by Mara Wells
His. Knox didn’t stop to think about it, just let the rightness sink in. Danielle panting under his touch, her body arching with each stroke of his finger, this was what he’d been missing. Now that they were back together, long-dormant feeling sparked to life. To some degree, his years of service had made it necessary to numb his feelings, to not get too attached to people or outcomes, but now he found himself desperately attached. She felt it, too, he could tell. What could he do to convince her to trust him, really trust him again? What would it take to get her to change her mind about Atlanta? He hadn’t figured it out yet, but he would.
When Danielle came apart in his arms, he held on tight, waiting while she rode it out. Her body shuddered delicately, and she turned her face into his neck, gasping for breath. If he had his way, she’d never catch her breath again. He liked her like this, warm and pliant and happy.
“I’m feeling pretty jinxed right about now.” Danielle’s voice was a bit hoarse and a lot amused.
“It’s more than the jinx.” Knox knew it came out too harsh, but Danielle didn’t seem to mind. He was pretty sure she’d purred. “You know I love you, right?”
“For now.” She held her arms over her head and looped them around his neck.
“Forever.” His campaign to change her mind started now. “Ready to go inside?”
She kissed the tip of his nose. “As soon as I can walk again. You may have to wait a while.”
“I can’t wait.” He stood, picking her up with him.
She smacked his chest. “Put me down!”
“Nope.” He hopped up to the pool deck, Danielle clasped against his chest.
“I’m too heavy.”
He stopped and glared down at her. “You. Are. Perfect. Now shut up and tell me where you want this to happen. Pool deck? Patio?”
She blinked up at him, a bit dazed. “Cottage.”
He strode toward her front door, not letting go of her until he found her small bedroom. The yellow walls and flowered bedspread had become as familiar to him as his own. He bounced her, wet bathing suit and all, into the middle of the bed. It was small, bigger than a twin but not by much. It was a tight fit for the two of them, which was fine with him.
The dogs had followed him to the cottage, and he took a moment to shoo them into the hallway and shut the door.
“At last.” He lay down on his side, one hand on her belly. “I have you all to myself.”
She smiled up at him, and his heart froze for a second. He wanted to see that smile every morning for the rest of his life. It made sense in some way, though. The last time he’d thought about things like forever had been with Danielle. There was something about her that made him want to lock it all down and never let go.
So he wouldn’t. Not this time. Not ever again. Now, all he had to do was convince her to give him another chance to make her happy. To start over in a new town, clean slate. He skimmed the bathing suit off her body, pretty sure he knew where to start the negotiations. Maybe after her third or fourth orgasm, he’d propose. She was always so agreeable while her body rode out the aftershocks. He shucked his own swim trunks and rolled her on top of him. Time to start those negotiations. Luckily for him, he enjoyed negotiating.
Chapter 34
Knox let himself into Danielle’s place with the key she’d lent him. Teenage him would’ve loved to have such easy access to her, and adult him certainly didn’t mind, either.
“You’re here!” Danielle’s voice traveled down the short hallway from the bedroom. “Thank goodness. I was about to roll out.” A small suitcase bumped its way along behind her until she finally stood in the dining-room-turned-puppy-room with him. Her hair was loose, the long bangs brushing her jawline, and she wore dark jeans with some kind of drapey blue blouse. Silver bracelets jangled at her wrist, and she fingered a small pearl pendant necklace.
“You said 9:00 a.m.” He checked his phone. He was technically two minutes early.
She blew bangs away from her mouth. “I get nervous traveling. Are you sure you’re okay to take care of the puppies?”
He shifted his gaze from contemplating the lushness of her lower lip to where the puppies cavorted in their playpen. “They’re growing so fast. Pretty soon they’ll take over the whole cottage.”
“Don’t I know it!” She parked the suitcase by the front door and pulled a printed page out of her back pocket. “I’ve got the instructions we went over here.” She handed it to him. “And I’m only in Orlando, so I can be back here in under four hours if you need me.”
Of course I need you. He kept the words from tumbling out of his mouth, but just barely. He’d chickened out, not proposing to her last night. Or the night before. Or the night before that. They were in a good place, and truth was, he was afraid to rock their little boat. The last thing he wanted was to send her running from him again. Tick tock, though. Morales wanted him in Atlanta as soon as possible, but Knox wasn’t going anywhere until he was sure Danielle would follow. He’d told Morales he needed to stay another few weeks to finish out his physical therapy. What could the guy say to that? He’d gotten his extension, but every minute of it felt like a bomb counting down on his relationship with Danielle.
“I can handle the puppies for a weekend. Can’t be any worse than wrangling new recruits.” He sent her a smile meant to reassure. Instead, her teeth gnawed that lower lip he loved so much. He couldn’t help himself. He reached out and slid his thumb along its plump surface. “Don’t worry.”
She nodded, bangs bobbing. “I’m going to say goodbye.” She picked up each puppy for a quick snuggle, promising each one she’d be back in two days.
Two days. They stretched before him like an eternity. He’d gotten so used to seeing her every day, how they met up at Fur Haven in the evenings and headed back to her place for the night. It felt odd to think of going to the dog park without her. But with three adult greyhounds to keep exercised, that was exactly what he’d be doing.
