“You don’t have to ask. I always want you to sleep over.” He leaned across the console and placed a soft kiss on her mouth. As he pulled away, Bree hooked a hand around the back of his neck. Holding him in place, she kissed him back, then pressed her forehead to his. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“For being there. And being you.” She released him and stepped out of the SUV. She opened the back and grabbed her gym bag. They went inside. She heard the scrape of dog nails on hardwood. Hearing but not seeing the dark-coated dogs, Bree tensed. She’d made great strides with her fear of dogs, but having one rush at her in the dark was intimidating.
Matt flipped on a light switch, illuminating the kitchen. Two German Shepherds came down the hallway from the bedroom toward the kitchen. In the lead, Greta, a solid black dog, streaked toward them. A traditional black-and-tan shepherd followed her. Older and wiser, Brody took his time. He had once been Matt’s K-9 partner.
Matt commanded Greta to sit in German, and she slid to a stop. But she could barely contain her excitement, and her butt bounced on the floor. Bree reached out and scratched behind her ears. Greta lasted for about a minute, then bounded away.
Brody ambled down the hall and sat obediently, waiting to be petted.
Bree stroked his head. “Always the gentleman.”
He gave the younger dog a serious side-eye.
Matt let both dogs into the yard for a minute. Then they all went into the bedroom. Bree and Matt showered together. The night had been long and depressing. She was too tired for sex, but she appreciated the companionship. She towel-dried her hair, used the toothbrush she kept there, and borrowed a T-shirt from Matt’s drawer. Soft and worn, it hung to midthigh.
Matt came up behind her. “This is a big bathroom. There’s plenty of room. You could keep more than a toothbrush here.”
Bree watched in the mirror as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her against his body. Leaning back against the solid warmth of him, she gestured toward the drawer. “I also brought moisturizer and deodorant. I don’t have that much more in my own bathroom.”
“You are low maintenance in the cosmetics department,” he agreed.
Bree wasn’t sure if she was low maintenance or just too lazy to bother with much makeup. Either way, she saved time and money.
“There’s space in the closet too. I’m not exactly a fashion icon.” He nodded toward her duffel bag, which sat on the vanity. “You could keep a change of clothes here.”
She turned and looped her arms around his neck. “Maybe I will.”
She’d been spending at least one night a week at his place, so it made sense. But taking up space in his house with her belongings felt like a next step. She waited for apprehension, but it didn’t come. Instead, the idea pleased her.
“Maybe you don’t always need to rush out before dawn either. It would be nice to eat breakfast together.” He kissed her temple.
“It would.”
“People have seen us date. We’ve had dinner together in town several times now.”
“This is true,” she said. Taking their relationship into the public arena had been a big step for her, but it felt like the right move.
“You are entitled to a personal life.”
“I agree.” Bree was no longer determined to keep their relationship a secret, but she didn’t feel the urge to make a media announcement about it either. “I go home early because of the kids.”
“The kids know we’re together.”
Bree nodded. “I’m not sure how to handle my nights out with them yet. This parenting thing is all new to me.”
Nights out implied sex—at least to Luke now and Kayla when she was a bit older, whether or not sex was happening. On one hand, she wanted them to know that sex was a natural part of an adult relationship. On the other, they weren’t adults, and she didn’t want to set the wrong example. There was so much to consider when raising kids, things that had never occurred to Bree in her past life.
Matt kissed her. “OK. I can understand that.”
“I want to be honest with them, and I want them to have healthy attitudes toward sex, but they also need to respect themselves and not rush into it.”
“We did not rush into sex.” Matt grinned. “I waited forever.” He dragged out the last word in a teasing tone. He turned to the black dog and pointed to a large dog crate. “Greta, kennel.”
The shepherd obediently entered the crate and Matt closed it. Then he used an extra clip on the lever.