Page 157 of Interference

He studied me for a few seconds, and then his expression softened. “I’d… Yeah. I’d love to. I like this, too.” He paused. “But I also don’t want you to feel like you have to take me along, you know? We can find a way to do it long-distance.”

“We can. But like… we already have to spend so much time apart because of my job. Maybe it’s a little selfish, but I want to spend my time at home with you.” I winced. “Okay, that sounded better in my head than it did out loud. I don’t want you at my beck and call, or trapped with me, and I don’t want to pull you away from your family, especially right now. If we end up on the other side of the country or something, I’ll make sure you can spend as much time as you need to in Portland, too.” I touched his face. “I just want to be with you. So we can give this a real try, you know?”

His smile made my toes curl. “I hear you. And… yeah. I want to give this a real try, too.”

“So… take it a day at a time?” I caressed his cheek. “See where things go?”

“Sounds perfect to me.” He kissed me softly. God, I was so hooked on the way he kissed. Hell, I was hooked on him. Whatever happened in the future, wherever my career sent me, I was doing everything I could to make this man happy.

Wyatt broke the kiss and grinned. “We can start that one day at a time thing with tonight and getting your mind off everything.”

“I’m game. What are you thinking?”

He pretended to give it some serious thought. “Why don’t we go order some unhealthy food, pour ourselves too much wine, and see what’s on Netflix?”

That sounded absolutely amazing to me.

As the sun rose and poked its way through my bedroom blinds, my world was still full of chaos and uncertainty. The Seattle Bobcats front office had been radio silent since yesterday’s meeting. I hadn’t heard a word from Simon since I’d booted him out. I was steadfastly avoiding the articles that were now spreading like wildfire thanks to Cole Tandy’s exposé.

Here in this room, though, everything was quiet and peaceful. I’d woken up with my arm slung over Moose and his head on the pillow next to mine. Wyatt’s body heat warmed my back; he too was on his side, probably with Lily curled against his chest like Moose was against mine. Judging by my inability to move my leg, Bear was in his usual place at the foot of the bed.

I closed my eyes and petted Moose, and it wasn’t long before he was purring, the deep rumble soothing my soul.

Wyatt and I hadn’t ended up getting too shitfaced last night, so my head only vaguely throbbed. I could live with that. In fact, I felt pretty damn good.

Yeah, there was chaos and uncertainty outside, but I was warm in my bed with my cats and the sweetest, gentlest man I’d ever met. Wherever my career sent me, whatever flux my life and career were in now, I felt anchored here with Wyatt, Lily, and the cats. The five of us could do exactly what we were doing anywhere else. A hotel. An apartment. A condo. A house. Somewhere in the U.S. Somewhere in Canada.

In that moment, no matter what came next, I was sure I’d be okay.

Beside me, Wyatt stirred. Lily’s tail thumped on the mattress. Then she jumped down and he muttered, “Mmkay. Gimme a sec.”

I didn’t think he and Lily were gone long, but it turned out to be long enough for me to start drifting off again. I awoke as Moose and Bear were situating themselves on Wyatt’s side of the bed. Moose parked himself on the pillow, and Bear stretched out as if he wanted to occupy as much of the warm sheets as he could.

When Wyatt saw this arrangement, he smirked, then rolled his eyes. “Um, can I have some room?”

They just looked at him and didn’t move.

I chuckled and reached for the nightstand. One crinkle of the treat bag, and they were both climbing over me, purring as they swatted at the bag. I tossed a couple of treats on the floor, and they leaped down to find them while I put the bag back in the drawer.

Wyatt slid up behind me and kissed my neck. In a cheesy voice, he asked, “Anything in that drawer for me?”

I snorted. “Uh-huh. Maybe later.”

“Fair enough.” He rolled onto his back, and when I turned over, he pulled me up against him. I closed my eyes as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I rested my head on his chest. Absently stroking my arm with his fingertips, he asked, “Did you sleep okay?”

“Better than I thought I would.”

“Good.” He kissed the top of my head. “I know sex and wine don’t solve anything, but…”

“No, they don’t.” I cuddled closer to him. “But they felt good, and so does this. I’ll deal with the rest when it comes.”

There was still a knot of apprehension in my stomach because a huge part of my life was still up in the air. But right here, right now, I felt better than I’d thought I was capable of feeling less than twenty-four hours ago.

We were both starting to drift off again when a familiar ringtone had me wide awake.

Wyatt tensed beside me. “What?”

I swallowed. “That’s my agent.” I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and sat up against the headboard. With my heart in my throat, I answered, “Hey.”

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