by J. M. Snyder
Their eyes met and Shawn swallowed hard, his cheeks burning. Logan’s lips curved into a slow smile as he traced his finger over the top of Shawn’s hand.
“So, you think I’m hot?”
Shit. The combination of Logan’s deep voice and his touch did things to Shawn’s body that would be hard to hide in the skin-tight jeans he’d stupidly worn. Words. He needed to say words. In the end, he resorted to his normal sarcasm.
“Right, like you don’t know you’re hot,” Shawn said, rolling his eyes and hoping he came off as nonchalant.
Logan’s whole hand covered Shawn’s as he turned it over and traced the palm. “What I know is the guy I’ve been thinking about all day just admitted he thinks I’m hot.”
“You’ve been thinking of me all day?” Shawn blurted, wanting to kick himself. Shut up! You’re thirty-two years old, not sixteen!
Logan’s fingers began caressing the inside of Shawn’s wrist, a personal hot spot of his, making him shiver. “I’ve never had a sexy guy show up with a hamster in crisis before.”
Shawn shook his head in embarrassment, but didn’t pull away. The sensations Logan’s fingers created shot through him like crazy fireworks, and he had to admit, it had been awhile since he’d been touched. Even something as simple as this. And he wanted more. Oodles more. His eyes fluttered closed and he gave in, just for a moment. Gave in to the excitement of another man’s touch. The thrill raced through him and he took a deep breath before opening his eyes and finding Logan watching him intently. Reluctantly, he pulled away his hand.
Logan raised an eyebrow.
“This”—Shawn gestured between them—”whatever is happening, can’t happen.” No matter how much his body wanted to find release.
“Why?” Logan leaned back in his chair.
“Because you’re going to live next door and I’m raising my daughter. I can’t have a hook-up living so close. It doesn’t feel…right.” Shawn shrugged, unsure how to explain what he was thinking. Words had never come easy to him—side effect of being an introvert. But it surprised Shawn to see hurt flashing briefly in Logan’s eyes.
“Well, if that’s all you’re looking for, I guess you’re probably right.”
Logan’s voice had taken on a tense edge and Shawn knew he’d screwed things up. Par for the course. He shoved a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth and busied himself with chewing. Food in the mouth meant he wouldn’t keep talking. He was so out of practice with men. He’d never been too self-confident, but over the last few years, his priority had been Clementine. Not meeting men. He still scratched an itch occasionally, but feelings were completely left out of the equation.
Logan glanced toward the living room and frowned. “Shit, the snow is really coming down now. I’d better get going.”
A glance out the window told him Logan should have left earlier. Damn, the snow was indeed coming down in waves. He eyed Logan warily. “Have you ever driven in snow?”
“Sure. Well, a few times.” He glanced at the window. “Well, nothing like this. We got a dusting in Florida once. And then I was in Tennessee visiting relatives once when it snowed. But…yeah, nothing like this.”
Shawn nodded. He had a bad feeling about the snow. It was only supposed to get worse. Logan had a nice truck, but his lack of experience worried Shawn. He nodded. “Yeah, you’d better head out. Want me to put some of the spaghetti in a container to go?”
A smile spread across Logan’s face. “That would be great.” He rose and glanced around the room, furrowing his brow. “Where did Bailey go?”
Shawn’s gaze swept the room, checking under the table. “I swear he was just at your feet.”
Just then, a crash sounded through the house, and they looked at each other, eyes wide.
“Bailey!”
“Bailey, where are you?”
They hurried down the hallway, into Clementine’s room, where they found Bailey sniffing the hamster cage, now upside down on the floor. Shawn peered closer and groaned. Charlie was not in the cage.
“Shit, I am so sorry,” Logan said as he squatted next to his dog and grabbed his collar. “Bailey. Bad dog.”
“Charlie’s not there. Do you…do you think he ate him?”
Logan stared at him, eyes wide. “Fuck. I…I don’t think he would…”
Bailey barked and leapt forward, pulling away from Logan and racing into the hall.
“I think he found Charlie!” Shawn exclaimed, dashing after him, Logan hot on his heels.
