****
The house was quietwhen they slipped in.
Ellie turned the lock behind them, her fingers brushing his.She didn’t say much, but she didn’t pull away either.That meant something.Outside, snow softened the world to silence, but inside, the air was warmer than Dasher had any right to deserve.
Maddy had gone home earlier with Ellie’s mom.They were spending the night there, just in case Ellie wanted quiet after the toy drive.Dasher hadn’t expected to be invited in, but when she’d looked at him in the parking lot, she said softly, “Do you want to come in?”
He hadn’t even hesitated.Now he stood in her living room like a giant who didn’t belong, hands shoved in his coat pockets, heart thundering too loud in his ears.
Ellie toed off her boots, her back still to him.“Want something to drink?”
“Only if you’re having one.”
She gave him a small smile and moved to the kitchen.“Tea it is, then.”
He watched her, the way she moved without thinking.She looked tired, sure, but she was graceful and grounded.There was no flash or drama to Ellie.She just ...was.Real.Strong.The kind of woman who showed up even when everything went sideways.The kind of woman who carried other people’s dreams on her shoulders and never once complained about the weight.
The kind of woman he had no business loving.But he did.God, he did.She handed him a mug and leaned against the counter across from him, watching him quietly.
“You okay?”she asked.
Dasher blew on his tea.“Been a long day.”
She nodded.“You didn’t have to do what you did.”
“Yeah, I did.”His voice came out rougher than he meant it.“You needed those toys back.”
Her eyes flicked to his.“It wasn’t just the toys.”
“I know.”
They stood in that quiet kitchen for another minute.And then she pushed off the counter and stepped closer, curling her fingers into the front of his jacket.
“You staying?”Ellie asked.
He didn’t answer.Just set the mug down and kissed her.
This time, it wasn’t about urgency or lost time.It was slow.Deep.Her hands slid beneath his jacket, then up under his shirt, fingertips pressing into warm skin.He groaned low in his throat and backed her up gently until her hips hit the edge of the counter.
“Bedroom?”he asked, voice hoarse.
She nodded and took his hand.
****
The next morning, Dasherwoke to the soft gray hush of early light filtering through gauzy curtains.The room smelled faintly of Ellie.Her scent clung to the sheets, to his skin, and damn if it didn’t make his chest ache in the best way.
He shifted slowly, careful not to disturb her.She was still asleep, her breathing deep and even.One arm was flung across the pillow, and her hair was a wild halo around her face.She looked peaceful.Beautiful.
Dasher reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.He wanted to stay there, soak in the quiet, hold her close and pretend the world didn’t exist outside this bed.But the soft thump of tiny footsteps reminded him otherwise.
He eased out of bed, muscles sore but heart light, and pulled on a pair of old gray sweatpants Ellie had tossed him the night before.They were comically short on his long frame, but he couldn’t have cared less.He padded out of the bedroom barefoot.
The scent of pine and something sugary from a candle on the side table filled the living room.A small figure sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor, surrounded by a scattered kingdom of blocks.Maddy.
She looked up with a big, gap-toothed grin.“Hi!”
“Hey, kiddo.”He rubbed the back of his neck, somehow more nervous in front of her than in any MC negotiation.
