Violet giggles. “Cookie, that's naughty.”
“Right? She was particularly naughty that night.” I chuckle, watching the corgi lift her nose in disdain and flounce toward the living room. “Uh oh. I think we've hurt her feelings. Violet, you may need to give her some extra snuggles while we clean the kitchen.”
“Okay!”
Violet skips toward the living room as I put away food and Logan loads the dishwasher. It's an oddly soothing kind of routine, and I can't help but notice how comfortable I am around him. Probably because we knew each other so long ago and spent so much time together studying.
I'd die of embarrassment if he ever found out how much of a crush I had on him. If I have anything to say about it, that particular secret will go to my grave.
“You didn't answer my question.”
Logan turns to me, his brows raised and a soapy sponge in one hand. “About what?"
“How the Rockets look on the inside,” I answer. “It's difficult not to wonder since they flipped the entire management team.”
“Ah.” He turns back to the sink, soaping up a plate before placing it in the dishwasher. “It's gonna take some work. The coaching staff is mediocre, and we need to do some serious recruiting. I got a good head start on some positive changes today.”
“That's good. I heard more energy in those few sentences than I think we ever saw in the team over the last few years.”
He prewashes another dish and I fight the urge to push him aside and take over. “You do realize you don't need to wash the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.”
He glances at the soaped plate in his hand, then looks up. “You have to get the food chunks off or they won't get clean.”
“Rinse yes. But wash, no. That's a dishwasher's job, the entire reason for its existence is to clean dishes.” I exaggerate the last four words.
Logan huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “A dishwasher doesn't really clean. It just disinfects.”
“Oh my god.” I point at him. “You're one ofthosepeople.”
His eyes narrow. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“It means you don't trust other people or things to do something you can do. You always think you can do it better.”
“Well…” He grins at me sheepishly. “When it comes to washing dishes, yeah, I guess.”
I roll my eyes, pretending to be annoyed. But honestly, teasing him is the most fun I've had in years. It doesn’t hurtthat he's drop dead gorgeous. “You're also probably one of those people who straightens the shelves in the grocery store or refolds clothes in a retail shop.”
Logan swivels, soapy hands planted on his hips. “Look. It’s not my fault that the shelf looks better when the cans are lined up or if the clothes are stacked just right.”
I lose it, bending at the waist and laughing so hard my ribs hurt. I can't help it because he's serious. I know he actually does it. I can see him now: pushing his cart down a long grocery store aisle, aligning every can like it's his full-time job.
“Stop it,” he growls as he takes a step toward me, but I hear the humor in his voice. He's not offended at all and is fighting back his own laughter.
“Let me know if the team manager gig falls apart.” I giggle. “I'm sure we could use your expertise in the library. The Dewey Decimal System doesn't stand a chance against you.”
In a swift, impressive move, he's standing a breath away, his mouth hovering close to mine. “I just might take you up on that.” His voice has taken a deep dive into a lower octave that I feel in my core and sets my blood on fire.
Does he have any idea what he's doing to me?
I doubt it. He never noticed when we were teenagers, and I was ridiculously moonfaced around him, practically worshipping the ground he walked on. But then again, everyone in this town did.
His lips are so close to mine that all I'd have to do is lift an inch or two and they'd connect. Oh, it's so tempting, and I'm fighting the urge hard. The last thing in the world I need to do right now is make everything awkward with my new neighbor and old crush.
A dark brown eyebrow arches up as his lips curl at the corners, as if he knows what I'm thinking and daring me. Hekinda looks like the Grinch as he gets the diabolical idea to raid the town. “What? No sassy comeback this time?”
I rest my hand on his chest. His heart thunders against my palm. “Sorry. I'm a little busy picturing you in my library…”
“What do I look like?” he whispers, inching even closer.
