I bust through my front door, shaking off the layer of snow covering the entire top half of my body. Ian follows closely behind, mirroring my actions almost exactly.

The snow started about an hour ago, just a few flurries at first but quickly picking up into heavy flakes. We were so close to finishing the roof that we decided to suffer through the cold and finish. I might have hypothermia now, but at least I won’t have to worry about the roof collapsing this winter.

My hair is wet, and my sweatshirt is completely soaked through. I look over at my coat on the hook by the door, wondering why in the hell I hadn’t thought to put it on. I twist my long locks, trying to wring as much water from the strands as I can. When I’m done, I glance over my shoulder at Ian and find him running his fingers through his own wet hair.

“Let me get you a towel,” I say, reminded of the first time we met on the dock.

He was freezing cold and soaking wet then, too. Only this time, it’s my fault.

I shuffle into the bathroom, grabbing a fluffy towel from the linen closet before returning to the living room and handing it to Ian. “Feel free to stay and thaw out a bit. Or, if you’d rather get home and into a hot shower, I understand that, too.”

Ian looks up at me, his teeth chattering as he tries to smile. “I’m not ready to go back out there yet. If it’s okay with you, I think I’ll hang out for a little while. See if I can get some feeling back in these toes.”

“Let me see if I can find some clothes that might fit you. I’ve got some old baggy T-shirts around here somewhere. You need to get out of those wet clothes.”

He looks down at his wet jeans and long-sleeved shirt. He hadn’t brought a coat over with him this morning either “If you’ve got something, that’d be great. If not, I’ll make do. You go get changed though. Don’t worry about me.”

I hustle off to my bedroom, shucking my clothes as soon as I’m out of Ian’s line of sight. Wrapping a large towel around me, I shudder, instantly feeling a million times better. Being cold sucks ass.

I revel in the warmth for a minute before kicking into action. If I leave Ian out there much longer, he’ll probably develop pneumonia and then I’ll have to live with the guilt of potentially killing my neighbor. I’ve got to have something around here that’ll fit.

I find a large pink sweatshirt I purchased several years ago for a Halloween costume. I wore it with a pair of pink leggings, sprayed my hair pink, and went as cotton candy. It was at least two sizes too big for me, which means it might fit Ian.

I smile at the idea of Ian pulling on the pink monstrosity. I can’t wait to see his face when I show it to him.

I dress swiftly, pulling on my favorite chunky sweater and a pair of wool leggings. Shoving my feet into my slippers, I scurry down the hall.

When I step into the living room, Ian’s back is to me, his arm bending over his head and pulling his shirt off. I inhale sharply, the sight of his bare skin causing the air to catch in my throat. I take a step back behind the wall of the hallway so that he won’t catch me watching him and slowly peer out.

The muscles of Ian’s shoulders ripple with each movement, his hand running the towel up and down each of his arms as he tries to get dry. The strong curve of his spine arches as he bends forward, giving me the perfect view of his lower back and ass, the soaked denim of his jeans leaving nothing to the imagination. I gulp as he straightens, marveling in the sinewy tension of each and every inch of his skin. The man is one hundred percent solid muscle.

And that’s just from behind.

I desperately want him to turn around, so I can see the show from the front. There’s no doubt in my mind that his abs and chest are even more impressive than the back. I’ve brushed past him a time or two over the last few weeks. I’ve felt how solid he is under those clothes. And, now, I want to see it.

A pang of guilt jolts through me at the fact that I’m standing here, ogling him without his knowledge. But the heat burning deep within my belly rapidly overshadows it. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a man like this. And, certainly, none of them were ever as impressive as Ian.

My breathing picks up as he unbuttons the clasp on his jeans, tucking the towel into the waistband. I slowly reach my hand out to the wall, pressing myself against it, needing the support of something in order to remain on my feet.

My mind flashes to the conversation I had with Ella yesterday. She called at the crack of dawn, saying she needed to talk to me before I got to work on the roof. And she sure as hell didn’t beat around the bush.

