LOGAN

I never intended on Kayla and I moving so quickly. The last time I felt so enamored by someone was when I met Maggie, over a decade ago. Is it possible two people with broken pasts can feel whole again together? Though I’m afraid of fully committing myself, I know I would do anything for her.

As I’m driving home from work, I feel my phone vibrate and pull it from my pocket. When I see it’s Maggie, I slightly hesitate then answer.

“I just wanted to let you know that I was offered a job at Sacramento General Hospital. They’ve offered me a ten percent pay increase from my current job. They want me to start as soon as possible. I’m about to put in my two-week notice.” The tone of her voice tells me she’s excited. Happiness rushes over me because having Skylar close is more real than ever.

“That’s great, Mags. You worked hard for this and deserve it.” I’m genuinely happy for her.

“I was going to drive down this weekend and check out a few places and see when we can start moving. This is all happening so fast. I have to admit, I didn’t think it would go so smoothly.”

She’s a realist most of the time and doesn’t believe things until it happens. Sometimes I wonder if I was the one who made her so hard. There was a time in our relationship when she wasn’t like that. I pull into my driveway and turn off my car.

“There’s a house that would be perfect for you two several blocks from the elementary school. It’s a safe neighborhood. I’ll text you the address.”

“Thanks. Do you think you could watch Skylar next weekend so I can go house hunting?”

“Absolutely.” I don’t ask to go with her and give her the space she’s requested. I can’t stop smiling thinking about all of this. It seems as if all the jagged pieces of the puzzle have been worn down and now they are able to fit together.

“Thanks, Logan. I was hesitant at first and as much as it pains me to say this, I think moving back is the right thing to do. My parents are getting older and are finding it hard to drive distances and I do want Skylar to have a relationship with you.”

“I’ll be around to help you with whatever you need. Just let me know.”

Our conversation ends and I can’t hold back the smile that’s filling my face. I can’t help but think about how much stuff really needs to be done to Skylar’s room and the house in general. After I’m inside, I let Herman out and look around and text Kayla letting her know the good news and the deadline.

I feed Herman and jump in the shower before Kayla comes over. Just as I’m pulling a T-shirt over my head, I hear a knock on the door and walk barefoot to let her in.

“Hey,” she says, shyly.

I smile and search her face. “Hey. Come in.”

“Well, actually, can you help me grab a few things from my car?”

I put on my shoes and follow her outside. Her Mustang is stuffed with large framed pictures, blinds, and boxes full of things, not to mention the rug that’s hanging halfway out of her trunk.

“Are you moving in?” I joke with her.

“Only if you want me too,” she fires back with a sexy little smirk.

“Touché.”

We have to take a few trips back and forth with all the stuff she brought over.

“Okay, explain,” I say.

“I had a few things that my other clients didn’t particularly care for.” She laughs. “Okay, a lot of things, but they would be perfect for your living room.”

When we step inside, it’s so hard for me not to pull her into my arms and kiss her, but I don’t want to be overbearing. She notices me watching her so she takes a few steps forward, but then stops when she sees National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation DVD sitting next to the TV. Her eyes widen and she lets out a small chuckle.

“I thought we could do a movie and a pizza.”

Moments later, she’s wrapping her arms around my waist and I pull her as close as I can to my chest. When she’s in my arms it feels like home and that emotion is foreign to me. With her body pressed against mine, nothing else matters. She pulls away and stands on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek.

“I like cheese pizza,” she says.

“Consider it done.” I step away to make the order and when I walk back into the living room, Kayla has her shoes off, her hair tied into a ponytail and she’s busy replacing curtains with blinds and already hung a few pictures.

“Wow,” I say.

“I know right. Just those few window treatments made a huge difference.” Her hands are on her hips and I can tell she’s proud of what she’s done so far.

“I was talking about you. You’re beautiful.”

She looks over at me, a hint of blush hitting her cheeks. I move closer to her, her breath hitching, chest rising and falling, and our lips crash together. She runs her fingers through my hair and our lips are so ravenous for the others that I almost forget to breathe. We fall on the couch and I brace myself, hovering above her, both breathing heavily when a knock on the door echoes through the house.

“Fuck,” I whisper and she pulls me down to her lips again. She’s addictive and all encapsulating and the only thing that pulls me away is the annoyed knock that seems to be getting louder. I stand up and adjust myself then head to the door.

The kid with the pizza is already walking down the sidewalk back to his car, and I have to speak up to grab his attention. He looks at me, and I can tell he’s holding back an eyeroll. Teenagers.

I walk inside and grab two plates and paper towels for us.

“Want to start the movie?” I ask, placing the box of pizza on the coffee table and hand her a plate and paper towel.

“Of course,” Kayla says.

Herman watches every bite we take. Once we’re done eating, I flick off the light and hold Kayla in my arms as we watch Chevy Chase make an ass out of himself.

“This Christmas, I want to decorate my house like that.” I laugh.

“Don’t even joke. I’ll be hanging up lights by Halloween.”

“Deal,” I whisper in her ear and can feel goose bumps race down her arm.

Once the movie is over, she looks over at the stuff we carried in earlier. “What are your plans tomorrow?”

“I should be asking you that question considering you usually volunteer on Saturdays.”

“Well I have this client I have to help who is under a really tight deadline so I think that’s going to take up most of my day.” She winks at me.

“Hope your client isn’t a hard-ass,” I quip.

“Oh, he totally is, most of the time.” She checks her phone and hours have passed though it feels like she just arrived. Kayla starts to yawn and I can tell she's exhausted. She goes and goes, never giving herself time to rest.

