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“Do you like tea parties?” he asked after a minute.
My heart went soft all over again at the thought of one day meeting his adorable little girls. “Yes, especially on Saturn. Do you like dogs?”
His laugh came out low and gentle. “Yes, especially pugs named Shatner.”
“Then I think we’re all set.” I pulled his face down to mine to kiss him again. I never wanted to stop kissing him and talking to him and just being with him. I wantedhim, for years and years.
“Are you certain?” he asked softly.
I stood on tiptoes to look him straight in the eye. “Nothing is ever one hundred percent certain, but I’m sure this is worth the risk.”
epilogue
One year later
The delicious smellof Belgian waffles filled the house, all warm and sweet and cozy. Any minute now, Duncan would wander downstairs to see what I was up to, so I had to work fast. He rarely slept in—if this had been a girls’ weekend, they would have ensured he was up long ago—and I hoped to surprise him with a little celebration before we set off to explore a castle this afternoon. I’d sugared a bowl of strawberries and just pulled the melted chocolate from the double boiler when I heard footsteps on the stairs.
These feet took their time, alternating steps in a steady cadence. My guy still had a lot of energy left in him, but he treated the stairs with care. He was getting up there in years, after all.
As soon as Shatner reached the first level, he bounded over to me, curly tail wagging.
“Good morning, my sweet little guy.” I stroked his forehead and kept my voice low in an attempt to keep Duncan unaware of my plan for as long as possible. “Your breakfast’s in your bowl.”
Shatner sat at my feet, using his cloudy brown eyes on me like the world’s most powerful hypnotist. He wasn’t about to settle for dry kibble when special waffles were on the menu. I couldn’t blame him.
“Like you’re not going to get a bite.”
The tip of his pink tongue peeked out. He knew he was spoiled rotten.
I went back to my breakfast preparation, and pulled the waffle from the iron. I got out the tray and set to plating up strawberry waffles with chocolate sauce. My drizzle technique wasn’t elegant, but chocolate really only had to taste good.
“What are you—”
I shrieked, heart pounding, as I spun to face Duncan. I must have been too focused on getting the chocolate just right to hear him come downstairs.
His mouth tilted to the side. “Doing?” he finished.
He looked past me to the food on the kitchen counter, his eyes brightening as he took in the scene. Meanwhile, my eyes were glued to him. He stood there in a black T-shirt and blue athletic shorts, barefoot on the cherry hardwoods, and he still managed to look like he’d stepped right out of one of my romance novels.
One with a slightly older, take-charge home remodeler who swept unsuspecting women off their feet on whirlwind tours through Scotland. My very favorite kind of romance hero.
“I made you breakfast in bed.” I met him in the middle of the kitchen, our hands going to each other’s waists automatically. “Well, it was going to be in bed. We can eat at the table.”
“Oh no, we’re going back to bed.”
He leaned down and kissed me, letting his hands travel along my back and up into my hair. He set me on fire with his attentions—his sizzling kisses were the best way to start my day. I nestled against him, calculating whether we had time for anything more before the waffles went completely cold.
We didn’t—but that wouldn’t stop us.
Shatner’s whining finally broke us apart. We held onto each other but looked down at my old pug who really didn’t like all this unnecessary waiting.
“He’s upset about delayed waffle gratification,” I said.
“I don’t like delayed gratification, either.”
I moved both my hands to the back of his neck and stroked the stubble on his head. “That’s hardly ever a problem. You usually get what you want, don’t you?”
He snuggled me closer. “I don’t have much more I could want now.”