They raced into the living room, where Bailey circled the sofa, barking. His tail was wagging as if it was a game and Shawn’s heart fell. There was no way Charlie would win in a dog vs. hamster fight. Hell, the hamster barely moved. Shawn was shocked he ran all the way into the living room. Apparently fear was a motivator for Charlie.
“Do you have a basket? Something we can catch him in?”
“Uh, yeah. Yeah. Let me grab a laundry basket.”
“Great. I’ll try to calm Cujo here.”
“Funny,” Shawn muttered as he headed to the laundry room. He grabbed the white plastic basket and dumped the clean clothes he’d forgotten to fold on top of the dryer. This damn hamster was causing way too much trouble and he wondered how hard it would be to have a cat. Maybe he could convince Clem that a pet rock was the way to go.
By the time he returned to the living room, Bailey was sitting on his haunches, his tail wagging happily, the epitome of innocence.
“Bailey’s really sorry,” Logan told him. “He thought Charlie wanted to be his friend.”
“I think you mean he wanted Charlie to be his dinner.”
Logan chuckled. “Probably. But I’m trying to keep you from hating him. He will be living next door to you, after all. And Charlie.”
Shawn smiled. “I don’t hate him.” And he didn’t. What dog wouldn’t chase a rodent? “Okay. How do we do this?”
“How about I lift the sofa and you put the basket over him?”
“Okay.” He stood in front of the sofa, poised with the basket over his head. “Ready!”
Logan lifted one end of the sofa and Charlie darted out, but began scampering in a circle. Everything kind of happened in slow motion then…the sofa dropped, the dog barked, the basket encased Charlie as Bailey leapt over the coffee table and knocked Shawn down. He fell face forward as Logan moved to grab him, tripping over the basket and crashing on top of it.
“Oof,” Logan grunted as his chest landed on the basket.
“No,” Shawn cried, tugging at the basket, but Logan’s weight kept it from moving.
Bailey barked and jumped onto the sofa, placing his paws on Shawn’s back, eager to get in on the melee.
Logan pushed off the basket and rose to his knees, shaking his head. “Wow, got the wind knocked out of me a little bit, there.” He looked at the basket and saw the indentation in the plastic, his eyes widening as they filled with fear. “Bailey, get off Shawn! Fuck. Is Charlie…?”
Bailey backed away and settled on the sofa, and Shawn rose to all fours and peaked into the basket. He let out a huge sigh of relief at seeing the pudgy hamster cowering a few inches away. “He’s okay. Scared shitless, but okay.”
Logan ran his hands through his hair and huffed a breath. “Thank fuck.” He glared at Bailey, who tried to hide his face with his paws.
Shawn sat next to him and pet him behind his ears. “I know you didn’t mean to scare Charlie, did you?”
Bailey’s tail began wagging and Logan sat on the other side of him. “I know he didn’t. I just…” He wrapped his arm around his dog, his arm brushing against Shawn.
Shawn chuckled.
“What?”
“Well, between the trip to see you and the race with Bailey, Charlie’s had more exercise today than any other day in his entire life. You should bring Bailey over more often.”
Logan stared at him, a slow grin spreading across his face. “I think I will.”
Heat flooded Shawn’s cheeks and he cleared his throa
t. “Um, I’m going to set his cage back together. Can you keep the basket over him?”
Logan gently set his foot on the basket. “No problem.”
“Thanks.”
Shawn picked up the mess as quickly as possible. He knew Logan really needed to get back to his hotel. He set the cage upright and tossed in more bedding, but decided he’d vacuum after Logan left.
When he walked back into the living room, he froze at the sight of Logan on the sofa, his head leaned back, eyes closed, while Bailey rested his head on Logan’s thigh. God, Logan looked good. Like he belonged there. In his house. On his sofa. In his bed. He swallowed the lump in his throat and picked up the towel. Bailey lifted his head and gave a little “woof” at Shawn, his tail thumping the sofa cushion.
Logan opened his eyes and smiled. “Sorry. I think I kind of drifted off for a sec.”
