Chapter 3

I needed a distraction.

Logan had been stuck in my head since I’d seen him before lunch. While grabbing items off the shelves, I decided that cooking dinner for Lizzy and Flynn was just the thing to take my mind off of my too-damn-sexy neighbor and sex—or more specifically, sex with said neighbor.

After I’d grabbed all the ingredients I needed for my spaghetti and meatballs, and a few extra necessities, I paid for the goods and hugged the brown paper bag close to my chest as I walked to my car.

I was so focused on where I was going that I didn’t notice the stick in my way until it was too late. The lip of my sandal got caught, and I stumbled forward sending my groceries flying through the air with my body following suit.

With outstretched arms and palms facing down, I managed not to hug the concrete with my face. On my hands and knees, I breathed a heavy sigh. I was about to throw my head back and laugh at myself when a pair of black boots came into view.

I had a sinking feeling that I knew who those boots belonged to. Utterly mortified, I slowly let my gaze travel upward over the fit legs covered in denim. My suspicions were confirmed when I found Logan Jackson with an outstretched arm and a grin on his face. First, I slammed into his back on Saturday, and now, two days later, I was one with the ground again.

My eyes flitted between his hand and his face. I genuinely didn’t want to touch him because I just knew it’d affect me in some way. But refusing his help would also be rude. With an internal sigh, I slipped my hand into his.

His calloused palm scraped along mine and enveloped my hand in warmth when he closed his fingers. I hadn’t expected his grip to be strong but yet gentle at the same time. I made the mistake of looking him in the eyes when he pulled me to my feet. I swear he could see all my secrets. It was a little unsettling.

“Thanks,” I muttered. Needing space from this man, I pulled my hand free at once and started picking up my scattered groceries.

“Lemme help.” I didn’t have time to decline his offer because he was already retrieving some of the fallen items. Luckily the paper bag was still intact, so we could load it up again.

We had picked up most of the stuff when I noticed him frowning at two boxes in his hands. I followed his gaze and almost gasped out loud. In one hand he held my box of tampons and in the other my wax strips.

“You can just toss those in here.” Embarrassed out of my mind, I held the bag toward him.

Logan’s eyes lifted to mine, his brows still slightly drawn together, and then they set off at a leisurely perusal along the length of my body. All I could do was try to not fidget on the spot.

“Right,” the thick rasp of his voice rolled over my skin. Stepping toward me, Logan carefully dropped the two boxes into the bag. “You need help to get that to your car.”

“I’ll manage.”

He gave a slow, contemplative nod, and I quickly added, “Thanks for the help.”

“You be careful now.”

I gave him a quick smile that probably looked more like constipation than gratitude before I hurried to my old Nissan. Only when I slid in behind the steering wheel did I allow myself to let out a breath. I couldn’t have embarrassed myself any more even if I tried.

At least I wouldn’t have to worry about avoiding Logan; he’d likely cross the street whenever he saw me coming. Shaking my head at my silliness, I stuck the key in the ignition and turned it.

Nothing.

“No, no, no. Please don’t start this crap today. Not. Today.” I sucked in a breath and tried the key again.

Nothing.

“Stupid car.” Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out my phone just to find it in the same state as my piece-of-crap Nissan—dead. “Are you freaking kidding me?” Just as I dropped my head in defeat, two taps sounded against my window. I didn’t want to, but I chanced a look, anyway.

Sure enough, there was Logan motioning for me to roll down the window. Reluctantly I reached for the handle and moments later the piece of glass separating us disappeared.

“Pop the hood, Sugar.”

With no other choice, I did as I was told and watched Logan stride toward the front of my car. For what seemed like ages—but were possibly just minutes—he fidgeted under the hood. When his head popped back out, I could tell by the look on his face that the news wasn’t good.

“She ain't taking you anywhere tonight.”

This time I didn’t hide my sigh or my groan. “What’s wrong with it?”

“So many things,” Logan shook his head. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to keep her running this long. C’mon,” he opened my door and waited.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m offering to drive you home.”

“I can’t just leave my car here and weren’t you on your way into the shop?”

Logan reached into the car and peeled my fingers off of the steering wheel before tugging on my arm. “I’ll get Brett to come and tow your car.”

I eyed him suspiciously as I slid out of the vehicle. Logan seemed unfazed, though, as he shut my door and moved to the trunk of my car.

