More, Please by Kate Aster Read Free Book Online Page B

like they were meant for each other, and I
had nearly stood in their way.
    Of course, I had intended to do a house
check on him all along. I just let his application fall to the bottom of the
bunch. After all, just because I thought he was a lying prick didn’t mean he
might not be a good pet owner. And like Cass was quick to point out, just about
everyone lies when they are hanging out in hotel bars. Even I had dipped
my toe in the water of deceit when I told him my name was Alexandra. It just
sounds sexier than Allie, though no one uses my full name except for
telemarketers.
    But he hadn’t been lying. He is a SEAL. Or
was, specifically. And trying to remember what exactly he had told me that
night, I’m willing to bet he never said he currently is a SEAL. Honestly,
looking at him during dinner I was so damn focused on how gorgeous he was, the
conversation had gone pretty much like this:
    “Blah, blah, blah, Logan, blah, blah,
blah, Navy SEAL, blah, blah, blah, blah, San Diego, blah, blah, blah, blah,
Check, please!”
    He shows us the upstairs next and my
heart skips two or three beats as we step into the master bedroom.
    He smacks the top of his king size
mattress to urge Kosmo up onto it. Is it wrong to envy a dog? If he’d make the
same gesture for me, I’d probably launch myself onto the mattress, too.
    “So, is this where he’ll sleep?” I ask.
    “Yep, unless you think someplace else is
better.”
    “It’s perfect.” Some dogs do better in
crates at night, but definitely not this one. And I have to admit, I’m partial
to letting a dog sleep with me at night. After all, it’s the only company I get
in the sack these days.
    I doubt Logan can say the same.
    “And I’m thinking I’ll keep a water bowl
upstairs in the bathroom here, and one downstairs. Your website said he gets a
little more tired than other dogs right now, right?”
    “Mmhm. But if the surgery is successful,
that should change.” I step into the master bath in the direction he’s
pointing, and my jaw drops. It’s as big as my bedroom, and the tile work makes
me feel like I’m in some boutique hotel in New York City. There are double
sinks, a stand up shower, and a huge soaking tub. With the image of him
shirtless still etched in my brain, I can’t resist imagining him in that tub. And
since it’s big enough for two, my own likeness creeps into the fantasy. Of
course, in my imagination, the ten extra pounds on my thighs and butt have
miraculously relocated to my breasts.
    I clear my throat. “Was this part of the
renovation you were talking about?”
    “Yes. I had to strip this place pretty
much down to the studs. And I stole some of the space from the bedroom on the
other side of this wall to make the bathroom bigger. Like it?”
    “Love it,” I reply without hesitation. I’ve
never met anyone who’s done a big project like this.
    I step back into his bedroom where Kosmo
is making himself at home on the four-poster bed. The room is definitively
masculine with its dark wood and a leather recliner facing a television along
the back wall. Another two bookcases stand on either side of a picture window. Glancing
outside, I notice a fence around his yard—perfect for a dog like Kosmo. Just
outside the fence, I see a rocky portion of Newton’s Creek, the picturesque
stream that gave its name to our town. The view is lovely, and I can picture
Logan dropping a fishing rod into the water there with Kosmo at his side.
    “You have a big yard for a townhome,” I tell
him.
    “Let me show you it,” he says, backing
out of the room. “Since it’s an end unit, I decided I’d fence off the side yard,
too.”
    We walk down to the kitchen and he swings
open the back door. Kosmo darts into the green space, sniffing and exploring. He’s
in heaven right now.
    “He seems pretty happy here,” Logan notices.
    “He does,” I agree.
    He turns to me, suddenly looking serious.
“Listen, I need to ask you something important.”
    I