This room held the only furniture so far—an air mattress fully made up with deep-purple linens and a cream-coloured quilt covered with all shades of purple flowers.
“You broke away from the rose theme,” she teased, pointing to the covering.
Chance pulled her against him. “I only want one Rose in my bed.”
Sweet, wonderful man.
Amusement bubbled up, starting soft but quickly growing. Unable to hold herself back, and unwilling to do so, she pressed her palms to his cheeks.
She leaned in slowly, staring into his eyes until she could no longer see, could only feel, as their lips met and the connection between them flared again.
But this time, when she pulled away, she kept holding on. Not to his face or his hands but to the sensation inside that said this was right and perfect. That it truly didn’t matter how they had started, or how long ago, but it was vitally important how they finished.
“I’m getting you a housewarming present,” she announced.
Chance grinned. “I love it already.”
A laugh burst free. “I bet you do. I’m buying you a bed. Because you don’t have one, and I only have a twin, and if I’m going to move in with you, I want something comfy. The air mattress setup is pretty, but it will get old really fast.”
His eyes widened. Jaw falling open, he stood there, wordless.
For approximately three seconds.
Then he was whirling her in a circle in the mostly empty room. “Thank God,” he said. Over and over and over.
Rose laughed louder, clutching his shoulders and hanging on for the ride until he finally put her feet on the floor.
He caught her hands in his. “You’re really ready for that? To move in? We were going to go slow.”
“It’s been two weeks. That’s like months in dog years. Centuries to a fruit fly. A lifetime to us. Plus, we’re going to be in the bed together most nights anyway,” she said truthfully.
His expression grew solemn. “As much as I love the sex, and I do love the sex, that’s not what I want the most. I want to keep learning more about you. Sharing more, finding dreams to chase. I want to wake up in the morning beside you, step into each day and find new things to love about you. With you.”
Her throat tightened. “I know it’s about more than sex. It is for me as well. You’ve shown me over and over this summer that you care, in little ways and big ways, and I’m astonished and grateful.”
He danced them slowly to unheard music, swaying her against him in the nearly empty room. “I want to have a family with you. Raise children, and enjoy your parents, and spend time with your sisters and everyone else your family pulls into the whirlpool of love you’ve all created.”
Good description. “Your family as well. Cody, and your mom and dad when they visit.”
“I look forward to it.” Chance held her fingers against his lips. “Rose? Are you going to say it now? I mean, you should tell the man you’re moving in with that you love him. Straight up, admit the truth. I promise I’ll be here to catch you, even if it’s scary.”
Rose stood stock-still, thoroughly confused. “What do you mean? You know how I feel. I’ve said it before.”
Hadn’t she?
He rocked them in smaller circles now, embracing her as close as two people could be with all their clothes on. “You’ve said you feel the way I do. You’ve shown the emotion, but you’ve never come right out with it. I need the words, love. I need them badly.”
How had she—
No, this was not the time to beat herself up. Not with the man who she was one hundred percent utterly in love with standing there, such hope in his eyes.
She’d better do this right.
She flung her arms around his neck. “Chance Gabrielle?”
“Aye, Rose Fields?”
One slow, deep breath—
