Page 82 of Wild Dreams

"Any chance you'll let me take you to my place? I have something I want to show you."

"I guess." I was a little confused because he'd told his officer I was his girl. I wanted to ask what was going on, but I didn't.

At my house, he held his hand out for my keys and went inside. He came out with Oakley and some of his things, a bed, and food.

"I don't know where you live," I said as he pulled onto the street again.

Chance flashed me a smile. "I wanted to show it to you."

Was this some belated chance to prove to me that he wasn't keeping me out of the most important part his life? It felt a little late.

I experienced a mix of emotions. Leftover adrenaline from the accident, pain from the way he'd ignored me the last couple of weeks, and elation that he was here now. I intended to maintain a neutral position. I wasn't sure what this was about and until I did, I'd be cautious.

He pulled into a tree-lined driveway.

"You put lights on your trees?" White lights wrapped around the base of each one, creating a warm, welcoming effect.

"I did it recently." He glanced over at me.

"Mmm," I said, unable to bring myself to draw any conclusions about this new development. The Chance I knew didn't have time for decorating or even spending much time at his house. He was too busy being everything the town needed him to be to do anything for himself.

He parked in front of the house, not bothering to pull into the garage. The traditional-looking house was decorated with white lights, and a tree stood prominently in the window.

"When did you have time to do this?"

"I spent a lot of time during the last couple of weeks thinking."

"About?" I asked, still dubious that reconsidering our relationship was a good idea.

"What I want out of life."

"Oh?" I wasn't going to make this easy for him.

Chance nodded grimly. "Let's go inside. You must be in pain."

That concern melted my heart. Chance had always been a good guy. The only negative was that he didn't think he could have me.

I got out while he let Oakley out and grabbed his things. Oakley was pulling on the leash, wanting to smell the new scents.

"I don't have a fence. I'll need to get one."

I frowned. Why would that be necessary? We weren't dating.

He unlocked the door, pushing it open so I could precede them inside. The floors were a dark wood. There was a staircase in front of me to the second floor, a living room to the right, and a family room to the left. He led me down the hallway toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was large with gray cabinets and white countertops. It was a beautiful space that looked rarely used. There was even a centerpiece on the counter filled with white and gold ornaments.

"What am I doing here, Chance?" I forced myself to sound cold and distant.

"Let me draw you a bath." He didn't wait for an answer, just unclipped Oakley and led the way up the stairs to the master bedroom at the end of the hall. He immediately walked into the en suite bathroom and turned on the water.

The room was huge with double sinks, a large shower with multiple shower heads, and a free-standing tub.

He sprinkled bubble bath into the tub. "Why don't you get in? I'll grab some water and pain medicine."

When he walked out of the room, I undressed and sank into the warm water. I didn't have a tub like this in my place. I closed my eyes and let myself sink deeper into the water, allowing the water to soothe my aching muscles.

By the time he returned with a glass of water and two pills, I was relaxed, the stress of the accident melting away.

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