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“Maybe,” she said, her sly smile proof she didn’t believe me. “So, how long are you home?”
Not long enough.
“I fly back tomorrow.”
She picked at the hem of her dress, drawing the fabric above her bare knee. The frown on her face made my heart ache. “So little time.”
“I meant to be here earlier.”
“Weather,” she shrugged.
“It’s a bad time of year to fly into New England. I’d stay longer if I could.”
Smoothing out her dress and her frown, she exhaled. “Well, I’m glad you’re here, for however long you can stay. Besides, just one more week and you’ll be back, right?”
I held back a smile at the excitement in her voice. “Yep. You’ll have to come to Manchester with me for the gym opening, but then it’s just you, me, and Trashcan until Christmas.”
She raised an eyebrow at our dog’s name but didn’t counter, which almost felt like acceptance.
I pulled into the driveway, hopping out to help Nora up the stairs and inside. I kept my eyes off the clock, not wanting to count down the hours until I would be back at the airport, navigating the East Coast for a clear path to Chicago.
Nora released Trashcan from his crate. He pranced to me, butt wagging wildly and tongue hanging out of his mouth as he ineffectually tried to jump up to lick me.
“Hey, Trashcan, my man. Did you miss me?” I squatted down, accepting the wild licks and frantic tail smacking.
“He’s lost without you,” Nora said, grinning.
“What about you? Are lost without me?” I asked, enthusiasm and exhaustion mixing, letting questions I wouldn’t normally ask slip free.
Her eyes flitted to the ceiling before returning to meet mine. “Lonely, and maybe a little lost.”
“Me too.”
Nora sighed, poorly attempting to cover the smile threatening to envelop her face. “Are you tired?”
I shook my head, standing. “Not really. I slept on the flight.”
“Me neither,” she said with a shrug. “A movie?”
“Want to giveAn Affair to Rememberanother go?” I asked.
She nodded. “I’ve got some wine in the fridge. You want a glass?”
“Sure.”
Nora provided the wine while I started the movie. Trashcan dragged a bone into the living room, gnawing it loudly as Nora curled up beside me.
“Want to start at the beginning?” she asked, taking a sip and balancing the glass on her knee. The scent of honeysuckle overpowered the floral wine. I rested my chin on the top of her head, her knees tucked up on my lap.
“We have all night.” I resisted a tinge of sadness at the admission.
One night. Not nearly long enough.
“But only tonight,” she sighed. She tilted her head up, soft brown eyes locked on mine, beckoning me closer.
I didn’t wait for any more of an invitation. I pressed my lips against hers, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and pulling her close, overwhelmed by how right it felt to have her beside me.
Her body dissolved into mine, her lips soft and inviting. Her hands searched for purchase against my chest. She sighed, the low, throaty exhale making my body react. My heartbeat quickened, dick stirring, skin growing hot.