“Go.” He waved her out the door. “I’ve got this.”
She hesitated another moment, showering a bit of love on Luna and Flurry before turning to him with a forced smile. “Suddenly, I don’t want to go anymore.”
“It’s a big event. You could find lots of homes for your fosters. Learn more effective fund-raising techniques. Make connections that could help you build the rescue.” He reminded her of the reasons she’d given him when they’d been floating in the pool.
She straightened her spine and rolled her shoulders back. “For the dogs.”
He toasted her with a pretend glass. “For the dogs.”
The door closed behind her. Knox didn’t know how long he stood there, watching the space where she’d been, but tiny, needlelike teeth on his ankle shook him out of his daze.
Daisy lolled on the floor, tiny jaw locked onto Knox’s sock.
“How’d you escape, huh?”
Flurry snorted like she couldn’t believe such a stupid question. Luna circled a dozen times before lying down on her dog bed. Knox picked up Daisy and put her back in the pen. He counted them for good measure and came up short by two.
“Who’s missing?” He scanned the pen, the floor, under the cabinet. No puppies. Great. Danielle wasn’t gone even half an hour, and he’d already lost two puppies. Not good. So not good.
“You could help.” He glared at Flurry, but she huffed and lay down with her back to the playpen, clearly over the whole mothering thing. Who could blame her? The little stinkers were everywhere with their sharp teeth and endless energy. It wouldn’t be too long until they’d outgrown their playpen and not too long after that, it’d be hard to imagine all eight of them comfortably residing in this tiny cottage. Danielle needed a bigger place. A place with a yard. Like his place.
It was easy to imagine the puppies scampering in his backyard while Sarge, Luna, and Flurry looked on from the deck. It was even easie
r to imagine sitting out on the deck with Danielle in some comfortable chairs he had yet to purchase, drinking wine after a long day. It was easy, too easy, to imagine all the ways in which Danielle would so easily fit into his home. Making nachos in the kitchen. Watching TV in the living room. Sleeping in his bed. Hell, he even had entire bedrooms he could give her for puppies. It was a pretty picture, one they could replicate in Atlanta. It was just harder to see because he’d never been there. But they’d find a place. He’s spent his adult life moving from base to base, following orders. There was always a new place to land. It would be fine.
Framed photos on the wall of Danielle at different ages caught his attention. In all of them, her wide smile was in place. In three of them, her dad stood beside her, arm around her shoulders, growing progressively balder as the years passed. Some photos were school pictures, ending on a serious one of Danielle posed in her high-school graduation cap and gown, chin propped on her fist, staring at the photographer like she had a secret. She would’ve been pregnant at that point, and his throat tightened at the memory of their loss.
He returned to his favorite of all the pictures, the one that showed Danielle at about ten years old holding a red Popsicle high in the air while a long-haired dog licked her face. She looked so happy, it damn near broke him. Because it wouldn’t be fine.
Danielle’s whole life was here. She loved her dad. It would hurt her to move away from him. She was excited about starting her online class, about all her plans for Homestretch, not to mention how the morning coffee crew at the dog park would miss her. His sisters-in-law would blame him for taking Danielle away from them.
What exactly was waiting for him in Atlanta? A job he knew virtually nothing about. A strained relationship with his mother. House hunting that wouldn’t end well because he’d never find a house he liked as much as the one he currently owned. Compared to staying here, working with his brothers, living with Danielle? Was he really in such a hurry to give it all up? The ten-year-old Danielle in the framed photo was home. Did he really want to rip her away from it?
He roamed from kitchen to living room to Danielle’s bedroom door. One thing in favor of small living spaces was that there couldn’t be too many places for puppies to hide. Sure enough, he found Pinto and Monki wrestling in a pile of Danielle’s laundry.
“Come on, you scamps.” He scooped them up like footballs under each arm. “Let’s see what’s on our list of things to do today.” He dropped them back into the playpen where Sweet Pea and Tilly dogpiled on top of them.
Knox studied the list Danielle had left behind and added a few lines of his own, like calling Morales to figure out some alternatives. Could he be part-time? A consultant? Or if he turned down Morales’ offer, was he closing that door forever? It was too much to think about right now. He started on the detailed feeding directions, determined not to let Danielle, or her dogs, down.
* * *
Danielle felt like a thief sneaking into her own home. She’d seen Knox’s truck in the driveway and wondered why he’d still be at her place so late. She wasn’t supposed to come home until Monday, and she hadn’t expected him to sleep with the puppies. She’d thought he’d enjoy being back in his own bed for a few nights.
Her pulse picked up, thinking about him asleep in her bed, waiting for her. She was glad the rescue summit had ended early. Danielle was absolutely exhausted from her two days of manning the Homestretch booth, and she’d sorely missed Luna and Flurry. They were such great icebreakers when people came to the table to talk to her. But Luna got carsick easily and Flurry should stay with the puppies, so she’d left them with Knox.
