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“It’s our house.”
Our house.The use of those two words together sends sparks of warmth into my belly because we are a we.
“But—”
“No buts, no fighting me on this. It’s ours, just like you are mine and I am yours.” He takes the brochure from me, places it on my bedside table and pulls me up to standing, wrapping his hands around my face. Our naked bodies brush against each other, skin caressing skin in the most primal way. “Do you want me to tell you about the plans I have for that place?”
“Plans?”
He nods. “It has land that we can use for animals. I thought the stables could be converted into pens like you have at the shelter, or it could become an extension of Paw Prints. I’ve already filed paperwork to officially adopt Jelly and Mouse because I know they’d both love that place.”
I have to bite my cheek to stop the whoosh of tears threatening to burst free, but it’s completely futile because the way this man is makes me feel so whole… I don’t know how I ever existed before him. “Baby,” I say. “It’s too much.”
“Nothing is too much for us. We’ve got our whole lives to plan adventures, and this is our first one, together.”
Another tear falls free as I smile, looking up at my forever guy. “Let’s go have some fun then, husband.”
Epilogue
Zoey - Four years later
Kids’parties.They’reanew form of hell that I didn’t know existed. Probably because Harrison and I don’t usually attend them. Every year up until now, with his nieces, we’ve managed to avoid the kids’ party. This year though, there was no avoiding it. Poppy, Jess and Liam’s little girl did one pouty look at Harrison, and he was putty in her hands. Honestly,mypout doesn’t work on him, but any other female in his life? He bends over backwards as soon as they stick out a lip.
“Zo, would you grab the lemonade?” Jess calls as she sets up a table filled with snacks to make the kids even loopier than they are.
Poppy spins around in circles, her princess dress puffing out as she falls to the floor in heaps of giggles.
I turn to Harrison and lower my voice. “Is giving the kidsmoresugar a good idea?”
He huffs a laugh. “In my experience, sugar and kids equals chaos, but who are we to say?”
He’s right, it will be chaos, but it’s chaos we can walk away from, so there’s that.
Walking over to the little kitchenette, I bend down to get the lemonade in the fridge when a loud thud startles me, and I almost drop the bottle. I still, wondering if it’ll happen again. “What the…” I mutter to myself after the second noise, my gaze sharply flicking around the room in case the ceiling falls on my head because that’s what it sounded like.
Moving my feet slowly, I set the bottle on the worktop and sidestep to stand in front of the pantry. Leaning forward, I press my ear to the door, a rhythmic sound echoes distantly as I step back, willing my pulse to slow.
What if there’s a bird stuck in there and it flies out at me? Oh god, what if it’s a rat? That would be worse. Or maybe it’s a magical portal that leads into a land full of shifters that are wolves and dragons and… yeah, okay, maybe I’m being dramatic. My imagination runs away with me when I’m terrified.
I squeeze my eyes closed, moving my hand to grip the handle and yank the door open along with my eyes.
Oh fuck.
I should’ve kept the door closed.
“Oh, my God!” Nora shrieks. “Zoey, close the door!!”
I’m stuck in place, staring at Grayson’s bare arse. That’s still moving in rhythm. Oh God, I’m just watching my best friends fuck in a pantry cupboard. What the fuck am I doing?
“Oh.” I fumble, whipping my head from left to right, unsure where I left the door. Grayson grunts and I panic more.Ahhh, make it stop!
“The fucking door, Zoey,” Nora yells, still being rammed by her boyfriend.
“Right.” I yelp, springing into action. There it is, the door attached to the doorframe. Fucking moron. I close it and my eyes, but a steady rhythmic thumping still plagues me, as does the image of Nora and Grayson having sex.
“Oh Jesus,” I whisper, forgetting all about the lemonade and running out. As I turn the corner, I smack into a hard chest. The familiar smell of freshly washed clothes and my favourite spicy scent floats around me.
“Woah, where’s the fire, sweetheart?”
