Page 133 of Offside Rules

He brushes his thumb along my cheek.

"Move your things back at your own pace, okay? You’ve got the gala on Friday. Leave whatever you need here until you’re done."

"And the rest?"

"Your slippers aren’t bothering me."

I give him a small smile.

"Neither is your toothbrush," he adds.

"You make this very difficult."

"Yeah. You mentioned."

I settle against him again, resting my hand on his stomach.

Nobody’s angry. He hasn’t asked for his hoodie back. I don’t have to put all my things in a bag and leave before morning.

It should make this easier.

Instead, I’m lying beside a man I still want, trying to figure out how we’re supposed to become friends when I already know how it feels to come home to him.

"Can we not talk about tomorrow anymore?" I ask.

Wolf draws the blanket over my shoulder.

"Absolutely."

I close my eyes.

His hand keeps moving slowly over my back, and I stay right where I am.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Baylor

Dad opens a cabinet, closes it, then opens the one beside it.

"Those are soft-close," I tell him.

"Very nice. I like them."

Mom stands beside the island with her coffee, looking at the new countertops. There’s still a toolbox near the oven, and one of Dan’s guys is beneath the sink, finishing something I couldn’t explain even if my life depended on it.

"Careful of his feet," I tell Dad as he moves toward the drawers.

The man beneath the sink lifts one hand.

"Thanks."

"Sorry," Dad says, stepping back.

Mom runs her fingers along the edge of the counter.

"It looks good, sweetheart."

"It does," my dad agrees.