Page 68 of Reclaimed

“Can I go in?”

I run my tongue over my lower lip. “Of course you can,” I rasp. I’ve never had a woman in my bedroom and the one about to cross the threshold is the only one I want to step foot in there. Ever, if I have my way.

A little squeal leaves her mouth. The latch is loud as she twists the knob and pushes open the door.

“Ooh,” she praises. “Now this looks comfortable.”

I step up to the doorway and lean my shoulder on the jamb. My heart hammers hard at the sight of her in my personal space.

The room is large compared to the rest of the house. It takes up the entire back third. Two large windows stream sunlight in through white, gauzy curtains on a black curtain rod. The walls are a dark gothic green, and the same hardwood running throughout the rest of the house covers the floor.

She runs her hand along my light gray duvet. “I love it in here.” Her skirt billows as she turns. “Why aren’t we staying here?”

My careful mask slips. “What?”

“Your house is way bigger. You should have said something instead of sleeping all those nights on my couch.”

“You want to stay here?”

Visions of Isla twisted in my bedsheets manifest in my head.

“Why not?”

“I didn’t know if you’d agree to date me. I wasn’t about to push it by forcing you to move in with me too.”

The casual way she shrugs trips my heart. “You moved in with me, so it isn’t much different.”

I forgot in the chaos of the last few weeks how down-to-earth she is. Isla’s always been a free spirit. Going with the flow is second nature to her. She makes decisions as they come to her and not a moment sooner. My mistake was not asking in the first place.

“Do you want to stay here, starshine?”

My pulse thunders as I wait for her answer.

18

Aiden

Keys rattlein the door and the alarm panel beeps slowly. At the sound of the code being keyed in, I scramble up to gather the trash littering the floor and head out to the living room. Each step drawing me closer has me fighting to keep my pulse under control.

“How’d it go?”

Isla kicks off her shoes and hangs her keys on the hook by the door. Juniper pets Chevy twining between her feet.

“Manny wasn’t too happy, but I did it,” Isla says. She just returned from putting in her two weeks’ notice. The second week in November will be her final shift. The timing couldn’t be better. We’re about to start getting snow, and not having to drive all the way to the club during the winter while she’s pregnant will be one stress we can take off the table.

“I think it went okay.” Juniper rises with my cat in her arms. “God, I love this little guy.”

His loud purr fills the room.

“I still can’t believe you don’t have a dog.” Isla moves into my side and plants a convincing kiss on the underside of my jaw. A hot flush hits my cheeks.

“The cat distribution system reached out first. If the dog distribution system ever gets in touch, I won’t say no.” I squeeze Isla’s hip.

“Your family runs the dog distribution system. I’m pretty sure you can take your pick.” Juniper rolls her eyes.

Forcing my gaze away from Isla’s is a difficult endeavor. “That’s not how the distribution system works. The pet picks you.”

“So you’re saying that if I believe in good conscience that a dog chose me, I can just show up with it and you won’t kick it out?” Isla bats her lashes up at me.

---