Page 88 of Carver’s Craving

“The cop?”

He nodded.

I shook my head. “Not for a while. I’ll give him a call tomorrow. Now, our food’s gotten cold.”

“I’d prefer to take the dogs out and head to bed.”

“Oh.” I blinked. Maybe all this stuff about his mom was tougher than he can say. Maybe comfort’s what he needs. “I’ll do the pooches if you’ll put the leftovers away. Leave the dishes—I can wash them tomorrow.”

He caressed my cheek. “We’re all good.”

“Okay, then.” I pressed a kiss to his lips and headed over to put coats on dogs so we could brave the cold temperatures.

The thought of a warm bed carried me through that chill, and soon we were tucked in.

But no sleep yet.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Carver

Styx was a little chilly when he climbed into our bed.

Our bed.

He coaxed Poppin and Walter into theirs with promises of extra cuddles in the morning—if they left us be to, uh, have fun.

I nearly laughed out loud. Yeah. Fun. Specifically making love. As we did just about every night. A few times I’d been physically too exhausted. Disappointed—but also asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Waking hours later to find Styx wrapped around me. Holding me tight. Making me a little too warm. A foot stuck out from under the comforter made an excellent temperature regulator.

We kept a tiny nightlight for the dogs in case they needed to get up in the middle of the night. Otherwise, with my blackout blinds, we were completely enshrouded in darkness.

I loved it.

He slid under the sheets and pressed his cold feet against my shins.

“Holy shit!”

“It’s below freezing.” He sniffed. “They’re predicting snow on the twenty-third.”

“That’s three days from now. Forecasts are notoriously unreliable around here. Welcome to British Columbia.” I rolled my eyes—even though he couldn’t see. That said, I planned to stock up at the grocery store tomorrow night after work. Beat the last-minute Christmas shoppers as well as overstocking my pantry and ensuring we had enough fruits and vegetables to last us through to the new year. I caressed his shin with my toes. “Good thing we don’t have to leave the house from the twenty-third to the…oh shit.”

He chuckled. ‘Yes, we’re going to Lorcan and Cody’s Christmas party. You’ve got snow tires and a sturdy vehicle that’s used to Toronto winters. Unless the roads aren’t plowed, we’re going to be there. I’m even making chocolate logs—after checking with Cody that they don’t have anyone else bringing them.”

This conversation wasn’t leading in the direction I’d hoped, but I wasn’t going to tamp down his enthusiasm. “Chocolate logs?”

“Yep. Marshmallows wrapped in chocolate sprinkled in coconut. My favorite of my grandmother’s recipes. I’ve added everything I need to the shopping list, so don’t forget to take it. I added double so I can try the recipe first and do any refining necessary.”

“That sounds amazing.” I cupped his cheek. “You’re a good man.”

“I’m just making a dessert.” I could almost hear Styx’s eyes rolling.

“Sure. But I probably wouldn’t have gone without you. You’ve come to every Friday night gathering. You’ve supported me through all this counseling and stuff—”

He snapped his fingers. “I forgot to ask—”

I pressed my index finger against his lips. “If you want to make love, we can’t excavate what I talked to Justin about in my counseling session.”

“Oh. Making love.” He scooted closer, then pressed himself against me.