I changed into Dash’s clothes and lay on the lush bedding only to find that sleep eluded me. I was so tired downstairs, but now my eyes refused to close. All I could think about was this dream I’d stepped into.
After a few hours of tossing and turning, I got up, thirsty. I was padding down the stairs, intending to get a glass of water and try to sleep again, when I heard the hum of the TV. I peeked around the wall to see Comet sitting on the couch.
“Aideen?” he said, jumping up. “Is everything okay?”
In these dark hours, Comet was especially sexy. “I was thirsty. Got up for some water.”
“I’ll get it for you.” Dash wasn’t the only one who dashed. “Here.”
I drank some of the water but soon found another kind of thirst emerging. “Do you mind if I watch with you for a while?”
He beamed. The man smiled so wide, I thought his cheeks might hurt the next day. “Of course.”
We sat on the couch, and he offered me the remote. Another big green flag. “No, it’s fine. What were you watching?”
“Um, a paranormal investigation. We don’t have to watch it.”
“Ghost shows are my favorite. Do you watchDead Files?”
That began a conversation about all of our favorite shows. I hadn’t taken Comet for a ghost guy, but he surprised me again and again. We settled in on the couch, and he put a throw blanket over my legs. His arm slipped over my shoulders. I’d never felt so warm. “Is this okay?”
“Yeah.”
The commercial breaks were filled with after-Christmas sales, making me think about their seasonal jobs. “You three love Christmas.” A statement. Not a question. Anyone who dedicated their lives to making toys and had a seasonal job couldn’t hate the holiday.
“We do.”
“And you said you’re very busy on Christmas Eve.”
“We are.”
I laughed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you three were Santas or something. Well-traveled. Busy on Christmas Eve.”
Comet looked at me. “No, sweetheart, not Santa.”
Soon after, while we were watching a new show, I dozed off, but I knew who carried me to bed. Who tucked me in. Who turned off the lights and told me good night with a kiss to my head.
The others were more forward about it, but Comet liked me. He liked me a whole lot.
Chapter Twelve
Comet
After spending the afternoon and evening with Aideen, my doubts had been almost entirely assuaged, but once we had that quiet time together on the sofa, watching TV and snuggling, I knew she was our fated. And while I still felt we shouldn’t rush her, I hoped she wouldn’t take too long to come to the same conclusion. Or however humans worded it.
Maybe she would want a wedding or something? Whatever she liked. It would be my pleasure, our pleasure to make sure she received it. As I got ready for the day, I was very aware of the fact that our mate was just down the hallway. Maybe we could get her to stay another day? Probably not, since she had an office job, but it was bliss having her here now. I showered and dressed before heading downstairs to the kitchen to put the coffee on.
As soon as it was ready, I filled my largest travel mug and carried it outside to the shop with me. Androids! Who knew that what we were trying to achieve needed one bit of metadata for the app to understand?
Since we’d been up so late, I assumed I had a little time before our guest woke, and I was dying to see what I could do in that time to move the project forward. Before I knew it, I was completely absorbed, the “android” coming together as if I’d never had a problem. It was complex, but if I could get the general structure in place, we could move on to the next stage. And it wasn’t as if it was our only job!
As I worked, part of my mind was on our mate and where we went from here. She’d been so soft and warm next to me on the couch, and she smelled incredible. Fresh. Clean. Sweet. A little like peppermint. I closed my eyes and remembered her with my arm over her shoulders.
“Comet? What are you doing out here?”
I jerked back from the keyboard, startled. “Dash, you need to put taps on your shoes or something because you’re always sneaking up on people.”
“I am not. You just get so caught up in what you’re doing, you don’t hear anyone walking up. Now…what are you doing out here?”
