“Why are you crying?” He frowned.
I sniffed—or tried to, anyway. The pain in my side kept me from doing much more than a brief inhale.
He got up and grabbed a tissue from the box on the nightstand, handing it to me.
“Thank you,” I murmured, then wiped at my nose.
“You’re welcome. Now tell me what’s upset you.”
“I’m not upset.”
One dark blond eyebrow rose over his gray eyes.
“I’m not. I’m just… overwhelmed, I guess.”
His forehead wrinkled. “How so?”
“Just all the stuff that’s happened. Finding Moira’s body. Getting held hostage. Falling on the rock and doing a number on my body.” I paused, meeting his gaze. “You.”
“Me? What about me?” He sat down again, curiosity lighting his expression.
“You’ve come barreling into my life. I’m not mad about it, but it’s got me wondering where we go from here. Do we continue going on as we have been? You stay with me one night, and I stay with you another? We date when our schedules allow? Or do we try to do more?”
Luke held up a hand. “I vote we do more.” He lowered his arm to thread our fingers together. “I meant what I said in the woods, Mina. I love you. Yes, I want to date you, but I’m also willing to turn the dating into something more serious. Your life is in Parker’s Landing. Mine can be too. I can draw up architectural plans and make phone calls about projects from anywhere. Dad’s company does business all over the region, and I’ve built a solid reputation since I hung out my architect shingle. I don’t need to be headquartered in Juneau anymore.”
He leaned closer, earnestness making him look more boyish. “That is, if you want a roommate?”
Maybe it was the pain medication. Maybe it was fatigue. Or even a combination of both. But the happiness that bubbled up inside of me at the thought of seeing his handsome face first thing every morning and last thing every night threatened to float me right off the bed again, like my high down in the ER. A smile so broad, I swear it touched my ears, spread over my face.
I quashed it, though, trying to look serious for a second. “I don’t know. Do you snore? That blasted puppy of Ozzie and Claire’s snored, and it about drove me crazy.” Which was the truth. Between her whines and her snores, I got very little sleep while she was at my house.
Luke laughed. A deep, down to his soul, belly laugh. “I’ll wear the nose strips if I do.”
A smirk broke free of my serious mask. “Well, if you’re willing to compromise… I guess a roommate sounds okay.” I sent him a heated look. “So long as there are benefits to this arrangement.”
He bent forward, hovering over me, mere millimeters from my lips. “You can count on that.”
Raising my right hand, I skimmed my fingers over his face and smiled. “Good.”
