His eyes light up. “Yes!”
I hold her out to him, and Vivi happily transfers from being tucked under my arm to having Phil fawn over her. She even deigns to lick his face, prompting a delighted laugh.
He’s so beautiful when he’s happy.
“Come in,” I invite belatedly, stepping back so he can cross the threshold. First rule of hosting: Don’t keep your guest on the doorstep. I guess I failed that one. He follows me inside, still complimenting Vivi on her bow, and I close the door. “I’ll give you a quick tour, and then you can keep me company while I cook, if that’s okay.”
“Sounds good to me.” He looks around as we go through to the living room. “This is a nice house.”
“Thanks. It’s a little bigger than what I need, but I couldn’t pass up the location. Plus, I get a break on the rent. It belongs to the mom of one of the guys I served with. She went to live with her daughter in Oregon, and her son is stationed in Georgia. She didn’t want to sell it, but she was worried about having a stranger live here when there wasn’t anyone around to check up on it, so Gavin—that’s my buddy—asked around to see if anyone he trusted needed a new place.” I shrug. “It worked out great for me. I take care of the maintenance and send my landlady videos of the house and Vivi in exchange for paying less rent than I would anywhere else and a package of cookies every Christmas.”
Phil’s jaw drops. “She sends you cookies? I’m so jealous. Our landlord told us mold is the sign of a healthy living environment.”
I freeze midstep. “What?”
He shakes his head. “Don’t worry, Calla and our friend Xera sorted him out. But his argument was that if mold could grow in the apartment without us cultivating it, then it must be somewhere that has all the requirements to support life.”
That… makes no sense. “That’s so fucked up. It’s fixed now, right?”
“Oh, yeah,” he assures me. “In fact, it’s so fixed that he has someone come out twice a year for a mold inspection.”
A snort escapes me. “I knew I liked Calla. Anyway, this is the living room. Through there is the kitchen, where we’ll go in a second. This way…” I lead him into the hall and toward the back of the house. “… we have my bedroom, the bathroom, and the room that triples as a guestroom, office, and Vivi’s sanctuary. Because apparently my dog is too good to share space with me.”
On cue, she barks, and Phil leans his head down to rest against hers. “A princess knows her due.” He straightens and raises a brow. “Does she sleep with you, though?”
“When she feels like it.” Which is most nights, but occasionally she’ll surprise me.
We head back into the kitchen. “Oh, I love the table setting,” Phil says, letting Vivi down so she can go to her water bowl. “You didn’t have to go to that trouble, though.”
I guess the flowers were a giveaway that this isn’t how I set the table every night.
“It’s no trouble,” I insist. “I like to do something extra every once in a while. It reminds me that I’m not enlisted anymore.” I meet his gaze. “And you deserve to have people make an effort for you.”
His cheeks go red enough to match his hair, but I don’t look away. If he just wants us to be friends, that’s fine, but I won’t have it be because I wasn’t clear about what I want.
“It’s nice to be pampered,” he says at last, his voice quieter than usual. “It like it. I like… this. Being here.” He pauses, then adds, “With you.”
Fuck it.
I close the gap between us and bend my head—slowly, giving him time to move away if he wants to.
He doesn’t.
The first touch of my lips on his is soft, tentative—and yet somehow explosive. I feel the shock of it through my whole body. The universe fucking shifts on its axis, just from our mouths touching, even though there are still inches between our bodies.
And then his arms come up and he grips my shoulders, fingers digging in as he drags me closer. His mouth opens under mine, and I haul him up against me, wrapping my arms around him to keep him close as our tongues duel and explore.
Vivi’s barking is what eventually brings me back to reality. I break the kiss and dazedly lift my head, not sure what the fuck just happened. I’ve never been that situationally unaware before, but from the sounds of it, Vivi’s been barking for a while.
Phil exhales shakily, and I look down at him, still in my arms. His face is flushed, pupils blown, and his fucking gorgeous mouth is puffy and wet from my kisses. I dip to kiss him some more, but he huffs a tiny laugh and steps back.
“I think she wants her dinner.”
Pulling myself together, I follow his gaze and see my dog standing beside her food bowl, a recriminating glare on her tiny face.
“Uh… yeah. I guess I lost track of time.” I give my head a shake, trying to get my brain operational. “Have a seat. Can I get you a drink?” I start getting Vivi’s dinner sorted first.
“That would be great. Whatever you’re having is fine. I’m going to wash up, if that’s okay?” There’s the faintest tremor in his voice, and my head comes around sharply. Is he upset?
