Page 89 of Captivating Anika

Luckily, Anika doesn’t seem too upset. The offending dog has found its way onto her lap and is watching me with big innocent eyes.

“It’s toast,” I tell her, showing her the damage.

“Garbage it. It’ll teach us to close the door to the laundry room.”

“And the bathroom and the bedroom,” I add. “I have a feeling one closed door isn’t gonna stop this one.”

Zeke has already shown himself to be the more adventurous one.

After tossing the bra in the trash can under the sink, I head over to the laundry room. As I’m pulling the door shut, I notice the basket on the floor, piled high with the laundry Anika started this morning. I’d been collecting my dirty clothes in a plastic bag and had planned to do a load myself, but apparently Anika did mine along with hers.

My functional socks and boxers are now mixed in with her delicate lingerie. Oddly enough, they don’t look out of place. The basket looks balanced.

I walk into the living room and stop in front of the couch.

“I have a house I haven’t even spent one night at. I haven’t sat on my couch to watch a game or a movie, and I miss my king-sized bed.”

I take a breath and sit down on the coffee table, leaning forward to pick up one of her feet. Something I’ve come to learn about Anika is she loves foot rubs. It seems to relax her, and she looks like she might need to get rid of some tension right now.

“But I don’t want to be there,” I finish my thought, pressing my thumbs into the arch of her foot, before moving to the next one. “Also, I talked to my chief last week and he tells me Cap is retiring in September. He wants me to put in for captain and I’ve been thinking about it. Same shifts, but less physically demanding. I’d be managing a scene rather than working it. It would also mean an increase in pay. Not that I need it right now, I’m in pretty good shape and once the transfer of the farm is complete, I’ll have a nice additional chunk of change. But it would be nice to have a bit of extra money coming in from month to month. Reliable, you know?”

Anika’s expression went from tense to bewildered.

“That sounds great.”

Her comment almost sounds like a question rather than a statement.

“Right, all that is to say, moving forward, if at any time and for whatever reason there’s a need or a desire for you to cut down on your hours or even take a step back from the salon, money won’t have to be a deterrent.”

“Noah? I’m not quite sure what it is you’re telling me.”

I thought I spelled it all out pretty clearly, but apparently not. Maybe if I recap.

“I like seeing my laundry mixed with yours and, although I’d prefer my bed—it’s bigger—I like living here, with you. Taking on the captain’s job would mean better job security, good medical insurance, and less risk of me getting injured on the job. What I bring in is enough to carry a family, if need be, which means you wouldn’t have to carry the burden of financial stability by yourself.”

When she stays silent, biting her lips, I feel a brief moment of panic. Wondering if I’m pushing too hard.

“Look, it’s just thoughts, for now,” I scramble to leave a little breathing room.

She pulls her foot from my hold and off my lap, and leans forward.

“You’re saying you want to move in with me, have a future with me, and I’d be on board with that, but I must have missed the part that usually leads up to all that.”

It takes me only a moment to figure out what the hell she’s talking about.

I stand and pull her up as well, put my hands on either side of her neck, and bend my head until our noses touch. When I look into her amber eyes, they’re dancing with emotion.

“I love you. Have for a while.”

I brush at a single tear rolling down her cheek.

“I didn’t grow up with those words. Wasn’t raised using them, so you may have to remind me from time to time if you need to hear them.”

“I can do that,” she whispers.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Hog

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