“So…Ian…”

“What about him?” I asked, not liking where the conversation was already going. It was too damn early for this. I hadn’t even had my coffee yet.

“I like him,” she said simply. “And I think you do, too.”

I tried to play it off. “Well, he’s a nice guy for helping me with the roof. Of course I like him.”

“Cut the bullshit. That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”

I sighed. “Look, Ells, I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“I want you to admit that you like him. You’re different with him. And I want you to admit that this has been going on for far longer than since yesterday. I saw you, Lex. I know you. You were more familiar with him than someone you just met yesterday.”

I groaned. “Ugh, fine. He’s been helping me out around the house for the past couple of weeks. But that’s all it is, Ella. He’s a nice guy who happens to know his way around a hammer and a paintbrush.”

“If that were all it was, then why couldn’t you take your eyes off him every time he spoke? When he left the room, why did your eyes follow him, the sad pout on your face like a kid whose puppy had been kicked?”

Laughter bubbled up from my chest, and I snorted. “Oh, please, Ells. You were here for five minutes. There’s no way you saw what you think you saw in the short time you were here.”

“It was half an hour, and it was long enough to see plenty. You forget how well I know you, Lexi. Even after the accident, when you fell into this weird funk, I was still able to read you like an open book. You think you do such a great job at closing yourself off. But you can’t hide from me. I’m your sister.”

Her words caused a tremble in my lower lip, and I pulled it in between my teeth in an attempt to stave off the tears.

And, as if driving home her previous point, Ella sighed, her voice softening when she spoke again, “I’m sorry, Lex, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just want to say that it’s okay. It’s okay for you to let go and move on. It’s okay for you to be happy. Yesterday was the first time I saw a genuine smile on your face in over eighteen months. It looked good on you.”

“It’s not fair to him though. He doesn’t know. And there’s no way I can tell him.”

Ella sighed deeply. “One of these days, you’re going to realize that you’re better than you think you are. You’re worth so much more than you allow yourself to feel. And the right man will see that. He’ll realize that, no matter how hard things might be at times or how dark your past is, you are worth it. You’re a treasure, Lex. And you can’t keep punishing yourself forever.”

She hung up shortly after, and I’ve been thinking about her words ever since.

Can I let myself be with Ian? Can I open up to him, tell him everything about my past, and hope he accepts me, scars and all? Can I allow myself to fall for the man who’s so obviously changed my life?

I still don’t know the answer to those questions, but as I watch him, half-clothed and completely unaware of my presence, I let myself imagine. I let myself picture it—what it would be like to actually be with him instead of constantly trying to push him away.

I picture myself walking over to him, my fingers trailing along the width of his back as I come around to his front. I imagine his smile, his dimples deep as he stares down at me, heat flaring in his eyes with every breath. I envision his strong hands cupping my face, tilting it back to give himself better access. And I imagine the warmth of his lips as they crash down on mine.

The sound of the towel hitting the floor pulls me out of my fantasy, and I quickly dart back down the hallway before he can turn and see me.

Ducking into the bathroom, I splash some cold water on my face, trying to cool the flush that has settled in my cheeks.

What in the hell was that, Lexi? You’re lucky he didn’t catch you standing there, watching him like a freaking Thanksgiving turkey being pulled out of the oven, the drool practically hanging from your chin. Get yourself together.

Knowing I can’t hide in here forever, I muster all the courage I have and open the bathroom door, mentally preparing to face the man who just unwittingly starred in my naughty daydream.

* * *

TAG

A loud cough from the hallway precedes Lexi’s reappearance. Her cheeks are slightly pink when I turn to face her, and she won’t look me in the eye as she hands me a giant pink sweatshirt and points down the hallway.

“The guest bathroom is right down there if you want to get changed. There are fresh towels under the sink. You can wrap one of those around your waist. We can toss your clothes in the dryer for a bit, so you don’t freeze to death on your way home.”

