The thought of having done something ridiculous or embarrassing with him unknowingly watching caused my ears to smolder and stomach to drop.
I’d never felt that self-conscious, and all I could do was replay the last half hour I’d spent running. Heat filled my body, a shudder shot up my spine and wrapped around my neck when the memory from fifteen minutes earlier replayed through my pounding head.
Noticing a puddle of water, I leaped over, arms fluttered gracefully over my head, in what could only be described as the perfect ballerina jeté.
I groaned inwardly. What the hell was the matter with me? Thankfully I had not expanded on the thoughtless move, although doing so would have forced me to whirl around and see him sooner rather than later.
Just my luck, instead I continued jogging on and…oh, no. My blood ran cold, legs heavy as weights slowing me down as nausea ripped through me, I flushed, cringing as my face grew hotter and without a doubt redder. Oh God.
I ripped out my earbuds with trembling hands and threw them over my shoulder picking up my pace, trying to not collapse from humiliation. The memory of stopping to tie my shoes shortly after leaving the house hit me like a sledgehammer to the gut. After double knotting my laces like a child, I stood and…those damn shorts.
I blew out a ragged breath and bit hard into my bottom lip recalling the moment I stood up, shorts riding up my rear, and pulled them free.
Kill me now. I wanted so badly for the earth to open up and swallow me whole.
I had to force myself to believe he had yet to hit the pavement behind me when that happened. The thought of him watching me remove a wedgie from my ass was too much to bear.
That was it. Not only did a flawless, confident beauty already have him, I was the dork that danced over puddles and wore shorts so small they had to be physically removed from my rear.
Yeah, I nodded my head, no need to worry about impressing him now.
Dear Lord, why did I have to wear this outfit today? I cringed, jogging faster and glancing down at my skintight shorts. They were faded blue with a pink stripe down each side. My mother bought them when I joined track in high school…my freshman year. My halter top was nothing more than a grey sports bra, shrunk from multiple trips to the laundry room, and showing off more than I intended on letting anyone around here see.
It was a rare occasion someone traveled this road especially at this hour. That was until his moving truck nearly ran me and Hilary down and now this.
I was pulled from my self-deprecating chastisement when I heard him clear his throat. Oh no. I looked to my left and there he was, in step beside me.
“Um, hi.” I sighed at my lack of poise. Stuttering was not my usual conversation starter but since we were both already aware of how giant an idiot I’ve acted thus far this morning, I shook it off.
He was staring at me with a crooked smile, as his gaze shifted shamelessly down to my chest.
I made a face that I was certain he caught and pulled up my top, hoping to hide the cleavage spilling out, capturing his attention.
He said nothing, but I caught the glimpse of humor in his eyes before he looked straight out at the empty road ahead of us.
It was the sexiest laugh I‘d ever heard. Rolling my eyes, I continued my brisk pace, keeping my gaze ahead of me.
Okay, it wasn’t that sexy.
Trying to ignore the feelings creeping through my body proved difficult. Every muscle worked overtime trying to keep my pace while making sure my figure appeared attractive as possible.
Give it up. He’s married. A giant puff of air was pushed from my lungs when I laughed, relaxing. I was acting crazy. Attractive or not I’d never been one to get all insecure over a guy and I sure as hell wasn’t going to start now.
“Do you always run this early…?”
“Cassandra,” I said, answering the unasked question.
His lips pulled up in a ghost of a smile. “I’m Logan.”
Finally, a name. Shifting my gaze to his hands moving in rhythm with his legs, I spotted an empty ring finger.
“So?” he said, waiting.
“Hmm?” I was at a loss. What the hell was he asking now? Why couldn’t we run in peace? It was bad enough having him look damn near lickable, so close beside me.
“Do you run every day this early? You’re in great shape.” His gaze wandered down my body, lingering on my legs and then back up, grinning. “Very nice shape,” he repeated in a gruff murmur.
I swallowed, blinking wildly, and looked down at me feet. Keep them moving, one in front of the other, I reminded myself.
He’s nobody special.
“Yeah. Every morning.” I needed to get a grip, but the look in his eyes every time I glanced in his direction was absolutely mesmerizing.
I would have sworn if I didn’t know any better, he was planning on snatching me up and devouring me in one giant bite. That look was…powerful, and it left me breathless.
I wiped away the many inappropriate and vulgar thoughts that had filled my mind and tilted my head in his direction.
“What about you? You seem in pretty good shape.” Finally, I could speak in complete sentences and without a stutter.
He smirked. “Every morning. Although in the city, it was on a treadmill. This morning has been a very nice change.”
I rolled my eyes. How long was he planning to keep this up?
“Right well—” My foot caught in one of the many potholes in the beat up road and my body shot forward, arms flailing wildly.
I knew what was coming, so I closed my eyes, scrunched my face, and waited for the impact.
Strong arms caught me around the waist, but it was too late to stop my one leg from giving out and skidding across the pavement, shredding the skin on my knee.
Logan’s grip never faltered and he slowly helped me up to a sitting position.
