“The budget. You already have the bones in place. Nice neutral couch and some tables, bedroom furniture, blinds on the windows. We could work on one room at a time. What do you think?”
Testing the waters, he said, “That could take a while.”
Her chin notched up. “I’m patient. Are you?”
Patience wasn’t the issue. What she suggested was more of a commitment. Not necessarily romantic, but he wouldn’t mind any excuse to lock down more time with her.
Lacing his fingers through hers, he led her back out of the room. “I was thinking of a round dining table here, in front of the patio doors, since the kitchen is so small.”
The sight of her top teeth sinking into her bottom lip told him that wasn’t the right idea.
“Or,” she said judiciously, “you could set up a narrow rectangular table that could act as a divider between the living room and this space. It would naturally lead people to the kitchen, or the hall to the bath and bedroom. Then when you decorate the balcony—”
“I was just going to put out a lawn chair.”
“You could bring just a few elements inside, so the space feels like it flows from the outside in.”
“Yeah... I have no idea what you’re talking about.” But he enjoyed her animated expression as she shared it.
“I have an idea.”
The way she said that alarmed him. “No.”
“It’ll be my gift to you!”
“Hell, no.”
“But you’re playing bodyguard!” Jerking free of his hold, she propped her hands low on her hips.
“Also bed companion. Fantasy fulfiller.” Snarky grin in place, he overly enunciated,“Lover.”Closing the space between them made him feel better, even if it caused her to stiffen. “You don’t see me asking for compensation forthat.”
She went soft and sweet. “It would cost me a fortune.”
“You little flatterer.” Now he had all kinds of ideas, like getting her on his bed, and she could even keep her silly rules in place.
“Be serious, Kam.”
“I am serious.” Serious about having her again, knowing waiting until tonight would be excruciating.
“You’ll be staying with me when you could be sprucing up your own place.”
“Not really, because I ran out of spruce-up money already. It’ll be a few paychecks before I do more.”
“Oh.”
She looked so crestfallen he smirked and shook his head. “I’m not broke, Glory. I won’t have to survive on broth and crackers. That budget you mentioned? I started one when I was fifteen with my first real job.”
“You had a job at fifteen?”
He almost asked,You didn’t?Not a good idea, though,given her reaction. “Lawn care. I worked with a great guy who had his own equipment. Not just cutting grass, but trimming bushes, edging driveways, working on flower beds. I got my first paycheck and...” It had leveled him. His own money.His.To spend or not spend however he wanted. Yet another memory to make him smile. “I took Tanner and Addie out to a restaurant, with both of them bitching endlessly because they didn’t want me to spend money on them.”
“Oh, Kam.”
“Damn, babe, don’t look like that.” Laughing, he cupped her face, then pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. Weird, how quickly he’d gotten used to doing that. “It wasn’t a sad thing, I swear. They weren’t complaining about me, they just...”Loved me enough that they wanted me to keep it all.His throat got so tight that he had to swallow before he could continue. “Addie was everything I’d never had before, like a mom and dad, grandparents, caregiver, encourager, and teacher all rolled into one superwoman. Before her, I didn’t even know someone could be like her.”
Glory smiled, and that was much better than her upset.
“I wanted to treat her to something since she’d treated me so many times.” Without thinking about it, he brought Glory against him, one hand coasting up and down her back. “Tanner was always looking out for me. Even when I first showed up and was a total dickhead.”