“And your shopping?” I asked.

“Nothing that can’t be done tomorrow.” After he’d retrieved my groceries, he tilted his head to the right. “I’m parked this way.” With that he strode toward his car, leaving me with no other option than to trail behind him.

Once we reached his truck, Logan placed my groceries in the back seat and then held the passenger door open for me. “You don’t have to take me home. If I could just use your cell to call Lizzy real quick, she can come and pick me up.” He didn’t answer. Instead, one thick, dark eyebrow arched while he cocked his head to the side.

That look was enough to send liquid heat racing through my veins. Without another word, I climbed into the cab and waited as Logan rounded the vehicle to fill the space beside me.

“Do we need to pick up Flynn from Zelda’s?” His question came just as we exited the parking lot. Willow Creek was a small town, so it wasn’t strange for Logan to know where Flynn was in school.

Shaking my head, I answered, “No. Lizzy picked him up earlier; they’re already home.” I never knew how having a friend could add to my life until I let Lizzy in. It had taken her months to get past all my walls, but when I eventually opened up—just a little—I was rewarded with a great friendship.

Silence stretched between us, and I didn’t like it. It gave me too much time to think. And way too much time to stare at his big hands gently curled around the steering wheel or at the strand of hair falling across his forehead. What I really wanted to do was reach over, brush it away from his face and bury my fingers in his thick mane.

Get a grip, Harper. “What made you decide to adopt?”

Logan’s eyes flicked to mine for a second before returning to the road, and the corner of his mouth pulled into a smile. “I get lonely in that house by myself, figured I need some company.”

Him, lonely? Yeah, I seriously doubted that. He likely had a long line of women just waiting to keep him company. I wasn’t a betting woman, but I’d put all my money on the fact that not a single one of those women left his bed unsatisfied. With that ridiculously in shape body, he most certainly had stamina for days. And I wasn’t even going to get started on what those big hands of his could do. I was obsessed with them.

“I think the better question is why don’t you have a backyard full of animals?” The sexy rasp of his voice stopped my mind from getting too carried away and forced me back to the matter at hand and a question I definitely didn’t want to answer.

With a shrug, I said, “Caring for a pet is a big responsibility, I already have one of those.”

Logan’s face went from playful to expressionless in a second flat. “Yeah, I get that. But having a kid must be kinda awesome too?”

It might’ve been my imagination, but I could have sworn I’d heard sadness in his voice. Not one to pry, I just went on as if I hadn’t heard a thing. “It’s the best,” I answered honestly. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Flynn and not a day with him that I’d trade.”

A soft hum of approval passed over his lips, but he didn’t say anything. The silence that followed was a comfortable one. Both of us wrapped up in our own thoughts, and before I knew it, we were parked in Logan’s driveway.

He cut the engine, and I turned to thank him, only to find him studying me. Those soft brown eyes were seemingly staring into the very bottom of my soul, causing my skin to prickle and my pulse to race.

“Well…uh…thanks for driving me home. Will you let me know what I owe you for the tow?”

Logan blinked a couple of times as if he was trying to figure out what I’d just said. Shaking his head, he answered, “Don’t worry ‘bout it, Sugar.”

“Oh no, I don’t want a handout-“

“We’ll sort it out tomorrow, okay?” Logan interrupted. “I’m sure your little boy can’t wait to see his momma.” His dark head jerked toward the groceries in the back. “Can I help you carry these?”

I must have looked like an idiot because I just stared at him. I couldn’t decide if I found his bossiness infuriating or sexy. A realization that I needed to say something dawned. “No, thank you. I’ll manage.” With that, I hopped out of the cab and opened the back door to retrieve my shopping bag.

When I turned, I found myself face to chest with Logan. His big hands came up and covered mine holding the groceries. “Let me take this in for you.” He tugged at the bag, but I dug my fingers in and pulled it closer to my chest.

“I said, I’ll do it.” My voice came out clipped but not because I was angry. The simple feeling of his palms resting against my hands was wreaking havoc inside my body. Reacting this strongly toward him, with just a simple touch, was utterly terrifying.

As if he knew my thoughts, Logan lifted his hands off mine, palms facing me. “Alright. You let me know if you need anything.”

What I needed was to be alone for a couple of minutes to work this out of my system. With a brusque nod, I pushed past him and headed for my house. With every step I took, I felt his relentless, penetrating gaze on me.