“I’m fine.” I hissed, heat scorching my cheek. I was certain he was going to ask. I looked up, planning to deliver my best ‘seriously, I’m fine’ but the look of distress staring back at me left me frozen.
Pretending I wasn’t hurt when his eyes were filled with genuine concern was impossible.
Hesitantly I pulled my gaze away to focus on my knee. It was covered with dirt and oozing blood. I had a feeling I’d be picking pebbles out of it when I got home.
“That looks bad.” He bent down to examine my wound; the muscles in his naked back flexed and glistened with a layer of sweat. He had to do more than simply jog in the morning to have a body like that.
His clean, masculine scent filled my senses. He smelled exactly how I always imagined a real man was supposed to smell. Mark always sprayed on multiple layers of expensive cologne masking his natural scent.
Completely mesmerized by his bronzed taut skin, I didn’t see him pull out his sleek black bottle.
I winced, biting back the groan of pain when he began spraying the icy cold water over my wound. The liquid ran down my knee dulling the searing pain.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, looking anywhere but in those captivating hazy-blue eyes.
“You think you can walk back?” He asked, standing up. “You still have half a mile to go.”
“I’ll be fine.” The thought of limping the whole way was disheartening, but what other choice did I have.
That smug grin I’d seen earlier replaced his concerned expression and I couldn’t help returning a smile when he reached out and pulled me to my feet.
I groaned as the pain ripped through my knee when the muscles pulled. My hands rubbed soothing circles around the area above the wound but it did little to help.
“Hop on.”
I looked up and saw Logan bent down facing away. He tilted his head back and smirked.
“Come on, I’ll give you a lift.” His brows rose and he motioned his head for me to get on his back.
“You can’t be serious!” I laughed nervously, waiting for him to stand back up laughing as well and telling me he of course he was kidding.
&n
bsp; “Get on, Cassandra.” His tone was something new. Not playful or even serious. Demanding, yet gentle.
“Um…that’s not really necessary.” I choked out, stunned. The thought of wrapping my sweaty body around him was unthinkable.
“You’ll either get on my back or I’ll throw you over my shoulder.” He stood and turned to face me, his expression gave nothing away. He was impossible to read.
I stiffened. He wasn’t joking. “I don’t—” My voice cracked, nervous laughter caught in my throat.
“All right then, over the shoulder it is.”
Before I could say another word or attempt to run—not that I’d get very far—he had his arms around my waist and my body thrown over his shoulder like a firefighter. He sure could pass for one but I wasn’t in need of rescuing.
Panic set in, my eyes wide in shock. “Put me down! I can walk!” I yelled pounding my fists on his back but he began walking blocking me out.
My mouth rested inches from his skin and his scent assaulted my nostrils at full force. Focus, Cassandra, Focus!
Logan continued in a smooth and slow pace. He seemed to be enjoying himself too much to rush.
“You always this stubborn?” he asked, finally breaking the long silence.
“Pretty much,” I mumbled through gritted teeth. My body had fallen limp in his arms, slung over his shoulder like a piece of meat. If only he had a cave to drag me into and ravish me until I forgot all about this humiliating stunt.
Where the hell did that come from? There was something about this guy that was so enticing and I knew that was a bad sign.
He chuckled once. “Thought so.”
When we reached my house, I sighed. Finally.
He carried me up my driveway to my front porch.
I waited for him to sit me down but he didn’t move. He just stood there, thinking or something. My body stiffened. I didn’t like the idea of him thinking right now. I only wanted to run inside and slam the door in his face, nothing else, no matter how much my body might disagree.
Looking back to see what he was doing, I gasped. He was blatantly staring at my ass that happened to be inches from his face. His searing breath hit the bare skin of my rear that peaked out from under my tiny shorts that were once again riding up.
“Put me down, you pig!” I yelled and smacked him on the back of his head.
He laughed, a deep guttural laugh, his entire body pulsating, bouncing me up and down with the rhythm.
Once back on my feet, I straightened my shoulders, narrowing my eyes and pursing my lips.
“You should clean up that knee,” he said ignoring my look of disdain. All amusement was gone from his voice but his eyes still danced with delight. “Hate to see those sweet long legs get an infection.”
I rolled my eyes for the twentieth time this morning. What the hell was happening to me? I looked away and muttered, “Whatever. Thanks for the lift, I guess.”
He turned around and headed down the driveway without another word.
Inhaling a deep, much needed breath that was not accompanied by Logan’s delicious unfamiliar scent, I let it out just as I heard him call out.
“Thanks for the view this morning, sweetheart. It was magnificent.”
I looked over to see him standing at the end of the drive, smirking. I was getting used to that look.
Yeah, he was definitely behind me too long on my jog.
Never again.
From now on, I’d run in the evening.
Chapter Three
Oliver
After showering and bandaging my knee I spent the remainder of the day inside, blasting my favorite tunes to help block out the commotion going on next door.
Without any air conditioning, I was forced to open the windows in order to survive the intense heat wave that decided to hit right after lunch. I managed to remain busy to keep from replaying the morning events.
I dusted, vacuumed, and started a load of wash before climbing the tiny ladder in the hall ceiling to pull down more of my grandparents’ treasures tucked away in the attic.