I smile at her awkwardness. I want to tease her about telling me where the bathroom is. I was in here for most of the day not too long ago, so I know my way around. But I hold off. I’m not sure why she’s suddenly so embarrassed, but I have to say, I like it. The way her eyes flick up to mine when she thinks I’m not looking, her shy smile when I catch her…if I didn’t know better, I might think she was…flirting.

I grab the pink eyesore and move to leave the room. Just before I step behind the wall leading down the hallway, I turn and look at Lexi over my shoulder. Her bottom lip is pulled between her teeth—a gesture I’m very familiar with at this point—but the look in her eyes is definitely new. Hidden behind hooded lids, the flash that ignites as she takes in my form…it almost looks like desire.

Surely, the cold from being outside has gone to my head. My brain must be frozen solid, causing me to see things that aren’t really there.

I head into the bathroom, making quick work of my wet clothes and tugging on the ugly sweatshirt before wrapping a towel around my hips. Anything I might’ve seen in Lexi’s face as I left the room will definitely vanish the minute she sees me in this getup.

And, to think, I was listed as one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive last year. If only they could see me now.

Sure enough, whatever I thought I saw before I left the room is nowhere to be found when I reenter it. Lexi is sitting on the corner of her couch, her chin resting gently on her fist as she stares off into space. When she hears the creak of the floorboard, her eyes dart up to mine, the thoughtful look in her eye disappearing as soon as she looks at me. It takes all of two seconds before she dissolves into a fit of laughter.

“Laugh it up, chuckles,” I say, striding across the room and sitting down next to her. I make sure to keep a safe distance between us, not wanting to make her uncomfortable and ruin the lighthearted mood that’s enveloped the room. “Need I remind you, you’re the one who actually owns this hideous thing?”

“Yes, but it was for a Halloween costume,” she says in between gasps of air. “Besides, I’m positive it didn’t look nearly as ridiculous on me as it does on you.”

I look down at my pink chest, the material stretched tight across my pecs. She might be right about that.

“Fine. I’m sure you looked cute as hell as a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. But can we please get those clothes in the dryer before what’s left of my manhood shrivels up and dies?”

“Real men wear pink,” she tosses out over her shoulder as she moves to the bathroom to gather my wet clothes. After she slams the dryer door, she walks into the kitchen. “Do you want any coffee?” she shouts over the din of the dryer.

I get to my feet, rounding the corner of the living room and entering the kitchen behind her. She must not have heard me come in because she starts a little when I speak, “You got any cocoa? When I was a kid, my mom would always make hot cocoa whenever I came in from playing in the snow. Seems fitting for this situation.”

“I wouldn’t call re-shingling a roof in a freaking blizzard ‘playing in the snow.’ But, yeah, I think I’ve got some around here. I’m afraid I’m fresh out of marshmallows though.”

I stick out my lower lip, giving her the saddest look I can manage. “No marshmallows? But that’s the best part.”

She shakes her head, a wide grin spreading across her face. “You’ll live, I promise.”

I bat my eyelashes. “Will you at least add extra chocolate?”

“Oh my God, you’re like a child. Yes, Ian. If you go sit on the couch like a big boy, I’ll bring over your extra-chocolaty hot chocolate when it’s ready.”

I pump my fist in the air, heading back into the living room. I look around as I sit down, wondering what in the hell we’re going to do for an hour while my clothes dry. Lexi doesn’t have a TV set up yet. Can’t say I blame her, as she’s got plenty around here to keep her occupied. Normally, I have no problem finding something to talk about. But, considering Lexi doesn’t like to talk…

The house is quiet, the whir of the dryer and the humming of the microwave the only sources of sound. So, when the power goes out, the sudden silence is almost deafening.

Lexi steps out of the kitchen, stopping just inside the living room. The room is dim, the faded daylight from the setting sun the only light available now that the electricity is out. I can just barely make out the incredulous look on her face as she gapes at me from across the room.

I stand up, clapping my hands together. “Well, I guess we’d better start a fire.”