Page 79 of Scoop Me Up
“Sure,” I said, my tone skeptical.
Sam stuffed a hand into their pocket and withdrew a key, which they slid into the lock on the doorknob. A moment later, they swung the door open and held an arm out. “After you.”
“Please tell me you don’t expect us to wait out the storm in this dusty old apartment.”
They laughed again and shook their head. “Fine, I’ll lead the way.”
I followed Sam up the stairs, stopping when we reached the top. Sam stepped into the apartment, and held their arm out again, gesturing around. “Surprise.”
The apartment wasn’t the dusty, run-down place it had been when Sam had first leased the building. My breath caught in my throat. It was beautiful, better than I could’ve imagined. Everything was new—floors, paint, furniture, appliances. “Did… did the owner arrange this?”
Sam grinned and nodded. “The new owner wanted it done so they made it happen. They apparently told Miles there was no point in restoring the shop if we weren’t going to do the apartment at the same time.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I murmured.
“I didn’t want to get my hopes up. It was a decision that we made later in the process. And I didn’t want to make it a big deal.” They bit their bottom lip again. “There’s just one thing.”
“What’s that?”
Sam shifted from one foot to the other and then back again. “There are two bedrooms here. I don’tneedboth, especially since the shop has an office of its own. If you want… you could have the other one.” When I didn’t answer immediately, Sam rushed on. “You don’t have to. I know you have Miles helpingyou find your own place. I just thought you might, I don’t know… want to move in with me?”
My breath caught in my throat. It felt too good to be true. Sam loved meandwanted me to move in with them. I laughed a little nervously. “I’d love that.”
“You don’t think we’re moving too fast, do you?”
I shook my head. “Who cares? As long as it makes us both happy, there’s no timeline to follow. I do have one condition though.”
Sam's eyebrows shot up. “Yeah?”
“I’m not staying in the second bedroom. If we’re going to live together, I want to wake up to you in my arms every day.”
They nodded slowly. “I think that can be arranged.”
Chapter 31
Sam
I pulled Gabe to me and we kissed deeply for several long moments before breaking apart.
“Show me around?”
I laughed a little. “Not much to see.”
He shrugged and kissed me quickly. “Show me anyway.” His voice was low, his tone suggestive.
“Oh. Definitely. Right this way.” I led Gabe down the hallway toward the bedrooms. I took him into what I’d planned to be his bedroom first. “I guess this is the guest room.”
“Or an office.”
“Or an office,” I echoed. “Or… a room for Ellie?”
Gabe’s face lit up. “That sounds perfect.”
A few steps farther down the hallway, past a shared bathroom, was the primary bedroom. I’d already set up a bed and a few other things—dresser, nightstand—but it was pretty spare otherwise. “And this isourbedroom.”
Gabe nodded and stepped inside, pulling me along with him. “Now you’re talking.” He pulled me closer, backing into theroom until the bed stopped him, and perched on the edge of the mattress. “The owner bought a bed? How considerate.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I had the frame in storage, and I arranged for a new mattress to be delivered just this week. I wanted to make it feel like home immediately.”
