“Welcome to my life. Second-place trophies as far as the eye can see.” I leaned over and tried fluffing a few kittens so their fur stood taller. I honestly had no idea what my mom expected. When I looked up, Logan was studying me. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said, though the way he was looking at me suggested otherwise. “Will you look at this guy?” He pointed to gray-and-white Mischief, who chose that moment to spring up and bite the collar of Logan’s polo, hanging on for dear life. Logan turned to me with an amazed expression. “He’s trying to eat me.”
“Mischief tries to eat everything. In your case, I think it’s because you let my mom rub you down with catnip. Which was ridiculous, by the way. You could’ve said no.”
“To Elise? Ha.” Logan scooped up Mischief and cradled him. “Seriously, look at this face. As soon as I’m done campaigning, I’m adopting as many animals as I can fit in my house.”
“Your post-election dream is to become an animal hoarder?”
He smiled wistfully. “I have a lot of post-election dreams.”
“Well, you might not want to mention that one to Nora. You can fit a lot of cats in the governor’s mansion.” I looked at Mischief, who was now curled into a ball in Logan’s hands. “I’ve wanted a cat for a long time.”
“I know my excuse. Zero time. Why are you waiting?”
Normally, I told my mom I didn’t have enough space in my apartment or a million other practical excuses. But with Logan, the truth came out. “I guess I’m scared to be the most important person in something’s life. I’m scared to have it all come down to me. What if I’m not good enough? What if there are better options for parents?”
Logan was opening his mouth to respond when two kittens launched what could only have been a coordinated attack. They both sailed past Mischief to land on Logan’s head, where they clung to his hair like mountain rappelers. “Oh, shit,” Logan yelped, then, “sorry, Elise!” He jerked backward and Mischief leaped away.
“Alexis!” my mother called, but I was already on it.
“Hold still, let me help.” I crawled into the empty space between Logan’s long legs and reached for his head—then slipped on the linoleum. I fell hard against his chest, knocking him backward on the floor and collapsing on top of him. Logan’s entire body went rigid.
Oops.Carefully, I extracted the cats, then studied him. No tiny claw marks on his face. He looked normal, except for the fact that he was staring at me.
“Hi.” His soft voice didn’t match the intensity of his eyes. “Did I crush any cats?”
“If you did, they deserved it.”
We grinned at each other. His body was warm and solid beneath mine, the firmness of his muscles easy to feel under his thin polo. All those hours playing soccer were evident in the hard planes of his body. I’d collapsed between his thighs, where I fit snugly, and our faces were close enough that if he tilted his head, he’d brush my lips.
“Good idea,” my mom called. “We’ll get B-roll.”
“Oh, shoot, my mom.” I’d honestly forgotten about her. I started to jerk up.
“No, stay there,” my mom insisted. “For the B-roll. You’re hearing me say B-roll, right, honey? Like Scorsese.”
Logan shrugged, a small, pleased smile curving his mouth. “Director’s orders. You’re going to have to stay.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t forget—she thinks we’re dating.”
“Right.” I couldn’t leap away from Logan in embarrassment. I had to act like I was his girlfriend, used to touching him. What would that look like?
I started by relaxing my shoulders. In response, he put an arm around me, drawing me even tighter against his chest. The sensation of my body rubbing against his—against his soft polo, the starchy denim pulled tight over his thighs—made me look away so he couldn’t catch my expression. This is what it would feel like to lie in bed with him on Sunday mornings, stretch out on the couch watching movies. To be his real girlfriend. Logan—strong, tall, chiseled-jawed, and gruffly beautiful—would hold me just like this, look down at me just like this. Smile just like this. The sense of certainty was so vivid it felt like getting a glimpse into an alternate universe.
I met his eyes cautiously, hoping he couldn’t read what I was thinking.
He stroked my hair away from my face, lightly skimming my temple. “Have I told you I like that you’re an animal person?”
I smiled. “I like that you’re tall. Makes you an excellent floor cushion.”
His grin grew wider. “You know, when youreallysmile, you do it with your whole face. I can see your smile in your eyes. It’s the best thing.”
The same tender feeling that made me agree to Lee’s deal washed back now, somehow warmer.
“Great shots,” my mom yelled. “Now let’s get going on a new scene.”
The sound of her voice had me scrambling up like a teenager caught with my bedroom door closed.
“Easy,” Logan warned, hands covering his crotch.
