And then she heard a bark.
“Victor? You brought Victor with you?” she called through the door.
“Maybe?” Lee answered, sounding guilty.
Wren turned the deadbolt and opened the door just a crack. Lee stood there holding Victor’s leash in one hand and a backpack in the other.
He raised a brow at her. “You’ll open the door for Victor, but not for— Wait, why are you crying?”
“I’m not crying,” she said evenly. It was true, technically. She’d stopped crying thirty seconds before.
Lee frowned and took a step forward, but Wren didn’t open the door wider. “Whywereyou crying?”
Wren quickly shook her head. “No, no, why are you here?”
For a moment, Lee watched her. And then for another, hewatchedher. Wren felt exposed under his gaze.
“IthoughtI needed to be here.” He leaned closer into her open door. “Now, IknowI need to be here.”
She found herself blinking. “Wh-why did you think you needed to be here?”
The intensity of his gaze didn’t waver, didn’t even flicker. “Because I wanted to sleep with you in my arms.”
Wren’s breath caught, and Lee pushed lightly against the door.
“And now IknowI need to be here becauseyouwant to sleep in my arms.”
Narrowing her eyes at him, Wren spoke clearly. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. Let me in.”
Slamming the door in his face wasn’t an option. Wren knew she didn’t have it in herself to do that, especially since she didn’t want him to leave. Sleeping in his arms sounded like the best thing in the world.
“Fine,” she said on a sigh.
The mix of relief and happiness on Lee’s face only made him that much more beautiful. Even if she was just putting off the inevitable by letting him stay, Wren had to admit that just looking at him now might make her eventual heartbreak worth it.
“Thank you,” Lee said softly, stepping in with Victor at his heels.
The puppy’s ears twitched when he spotted Agnes in the kitchen doorway, but the two had negotiated a tentative peace during the course of the day. Agnes had tolerated — and even enjoyed — his playfulness until she’d had enough, and one hiss or swipe-move had sent Victor scurrying, giving her the distance she desired. A few minutes would pass, and the cycle of play/hiss/flee would repeat itself.
Now, Agnes seemed to set the tone, lying down like a sphinx with her paws stretched in front of her and giving a yawn. Victor padded over, sniffed her once, and collapsed onto his side.
“Glad they’re getting along,” Lee murmured. Then he turned to her, taking in the sight of her. “My God. You look so adorable.”
Wren glanced down at herself. She’d hidden the nightgown and robe behind the door, and now he got the full view. She looked back and raised a brow.
“What do you mean? I’m wearing glasses, a cotton gown, and a house robe. I look frumpy.”
Lee crossed to her and brought his hands to her cheeks. He eased in and pressed his lips to hers, kissing once.
“Not frumpy. You look comfortable…” Another kiss. “…and soft…” And another. “…and inviting…” And another.
She put her hands against his chest. Heat came through the fabric of his shirt, and Wren could feel the contour of his pecs. The temptation to slip her hands under the hem of his tee was almost too much. But if she let him all the way in again, if they made love and he moved inside her and watched her fall apart again with those dark-washed blue eyes that seemed to see everything, her love would only dig itself deeper.
Pressing her palms against him, she looked up into his eyes. “You’re staying. We’resleeping.And that’s all.”
Lee nodded. “I’m staying. We’re sleeping. And that’s all I need.” He pulled away from her and tossed his backpack over his shoulder. “I’ll just go change.”