Almost Home (NG2)

Want

Phoebe woke to a twelve pound weight walking across her back. Nahla was a fickle cat who loved attention but had hid from Robbie all evening. She smiled as she remembered the feel of his lips on her neck and lips. It still felt like a dream, as Robbie kissed her - a lot. He whispered to her about how good she felt. She had wanted him to say those things since she was in high school. Her heart felt like it might burst, as he told her he had been crazy to fight his attraction. He was still fighting it, because other than kissing, he had been a gentleman. Phoebe wanted him to be a little less gentlemanly.

Waking and thinking about him wasn't new for her, but having a sweet memory to go with it was. As she walked downstairs to feed the hungry cat, she glanced across the street and stopped short. Morgan's car was parked next to Robbie's with frost on the windows. She felt like someone punched her in the stomach. Morgan slept at the cottage with Nash Kirkland. Morgan had just met him, and Phoebe had known Robbie forever.

Unless something changed, Morgan didn't even know the real Nash Kirkland. She thought she was dating a guy who played guitar. Did she wonder how he could afford to take two months off? In the winter, when Phoebe only worked on Sundays, she hardly had enough spending money.

She scooped out the dry food for Nahla. Her food needed to be rationed or she would eat it all. She nudged Phoebe's hand, causing the food to drop from the scoop to the floor. The cat would eat every morsel off the floor. Phoebe should clean because Nahla's shedding left fur everywhere. Her long-haired fur was mostly gray, with white under her chin, on her tummy and her paws.

Phoebe served coffee, but didn't drink it. She preferred not to eat in the morning, so she ran upstairs to brush her teeth and put on jeans and a fleece pullover. She didn't bother to grab her coat as she set out across Gull Road.

She knocked multiple times before Robbie opened the door. "Pheebs, are you alright?"

"She slept over!"

"Shush. Don't wake them."

Phoebe looked at his messy hair. He wore flannel pants and a tee shirt which stretched across his broad chest. Her pulse quickened.

"Were you asleep?" She looked towards his open door. Was his bed as rumpled as he looked? He nodded. "Go back to bed. I'm sorry."

He took her hand. "It's okay. Do you want to walk up for coffee with me?"

"I feel bad."

"Don't. I didn't need to sleep in so late. Come here."

Robbie folded her into him. He smelled a little different, not as fresh, but not in a bad way. He felt warm. Perhaps because he was in bed and she stood outside without a coat. Her body shivered, and he pulled her closer. Her body melted into his, but it jerked again.

"You're freezing." He tugged her towards his room. "Get under the covers."

Her belly flipped. She had kicked her Uggs off when she stepped into the cottage as she exploded on Robbie. She climbed into his bed, which also smelled of him. His flannel sheets were soft from wear. He slid in beside her and positioned himself on his side.

"Warmer."

His rich voice warmed her, especially when he said words meant only for her. She nodded.

"Pheebs, when I came home they were tucked in his room. I'm not going to guess, but have a pretty good assumption about what they were up to. Does it upset you?"

She shrugged. "She just met him. He's been keeping secrets."

"That's between them. I don't want anyone meddling into what we do and don't do."