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I have her. Not for just a moment. We belong to each other now.
Paige gives out a surprised squeak as I swoop down to kiss her neck, jaw, ear, and everywhere else I can reach without separating us. Every breathy laugh she lets out fuels the electricity pulsing through my veins.
My affectionate mauling of the woman I love is only interrupted when we’re set off balance by a heavy pair of paws landing on my back.
We pitch to the side, the two of us scrambling to keep upright. Then Paige lets loose a happy peel of giggles as she crouches down.
“Seems like someone else wants to make sure she’s not forgotten.” I watch the two of them on the floor, my heart light, and my jaw cracking from my grin.
Pumpkin huffs and wags her tail as she snuffles Paige’s hair. My woman wraps her arms around the pit bull’s neck, beaming up at me.
And in the two of them, I know I’ve found my family.
Epilogue
PAIGE
Eight months later
My lower back aches from sitting in one of those uncomfortable plane seats, and I pause halfway to my front door to press the heel of my hand into the offending vertebra. What I need is my mattress.
And a shower. Hot water sounds like a sinful experience at the moment.
My keys jingle as I slide them into the door. I expect my arrival to set off a round of barking. Instead, I walk into an empty front hall. A blue glow filters from the back of the house.
Following the light, I come upon an adorable scene. Dash lounging on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table, head lolling backward with his mouth slack and emitting gentle snores. Curled up at his side is my traitor of a dog. She barely acknowledges me, cracking an eye open for a moment, then falling right back to sleep. Reruns ofTop Gearplay at a low volume on the TV.
Leaving the two of them be, I sneak upstairs with my suitcase and head straight for the shower. Just as I expected, the steaming water is a glorious treat that eases most of the tension from my sore muscles.
With my clean hair wrapped in a towel, I go searching for some pajamas, almost tripping over a duffle bag on the floor of my bedroom. Inside is a haphazard collection of Dash’s clothes. I grab one of his T-Shirts, taking a deep sniff of the clean laundry smell that usually mixes with the scent of motor oil after a day of him working in the shop.
I love that smell.
The fabric doesn’t fully cover my ass, but I just grin at myself in the full-length mirror. Dash likes the way his shirts fit me.
Not bothering to blow dry my hair, I comb it out and let it sit clean and damp on my shoulders as I make my way back downstairs.
The pair are still asleep. Copying my dog, I settle on Dash’s other side, curling into him.
He starts awake, blinking sleep from his eyes as he gazes down at me.
“Paige?”
“That’s me.” I snuggle under his arm as he shifts to face me.
“Shit, when did you get here?” He rubs a rough hand over his face. “I was supposed to pick you up at the airport. What the hell is wrong with me?”
“Shh.” I rub a soothing hand over his stomach, enjoying the way his muscle twitch under my touch. “You’re fine. My last meeting got canceled so I caught an early flight home.”
Dash relaxes. “Tomorrow. I was supposed to pick you up tomorrow. Still, why didn’t you call me?”
I smile up at him. “Because I thought you’d be asleep at your place. Did you stay here every night I was gone?”
He shrugs, his fingers fiddling with the ends of my hair. “I sleep better when I’m surrounded by your smell.” Leaning in closer, he buries his nose in my damp hair, making me giggle and squirm.
“I sleep better next to you,” I admit, which has him raising his head enough to grin down at me. “Move in with me.”
The words come out of my mouth on their own, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking them for months.
