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“Can I help you?” The same elegant clerk who’d been on duty before greeted me with a warm smile.
“Just browsing.” I headed toward the lingerie section in the back, but she trailed behind me.
“I remember you.” She had a laugh like a bronze bell, one that reminded me of my mother. “Your boyfriend is the cutest thing with his blushes.”
“He’s—” I started to protest, then stopped myself. What the hell. Why not just go along with it? “He is rather adorable.” Felt right, claiming Avery, way more right than I might have predicted. I care about you. He’d probably have turned bright red rushing to correct the clerk, but for a moment, I let myself live in an alternate universe where he didn’t run. Maybe…
“And what can I show you for the two of you today?”
“I want to surprise him with something else from the Lingerie for Him collection.” I glanced at a table piled with panties in spring colors, like lacy and silky Easter eggs.
“In the doghouse or for a special occasion?” The clerk gave a knowing smile. Huh. My need to apologize must have been rather clear, so I didn’t bother lying.
“In the doghouse. He tried to do something nice, and I was snappy.”
“Oh, honey, we’ve all been there.” She placed a well-manicured hand on my shoulder as she steered me toward a rack. “I have the perfect thing for your man.”
And indeed, she did, and I left Denver with an SUV full of floral arrangements and boxes of loose flowers, along with a Delectable bag stashed under the front seat. I hoped Avery would love his present. But, of course, there was no chance to surprise him when I got back. Flowers to unload, temp workers to sign in and out, and only a few passing glances of Avery’s back.
I ate a lonely dinner and dutifully took my meds right on schedule before climbing into a bed that suddenly felt too big and cold. I felt wide awake, but the meds must have kicked in at some point because the next thing I knew, I was waking up to the creak of the room door and a low curse from Avery as he stumbled over something in the dark. The bedside clock said it was well after one.
“Hey.” My voice came out all groggy. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I tried to come in quietly, sorry. You can go back to sleep.”
“Not without you.” I held open the covers for him. My brain was swimmy, the type of foggy I got when I tried to wake up before the meds wore off, but I still knew exactly where Avery belonged. “Come to bed?”
“Gladly.” Avery collapsed onto the edge of the bed, cursing again as he removed his prosthesis. “Fuck. Ouch.”
As he set the arm on the other bed, I sat up more, reaching for his shoulder. “Can I help?”
“You don’t have to baby… Oh, damn it.” Groaning, he let his head fall against me. “We’re basically clones, aren’t we?”
“We are.” Maybe that was why we got along so well. We could both be plenty stubborn about accepting help. I started a gentle massage of Avery’s shoulders. “I’d say you’re my brother from another mother, but that might be weird given how much I love you naked.”
“Ha. No naked fun tonight.” He tilted his head back, demanding a kiss. “Even my dick is dead tired.”
“I bet.” I gave him a sleepy kiss. As I continued to rub his shoulders, he stretched, offering me his right side. That was a first. He usually shied away from my touching his partial arm. He had to be really hurting, but good luck getting him to admit it. Carefully, I massaged the stiff right shoulder blade and upper arm area, noting the network of scars.
Avery made a grumbly noise as I worked. “And this is where you tell me I didn’t have to work late, that you could have—”
“No. This is where I say thank you and that I’m sorry.” I kissed the side of his neck. He needed my apology far more than a lecture about overdoing it. “I did need the rest. You were right, and you probably saved me at least one vicious nightmare. But you’re going to sleep-in in the morning. Let me bring you breakfast back.”
“That an order?” Chuckling, he nuzzled into me before letting me arrange us both on our sides, me spooning him. Somehow, we seemed to return to this position each night, a comfortable familiarity in how perfectly we slotted together.
“It’s a request.” I kissed right below his ear. I wanted to order him, wanted to wrap him in blankets and make him rest all the next day, but that wouldn’t be fair. If I wanted to be able to choose when to ask for help, Avery needed the same respect.
