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Moose flops down next to me and props his head on my back.
“Did I hear your phone?” he asks. His body is hard, but his skin is soft. I can’t help but drag my hand up his stomach to rest it over his heart, his steadily beating heart.
“Yeah, but whoever it is can wait.”
His hand pauses for just a second, but then it continues.
“I bet it’s the plumber,” he says.
“That’s what I was thinking, too.”
Which means my reason for being here has come to an end, and although this makes me sad, at the same time, I don’t want to wear out my welcome. I know last night was a huge step in the right direction for us, and I don’t want to push my luck with him.
“So, do you have any New Year’s resolutions?” I ask, just needing him to talk to me for a little bit longer. This time his hand doesn’t stop as he considers my question.
“I haven’t really thought about it. I suppose I could come up with something. You?”
Do I say something bold? Do I tell him he is my resolution? Or do I keep the moment light? Truth is, I have no idea what he’s thinking when it comes to me, and I would hate to disrupt whatever this is.
“Not yet, but I’m definitely going to think of one or two. Last year, I went through this purging phase and redecorated my condo. I needed it to be cleaner and more minimalistic.”
“Let me guess, you bought all purple accessories,” he teases.
“No, not all purple. There might be some dark green and gold in there too.”
“Last year, I decided to buy the house. I needed a project too.”
“I love what you’ve done with it. It fits you perfectly. It’s homey, like the kind of house where you want to curl up and stay, and then at the same time you can see how much detail you put into different parts of it.”
His hand again pauses, he lets out a long breath, and he says, “Thanks.”
After another thirty minutes or so of the two of us just lying together in silence, Moose lets out a whine. Clay extends his arm from underneath me and reaches out to find him.
“I need to take him out,” he murmurs, which means our quiet snuggle time is over.
“Okay. Then I’ll go start the coffee pot.” I may have only been here for a few days, but one observation is that he loves coffee in the morning and usually drinks two cups.
I pull away, Moose moving as I slip out of the bed. Clay doesn’t stop me, and he doesn’t ask me to stay a little bit longer; instead he just watches me go. The hard edge he previously kept in his gaze toward me is finally gone. I’m thinking this little staycation with him has definitely been positive for us, and for that I’m internally fist-pumping a success.
When I walk into the great room, my eyes catch on the lake outside the windows. He really does have a spectacular view being a little higher up. The trees and the lake are covered in snow, and the sky is so blue. It’s the perfect first day of the year, and I easily spot my house. Happiness hits me in the chest knowing I’ll be able to see his house here, and just maybe he looks out at mine and thinks of me. There’s something comforting about being able to find the exact spot where you know someone you care about is.
In the bedroom, paws hit the floor, and Moose’s nails click excitedly as Clay gets up to take him out. I want to peek in there to see him all fresh out of bed, but I won’t.
Setting up the coffee pot is easy enough, the grounds sitting right next to it, but when I look for cups, I find he’s got them on the third shelf in the cabinet, over his everyday cups, and all I can do is glare at them. They are too high for me to reach.
Of course they are.
Moose trots out into the kitchen and stands next to me. He turns to see what I’m looking at then looks at me as if he sympathizes.Letting out a sigh, I put my hands on the counter, push up until I’m on it, and stand. It’s then that Clay walks out of the room and laughs.
I love that sound. He doesn’t laugh much anymore either, so it’s so nice to hear.
“What are you doing?” His gaze heats and travels over me as I’m standing here in nothing but his shirt and a pair of underwear.
“Only a giant would put usable cups up this high.” I point toward the coffee cups.
He just grins as he steps up behind me and reaches around to grab two. He places them on the counter then raises his brows at me.
My eyes narrow. “Showoff.”
