Chapter 3
VANESSA
I missed the dog as I lay in bed. I could still feel her fur under my fingers. Every single second of my time in Dayton’s cabin had been the best seconds of my life.
And that was messed up. I was here to work, not lust over some hot guy in jeans and a white T-shirt bearing the words Stone Peak Logging Crew . What good would it do to be attracted to him?
It was Friday night. One full day here, and then I was getting up bright and early Sunday to head home. Checkout time was ten. Getting all goofy over a guy I was never going to see again after this weekend seemed…well, typical me.
It was probably why I’d never had a real boyfriend. I was always going for the guys I couldn’t have. I liked the challenge.
I tossed the sheets off my body, and the chill from the air conditioner wafted over my skin, reminding me I’d set the thermostat way too low. I liked to sleep in a cooler bedroom, but this was downright arctic.
Pop.
The sound had me bolting upright in bed. It was definitely a sound I hadn’t heard before. Cabin walls could make strange noises, though. The wood expanded and contracted, causing creaking and popping and all kinds of other things. That’s all it was.
But what if it wasn’t? What if a murderer had been waiting in the bushes outside and snuck in when I left to go to Dayton’s cabin? He might’ve been hiding in my cabin all this time, waiting for me to fall asleep so he could make his move.
That was ridiculous. Killers didn’t hang out in houses for hours at a time. I would have been grabbed the second I walked through the door.
Tell that to my racing heart.
I glanced over at the digital clock next to the bed. It was 10:42. Next to the clock was my phone. Dayton texted as soon as I left.
Now you have my number .
That was all he’d written. By now, he’d be in bed, probably snoozing happily. I couldn’t wake him.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
This time, the sound was coming from the roof. No way was that Gigi. Dogs couldn’t climb like that. Cats, maybe, but not dogs.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood. This wasn’t one of my books. It wasn’t a bad dream. It was just a noisy cabin. There was no need to panic.
I took slow, deep, calming breaths, hoping that would help.
Then I walked around the bed to the window and peered through the blinds.
Dayton’s cabin was dark, so I could only assume he was asleep.
That made sense. He’d seemed to be winding things down when he walked me to the door after a good twenty minutes of conversation and reminded me that he was just a phone call away if I needed him.
There had been something at the end of that, though. A look. It was almost like he was thinking about kissing me, like men did at the end of dates.
It wasn’t a date, though. I’d just brought his dog back to him—a dog that looked very sad to see me go.
Scratch, scratch.
I gasped and stepped back from the window, the blinds slamming together with a clack . Great. Now, if someone was in here, they’d know I was in the bedroom. I’d just given away my location.
Maybe Dayton had snuck over to see me. That was a better story than the one I was thinking about writing. I could incorporate it into my book, actually. The husband sneaks in on her and she thinks he’s a burglar. Maybe she hits him over the head with a pan. Or comes out with a gun.
Okay, the latter was a bad idea.
I thought about my laptop, still on the coffee table. I could go in there, open it up, and start writing. Yes, that was exactly what I was going to do.
With a nod, I walked to the bedside table, snatched up my tumbler full of water, and headed toward the living room. The beer had upset my stomach a little, but it was worth it. It made it easier to sit and talk to an older guy who was smart and handsome and all-around awesome.
I was so excited about writing, I forgot about the scary noises I’d heard.
As I stepped out into the living room, everything looked fine.
No deranged lunatic holding an axe, a knife, or a gun.
Just a hot lumberjack next door who probably used an axe all the time to chop down trees.
A moan escaped my lips as I imagined him shirtless, muscles flexing as he whipped the axe through the air, landing with a loud crack.
Smiling, I sat on the sofa, cross-legged, and opened the laptop. I set the tumbler on the side table next to me. The move reminded me of the way my hot neighbor had casually sipped from the beer bottle he set next to him on the table.
Was he up right now, watching TV and drinking beer? Had he given me a single second’s thought since I walked out of there? Probably not.
Bam, bam, bam.
A series of noises from the back of the cabin had me nearly knocking my laptop to the floor as I whipped around to see what it was. Luckily, I grabbed the laptop just in time as I felt it shifting on my lap.
Nothing behind me. Where was that noise coming from?
All kinds of thoughts ran through my head in the seconds that ticked by. Thoughts of bears, axe murderers, hot lumberjacks with axes… Well, one lumberjack in particular.
What would he do if I rushed over there and told him I was scared out of my wits? Would he put his arms around me and make me feel safe?
I didn’t have to legitimately be scared to run to him. It would give me an excuse to see him again.
What if he was in bed naked? Holy crap. The idea had me thinking about rushing next door. But no, I couldn’t do that. I was brave and strong. I could handle my first night in a rental cabin in the middle of nowhere alone. Sure, I’d never done it before, but how hard could it be?
Click, click.
Okay, that sounded like someone messing with the back door. Maybe testing to see if it was locked. Or trying to pick the lock.
There was no faking the fear that coursed through my body at that thought. I could picture it clearly—some scary guy standing out back.
