I don’t regret it for a second.
Rose needed me, even if she didn’t want to admit it. I broke several traffic laws on my way to get to her, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I don’t care if it was only to scare off raccoons having a fiesta on her back porch. No matter the cause, if she’s frightened, I want to be the one to make sure nothing can touch her. I want to be the one to tell her everything’s handled. I want to be the one holding her close, soothing her worries away.
Maybe protective is the right word, after all.
Still, I’ve got a crick in my neck, my shoulders are stiff, and my legs ache from being cramped up all night. And why are my feet so hot?
I open my eyes to find a white-and-gray ball of fur lying across my feet. He’s already staring at me, which feels like a bad omen.He watches unblinking, staying curled up on me, making sure I know I’m not allowed to move.
It’s unnerving.
“Morning, cat.”
Beyond him, I spot Rose in the kitchen. She turns at the sound of my voice, her face lighting up like the first rays of sunshine over a mountain peak. I sit as if pulled closer to her by an invisible force.
Or it could be an entirely visible one. Today, she’s wearing casual khaki pants cropped above her ankles and a floral, short-sleeved blouse. Her hair is in a more elaborate braid than usual, the dark strands glowing in the morning light like they’re threaded with golden topaz. She looks relaxed and so entirely her, my chest aches with longing.
Might have been a terrible night’s sleep, but the views this morning are worth it.
The scent of waffles fills the air, which probably doesn’t help my situation. The smell of delicious food and Rose looking like that? I don’t stand a chance.
I rake my hands through my hair, then smooth them down my shirt. Doesn’t seem right to be this disheveled when she’s gliding closer like a goddess. It takes my groggy mind a second to realize she’s walking slowly so she doesn’t scare the cat, not to fry my brain with her slow-motion approach. She’s probably sparing me the scratches I’d earn if the cat got spooked and used me as a launchpad.
“This isn’t fair, you know.” She aims a pointed look at the cat, who is now sitting between my feet, front paws on one, tail twitching over the other. “He’s supposed to bemycuddle bug.”
“Maybe cuddle bug isn’t his style.” I would like to volunteer to fill that role.
She slowly reaches out a hand, but the cat’s ears drop, and he hunches his shoulders. She pulls back, unwilling to push him too far. He stays in his protective stance, letting out a brief, low growl. This guy has no clue what he’s rejecting.
Rose sighs but smiles as if him snubbing her is adorable. “Maybe grump attracts grump.” Her gaze lifts to mine. “Thank you for staying.”
I fight the urge to tell her I’d stay any night she wants me. “Did it help?”
Her relaxed expression melts something deep in my chest. “Yes. Did you sleep okay?”
“Well enough.” I stretch my neck from side to side, trying to loosen the kinks.
She frowns at me, a look I’m not used to seeing from her. “No, you didn’t. Next time, you’ll sleep in my bed.”
I might sit up a little straighter at that.
She closes her eyes for a second, shaking her head. “I meantthebed. The other bed. Obviously. Not that you’d be sleeping withme.”
Her cheeks tint pink to match her name. I’m fully awake now. I only have to gaze up at her, one eyebrow raised, to get her going again.
“You would be in the guest room. We would be in two totally separate beds. Different rooms, across the hall. Not together. Duh.”
“‘Duh’ is harsh.” She could at least leave me a shred of hope.
“I’m just saying, I have two perfectly comfortable beds. You don’t have to sleep on the couch again. Not that you would need to in the first place, that’s crazy. But if you ever do, you’ll sleep in the other bed. Not mine.” She’s babbling now, her cheeks burning, and I can’t get enough.
I scrub one hand over my beard as if I’m contemplating this. “How many beds are there again?”
She pauses her rambling, shifting closer like she needs to see me better. “Wait. Wait.Thisis what coaxes a smile out of you? My awkward word-vomit?”
I can only take so much. It’s just before six a.m., I’m sleep-deprived, she’s inadvertently seducing me with waffles andlooking delectable in today’s work outfit. Yeah. I might be smiling.
I shrug. “You’re cute.”