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“Okay,” she whispered and drew in a breath as his hold eased.
It was just past twelve when Trey walked through the door. It was the light of her day. She sat up and smiled, watching his gaze soften, looking between her and Sal.
Sal tapped her on her leg. “I’ll call John to come pick me up.”
“Or?” Trey folded his arms. “You can stay in the spare.”
Dahlia straightened. “You should stay, Sal. It’s late. And we can all have breakfast together in the morning.”
Sal smiled, looking over at Dahlia. “How can I turn down that offer?” He pushed up from the couch. She expected him to circle around, but Sal surprised her and moved toward her. He leaned down, grasped the edge of the couch, and pressed his lips against her forehead, then cupped her cheek, smiling.
“You sleep good, my girl.”
“I will.”
Sal smiled and straightened, rounding the edge of the couch. As he passed Trey, he gripped his shoulder in a tight squeeze before retreating down the hall.
Trey walked over, grasping the edge of the couch and leaning in, taking her for a kiss. She cupped his jaw, pulling him closer. But Trey pulled back and then took a seat beside her, resting his hand over her knee.
“How are you feeling?”
Trey gave her the perfect opening to continue her daily request.
“Much better. I’m ready to go back to work.”
He furrowed his brows. “No.”
“Yes.” She sat up. “I’ve been out for two weeks. I’m fully recovered. I want to come back to the Bowery.”
Trey dragged his hand over his face, sighing. “We’ll talk about it next week.”
Dahlia understood where his concern was coming from. Trey loved her and wanted to take care of her and keep her safe. But life had to move on. She still struggled with nightmares, and every so often, she felt a wave of fear wash over her at the most random times. Usually, it was when she was by herself. Dahlia was convinced she had too much down time to think. She needed to get back to her real life.
She squinted. “That’s what you said last week.”
“You need time.”
“No.” She cocked her head. “I need to get back to my routine, which means working. I’m fully recovered. I have been for the last week. I want to come back to work, Trey.”
Trey cocked his head, and she knew exactly what he was going to say. “One more week.”
“No. Either I come in tomorrow, or I start looking for a new job.”
His gaze darkened, and he growled. “Dahlia.”
Dahlia refused to back down. She had taken the time, not refusing her rest, but she was ready to go back. She opted for another tactic. She pressed her hands against his thighs and leaned closer, brushing her lips against his cheek to his ear.
“I miss fucking around with my boss in his office.”
His chest rumbled as he chuckled. Dahlia sat back but stayed close, and smiled.
“Please, Trey. I need everything to go back to normal.”
His jaw squared, and he stared off across the room. “One condition.”
Anything!
“Name it.”
