Page 23 of Sweet Passions at Bayside
“I’ll drive you around and show you the most likely places where you’ll get clients, if you’d like.”
“Don’t you have to work?”
“Let me worry about that.” There were perks to being his own boss, and one of them was taking as much time as he wanted with Emery.
She relaxed against his lap again, and they watched the rest of the episode in silence. When it came to an end, he noticed that Emery’s eyes were nearly closed. Moving slowly, so as not to jostle her, he used the remote to turn off the television.
She started. “Hey!”
Tango lifted his head. Cash opened one eye, watching them as if they bored him.
“You’re half asleep, doll. We can watch tomorrow.”
“I amnot.” She sat up, blinking excessively, as if that would make her appear less exhausted. Tango and Cash repositioned themselves, watching Emery. Tango patted her leg with his paw. Emery stroked his head and said, “We can’t stop now. The very definition of binge-watching is to watch so many episodes your eyes cross.”
He chuckled. How many times had she nearly fallen asleep while they were Skyping and watching movies, only to get upset when he suggested they end the call so she could go to bed? She was a funny one, this sweet, feisty woman he adored.
“Okay,” he agreed. “One more episode, but you need to lie down before you fall over.” He set a pillow on his lap and patted it.
“Twomore episodes,” she said rebelliously, and lay down on her side with her head on the pillow. He covered her with a throw blanket from the back of the couch, and she wiggled closer, sighing as the kitties curled up beside her. “Why can’t dates be just likethis? It’s perfect.”
They can bewas on the tip of his tongue. But Emery had just moved into his guest room, she was coming off a bad date,andshe was half asleep. Now was not the time for him to bare his soul. Instead, he ran his hand along her back, trying to think of an innocuous response that would comfort her. He was pretty sure telling her she was dating jerks was the wrong thing to say. He tried to concentrate on the show, but his brain wasn’t on board with the plan. He couldn’t silence the debate going on in his head between telling her how he felt and risking it all, or letting it ride for…what?Another day? A week? A month?The thought killed him.
She made a dreamy sound and wrapped her arms around his legs, hugging them tight. Hope climbed up his chest. Maybe she already knew how he felt. He leaned forward so he could see her face—and she wasfast asleep. For some reason that warmed him to his core.
He stroked her hair, glad she’d finally allowed herself to rest. He let her sleep, listening to the even cadence of her breathing and reveling in how nice it felt to be together, even if only as friends.For now.
Afraid to wake her, he left the television on, and after the episode ended, he lifted her into his arms. She wound her arms around his neck in her sleep. He carried her through the dark house to her bedroom with Tango and Cash by his side. Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating her luggage and the piles of clothes still littering her bed.
“Only you, doll,” he whispered with a smile, and carried her to his bedroom.
He pulled the covers back and laid her in his bed. She made another sleepy noise as he pulled his blankets up around her. Cash jumped onto the bed and curled up behind her, and Tango followed.
Dean wanted to be next in line, but he knew better. Instead, he brushed a kiss over Emery’s forehead and whispered, “Night, doll. Sleep well.”
“Love you, Dean” came out breathy and slow, the way it often did when they ended their phone calls, but hearing it in person hit him square in the center of his chest.
He stilled, his heart hammering as he searched her face. But her eyelids didn’t flutter, and her lips didn’t curve up in a smile. She’d said it in her sleep.
He scrubbed a hand down his face, telling himself to get a grip, and quietly collected running clothes for the morning. He’d need a long run after what was sure to be a sleepless night knowing she was just a few feet awayin his bed. This wasn’t quite how he’d pictured it in his fantasies. He closed the curtains and took one last, adoring look at Emery before heading out to the couch for the night.
Chapter Six
EMERY AWOKE TO the feel of gentle vibrations against her belly and found Tango curled up beside her, purring like his little life depended on it. She blinked away the haze of sleep, the scent ofDeansurrounding her like an embrace. She turned her nose into the pillow and inhaled.
Mm. Dean.
Her eyes flew open wider.Holy cow! Dean!
She bolted upright, and Tango darted out of the room. Emery pulled the soft brown blanket up to her chest, scanning the bedroom as her mind traveled back to last night, when she must have fallen asleep on his lap. She was still dressed and obviously hadn’t been drunk last night, so they definitely hadn’t hooked up. But why was she in his bed?
Her gaze crawled over the rustic wooden headboard, to the timbers that trimmed the doorframe and cathedral ceiling. A cat’s toy sat in the center of a black leather chair in the corner of the room. The far wall was home to a single heavy wooden dresser, and the windows were draped in caramel-colored curtains and flanked by heavy granite planters with lush greenery spilling over the sides. Simple lines, no clutter, masculine.Perfectly Dean.
She pushed from the bed, burying her toes in the dark throw rug sneaking out from beneath the bed. A few steps later her feet met hardwood, and she went in search of him, stopping cold at the sight of his big body sprawled out on the too-small couch. He lay on his back wearing only the gym shorts he’d worn last night. The material was bunched up at the top of his thighs, makingeverythinglook even more impressive.
Wow. Violet wasn’t kidding…
She forced her eyes away from the land of temptation to the sleeping kitty cradled in his arm. Dean’s other arm hung off the edge of the couch, the back of his fingers grazing the floor. She glanced across the cottage to her messy bed. Her heart squeezed.Instead of waking me up or moving my things, you gave me your bed.He was a gentleman to the bone.