He smiled sheepishly and Shawn’s heart did a little flip. He wanted this so bad he could feel it in his bones. But Logan was going to be his neighbor and Shawn had his daughter to think of first.
But God, the way Logan was eyeing him made it clear he was interested. The awkwardness from dinner had evaporated and he knew in his gut if he let Logan know he felt the attraction, too, they’d be in bed in mere seconds.
And yeah, while it would be mind-blowing—of that he had no doubt—it could also lead to trouble and he didn’t need to be hiding out from his new neighbor for the next ten years. So, he pushed aside his wants and pointed to the upside down laundry basket.
“If you lift it, I’ll grab him with the towel.” He frowned at the amusement in Logan’s eyes. “He bites me. Every fucking time.”
Logan nodded, a smile on his lips that he wisely kept from blooming, and leaned forward. “Ready?”
“Yeah.”
Logan raised the basket and Bailey barked as soon as he eyed Charlie. But Shawn was able to scoop him into the towel before the damn rodent could run off. “Thanks,” he said before scurrying to Clem’s room and depositing him in the cage.
He grabbed the bag of dried apple treats and gave him one. He figured the hamster deserved one for the hellish day he’d been through. Shawn kind of thought he deserved something, too, and wondered if he had any beer in the fridge. He just might have one after Logan took off.
Speaking of, Logan needs to get going. He sighed and made his way to the living room. It just felt so wrong to send such a hot, sexy, and smart guy out into the snow when he could be warm here in the house. Life was just not fair.
Chapter 4
Logan
As he waited in the living room while Shawn finished settling Charlie back in his cage, Logan stared out the window. All he saw was a swirling mess of white. Florida definitely hadn’t had anything like this.
Surely his truck could handle it, though. That’s what they were for—getting through tough terrain. Still, he kicked himself for staying so long. He should have gone back to the hotel hours ago, but damn, Shawn was just too tempting. And he hadn’t felt a spark like that for a man in…well, years if he was being truthful.
He turned at the sound of Shawn entering the room. “Charlie all set?”
“Gave him a treat. He’s eating, so yeah, he’s happy. Eating’s kind of his thing.”
Logan chuckled. “Clearly.”
Shawn stood in front of the window and shook his head. “I knew it was going to snow and I knew it was going to be a lot, but I just didn’t think it would come down so fast so early into the storm.” He raised an eyebrow. “You really think you should get out in this?”
Was he offering to let Logan stay? That was tempting. More than, actually. He studied Shawn for a moment and sighed. The guy was probably just being nice. After Bailey nearly killed Clem’s pet, Logan was probably the last person he wanted to be stuck with in a snowstorm.
He eyed the snow again and his belly tightened at the thought of driving through it. Hell, he wasn’t even prepared. Yeah, he had a good coat, but he didn’t have boots, gloves, scarf, or even a hat. Some Midwesterner he was turning out to be. He grabbed his coat from the sofa and slipped it on.
“I’ll be fine.”
Shawn eyed him skeptically and hurried down the hall. When he returned, he had a scarf, gloves, and hat. Logan started to protest, but Shawn shut him down with a glare.
“Yes, Daddy,” Logan said playfully as he slid on the gloves.
“Don’t call me that,” Shawn muttered.
“Oops. You like it the other way around? You looking for your own daddy?” Logan had only been teasing, but by the way Shawn’s cheeks burned red, he was pretty sure he’d just hit the nail on the head. Interesting. The cute single dad had a daddy kink. God, that would be fun to explore. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas and he knew his window of opportunity for making it back to the hotel was closing by the minute.
At the door, he felt a little awkward. He’d had fun, but it wasn’t a date, so he really couldn’t hug the guy, could he? Fuck it. He wrapped his arms around Shawn and pulled him close, his chin resting on the top of the man’s head. Warmth spread through him and Shawn leaned in, sighing. Logan smiled. He might have been getting mixed signals all day, but Shawn was definitely feeling the pull, just as Logan was. He’d decided to ignore that comment at dinner about hook-ups. Logan was pretty good at reading signals, and Shawn was definitely interested in more than that. He’d bet money Shawn was just trying to protect himself.