“It’s been a long day. I should get home to the boys. They’re probably going crazy right now.” She looks at me and I want to ask her to stay. I want to hold her in my arms until she falls asleep.

“Understandable. Let me walk you out.”

She gives me a sweet smile and I follow her to her car. We hesitate outside, like it’s our first date, but it passes quickly because I grab her face in my hands and place a sweet kiss on her lips. She sighs against my mouth before we pull away.

“Thanks for the wonderful night,” Kayla says leaning against her car, smiling.

“Always, Angel.”

KAYLA

It’s bright and early on Saturday, and as I’m washing dogs at the shelter, all I can think about is Logan’s soft lips pressed against mine. He’s somehow stolen my thoughts and replaced them with him. Though, it’s not anything new really, but now that we’ve moved to the next step, I’ve been more confused about us. What are we exactly? What are we doing? I haven’t gotten the courage to ask, and while I’m not complaining, I don’t want to be a side project.

After I finish my duties, I run home and take a quick shower, throw my hair into a ponytail, and put on some yoga pants and a T-shirt. Finishing Skylar’s room is possible, but we still need to paint the accent wall so that has to be done first. After I take my dogs for another quick walk and feed them some treats, I head over to Logan’s. Butterflies swarm my belly and I’m so anxious to see him. Each time we’re together, it’s better than the last. So far, it’s been more than I could have ever dreamed of.

I pull into the driveway and can hear the music blaring from inside his house. I knock on the door and he doesn’t answer so I just walk in. The rug is spread across the floor and different pictures are hung. Each of the boxes that I brought over last night are empty, and I’m shocked he placed everything so perfectly.

“Holy shit,” he says with pink paint on his shirt. “You startled me.”

“Sorry, I knocked but...”

“My jams were blaring.” He laughs.

“You started painting without me!” I say, motioning toward the paint on his shirt.

“I thought I’d get an early start. Come see.”

He reaches his hand out and takes mine then practically drags me to Skylar’s room. I walk past mattresses leaning against the wall in the hallway and other random pieces of furniture.

“Head start? You’re basically finished except for the final touches.” The room is painted and the furniture that was delivered to his house early this morning is already put together.

“You make my job easy, Knight.” I joke with him. “You’ve done a really great job.”

“The paint was fast drying. I started at around six this morning so it should be almost completely dry by now. All it needs is your magic touch.”

I lift an eyebrow at him and I feel heat rush to my cheeks by the way he’s staring at me.

“This whole dad thing kinda works for you. You know that?”

“Kinda?” He asks taking a few steps toward me, his tongue swipes across his bottom lip.

“Me being here today is strictly professional, Mr. Knight.” I remind him of the day I agreed to take on this project.

He holds his hands up and chuckles. “Okay, okay then. Don’t make me have to remind you of that later.”

I place my hands on my hips. “Oh, really? Do you want to make a bet?”

“I’m not a betting man, but it’s one I’d be more than willing to take,” he says slyly, holding out his hand to shake on it and I do, but by the way he’s already studying my lips, I know I’m doomed.

I place my finger on the wall to see if it’s dry, and it is, which is perfect.

“Okay boss, tell me what you need me to do,” Logan says, taking off his shirt and throwing it on the floor. His pants hang haphazardly on his hips, and I can’t help but notice his abs and that perfect V.

“Holy shit,” I say under my breath. “You’re totally trying to make me crack!”

He acts as if he doesn’t know what I’m talking about, and I roll my eyes which only causes him to laugh.

“Let’s move the bed against this wall. We’ll place the book shelves right there and the reading nook there. We can start hanging the photographs and wooden silhouettes of dancers I had made. Did you see a pink shaggy rug?”

Logan lifts his eyebrows.

“Sorry, I tend to go ninety to nothing when doing this stuff.”

We move the bed against the wall and place all the furniture in its place. The rest of the items are in boxes in the hallways and we begin to unpack them. I handpicked toys and children's books, along with a large assortment of Crayons and coloring books. As Logan hangs the large cutouts of ballerinas on the wall, I make her bed, lay out the large pink furry rug and arrange all the stuffed animals in the storage holder. Hours pass, and when we’ve finally hung the canopy from the ceiling and everything is in place, I cover my mouth with my hands because even I’m amazed. It’s fit for a little princess.

Logan stands at the doorway and I can tell he’s holding back. “It looks like it was ripped straight out of a magazine. It’s perfect for my little girl,” Logan says, the smile on his face tells me everything I need to know.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Knight,” I say holding out my hand.

He looks down at it and shakes his head.

“Fuck this,” he says, pulling me into him, taking my mouth and tongue and claiming them as his own.

“God, I need you,” I say against his mouth, feeling his hardness press against my stomach.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t need you, too.” His fingers brush up my shirt and up my stomach until my shirt is on the floor into a crumpled pile. I fidget with the top button of his pants until they fall to the floor. Logan’s mouth is all encapsulating and my body instantly responds to his touch. At this moment, I can’t think about anything but him as he unclasps my bra and places my nipple in his mouth. His tongue twirls around my hard peak as his hands memorize my body. With his strong arms, he lifts my body and I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist. Logan carries me to his bedroom and lays me down across his bed. Fire and passion fills his eyes as he studies my body. No one has ever looked at me the way he does, like I’m everything.

After another moment, Logan comes to me, and when our lips connect, it feels as if something I lost had been found. His mouth trails down my neck, gives extra attention to my breasts, before kissing a path down my stomach. My breathing increases and just as he hooks his fingers in my yoga pants, a knock is heard on the door.

“Ignore it,” Logan says, giving me a sexy little smile before he kisses the inside of my thigh.

But the knocking doesn’t stop.