“What is this?” Balancing her mug on the flat surface of the couch, she sent me a quick look then started opening it. “Chocolate? For me?” she asked, her voice high.
“A client brought it on Friday, and it was just sitting in the office so I thought you might want it.” The lie rolled off my lips so easily, I surprised even myself.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could already see her taking a bite out of one of them. “You want one?” she asked when she was done driving me crazy and moaning about it. She held the box toward me. “Don’t you like truffles? Come on, take one.”
I gave her an exasperated look and took one, holding it in my hand. “Will you let me watch this movie or are you going to talk the entire time?”
She winced. “You’re one of those. Be prepared for me to talk. I’ll keep pointing things out you can already see for yourself. I’m just excited because you’ve never seen it. Is it past nine?”
I kept my eyes on the screen as Meg Ryan’s character started running toward her laptop to check her email. “Not yet. I’ll tell you when you need to stop. It’s only eight.”
We sat in silence and just watched the movie. Around the ten-minute mark, Meg Ryan finally made it to her shop. The Shop Around the Corner.
I slung my arm across the back of the couch, toward her.
A few minutes later, I glanced at her. The box containing the truffles looked like it had six missing ones, and she was still holding the tea mug tightly in her hands as if trying to warm them.
“Are you cold?”
“Just a little. Would you like to share?” she repeated, and my brows drew together.
Then I realized she was holding the edge of the blanket up and away from herself.
It wasn’t cold—the apartment was plenty warm—but I took the opportunity to move a little closer to her, and she put it over my legs. When she leaned her head back, it was almost resting in the crook of my arm.
She took a deep breath and let it all out.
Her voice was quiet when she spoke up again. “Thank you for tonight, Jack.”
Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to her temple. “You’re very welcome, Rose.”
At ten to nine, I took her now cold tea mug away from her and put it down on the coffee table. A little more than halfway into the movie, she’d fallen asleep, and her head had dropped on my shoulder. I watched the movie till the end without moving an inch so she could rest. The more she tucked herself closer, the harder it had been for me to not wake her up and take her mouth. It seemed like she had invaded the entire apartment and I could smell nothing but her.
I enjoyed every second of it, both the movie and Rose’s warm body against mine.
Scooping her up into my arms, I straightened up, letting the blanket fall off of her.
She started coming around once we were halfway up the stairs.
“Jack?” Her hands tightened around my neck. “What time is it?” she mumbled.
“A little past ten.”
Sighing, she rested her head on my shoulder.
“Did you like the movie?”
I didn’t have to lie. “Yes, you were right, it was good.”
“They don’t make movies like that anymore,” she murmured.
I opened the door to her room and walked in, gently putting her down on the bed. She curled up on her side and I pulled the already open covers over her.
“Good night, Jack,” she whispered. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll wake you up at six-thirty. We need to be at the hospital at seven-thirty.”
“Okay.”
I was rooted to my spot but didn’t know what else to say that would allow me to stay with her longer, to spend this night, at least this night with her.
“Good night, Rose.” I leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss on her forehead and then her lips. It was such a natural move for me that I didn’t even hesitate. She closed her eyes with a smile on her lips. I was pretty sure she had never woken up fully.
My mind on her, I walked out and headed to my own room.
Later that same night, hours had passed and I was still wide awake. My mind was running in all directions, but it was especially running in the direction of where Rose was sleeping a few doors down, which