Page 99 of Deck the Fire Halls

Hamish gave my arm a squeeze. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said softly.

Okay, so maybe he did know.

I met his gaze and nodded. “Me too.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

SOREN

I normally didn’t mindthe graveyard shift. I’d done it so many times, I was used to it. In fact, I didn’t mind quiet hours of uninterrupted reading time. When and if there was any emergency, I liked being right freaking there to put out the call.

I’d originally thought a few days apart would do Rob and me some good, but no. I was miserable.

These last three nights were long, lonely, and I kept thinking of Rob being asleep alone in his bed.

Well, the first two weren’t so bad, but the last night had damn near killed me.

I missed Rob.

It was pitiful, but I didn’t care.

Instead of going home, I walked up and knocked on Rob’s door. He opened it, still half-asleep, tying the belt to his robe, and clearly annoyed at being woken up.

Until he saw it was me.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

I stepped inside and collected him in a bear hug, holding him so tight I almost lifted him off his feet. “It is now,” I mumbled into his neck.

And we just hugged. It wasn’t sexual, never even looked that way. It was just... soul-fixing good.

But the next day, after I’d spent the day sleeping, I found a note had been slid under my front door.

Just a folded piece of note paper. I opened it.

I miss you.

Rob xx

My heart almost burst and I laughed out loud. Then before I left for my shift, I knocked on his door again. It really was so much easier when I finished at midnight and he’d leave the door unlocked...

This time he’d opened the door, maybe expecting it to be me, and he laughed when I collected him in a hug and spun him around. I was dressed for work, but I was early.

“Have you eaten?” he asked. “Can I get you any dinner?”

“No,” I said, taking hold of his face and kissing him. “I have two hours before Doug comes looking for me.”

He grinned. “Two hours, huh?” He pulled me into his room. “We won’t need that long.”

Oh boy, it was sexual that time.

The next day there was another note.

Text me if you want me to leave my door unlocked.

Rob xx

Oh, hell yes I did.

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