Her head came up. “You were serious about that?”
“Cash needs room to run.” He tangled a hand in her silky brown hair. “And since I’m staying with you now, we need a bigger place.”
She caught her breath. “Are you...staying with me?”
“I want to.”
Chewing her bottom lip, she grew serious. “For how long?”
Slipping his other hand into her hair, Reese cradled her head in his palms and kissed her. “Does forever sound too long to you?”
Her eyes widened. “Forever?”
He pulled her close again, took another kiss, this one gentler still. “If you’ll have us. Cash and me, I mean. We’re a package deal.”
“I adore Cash,” she rushed to assure him. “You know that.”
“And me, Alice?” He searched her face, his heart full. “How do you feel about me?”
Those happy tears she’d mentioned turned her eyes luminous and left her voice husky. “I’ve been in love with you since the day you said hello.”
“Yeah?”
“How could you not know that, Reese? I’d done so much to protect myself that I’d shut out the whole world. But I couldn’t shut you out.” She gave a choked laugh. “I couldn’t even stop thinking about you long enough to try.”
He knew the feeling. Alice hadn’t crept into his life; she’d launched a full-force attack on his heart...without even trying. “Given that I feel the same, what do you say we get married? Maybe adopt another dog or two. Have a couple of kids. That is, after we find the right house—”
Alice kissed him.
Grinning, Reese eased her back. “Should I take that as a yes?”
Nodding fast, she said, “Yes, yes to everything.”
“Tell me again that you love me.”
“Oh, God, Reese, I do. So much.” Knotting a hand in his T-shirt, she slipped off his lap. “Now, come with me, Detective. I’ve decided the coffee can wait.”
Perfect, he thought as he followed her toward the bedroom. His old nickname had stuck true. He’d bared it all, even his heart, and now he had Alice.
He had everything.