“You scared me. I thought you were upstairs.” She dropped the clutch into her overnight bag and locked her hands over her hips.
He’d changed while he was up there. He was in a fresh pair of jeans and a snug-fitting black T-shirt. “I was. Now I’m down here.”
Because that’s everyday conversation for you.
He closed the distance between them while Kelsey mashed her lips together. There was no reason this had to feel awkward. She’d been alone with him countless times since this rehab started. She’d told him she loved him. He’d admitted to coming here for her—that still rocked her brain whenever she thought about it. And in some phenomenal make-out sessions, they’d done about everything under the sun. Just about.
But not everything.
He stopped two feet in front of her. The intensity in his brown eyes made her melt like coconut oil in a warm patch of sunlight.
“Look, if you’re thinking of kissing me, you should do it, because I’m really close to sliding into panic mode, and if I do that, I’m going to sweat and—”
Kurt held up a finger, a smile playing on his lips. “Do you remember what you said last night about our first picture together?”
She swallowed and prayed her throat didn’t dry up. “Yes.”
“This house. I had heard about people feeling like a place was made for them, but never understood it. That wasn’t the desert for me, or the jungle, or the post. But this house… When I’m here, I don’t feel like a puzzle piece that will never fit in. When I’m with you, that rings even more true.”
Kelsey’s nervousness thundered away.
“So,” he continued, “I’m hoping you’ll come upstairs with me. There’s something I want to show you.”
“Yeah. Sure. Of course.”
He took her hand, entwining his fingers with hers.
They passed Frankie’s room first. He was sitting by his stair gate and whined softly. Kurt stopped to rub him on top of his head. “Not tonight, boy.” Kelsey wondered what that meant, if they had some special evening routine when Kurt was here alone.
Next was Pepper’s room. She was in her whelping box, and Mr. Longtail was sprawled atop the empty bed. He’d been eyeing the puppies with disdain half the day. Thankfully, Pepper didn’t seem to care. Several of the puppies were nursing, while others were curled into a tangled mess of noses, tails, and legs.
The third room was Kurt’s. His door was closed, and he paused outside it.
“To be clear, if you’re about to tell me you found another dog who’s about to go into all-night labor, I’ll probably start crying.”
His forehead knotted together ever so slightly. “I’m not, but if you’re really that tired, we don’t have to open this door. Not tonight. Or we can open it and I can tuck you into bed and I can head to the couch—”
Kelsey giggled and pressed a finger against his lips. “It was a bad joke. I’m sorry. I’m still a tad nervous.”
He lifted her finger an inch or two away from his mouth and ran his thumbs over her palm. He pressed his lips against it, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. Then he slid his mouth down her wrist and along her arm. Just before reaching her elbow, he moved to the hollow of her neck and up her chin. Her legs threatened to buckle underneath her before his lips met hers.
The last of her nervousness melted away. She savored the sensation of his kiss, of his touch, of his body pressing against her.
The temperature of her blood rose from nervous cool to toasty warm.
He swung the door open, and the soft flicker of candlelight caught Kelsey’s attention. Kurt’s room was aglow with candles. Stunned, she stepped inside. She’d glimpsed this room several times before, and it was always as plain and ordinary as when the house had been donated to the shelter. Tonight, there was a strand of rope lighting along the rim of the headboard and half-a-dozen fluffy pillows and an inviting down comforter covering the bed. And petals.
Kurt Crawford had sprinkled rose petals over the bed. There was a vase of flowers on the nightstand. Beside them, a bottle of champagne was chilling. There were also two delicate glasses and a plate of bakery-fresh chocolate chip cookies.
“It’s perfect. When did you have time to do this?”
“When you napped and in bits and pieces throughout the day.”
“You didn’t have to, but I love it. It’s perfect. I’m glad last night didn’t happen. I was glad even before I saw this.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
She shook her head, taking it all in. “Everything’s so beautiful that I don’t want to mess it up.”
“Trust me. I’m really looking forward to messing it up.”
Kelsey lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face into his chest. “Sometimes I can’t believe you’re real.”
He locked one arm around her waist and lifted her chin with his other hand. His kiss was soft, unhurried. She savored the feel of his lips, strong and soft at the same time, against hers. “I hope you believe me when I say I feel the same way. You’re everything I never thought I could have.”
She slipped her hands underneath his shirt and ran the tips of her fingers along his torso, appreciating the individual muscles that lined his chest, back, and stomach. With her thumbs, she traced the V defining his lower abdomen until it disappeared into his jeans. As the kiss grew in intensity like a fire with fresh tinder and plenty of air, her blood flowed faster, tingling the tips of her fingers and toes.
The last of her tension melted away. She stepped back and slipped out of her shirt, shoes, and jeans, feeling emboldened and beautiful in the flickering light and by the way he was looking at her.
She loved him in every
