“What if I want to sleep in your room?”
That nearly tripped me up, but I countered smoothly. “Then I’ll pick a room.”
“Do you live here by yourself?”
“No.”
Before I reached the door, she grabbed my arm. “Seriously? Please don’t tell me you have a girlfriend in there?”
I grinned. “No girlfriend, I assure you.”
“So your powers of persuasion didn’t work on Perfume Girl?”
“What?”
Laikyn waved a hand at my chest. “I just call it like I smell it.”
I didn’t bother explaining because it didn’t matter. After the ceremony this afternoon, she would never have to worry about that again. At least not while I was married to her. It was the least I could do, considering what I was after.
I opened the door to the house and stepped back so she could go in first.
“To the left,” I instructed, then followed her down the short hall to the open living room and deposited her things on one of the couches.
A sharp bark sounded from down the hall, and a second later, it was followed by nails clicking on the hardwood floors.
“Sit,” I commanded gruffly.
A sad whimper sounded at the same time Waldo’s butt met the floor.
“Oh, my God.” Laikyn’s eyes lit up like a kid’s on Christmas morning. “You have a dog?”
I didn’t answer because it seemed obvious to me.
“Boy or girl?” she asked, not taking her eyes off the chocolate lab currently thumping the floor with his tail.
“Boy.”
“Name?”
“Waldo.”
“Is he friendly?”
“He’s a marshmallow,” I said, then signaled Waldo to get up.
As soon as I did, he launched himself at Laikyn, practically taking her to the floor as he tried to lick the skin off her face.
Laikyn giggled and dropped to a crouch so she could let Waldo bowl her over and attempt to cuddle like he’d been left here alone for a year. Within seconds, she had Waldo draped over her legs, his head against her belly as he curled into her warmth.
“You are the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” she said, smoothing her hand over his dark brown fur. “Thank goodness you don’t smell like perfume.”
I sat on the arm of the sofa and watched, waiting until she was finished showering Waldo with attention and making more digs at me. I wouldn’t acknowledge the envy I felt at that moment. I wanted to be that damn dog. It was stupid and juvenile.
When she finally looked up, it was to peer around at the open space. “Wow. This is … well, the house is nice, but did you have to take decorating tips fromThat ’70s Show?”
I should’ve expected that.
“It’s home,” I told her, not at all offended that she didn’t care for the decor. I couldn’t blame her. I didn’t care for it either, but I didn’t have the time or the inclination to change it.