When I first moved in, Hilary helped me empty most of the old furnishings to make way for newer items more to my taste. It hurt to watch the house slowly empty but I kept some of their art and knickknacks, and had yet to replace the curtains in a few of the rooms. It was beginning to feel more like home with the love of my grandparents built into the walls, wrapping me in a warm embrace.
After my grandfather died four years earlier, my grandmother slowly faded away. His death was unbearable for her to deal with. It didn’t help matters that her only child—my father—disappeared years ago and didn’t bother to show up for the funeral.
Every year my father sent me a birthday card with a hundred dollar bill and no return address. That was until my eighteenth birthday when the card not only had an address on the outside but it also had a phone number written under his usual closing, ‘love you always, Daddy.’
I never called, but like the many others cards before it, I stacked it in a small box and tucked it under my bed with the cash still inside…untouched.
It was only a couple months later that my grandfather died. I asked my mother if anyone had heard from Martin, my father, but the look in her eyes told me no. He set himself up to be unreachable to everyone but me.
I felt the burden on my shoulders when my grandmother collapsed in her living room the night after she lost her husband. She needed her son, so I pulled out the child sized shoebox and dialed the number.
A man answered on the second ring and all I felt was sadness, no anger. I asked if Martin Clarke was there and he said ‘speaking.’
Moment of truth. I could pour out all my frustration and buried resentment at his ability to up and leave, but by this point, it didn’t matter. My mother did her best to raise me and I loved her for that. I wasn’t one to hold a grudge. He was Martin Clarke, not my daddy.
I only had one thing to say that day.
“Your father died last night in his sleep. The funeral is this Sunday.”
I hung up feeling proud for doing my part. Not for me, but for my grandmother.
I never told anyone I made that phone call or that the number even existed. I debated telling my mother but didn’t want to let anyone down if he didn’t show up. My mother’s parents died before I was born, a car accident, but Martin’s father treated her like a daughter. Even more so with the disgrace of their son leaving her with a young child to raise on her own.
The day of the funeral came and went with nothing but tears and happy memories of my grandfather’s long life. No one spoke about Martin, nor did he show up.
That was the final straw. I packed up all the cards with the crisp bills inside and sent them to the return address from the last birthday card.
My grandmother died five months later in her sleep, on my grandfather’s side of the bed, clutching a picture of her husband and son during happier times.
I didn’t call the phone number that time. I no longer had it and like before, he never showed up to the funeral.
So now, sitting in the hallway with a box filled with my father’s childhood mementos it made it easy to carry it outside and throw it on the burn pile.
By the time the sun was beginning to set, I had a spotless house and a few less items in the attic. It felt good. I sat on my back porch finishing a plate of pasta I made for dinner, smiling at the beautiful array of colors in the sky.
Everything about that backyard was a happy memory.
I sighed, completely relaxed.
My nearly dry wash hung on the line swaying in the breeze. The neighbor’s horde of workers had retired for the evening and my new patio chairs were comfortable enough to fall asleep in.
The view of my property was nothing but a straight line of trees leading into the mammoth forest. My first and best childhood memories were made here looking out at those trees. On the far left side of the lawn sat a tree fort my father and grandfather built for my sixth birthday. They had b
een grinning with excitement when my mother walked me out there, blindfolded, and they all yelled surprise.
I still took the time to climb it every spring and fall to sweep the cracked wood floor, dust away the spiderwebs, and make any necessary repairs.
My grandfather’s tool shed was the one part of the house I never attempted to clean out. It was packed full of everything anyone could possibly need, not that I knew how to use ninety percent of his collection. However, give me a screw gun or hammer and nails and I’m your girl.
Feeling suddenly nostalgic, I set down my ice-cold glass of lemonade, and began heading to my home away from home perched in the fattest tree in the yard.
Glancing over at Logan’s house, I scowled. The pool was destroyed, leaving a taste of contempt toward Logan’s female friend for ordering it to be done.
He seemed overly flirty this morning, leaving me to wonder exactly what his relationship with the woman was. She could have been his decorator for all I knew. There was no ring on his finger, which nowadays, didn’t mean much.
Lost in my musings, I heard a crack sound out from the tree house followed by an ear-piercing scream.
Adrenaline shot through me, pushing me to run full speed at the tree and up the rickety ladder.
“Get em’, get em’, get em’!” The small boy inside shrieked, crouched in the corner.
I took a deep breath, relieved nobody was hurt and followed his gaze to the corner, across the tiny room.
“I tried scaring him away with that,” he explained pointing at a broom.
The boy began to stand, he was no taller than four feet and his mop of curls made it impossible not to smile. I picked up the broom.
Stiff with anxiety as to what he was trying to scare away, I leaned down to find a small brown mouse, trembling in the corner.
Poor thing.
I’d never been a fan of the little creatures, but his giant ears and terrified shivering tore at my heartstrings.
“It’s okay. He won’t hurt you,” I said, turning back smiling. “We should get him back home though. What do you say? Will you help?”
I watched as his concerned expression melted into a sliver of a smile tugging at his lips.