He did not repeat himself, so Harper lifted her head and peered down at him, his features mostly hidden in the shadows but fully memorized by her. “I’m sorry, did you ask what Smokey would think about your house?” By the faint moonlight coming in through the window, she could tell that he smiled.
“I just wondered if cats had a hard time adjusting to a new place.”
Now, she was even more confused. “Are you asking about cats in general? Are you thinking about getting a cat?”
“No, I’m not thinking about getting a cat. I was wondering about Smokey.”
“You’re wondering if Smokey likes moving?” When he did not reply, she said, “Most animals adapt to their surroundings.” She now wondered if perhaps he was thinking of the difference between cats and dogs. “When I first moved into my apartment, Smokey spent the day skulking around, sniffing all the surfaces, but I just had to make sure he knew where his litter box, food, and water dish were. I’d say it took him about two days to get used to everything.” She held his gaze. “Why are you asking about Smokey?”
He sighed, his chest heaving up and down, and she went with him, considering she was still propped on him. “I’m not doing a very good job of this, am I?”
His voice was filled with uncertainty, a trait he rarely exhibited. Tilting her head to the side, she decided to wait and see what it was he really wanted to say.
He shifted so that they were lying side-by-side, and with his free hand brushed her hair from her face. “What I’m really asking is what would you think about moving here with me?”
Her breath caught in her throat as her heart pounded, barely able to hold back her smile. “You’re asking me to move in? To move in with you?”
His smile widened. “Yeah, sweetheart, I am. We spend every night together, and I don’t know about you, but it’s getting a little old trying to figure out which place we’re going to be at. We’re constantly running back and forth. I know you love your apartment, but this place has so much more room—”
“Oh, Sean, there’s no comparison! Sure, I love my apartment, but your house is so much more of everything. More room, more personality, a bigger kitchen… not to mention this amazing bed!”
“You can do anything you want to it,” he promised. “If you want to paint, we’ll paint. You can bring all your furniture and we’ll find a place for it, or if you don’t want anything, we can get rid of it. I just want you with me.”
Wondering if it was possible for a heart to burst from joy, she hesitated. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and regret that you asked me tonight.”
He rolled again, this time pinning her underneath him. His hips nestled between her legs and his weight was held off her chest by his forearms. His fingers sifted through her hair as his thumb smoothed over her cheeks. “Don’t you know me well enough to know that I don’t make snap decisions, Harper? You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman and so much more than I ever hoped for. I wouldn’t have asked for us to take this next step if I didn’t think it was right.”
She closed the whisper of a distance between their mouths, sealing their lips and their futures. She thought she was tired, but now, with his erection pressing against her core, she arched her body tightly against his, renewed energy flowing through her. This time their lovemaking was slow, filled with whispered words of love.
Once again lying tangled in each other’s arms, her face buried in his neck, she asked, “So, how soon were you thinking for me and Smokey to make the move?”
He kissed her brow, his nose gliding over her forehead. “As far as I’m concerned, sweetheart, you can move in tomorrow.”
She leaned back, her giggle erupting. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”
“When you know it’s right, it’s right. I don’t see any reason to fuck around.”
She nibbled on her lip for a moment, considering the logistics. “Since I’ve been in my apartment for over two years, I only have to give them a month’s notice.”
“Then give them your notice, babe, and start moving things over. You know my kitchen stuff is kind of crap, so bring your things. Personal items and clothes.”