“Completely. I just want to haveyou.”
Nothing mattered more than that. Our future. Our happiness. We had to leave the rest of it, especially the anger and fear, behind.
Dean reached out to cup my cheek. “Alright. I won’t. You have me, okay? You have me. Always.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Keira
Dean didn’t makeme get up to train the next morning. He’d kept me up far too late for that.
We made love in the shower in the middle of the night, with Dean holding me up against the tile. Then later, before sunrise, I straddled his cock while we were on the couch with a blanket wrapped around us both.
In between orgasms, I reheated the chai and we got to sip mugs and cuddle and talk some more. Dean shared memories of his grandmother from growing up. We reminisced about the early days of our friendship and discovered all the moments that I’d secretly wanted him and he’d wanted me.
We finally passed out in bed, snuggled beneath the covers. The sun was bright in the windows by the time we woke.
Dean reached for his phone to check the time. “Two in the afternoon. Damn. You wore me out.”
I burrowed against him. “You woremeout.”
We stayed bundled a while longer until our other physical needs won out. Such as bathroom visits, food, and caffeine.
After getting dressed in the bare minimum of clothing and checking our phones for messages, Dean and I made a huge breakfast spread. Or make that lunch. Eggs andsausage, pancakes with sliced bananas and maple syrup, and huge mugs of coffee.
Then we took our meal outside to the back deck and sat close together at the table. He’d insisted on putting all our food on one plate so we could share, which I thought was ridiculous, but also cute.
I loved Dean like this. Cuddly and affectionate, cracking bad jokes and smiling with his dimples on constant display.
I lovedhim. So, so much.
He speared a piece of sausage with his fork. “Suppose it’s time for me to get a job again. Do you think Marco’s hiring?”
Marco ran the Hartley Tap & Saloon on Main Street. “I can text him and ask. What about Last Refuge? You could bartend there.”
“That would be a serious drive from here.”
“So? When I’m back on duty, I’ll be driving all over the county on my patrols.”
His mouth twitched as he chewed. “Don’t remind me. It’s been nice having you here all to myself. I’m going to miss that.”
So would I. But at the same time, I looked forward to starting a real life together. Something I’d always dreamed of having with Dean. Sharing a bed with him at night. A home. Even a family.
I took a bite of pancake. “We can work on the house too. I’d like to invite Mom and Stephie soon, and when there’s a second bedroom ready to go, they can stay a night or two. Would that be okay?”
“Of course. We owe them a visit.” He hooked my chin with his finger, tilting my head to kiss me. His lips were sweet with maple syrup and salty with breakfast sausage. Then he pulled back to fix his blue gaze on me. “You want to keep living here? Instead of going back to your place?”
Heat prickled the back of my neck. “Oh. I just assumed. If you’d rather, I could?—”
“I would much rather you stay here with me. If that’s what you want too.”
I nodded, emotion choking me for a moment.
His forehead rested against mine. “Never thought I could really have this. A home with you. Alifewith you. But this is what I want, Keira. It’s all I want.”
Dean didn’t go out on the obstacle course that day. We didn’t talk about continuing our training either. It was important to me to bolster my recovery and get fully back into shape for duty, but that could wait until later.
Maybe I would head back to desk duty soon, and we could both start making some money again instead of relying on our respective savings. We’d been living cheaply, but fixing up this house for real would take funds.
