find Dexter, Nan’s seven-year-old German Shepherd, staring up at her from out back with his big brown eyes, tongue hanging out.
She slid the door open to let him in. “I’m still mad at you. I can’t believe what you did today. What would Nan think?”
Dexter closed his mouth, and, somehow, his eyes got bigger, softer, and more pitiful.
“Don’t you give me that look. Stop it…” She fought to hold back a grin, shaking her head at herself when she failed to do so. Crouching, she held her arms out, and Dexter came forward to lick her face. Tabitha laughed and turned her face away as she took his head between her hands, giving him a good scratch behind his ears. “I can’t stay mad at you. But you’re still in the doghouse. No treats for you tonight.”
He whined.
“Nope, I don’t want to hear it. Are you hungry?”
Dexter’s ears perked, and he wagged his tail.
“Yeah, boy? You want food?” she asked playfully, pitching her voice higher.
He barked his agreement, tail swinging so quickly now that his rear end was shaking along with it.
She chuckled and stood, walking to the counter. She set the already unpacked dog dishes on the floor, filled one with cold water, and poured a cupful of dog food into the other. Dexter bumped her hand away before she’d even finish dumping the food in, eagerly chowing down.
As she washed her hands in the sink, Tabitha looked out the window that faced the house of her out-of-this-world, unbelievably sexy neighbor. She cringed. First the movers ran over his mailbox, then her dog peed on his foot. She’d made herself out to be the worst neighbor in history—and on the first day!
“Great way to make a first impression, Tabby.” She crossed her arms atop the counter and leaned on them, propping her chin on her palm. “He’s not likely to forget you.”
It wasn’t like she’d had a chance in hell with him to begin with. Logan was the most attractive man she’d ever seen. He was tall, tan, and clearly well-built beneath his clothes. His dark hair was shaved on the sides and longer on top with a couple rogue strands dangling over his bright, piercing blue eyes to give him a rakish appeal. He had thick, arched brows, a long, narrow nose, and some dark stubble along his strong, square jaw. And those lips… Those full, sinfully sculpted lips were made for kissing. Or biting.
She wanted to do both. Definitely both.
But guys like him didn’t go for girls like her. They preferred women who’d choose a salad and the gym over those who’d grab a pint of ice cream and plop down on the couch with a blanket to binge watch a TV show.
Tabitha sighed morosely. Pushing herself away from the counter, she dug her cooler out from beneath a stack of empty boxes, grabbed a turkey and swiss sandwich and a bottle of water, and sat at her dining table to eat.
At least the movers had put that in the right place.
Even with the music playing on her phone, the house felt so quiet, so empty. Tabitha had always lived with someone. It had been her grandmother for most of her life, who’d always had the radio on in the background playing anything from Golden Oldies to classical to contemporary pop. Nan’s appreciation for music had known no bounds.
When Tabitha had graduated from high school and taken a job at a local department store, she’d met Mia—and the two had immediately become best friends. It hadn’t been long before they’d decided to rent an apartment together. Nan had been encouraging, and when Tabitha had voiced her hesitation in moving out, the older woman had given her a literal kick in the ass—though it had been the most loving kick imaginable.
That apartment had always been filled with sound, whether it was Mia’s constant chatter, the television playing an endless succession of horror movies and angsty teen dramas, or the playful banter when Mia’s boyfriend, Josh, was over and they’d all play video games on the couch together. Tabitha had never been big on games—she preferred having her nose stuck in a book—but they were sure as hell fun with some friends.
Now there was none of that. Just the music from her phone, which seemed somehow too small to fill the emptiness here, and the sound of Tabitha chewing her white bread, turkey, and swiss.
And that of Dexter licking himself on the floor.
Tabitha wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, Dex, do