them happy, but he had to get to work. Not being successful here wasn’t an option. Especially now.
He would make a good life here with her in it. He considered himself a generous man, but when it came to Johanna, he wouldn’t share her and he wouldn’t give her back. Not willingly. It would take time, but his best option was to wait it out until her wolf realized what his already accepted – that they belonged together.
He’d left her at the apartment unpacking boxes, while he’d put in time at the restaurant. He emailed financials for her to analyze around noon. Still, it hadn’t been entirely productive. He spent as much time thinking about her as his menu. Twice he’d been tempted to go and bring her back or just go and crawl into bed with her.
By Day Four they had a system worked out. He got up first to make coffee, followed by Johanna biting her pillow while he worked her from behind as the brew went cold. Then, as painful as it was to untangle himself from her, he’d go put their mugs in the microwave, fetch the paper and slink back into bed. Not a bad life. He didn’t know what this was – none of the labels quite fit. But he liked it.
The one thing he couldn’t handle was her pantry. It was a downright sin what she’d done. The woman had rows of ramen, stacks of frozen pizza and every box of macaroni & cheese in the county. Her response to his jaw on the floor had only been, ‘I like them.’
Now she lay wrapped up in blankets, the perfect vision of lazy happiness. Getting her away from that job had been the best decision they’d made together. She cuddled into the sheets, though one foot dangled over the edge. He fought the urge to wiggle her big toe.
And lost.
Johanna hooked her finger and he followed like the whipped dog that he was.
“What are you smirking about,” she asked, propping up on her elbows.
“Just thinking about how much it’s going to cost to outfit your place with real food.”
“Again with this?” She raised a brow.
“It’s a big deal. I’m hungry.” Johanna perused the headlines while he sipped his re-warmed coffee at the foot of the bed. “They have e-readers for that.”
“The old tenants must have had a subscription, I think. So, umm, while you were at work yesterday, Kate came over.”
“Did you let her in?”
“Of course.”
“On purpose?”
“Just listen, okay? She’s a realtor and has some design contacts through a staging company she uses. They might be able to help us with some décor at the restaurant.”
“Us?”
“I meant...”
“Us is fine.” He rolled onto his back and threw his arm over his eyes. “Us is good. I’ve been living in a long-term hotel for a while. My plan was to stay in or near whichever restaurant I closed on. I lucked out. That small side door on the way to the roof? It leads to a loft. No kitchen, of course, but it has the basics. Once I get it settled, we could take turns with staying over.”
“You move fast.”
“I pinch and bite too. Anyway, something to think about while I’m gone.”
“More painting?”
He got up, cracked his neck and examined the still healing scars on his biceps from their earlier lovemaking. “Nah. Phone calls have been coming in for the front of house job listings. Sounds like most of the workers of the previous owner want to come back.”
“Cool. If Kate and I finish early, we’ll stop by.”
He shivered at the thought of The Dark Lord and slipped into the bathroom.
*****
K ate started in on her as soon as Johanna buckled her seatbelt.
“You look...”
“What, Kate?”
“Fucked.”
That’s new. She waited for Kate to say something more, but her sister only reapplied her lipstick in the rearview mirror.
“Sorry you don’t approve, but I’m happy.”
“Who said I wasn’t happy?” Kate swerved into traffic, cutting off and swearing at a group of elderly pedestrians. “I approve of anything that leaves you looking like that. You could have bathed
He would make a good life here with her in it. He considered himself a generous man, but when it came to Johanna, he wouldn’t share her and he wouldn’t give her back. Not willingly. It would take time, but his best option was to wait it out until her wolf realized what his already accepted – that they belonged together.
He’d left her at the apartment unpacking boxes, while he’d put in time at the restaurant. He emailed financials for her to analyze around noon. Still, it hadn’t been entirely productive. He spent as much time thinking about her as his menu. Twice he’d been tempted to go and bring her back or just go and crawl into bed with her.
By Day Four they had a system worked out. He got up first to make coffee, followed by Johanna biting her pillow while he worked her from behind as the brew went cold. Then, as painful as it was to untangle himself from her, he’d go put their mugs in the microwave, fetch the paper and slink back into bed. Not a bad life. He didn’t know what this was – none of the labels quite fit. But he liked it.
The one thing he couldn’t handle was her pantry. It was a downright sin what she’d done. The woman had rows of ramen, stacks of frozen pizza and every box of macaroni & cheese in the county. Her response to his jaw on the floor had only been, ‘I like them.’
Now she lay wrapped up in blankets, the perfect vision of lazy happiness. Getting her away from that job had been the best decision they’d made together. She cuddled into the sheets, though one foot dangled over the edge. He fought the urge to wiggle her big toe.
And lost.
Johanna hooked her finger and he followed like the whipped dog that he was.
“What are you smirking about,” she asked, propping up on her elbows.
“Just thinking about how much it’s going to cost to outfit your place with real food.”
“Again with this?” She raised a brow.
“It’s a big deal. I’m hungry.” Johanna perused the headlines while he sipped his re-warmed coffee at the foot of the bed. “They have e-readers for that.”
“The old tenants must have had a subscription, I think. So, umm, while you were at work yesterday, Kate came over.”
“Did you let her in?”
“Of course.”
“On purpose?”
“Just listen, okay? She’s a realtor and has some design contacts through a staging company she uses. They might be able to help us with some décor at the restaurant.”
“Us?”
“I meant...”
“Us is fine.” He rolled onto his back and threw his arm over his eyes. “Us is good. I’ve been living in a long-term hotel for a while. My plan was to stay in or near whichever restaurant I closed on. I lucked out. That small side door on the way to the roof? It leads to a loft. No kitchen, of course, but it has the basics. Once I get it settled, we could take turns with staying over.”
“You move fast.”
“I pinch and bite too. Anyway, something to think about while I’m gone.”
“More painting?”
He got up, cracked his neck and examined the still healing scars on his biceps from their earlier lovemaking. “Nah. Phone calls have been coming in for the front of house job listings. Sounds like most of the workers of the previous owner want to come back.”
“Cool. If Kate and I finish early, we’ll stop by.”
He shivered at the thought of The Dark Lord and slipped into the bathroom.
*****
K ate started in on her as soon as Johanna buckled her seatbelt.
“You look...”
“What, Kate?”
“Fucked.”
That’s new. She waited for Kate to say something more, but her sister only reapplied her lipstick in the rearview mirror.
“Sorry you don’t approve, but I’m happy.”
“Who said I wasn’t happy?” Kate swerved into traffic, cutting off and swearing at a group of elderly pedestrians. “I approve of anything that leaves you looking like that. You could have bathed
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