Page 83 of Man Flu

“I have a feeling I’ll still be crying about this someday, but I’d like to go with your theory for the time being.”

“I think it’s adorable that you cared enough to do that during a snowstorm and when you have a lot of work to get done. You must really like me, huh?” he says lightheartedly, giving me a gentle squeeze.

“We survived the man flu, and we’re still speaking to each other. I think that should answer your question on whether I like you.” I try to laugh, but it hurts.

“I didn’t think I was that bad. Compared to other times I’ve been sick, I think I kept myself under control for the most part.” He’s calling that controlled? Oy.

“Logan, you needed liquid Advil …”

“So?”

“I think we should start over and pretend like this last week never happened. What do you say?” I offer.

“I say we do that after we figure out how to tear your ass apart.”

“Right.” I tried to forget my current predicament for a moment, but now I remember why I’m scooped up into this man’s cradling arms.

He curls me into his chest slowly, careful not to cause me any pain. “I really do like you,” he mutters quietly, under his breath.

With the snow falling around us and his warm body blocking out the frigid wind, I completely feel the exact same way. I’d tell him so but his lips are moving in toward mine, and I let my gaze linger on his face for an extra second, enjoying the sight of his dimples up close, noticing the faint freckles on his nose. As he moves closer to me, the scent of his spicy cologne mixed with the fresh snow forces my eyes closed just as his lips touch mine. He must have been chewing gum or had a mint recently because his breath is cool against me and strikes my lips with chills colder than the wind around us.

He’s a slow kisser and apparently likes to take his time moving from my top lip to the bottom, then covering all the parts in between. The tip of his tongue swirls around mine, leaving a cool sensation in its trail.

I’m lost in the moment, forgetting about everything else.

The connection between us is more than it’s ever been, more than I thought it was. I feel something deep inside that makes all the wrong seem right.

He hugs me to him a little tighter, and suddenly I know that I’d love to be his for as long as he’ll hang onto me. I’d even stay out in this cold snow in his arms with my ass cheeks glued together for an eternity, if life paused like this.

My heart thaws despite the opposing elements, and my pulse is erratic, speeding at a pace I haven’t felt in many years. Logan has brought me to a new place that I want to continue to exist in. I’m ready to feel the happiness I’ve avoided and yet missed, at the same time.

When he pulls away, I struggle to catch my missing breaths, and each one burns against the cold air surrounding us. With a light kiss on my nose and my forehead, Logan slides me into the truck and lowers the seat back a bit, so I’m in at an angle. “How’s that?” My senses are too overwhelmed for words right now, so I nod with a bashful smile.

I close my eyes throughout the short trip, trying to focus on something else, but the only thing I can think about is that kiss and the one from the other night. This man knows his way around a pair of lips, a talent I might have enjoyed later in other areas as well, but now I’ll probably have to wear a diaper or something—so much for a distraction.

The crunching of the snow beneath the truck’s tires becomes louder as we pull into the lot, and I tighten my fists, preparing for even the slightest jerk as we come to a stop. I’ve never thought about how much I use my butt muscles, but it’s a lot, which makes me wonder why I don’t have an ass of steel.

“I’ll help you out,” Logan says as he steps out of the truck. He’s halfway around the front of the hood when I watch him take a sharp left toward the front door of the spa, followed by his hands cupping over the glass door so he can look inside. He stands there for a few long seconds before twisting toward the truck and giving me a look of dread.

I know what the look says. It means they closed early because of the snowstorm, and I’m completely screwed. Shit! I’m leaving for Florida in less than eighteen hours. Logan makes his way back to the truck and releases a breath of exasperation as he closes his door. “Don’t worry. I think I know how we can fix this.”

“Hot water?” I question.

“No, that won’t help. Let me just run into the grocery store really quick.” Thankfully, the store is in the next plaza over, but I still don’t know how I’m going to manage to drive home. I can’t move my foot up and down over and over. It will kill me.

Logan is quick with his trip into the grocery store and returns with more than one bag, which makes me wonder what else he got, and if he needs multiple items to deal with this situation. Maybe he doesn’t have one solution, but a few to try. I’d rather go with a sure plan if that’s an option. Beggars can’t be choosers, though.

“What did you get?” I ask as he switches the gear into reverse. “Don’t worry. Just know I have a plan to take care of you, okay?”

I feel kind of sick right now. Are we ever going to get a chance to interact under normal circumstances? “What about my car?”

“It’ll be fine in the parking lot until we return at the end of the week. No one is going to tow it, and I’ve seen that a couple of cars in the lot haven’t moved since I started working there.” My instinct tells me it’s a bad idea to leave my car there, but my ass is saying something different.

The snow is coming down super hard too, and the van has never been great with more than a few inches on the roads. They may be plowing the main streets, but I’m sure the backroads and my neighborhood haven’t seen so much as a shovel yet.

It takes much longer than usual to get home, but I’m thankful for Logan’s four-wheel drive and skidding skills. We pull into the driveway, spotting Tiana in her yard with their stupid little dog. She’s wearing a fur coat, pink Uggs, and a Burberry scarf, with her hair loosely tussled up in a purposefully messy bun. I think I know her well enough to assume she has only fixed herself up today to take the dog outside in her “casual snow gear.”

“I don’t want them to know,” I tell Logan. I’m sure he already assumed, but I just want to make sure it’s at the forefront of his mind.