I look at James. He doesn’t look capable of dealing with anything. “Are you and Beau okay?” I need him on the ball today. It’s a ridiculous statement when he’s drunk enough vodka to sink an island, but whether he and Beau are all right will tell me if we’re at risk of an AWOL woman again and if that might steal his time chasing around town looking for her.
James lowers to a bench and sinks his face into his palms on a groan. “I know nothing.”
“Are you saying she’s a flight risk?”
“Who the fuck knows?” He scrubs down his face. “She wants a baby, she doesn’t; she thinks her dad wasn’t murdered, she does; she wants to be married, she doesn’t; she wants to be a cop, she—”
“We get it,” Brad says. “We can’t depend on Beau to behave. What about Rose?”
I laugh. “If she sees Amber in her house, she’ll attack.”
James raises his hand, a message that even if we contain Beau and stop her disappearing, we have to then stop her attacking Amber too.
“Do we put her in a cage?”
James’s head slowly lifts, his mouth a twisted shade of murder, and I purse my lips, thankful on Brad’s behalf that he’s not on form today, or I’m pretty sure Brad would be embedded in the wall right now. “Why don’t you ask her?” James growls.
“No, thanks.” Brad takes a seat next to him. “So if we can’t cage both of your pets, what do we do with them?”
“You’ve got a death wish, Brad.” I start pacing, chewing the edge of my phone, thinking about what we can do with the women that won’t have them suspicious. The boatyard, nope. Fuck knows what might go down. And Hiatus isn’t an option when we’re not there. What does Rose want? A school for Daniel. I’m working on it. Driving lessons. When I have time. Another baby. Check. Do regular shit with the kid. I sent them for pizza yesterday. “Independence,” I blurt, slowing to a stop.
“What?” they both say in unison, impatient.
“Rose wants independence. A job.” I face their frowns. I’m a fucking genius. “She’s going on about jobs and freedom constantly, not just for her but for Pearl and Anya too.” I get on my phone and pluck out the first one I find, dialing, then lowering to the bench beside them.
“Good afternoon, Red’s Salon and Spa, this is Petal speaking, how many I help you?”
“Hello, Petal,” I say in my most friendly voice, very thankful Petal won’t be meeting me in person. “I would like to book your spa facilities for a private party.” Brad laughs under his breath, and James puts his head back in his palms.
It wasn’t possible for me to privately hire Red’s today. Something about existing appointments. So I gave them a reason to make it possible. One hundred thousand reasons. A bargain, if you ask me.
The one thing I didn’t consider, and it’s quite an important thing, is Daniel. I’m not sure a mani or pedi is going to get the kid excited, so I’ve sold my soul to the fucking devil. A good-looking devil who happens to be a single dad and a private banker. Rose mentioned they were visiting his parents. Great. So after talking very nicely to Mr. Benson, he agreed to let Barney go shark diving for the day with Daniel and Tank. Tank looked traumatized. Fury laughed his big Viking nuts off.
Until I told him he was going for a pamper day. Whether Benson agreed through fear or not, I couldn’t give a fuck.
Now, to handle my wife...
I push the door of our bedroom open and poke my head round, hearing the shower. Perfect. She’s more amenable when she’s naked. When I’m naked. When we’rebothnaked.
I push my shorts down my legs and go to her. She’s facing the spray, face up, her hair wet, stuck to her back, skimming her arse. I groan and look down my body, watching my dick wake up and slowly rise, pointing the way. I lay a palm over it, taming the fucker, as I step into the stall. She stills, her hands in her hair, pausing running the conditioner through it.
She peeks back. It’s like rocket fuel to my cock. I give up trying to talk it down and let it protrude, skimming her lower back. Silently, I take her wrists and direct them to the tile, lowering my mouth to her shoulder. Flames. A moan. Raised shoulders, her head tilting. I release her wrists. I don’t need to tell her to keep them there. I slide my hands up her arms while I kiss every hot piece of her neck, licking the water away, working my palms onto her breasts, her stomach, her hips. Head falling back, she moans, vibrating against my lips on her throat, her arse pushing back against me.
I bend my knees and swivel up, sliding inside of her, breathing in and holding it. Rose’s hands ball into fists on the tile. The water becomes hotter. I slowly start to pump, holding her waist. “I have a surprise for you,” I say calmly, watching her head roll on her shoulders.
“What?”
I grind, taking my mouth to her nape and kissing.
She moans, then brings one hand back and slips her fingers through my wet hair. “Show me.”
“In good time, baby.” I bite down. “I think you’re going to love it.” I am on dangerous ground, but I will deal with that later. Today feels like it could be the end. Anything is possible. I have to make sure the girls are out of harm’s way. I jolt, and Rose moans harder, making me pause, trying to rein myself in, close already. I sit my chin on her shoulder. She looks at me. That alone has my dick twitching, and she feels it, smiling, rolling back, ending my attempt to save myself. I slam my mouth over hers and kiss her, and start driving in and out, firm but slowly, my cock buzzing. I know she’s coming because she tugs my hair and bites my lip, so I let it claim me, rolling through my release on a moan into her mouth and a squeeze of her hips as Rose constricts and drains me, her wet body twitching against me. I bite her lip in return and pull back, wiping her face of water and moving us out of the spray, withdrawing and turning her. I push her into the cold wall and crowd her, kissing her softly, finding my planned words again as we both come down.
I don’t find them soon enough for Rose. She ends our kiss and cups my cheeks, pulling my face to hers. “What?”
“You want some freedom,” I say, taking her wrists and pulling them away, relishing her intrigue.
“I do...” she says slowly.