Claimed by Logan: My Daddy’s Best Friend Story

Excerpt

The hail is pounding the roof of the truck mercilessly and I worry it will crack the windows. I dig my nails into the seat as we continue slowly down the steep mountainside. Not only is there no visibility, the road is slick with hail and I picture us plunging over the side of the mountain.

“Open your window to see if you can spot a clearing we could pull into!” Logan shouts over the pounding hail. I do as he says, and I’m drenched instantly the storm is so fierce, but thankfully I spot a huge clearing on the shoulder where we can wait out the storm. He expertly maneuvers the truck off the road and comes to a stop.

I sigh with relief when we get off the road safely, but now I’m shivering because I’m soaking wet. “Could you turn the heat up please?” I ask him as my teeth chatter.

He gives me a horrified look.

“What?” I ask. “I’m soaking wet!”

“It’s not that,” he says. “The heater quit working last week and I need to see the mechanic about it. But it‘s May, so I didn’t think I had to worry about it for a while.”

I groan. “Great! What am I supposed to do now? This day just keeps getting better and better.”

Logan takes off his seat belt. “All right, come here,” he says as he slides to the center of the seat. “I’ll keep you warm.”

Warmth spreads through my core as I realize what he‘s proposing. I hesitate for just a moment but I’m freezing, and the thought of pressing my body against him thrills me and terrifies me all at the same time. I undo my seatbelt and slide toward him.

“Wait,” he says, holding up his hand to indicate I need to stop what I’m doing. He takes a deep breath like he can’t believe what he‘s about to say. “You won’t warm up with those wet clothes on no matter what I do. You better take them off.”

I’m stunned. Not only does he want to wrap his arms around me, and hold me to him, he wants me to take my clothes off? The warmth in my core turns into full-blown firecrackers exploding in every direction.

We stare at each other for several seconds, neither of us making a move. We both know what could happen but we both have to fight it. This just can’t work. It’s wrong. And my dad would be furious. Another round of shivering comes over me though and I can’t take it anymore.

“C’mon, get your clothes off before you shiver to death,” he insists.

I peel off my wet tank top and I see Logan staring at my chest. My nipples are rock hard and standing straight up at attention.

I take a deep breath and slide my shorts down. I feel a bit warmer already now that my wet clothes aren‘t sticking to me.