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“—You want me,” she finished.
“Yeah. Very much.”
That tiny hope of a smile burst forth and blossomed. Goddamn, she was beautiful. Here in the middle of a cold, dark night, her radiance warmed him, made a small bright spot in an otherwise dark head. “I want you, Dex.”
She didn’t give him back the words he’d given her, and he was glad. It would be hard to believe them yet; he was still marveling at his own feelings and would need time, time to do things that deserved her love, before he might believe he’d really earned it.
Sliding his hand along her jawline, letting his thumb brush the ridge of her high cheekbone, feeling her hair slip through his fingers, Dex let out a breath and felt true ease fill in the space it left.
“I want to be good for you,” he said.
“Then you will be,” she answered. “And I want to be good for you.”
“You already are.”
~oOo~
In the morning, Dex opened his eyes and saw Kelsey sleeping before him. They’d fallen asleep together last night without sex, simply lying in bed, in each other’s arms, until slumber took them. It seemed they hadn’t moved all night.
They both had an early start today—Kelsey at the clinic and him for a first-thing sit-down in the chapel to discuss the night before, and then a shift at the station, unless there was club work to do after the meeting. But he thought there was still a lot of time before they needed to get moving. The light coming through the window had the pearly cast of a fresh dawn.
The dogs would want him up soon enough, but for now, Dex lay where he was and watched Kelsey.
She even slept sweetly. One hand tucked beneath her cheek, the other over that wrist, her golden hair fanned over her shoulder. A watery new sunbeam washed over her face and illuminated the faint spray of subtle freckles over her nose and cheek. Like she was dusted with raw sugar.
Unable to help himself, he brushed one fingertip over those sprinkles.
Her eyes opened at once. Seeing him, she smiled.
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry I woke you.”
She stretched—sweetly, of course—and shook her head. “I don’t think you did. How’d you sleep?”
“Good, I think. We didn’t move.”
She thought about that for a second. “No, we didn’t. I guess we were tired.”
He was about to ask if she wanted breakfast when she scooted in, removing the few inches’ distance between them, and slipped a hand over his waist. As she slid that hand into the back of his boxer briefs, she said, “I guess you’ve got to get up right away and see to the dogs.”
He lifted his head and looked around. George and Lennie were curled together in their bed. Lizzie lay on her back in a bit of new sunbeam. Charlie and Ripper weren’t in the room. Nobody seemed in a big rush to start the day.
Setting his head back on the pillow, he smiled at Kelsey. “I think I’ve got time. What d’you have in mind?”
Her hand left his ass and came up to cup his cheek. “I love it when you smile. You don’t do it often, and when you do it feels like it’s just for me.”
“Itisjust for you.”
Her own smile faded away. “You’re pretty unhappy, aren’t you?”
“Maybe. Not right now.” And that was true. Yesterday had been a mess, he’d been a mess, but right now, in his bed with this beautiful woman in his arms, he was calm and warm and full of ease. If this was contentment, it was new.
And wonderful.
He drew her even closer, tipped her head up, and put his mouth on hers.
With sexy-sweet whimper, she opened her mouth and took his tongue. Arching her body against his, she crossed her arms around his head, and that was all the encouragement Dex needed.
He rolled, putting her under him, and she spread her legs at once, making room for him. They’d slept in their underwear, and he wanted to go slow and peel her bra and panties from her, take the time to tease and play, but now that they’d started, all Dex could think was to be inside her, to be as connected as it was possible to be.