Last night, she’d thought about them all alone in her house. Tonight, driving back to the hotel from the fairgrounds, she’d wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with them and watch some mindless TV. It was only a three-plus-hour drive. She’d packed up the car and headed home, her foot heavy on the gas pedal. Home. It had always meant her dad’s place, her dogs. In the darkness of her car’s interior, soft music on the stereo, she had to face the fact that she wasn’t racing home. She was racing to Knox. While she could, obviously. Why waste another night away from him if she didn’t have to? There were plenty of lonely nights to come.
In the puppy room, she found Knox. And the dogs. All the dogs. He was sound asleep on his back, one hand covering his eyes. Sarge lay against one side, and Luna bracketed him on the other. Flurry had the dog bed to herself. Knox’s chest rose and fell with each breath, and the puppies sprawled on his chest rose and fell with him. Three puppies covered his torso. Pinto slept in the space between his knees, and the other four slept in a pile at his feet.
What had gone on here that not even one dog rose to greet her? She thumped the suitcase onto the tile floor, and Flurry blinked sleepy eyes at her. A few of the puppies stirred but didn’t waken. Danielle coughed, then coughed louder.
“Hey!” Knox jackknifed at the waist, sitting straight up, puppies tumbling off him like leaves off a tree. “You’re home. Is it Monday?” He rubbed bleary eyes with the heel of his hands.
“I came back early. It’s not quite Monday yet. Close, though.” She checked the time on her phone. “Another hour.”
He blinked up at her, much like Flurry had, while Sarge and Luna heaved to their feet and trotted over to greet her.
“That’s more like it.” Danielle rubbed their ears. “I missed you guys.”
“I missed you, too.” Knox stood, cradling Pinto in his hands. “We need to talk.”
Were there four more dreaded words in the English language when it came to relationships? Especially their relationship? Danielle knew she shouldn’t be surprised that he’d eventually pin her down with those “thoughts” he’d mentioned last week. The dogs were too much for most guys. It was why she hadn’t had a boyfriend in so long. With the puppies, the pressure was eightfold. What guy wouldn’t crack under the strain? He’d been passed out from exhaustion mere moments ago. No one wanted to live like that. No one but her.
Danielle shook off the long drive and gathered her courage. “Sure. How about over tea?” She headed into the kitchen and put on the kettle. It gave her restless hands something to do besides grab for Knox the way they wanted to. Why hadn’t she lain down on the floor next to him and snuggled up like one of the puppies while she had the chance? Thanks to her slow reaction time, she’d never get the chance again. He was going to say his goodbyes now. She tried not to let the thought get her down while she chose caffeine-free tea bags and placed them in two plain white mugs.
Knox sat in the one chair by the tiny bistro table she used for all her meals, so she leaned back against the edge of the counter, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her baggy jeans.
“The puppies are getting big. I swear they put on two pounds each since yesterday.” Knox grinned up at her, and Danielle’s heart thumped loudly in her chest. This wasn’t the opening line she’d expected. She’d been waiting for something more like “It’s been fun, but I’m heading to Atlanta…”
“And they’ll only get bigger and bigger.” Danielle could get on board with this topic. She could talk dogs all day and all night long. It was certainly better than where she’d thought this conversation was going.
Knox frowned, and Danielle’s heart stuttered in her chest. Here it came. The other shoe, dropping.
“Your place is too small. Your two greyhounds alone are enough to crowd it, but now with the puppies? They need more space.”
Danielle swallowed hard. “I’m going to find them homes. I know I can’t have ten dogs here. Or anywhere really. I’ll find a new place once the puppies are adopted.”
“They need room to run and play. They need grass and sunlight.” Knox continued like she hadn’t spoken, like he was getting through some kind of rehearsed speech. “They need a yard. A big one. Like mine.”
“Wait.” Danielle braced her hands on the counter behind her. “You
want me to bring the puppies to your house to play?”
“I have extra rooms. I can turn one into a puppy room, at least until they’re too big or adopted out. There’s plenty of space.” Knox had begun counting points off on his fingers. When he got to his thumb, he looked up at her. “I think it’s best. For the puppies.”
“If they visit you?” Danielle’s breath was tight in her chest, and not in that good, breathless way he often inspired in her. Panic. It was definitely panic stealing her breath.
“To live with me.” Knox wiped his palms on his thighs, clearly done with his list ticking.
“You want the puppies?” Danielle’s words came out whisper soft. “All of them?”
Knox pushed to his feet. Took a step toward her, then another. “Flurry and Luna, too. They’d like all the space, and Sarge misses them.” He stopped with only an inch between them.
Danielle inhaled sharply, past the pain in her chest. He smelled like Knox. And puppies. “You want to take all my dogs?”
Knox shook his head slowly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “No, I want them to live with me. Because I’m pretty sure that if they move in, so will you.”
Danielle slapped a hand against her chest to keep her heart from leaping straight out of it. “What?”
“I’m bungling this, aren’t I?” Knox leaned in, dipping his head so that their lips brushed ever so softly. “Move in with me, Dani. Bring the dogs. And the puppies. And all your stuff.”
Danielle’s hand drifted from her heart to his. She pressed against his chest, felt the strong, steady beat of him. “Why?” she whispered against his lips.
