LUNA
After tossing and turning all night, I got out of bed early, got ready for the day, and then made my way next door to the animal shelter. I made a point of keeping myself busy to try to forget about the offer Cole made to me last night.
It’s crazy, and I’m sure in the light of the day, he’s had a change of heart.
The bell over the front door rings, and I close Olly’s cage. He came in two days ago, and I’ve been trying to give him extra belly rubs.
Leo swirls around my feet, and I pick him up as I walk to the front of the shelter. “Good morning?—”
I have a smile on my face, but it freezes when I see Cole standing next to the counter. As soon as I see him, the kiss from last night comes to mind, and my whole body reacts. “Hi,” I say, almost shyly.
He comes toward me, reaches for Leo, and holds him in one arm as he reaches for me. “Good morning,” he says huskily before leaning in and kissing me.
I lean into him and get lost in the kiss.
I shouldn’t make it this easy for him, but the attraction is like nothing I’ve felt before. As soon as he breaks the kiss, breathlessly he asks, “Did you decide?”
Automatically, I tense. “Cole?—”
He holds up the hand that is not holding Leo. “I know. You need time.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “What are you doing here?”
He shrugs. “I have some people coming in and wanted to let you know.”
I look around the shelter. “People coming here?”
Before he can explain, the front door opens, and three men walk in.
Cole walks over to each of them, Leo still on his arm, and shakes their hands. He brings the men back over to me. “Luna, this is Brick, Axel, and Mike. Guys, this is Luna. She’s the one in charge. She’ll tell you what she wants done.”
Surprised, I ask, “What I want done with what?”
Cole smiles at me. “These guys are here to help fix up the shelter. Besides the flooring, the walls, and some shelves, what else do you need?”
My mouth hangs open as I stare at him. He reaches up and cups my chin. “Luna, I also have some people coming in for interviews this afternoon.”
I shake my head. “No, I can’t afford to hire help.”
His hand slides to my shoulder. “Yes, you can.” He looks at the three men. “Hey, guys!” He points toward the back. “Luna and I are going to take a little walk. To get started here, I wanna replace the floor, get new counters, paint, and install some shelves.” He looks at me. “What do you think about putting some animals out here during the day? We can build an area with a climbing tree and toys and stuff. It will be enclosed so they’re safe.”
I barely stutter out the words. “That sounds, uh, amazing.”
He grabs my hand. “Great, let’s talk.” He talks to the men but doesn’t take his eyes off me. “Guys, we’ll be right back.”
He puts his hand at the small of my back and leads me out the front door to the sidewalk. He looks at me worriedly. “You okay with all this?”
I open my mouth and then close it, unable to put into words what I’m feeling.
He frowns. “Luna, you’re scaring me. Talk to me. Are you okay?”
I blink at him. “Yes, I’m okay. This is… this is amazing. But I can’t afford any of it. I’m barely able to pay you the rent that’s past due.” I put my hands on his chest when he comes toward me.
Cole stops, even though we both know he can break my hold. I take Leo from his arms, wanting to hold on to something. He cups my face in his hands. “Hear me out. You don’t owe rent. You are now the manager of the building, and I won’t be charging you for your apartment or the shelter.”
“Cole—”
He stops me. “And before you say it, this is not part of the deal. This is me wanting to do something for you.”
