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“How much longer do you want to stay?” he asks a breath later. We’ve nearly stopped gliding, so we push off at the same time.
“We can leave now. I wasn’t expecting you to skate with me today, but thank you.”
“I’ll come here with you whenever you want me to,” he says.
My grin is instant. “You mean that?”
“Yes. Now, think you can show me how to do a kick flip before we leave?”
He doesn’t have to ask twice.
* * *
After another hourat the park and a stop through a drive-through for dinner, Cooper walks me up to my apartment.
My cheeks are sore from smiling so much, and my abs ache from laughing. Goddamn, I love being around him. I want to do it every day. Would he like that too?
I straighten my spine and tell myself that he would. He wouldn’t have met me today if he didn’t want to see me so soon after this morning.
His hand is steady on my back as we reach my door. He shifts behind me when I slip my key in and unlock it, his body a protective wall around me.
Pushing open the door, I turn to face him. “Are you coming in?”
He tips my chin with his knuckle and shakes his head. “Not this time. If I come in now, I won’t be leaving until tomorrow, and I have a mountain of responsibilities waiting for me at home that I can’t put off any longer.”
“Does it make me selfish to want to ignore everything and just spend time together?”
“If it does, then I’m selfish too.”
I blow out a soft laugh and step into his body, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Let me know how your adulting goes, okay?”
“I will. There’s also something I wanted to give you before I leave.”
Curiosity has me leaning back just enough to meet his stare. “I love a good surprise.”
“Try not to lose it, okay?”
“Okay . . .”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a silver key before offering it to me. My eyes go double their size as I carefully take it from him.
“It’s a house key. I know you’re a little sleuth and know where to find my spare, but this is yours. If you don’t want it, I’ll take it back, but the thought of you here alone in this big apartment doesn’t sit well with me. At least think about coming to stay with me until you can find a new roommate or whatever.”
I fist the key and press my knuckles into his chest. “Hold up. Are you asking me to move in with you?”
His cheeks fill with colour. “It would be weird for my wife not to live with me, right?”
“Depends who you ask.”
“Then yes, I’m asking you to move in with me.”
“Because you don’t want me to be alone?”
His eyes slowly trace my features, as if trying to commit them to memory. “That, and it would mean we would never have to worry about spending nights alone.”
Heaven. “In that case, I’ll need a couple days to pack some of my stuff. Iamallowed to bring my things, right?”
“No, you can only have what’s already there,” he says, deadpan.
