comfortable with the idea of sleeping in the…”

  “Raw?” Hell, just talking about it was stirring him. Again.

  Her shoulders drooped. “The only clothes I have with me are the ones I’m wearing.”

  “Doesn’t sound like a major problem from my end.” He pulled her closer. “I wouldn’t mind keeping you naked for the entire vacation. In fact, that sounds like one hell of a plan to me.”

  She groaned. “I’m serious, Jett.”

  “All right, sorry.” He could understand why she was upset, especially after the grueling day fighting the weather. “We’ll stop somewhere and you can pick up some stuff.”

  “Of course we won’t.” She shook her head in resignation. “It’s already getting dark and the roads are terrible. If we finally make it to the stupid cabin, the last thing I’ll expect to do is shop.”

  Trying to bite back his smile, Jett said, “I have extra boxers you can borrow.”

  She swatted at him. “It’s not funny.”

  “Funny, no. But I promise, you being naked will definitely be fun—for both of us.”

  “You’re incorrigible.” She swatted him again. “I can’t spend all my time naked—and no, don’t insist that I can.”

  He caught her hands and pulled her close for a kiss that made him forget all about the stupid weather. “Until the weather clears enough for us to shop, you can sleep in one of my shirts. It’ll fit you like a nightgown anyway.”

  “That’ll help, thank you.” She rubbed at her forehead. “But God, this entire trip has been snakebit from the start.”

  Including his companionship? He let out a breath and touched her downy cheek. He loved the feel of her skin, so warm and fundamentally female. “Why don’t you think of it as an adventure?” He went one further, saying without much thought, “Years from now, we’ll be laughing about it.”

  The minute the words left his mouth, she stared at him. Jett stared back. Hell, he hadn’t actually meant to say that—but yeah, he could see them on a couch together, reminiscing about the trip from hell.

  Even as they sat there, both of them uncertain what to say next, the gas station lights went off. Drawn from profound introspection, Jett turned his head and watched as the lone cashier locked up the place then went to a truck and carefully pulled out of the lot.

  “Looks like we got refueled just in time.”

  Buddy hung his head over the seat, his nose almost touching Natalie’s ear. His dour mood reflected hers. Every so often his ears lifted as if he hoped to hear something encouraging.

  Natalie’s big brown eyes held a lot of uncertainty. And then her phone beeped. She jerked as if pulled from a daze. Scrambling, she located it in her purse and opened it.

  “Getting reception now?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I did get a message. I guess they can come through even when the calls won’t.”

  “From your sister?” That would cheer her up.

  “No.” She bit her bottom lip then groaned with dread. “It’s from the manager at the cabin rental.”

  Now what? Jett wondered. He watched her face as she perused the message, seeing her dejection grow. “Let me guess. We can’t get to the cabin.”

  “He says the roads are impassable. The best we can do is try to find a hotel for the night and hope things are better tomorrow.” She looked out the window. “But how can they be? The roads to the cabin aren’t paved, they’re gravel, winding through the woods, up and down hills. That’s why I chose the place—because it’s remote and private.”

  Damn it, Jett would not let her trip be ruined. He patted her thigh. “I guess we better look for a hotel room, then.”

  “He said he’ll reimburse me the down payment on the cabin.” She chewed her
bottom lip and finally looked at him. “Jett, I am so sorry you got stuck on this wasted trip.”

  Stuck? His irritation sharpened because that wasn’t how he saw it. Sure, the travel was tense, Natalie more so. But they were together, and for him, that had made it more than worthwhile.

  Now, he needed Natalie to admit the same.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  JETT SAT BACK IN HIS SEAT and gave her a remote look. “Do you honestly think I’d have been happier sitting at home, knowing you were out here alone in this fucking mess?”

  At his coarse language, her eyes widened and her jaw loosened. “Jett.”

  He ignored her chastising tone. “You were going, Natalie. With or without me, right?” That alone still burned his ass. He’d have missed her, but she’d planned to be away from him with no qualms at all. “Well let me tell you something, lady, given this shit weather, I’m damned glad I’m here, too, even if you aren’t.”

  “Jett.” This time she said his name more softly, still in reprimand. She searched his face. “You’re actually glad you’re here?”

  “Damn right. At least this way I can see that you’re fine instead of wondering if you were one of the cars stranded off the road.”

  Her expressive face filled with tender emotion. “I guess I hadn’t thought about how that might bother you.”

  Of course she hadn’t, because she thought of their relationship in terms of sex and only sex. He narrowed his eyes. “I’ve actually enjoyed talking to you while we’re both wearing clothes.”

  Her mouth twitched. “Is that so?”

  Knowing he sounded a little unhinged, not at all like his usual self, Jett gave one sharp nod. “But I’m definitely looking forward to having you all alone tonight, too. All night.” His abdomen clenched at just the thought. “With or without pajamas, Natalie, I’ll be keeping you close enough to stay warm, I promise.”

  Her lips lifted in a slight smile. “I’m looking forward to that, too.”

  “Then how the hell can you think this is a wasted trip?” The more he tried to reach her, the more annoyed he got. Sometimes it felt as if he was fighting a losing battle. Only he refused to lose. Ever.