Click .
That was the back door opening. I was sure of it. I didn’t dare look back. I tossed my laptop on the couch next to me and ran for the front door like my life depended on it. It was very possible my life did depend on it.
Dayton’s cabin was dark. Not a light in any window. But I didn’t care. I sprinted across the yard, not taking my eyes off my destination. Only when I was safely on his porch did I look back at my cabin for any sign of trouble. Not a single sign—not from here, anyway.
I immediately questioned what I thought I might possibly see there. It wasn’t like the burglar would be hanging out on my front porch. No, he’d be in there looking for something to steal or someone to kill.
I returned my attention to Dayton’s door. Should I knock? Maybe I should just try the door. But what would I do if the handle opened easily under my touch? Would I just walk into his cabin? What if he slept naked?
Heat rushed to my face at the thought. It went straight up my neck and toward my cheeks.
He’d definitely be able to see I was blushing if I caught him in his birthday suit.
But I couldn’t help it. Just thinking about that gorgeous guy from earlier wandering around his cabin naked had me feeling things I’d never felt before.
Things that made me a little embarrassed.
I couldn’t just barge into his house, though. Even if the idea of stumbling upon him naked appealed to me more than I’d like to admit.
But what was my other choice? Run back to my cabin and risk getting murdered? Yeah, I think even he would agree the better of the two options was just to barge into his house.
So that was exactly what I did. Holding my breath, I slowly turned the handle. It opened easily under my touch. I winced at the noise it made. Far noisier than what I’d heard next door.
That was the first time I doubted myself. Maybe all I’d heard was strange rustling outside or more popping wood. If someone had opened my door, the sound would have echoed throughout the cabin, leaving no doubt that someone was entering.
But I was the one making noise now. If he was awake, he couldn’t help but hear it. Maybe he’d come running out, wielding a weapon, like an axe. I was back to the axe murderer thing. I was also back to picturing him naked.
I should probably be scared, but instead, I was thrilled at the idea.
His cabin was quiet, but it had a homey feel to it. I’d noticed that earlier. I wouldn’t expect a man’s cabin to be quite this well designed.
Pausing, I listened for any signs of movement. Maybe Gigi’s paws, tapping on the hardwood floor. Or her owner coughing.
But I heard none of that. Just the whir of the air conditioner and the creak of the floorboards as I crept across the living room floor.
What should I do? I could stand here and yell out hello, see if anyone answered. At the very least, Gigi would come running.
The cabin wasn’t all that big. It had two rooms, and both doors were closed.
I assumed one was the bedroom where Dayton and Gigi slept.
The one in the very back of the cabin seemed like it would be the big bedroom, so I headed in that direction, stopping in front of it and listening for sounds on the other side.
I lifted my hand and knocked. Three gentle pounds on the door. What if he came out? What if he was worried that I was an intruder, having snuck into his cabin?
I called out a very gentle, “Dayton?”
That was when I heard something. It was the very distinctive bark of a small dog. Good. Gigi would wake him up.
I’d barely taken two steps back when the door flung open, and I was face to face with my hot neighbor. His hair was disheveled, his eyes barely open, his jaw clenched.
The best thing about the sight in front of me was that he wore only a pair of boxer briefs. He wasn’t naked, but close to it.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
His expression changed as soon as he saw me. He wasn’t angry that I’d woken him or even dazed from sleep. No, he was wide awake and braced for a fight.
“I heard something,” I said. “It sounded like someone was trying to break in through the back door.”
He looked toward his front door. “At your cabin.”
I nodded. Words weren’t coming easily. Not when I was standing this close to a man in his underwear.
“Hold on.”
He disappeared into his bedroom. I heard a series of high-pitched barks, but no dog emerged. I assumed that meant Gigi slept in a crate.
Dayton came out seconds later, holding a gun. “I’ll be right back. You stay here.”
“But…”
I wasn’t sure what was going to come after the “but.” All I knew was that he wore only his underwear while running off to confront Lord knew what. I didn’t want him to go alone. What if the intruder had a gun too? Dayton could get hurt.
I chewed my lip nervously and began wandering around, looking for a window with a view of my cabin.
When had I started caring about this guy enough that I was this anxious over him confronting an intruder? It went beyond just worrying about the safety of someone defending me. No, I had a bona fide crush on this guy.
Crap, that wasn’t good. Not when I was only in town temporarily. But hey, this could be fun. Maybe it would spice up my writing a little. Or it would distract me, and I’d get absolutely nothing done. Either way, it couldn’t be worse than how the past few hours in that cabin had gone.
I finally found a window that gave me a view, but all I could see was a closed front door and the lights on. I heard absolutely nothing. No gunfire, anyway. That was a good sign. I doubted I’d hear sounds of a scuffle. Maybe I should just go out on the front porch and listen.
Seconds passed, then minutes, as I stood on Dayton’s front porch, listening intently for signs that everything was okay over there. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to go check.
I closed the door behind me and began my less-than-confident march toward my rental cabin. I just hoped like heck he’d found it empty.