When he let go and stepped back, Shawn’s gorgeous blue eyes took him in, and a slow smile spread across his face.
“I better get going.”
“Do you have a scraper?”
He laughed. “I may be a newbie, but I at least know to have an ice scraper in the truck. Andrea ordered me to get one,” he admitted, glad he’d listened to her.
“Why don’t you leave Bailey here while you get the truck warmed up?”
Logan nodded. “Thanks.”
Logan opened the door, letting in some wickedly cold air, then hurried into the storm. His feet slid a few times in the fresh snow before he finally reached his truck. He climbed in and shivered, eager to get the engine running.
He slid the key into the ignition and turned. Nothing. Shit. He tried again. Nothing. Shit again. He stared straight ahead and grimaced at the windshield, completely covered in snow.
He tried again and wanted to scream. This was his fault. The engine light had been on most of the week, but he’d figured he could look at it over the weekend. Apparently, he was too late. The truck was dead. In the snow. In the middle of a storm. In Shawn’s driveway.
His head fell against the headrest and he closed his eyes. What the hell was he going to do? Of course, his house was right next door. And the heater was working. But he had no furniture, no food. At least he had a new bag of Bailey’s dog food. There were no other options. He’d have to suck it up and spend the night—possibly the weekend—at the new house, sans supplies.
Logan trudged back through the snow, coming down even thicker, and was surprised to see Shawn swinging open the door for him. He stomped his feet on the stoop, trying to get off some of the snow, then stepped inside.
“Come on, Bailey. Let’s get going.”
Logan looked at him incredulously. “Go where? You’re truck’s dead.”
“I figured we could camp out at my house. The heat’s on.”
“You have no food, no bed, no blankets. We’re in the middle of a snowstorm, Logan.”
He shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You’re staying here,” Shawn announced, looking none too happy about it.
“You’re kind of bossy when you’re pissed.”
Shawn narrowed his eyes. “I’m not pissed. I’m…irritated.”
“That I’m going to stay here?”
“That you would think I would let you stay in an empty house with no supplies. Seriously? Listen, I realize you don’t know me, but I’m not that kind of person. I would never literally put someone out in the
cold.” Shawn leaned against the front door, and shook his head. “Now take off your shoes, and if your socks are wet, I’ve got some you can wear.”
His feet were slightly wet. And cold. He wanted to say “thank you,” but he was a little afraid to speak for fear of another lecture, so he nodded. Shawn turned on his heels and headed down the hallway. Logan grinned at Bailey, lounging on the sofa as if he’d known all along he wasn’t going anywhere. Logan slipped off his shoes and set them by the door, then peeled off the wet socks before he padded over to join Bailey.
He flopped down and rested his hand on Bailey’s back. “If we had to be stuck somewhere, this is definitely the place to be, boy.”
Bailey’s tail thumped the cushion in agreement and Logan ran his fingers through his soft fur. “No chasing hamsters, though. Got it?”
The dog looked at him as if to say he couldn’t guarantee anything.
Logan laughed. “Don’t blow this for me. I think I really like this guy.”
Bailey huffed and closed his eyes. Apparently he had better things to do than talk about feelings. Things like sleeping on a soft and comfy sofa. Logan wondered if this was where he’d camp out.
Shawn came back and tossed him a pair of socks.
Logan smiled. “So how long you think this’ll last?”
Shawn picked up the wet socks and looked at him, eyes wide. “Um, what do you mean? Us? We haven’t even kissed. That’s kind of a weird thing to ask.”
The guy’s rambling was adorable. Logan should have corrected his misunderstanding, tell Shawn he’d meant the storm, but he couldn’t help himself. He pulled Shawn onto the sofa. Logan leaned in, barely brushing his lips against Shawn’s. Sparks skittered across his skin and he swallowed Shawn’s low moan when he covered the man’s mouth with his.
The man’s lips were warm and soft, but the kiss was hard. Hot. Greedy. They went from zero to one-hundred in a second, and Logan cupped Shawn’s face in his hands, the stubble scraping his fingers. The scent of musk and something like cinnamon filled his nose, and he breathed in Shawn and deepened the kiss.
