Chapter 16

16

ALLIE

* One Week Later *

Y ou know, Damon was right about that fire call last week. Luckily, it was just the corner of a garage, and he got to bump into some friends.

Meanwhile, I simply hung out at the local bookstore and bought a new paperback, then wandered to a café. It turned out to be a perfectly lovely afternoon. But then, up here on the mountain, almost every day is wonderful.

Walking around Tidy’s Department Store, I take a few minutes to straighten up the book section, then run a cloth over a shelf full of mugs and teapots.

I can’t believe that I was able to switch jobs so easily. But everyone at the diner completely understood that it wasn’t healthy for me to keep working there, and Gina gave me incredible references when I applied here. Now I sit on a stool and work cash when there are customers, and wander around the aisles dusting and straightening when there aren’t.

It’s a set schedule, with almost zero stress, and plenty of air conditioning. I haven’t had a single headache this week.

Whether that’s from the heatwave finally ending, or the constant mind-blowing orgasms, I don’t know, but I choose to believe that Damon is healing me from the inside out.

I turn toward the twinkling of the old-fashioned bell over the front door as Damon strides in, looking around. “Is there anyone here?”

“Not right now. But there are cameras, so?—”

He crushes me against him in a hug, kissing me as if he hasn’t seen me in days instead of mere hours. “Missed you, baby.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” I laugh, extricating myself.

He shrugs. “I’m running around on a bunch of small jobs today. By the way, I picked up a couple more bookshelves. Plus, I have the entire weekend open – you know, in case you wanted to make plans .” His eyebrows go up and down suggestively as my palms land in the center of his chest.

“Whatever could you possibly mean?”

Damon’s impatience wanting me to move in with him might be considered pushy with anyone else. But I know it’s just so that he can keep an eye on me and relieve every possible stress.

We’ve already had a few conversations about him babying me perhaps a little too much, and I suspect there will be a few more. Yet I know it comes from a place of pure love, so I really can’t be irritated at him for long.

“I don’t know. Maybe you’d want to get some of your extra books out of your apartment to free up some space.”

“Or…” I walk my fingers up his chest to tickle his chin. “Maybe I should just clear out the apartment completely. You wouldn’t mind if I moved in with you this weekend, would you?”

I squeal as I’m lifted in the air and spun around twice. The second my feet touch the ground again, Damon kisses me. We’re always kissing, and it’s interesting how each one has a slightly different energy. This one, he’s letting himself relax into it completely.

Pulling away, I examine his eyes, which are positively glowing. “You knew I was going to say yes soon, right?”

He’s so adorable when he grins like that. “Yes, but you don’t count chickens before they hatch, and all that.”

“Well, the hatching will commence on Saturday morning. Mrs. Meno found someone perfect starting next month. How’s that sound?”

“Perfect.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Do you need anything while I’m here? Coffee? Juice?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

He looks toward the security camera but grabs my ass anyway. I pull my dusting cloth out of my apron pocket and smack him with it. “The nerve!”

“Please, you love it.”

“And I love you.”

Damon steps closer to murmur across my lips. “I love you so much, Allie. I promise I’m going to be good to you.”

And as he walks out, holding the door open for Mrs. Cole so she can come in, I know in my heart that he’s absolutely right.