Or maybe she’s just doing what dogs do. Resigned to having to go get her, I slide on my shoes and grab a coat. I get two paces outside when the heavens open, because of course they do. Labs don’t give a shit about rain though, and it still takes me a good five minutes to wrangle her away from the exciting scent she’s picked up.
“Why?” I grumble as I follow her inside and lock the door. “You’re usually such a good girl, why tonight?” Her tail wags asshe stares up at me, big brown eyes the picture of innocence. How am I supposed to be mad at that face?
Knowing I have about ten seconds before she shakes and covers the kitchen in water, I grab a towel and dry her off.
Then I do the same to me and turn all the lights off downstairs.
I take the stairs two at a time, anticipation buzzing through my veins as I reach the open door of the guest room, then come to a grinding halt.
Reed is fast asleep, lips curved in a soft smile, dead to the world.
I’m not even disappointed because the sight of him, all snuggled up with his arm wrapped around Kyla like she’s a cuddly toy, is too cute for words. She has her paws on his hand, holding him in place and, not gonna lie, my heart stutters.
A wet nose brushes against my calf and I roll my eyes. “Come on, then,” I whisper. “Looks like it’s just you and me tonight.”
Reedstumbles into the kitchen the next morning at half past seven. “Morning,” he mumbles around a yawn. I’ve been up for about an hour already, but I fully expected to have to wake him up for our walk, so I’m surprised to see him.
“Morning.” I stand and gesture for him to sit down at the table. “Coffee? Tea?”
“Coffee, please.”
“Soo...” he starts, and I look back at him over my shoulder, but his gaze is fixed on his hands. “About last night...”
I stop doing what I’m doing and turn to face him because this conversation warrants my full attention. I was too keyed up to fall asleep last night, and I had far too much time to lie in bedand think about things. “I think it’s probably a good thing you fell asleep,” I cut in before he speaks again.
He frowns. “You do?”
“Not that it wouldn’t have been great.” So great, that I have to fight to push away the mental images of what we could’ve done. “But I’ve been thinking about what you said last night.”
“Which bit?”
“Your new job offer.”
He looks adorably confused now and crosses his arms as he watches me, waiting for an explanation. Pillow creases run down one side of his face, and his dark hair sticks up all over the place. Alert blue eyes stare back at me as he draws his bottom lip between his teeth, and the whole thing together makes my stomach clench.
I like him.
As a friend, sure, but now that he’s here in my house, I get the feeling that maybe we could be more if the timing was right.
Which only proves that it’s just as well we didn’t do anything last night, because I don’t think it is. Yet.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want him. That I’m not standing here debating changing my mind and asking him if his offer from last night still stands. But I think I can offer Reed something that he needs more than casual sex right now. He said he wanted a friend who’s not an ex and not connected tohisex. And I want to be that for him. I think I’m becoming that. Maybe I’m already there after our months of back-and-forth texts. But I have an offer for him that would be complicated if we crossed that line.
At least right now it would.
“What about my job?” he asks, and I startle.
“Well...” I turn back to the worktop and make him his coffee while I think about how to phrase this. “I got the feeling you wereseriously considering taking it but weren’t keen on the idea of having to move.” I hand him his coffee and he shrugs.
“Yeah, maybe. Thanks,” he murmurs as he takes the mug from me. “I mean, I guess I’d have to rent somewhere first while I put my place on the market. But I’ve got Frank now. I can’t stay in a hotel—not that I’d want to. Work will apparently cover everything, but I’m not sure they’d be up for renting me a house or a flat for however long it takes mine to sell.” He shrugs again and I bite my lip, trying not to get too excited about what I’m about to offer.
He could say no.
Probablywillsay no, but I have to put it out there.
“What if you stayed with me?”
His head snaps up so quickly, I’m surprised he doesn’t pull something. “What?”
