“It’s too soon.” He winced.
“Too soon?” I swallowed. “Please be honest with me, Zahir. I really need to know what you’re thinking.”
“Oh. Right.” He took a deep breath. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I don’t want you to go back to Toronto. That I want you to consider making a home in Mission City. Preferably with me, but it might be too soon for you to contemplate something like that. I don’t know how you feel about moving into the Fultons’ basement—”
I shook my head. “Too much. They’ve got a life of their own. Very generous to offer and if I didn’t have any alternatives—” I swallowed. “Do I have alternatives?”
“Am I asking you to stay here? Until you get on your feet? Maybe longer?”
He nodded.
“To me, it’s that simple. I can offer you as much as you want. If you just want a safe place to land, you’ve got a bedroom and as much space as you want.”
“And if I want to be your pup and your lover?”
He blinked. “Well, that would be amazing. Truly. I won’t hold you to that forever.”
“And if I want you to hold me to it forever?”
He sighed. “I’d say it’s too soon. And also that I’d be incredibly happy. But you see me as a savior. Perhaps when you get to know the dull man underneath, you might get bored.”
“Never.” I said the word with absolute certainty. “I will never get bored of you. Now…shower and sheets and Daphne.”Because I’m on the verge of telling you that I love you and I don’t want to scare you off—even though I think you feel the same way.
“Yes, in that order. Now, do you want to sleep in your dog bed or—”
“Here. With you. Holding you. Or you holding me. Just…together.”
“All right, Andre. I can do that.”
And so we did.
Chapter Seventeen
Zahir
Imani and Malaya charmed both Andre and me. Although my pup was nervous, his sisters worked hard to put him at ease and, as the lunch carried on, he did relax.
Demetrius being there helped as well.
In the end, everyone agreed to a larger family reunion with Malaya’s husband and two boys. Along with Imani’s girlfriend.
That apparently came as a bit of a shock to Demetrius, but he immediately moved into accepting mode along with protective big brother. I loved seeing him offer his sister unconditional love.
Just as he offered that to Andre as well.
I returned home with an energized pup who needed a good hour of play before he even began to flag. Eventually, though, he curled into my arms for scritches. “You’re amazing.”
He snuggled closer. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“You could have, Solo. I have every confidence in you.”
After a long moment, he tipped his face up so he could meet my gaze. “I don’t think I like that name anymore. I mean, maybe I can’t stay—”
“You can.”
“And maybe you’ll get tired of me—”
“I won’t.”
