Once they were gone, I walked over to the Jeep.
“Uh, hey,” Rose said again as I reached her window. She watched me closely as I leaned in, crowding her a little.
“What time should I pick Kara up?” I whispered, rubbing my thumb down her bare arm.
Rose laughed and pushed at my shoulder. “Get the fuck out of here,” she joked, rolling her eyes.
I chuckled and braced my elbows on the door. “Is this an all day thing?” I asked, my gaze roaming over her face. She wasn’t wearing any makeup and her hair was pulled up in a knot on top of her head. Jesus, I wondered what it would look like if I pulled that hair tie out. Would it be wild and sexy as hell, or look like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket? And while I was thinking of that, my mind wandered to what it would look like after I’d fucked her so hard she screamed my name.
“Stop looking at me like that,” she said, shaking her head.
“Like what?” I asked distractedly.
“Like you’re picturing me naked,” she said bluntly.
“I wasn’t picturing you naked.” Yes, I was.
“Yes, you are,” she said with a laugh. “Newsflash,” she whispered. “It’s better than you’re imagining.”
And that’s the moment I got hard.
“You—” my words were cut off by Kara and Charlie whooping and yelling as they ran down the porch steps toward Rose’s Jeep.
“You were saying?” Rose teased as the girls climbed in the Jeep.
“Time,” I muttered roughly, rubbing my hand over my face. “What time should I pick Kara up?”
“Why don’t I just drop her off?” Rose asked with a laugh.
“Works for me,” I replied, taking a step back.
“Love you, Dad,” Kara said, leaning up between the front seats.
“Love you too, princess.”
I took another step back and lifted my hand in a dumbass wave as Rose backed up and turned around. As soon as they were headed back down the driveway, Trix spoke up from the porch.
“You’ve got it bad,” she said in amusement.
She had no fucking idea. I flipped her off as I walked back toward the clubhouse.
Chapter 5
Rose
“I say you go for it,” Lily said as she dipped her brush into a plastic cup of paint. “I bet he knows exactly what he’s doing in bed.”
“Obviously,” I replied, glancing at her. “Was that ever in question?”
“Well, then, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is, after I rock his world,” I said dryly, “then what?”
“You worry too much.”
“Says the girl who ran away from Leo for years.”
“I didn’t run—” she said, making me laugh. “I made a strategic retreat.”
“Whatever.” I waved my brush at her and then got back to edging around the window. “It’s just that I can’t escape him. He’s everywhere.”
“I don’t even see Mack that often,” she argued.
“I do,” I muttered.
“Probably because you’re looking for him.”
“And you think I won’t be looking for him after I sleep with him?”
“Who said anything about sleeping?”
“What are you two whispering about?” my Aunt Farrah asked from the doorway, making me jump.
“Boys,” Lily sang with a laugh.
“No time for boys,” Farrah replied. “We need to get these rooms finished so I can go home and sit on my ass.”
“How did we get roped into painting two rooms?” I asked as my aunt left the room again. “You said one.”
“I lied,” Lily replied with a laugh.
Our discussion on whether or not I should throw myself at Mack was postponed by the trio of tween girls that joined us. At some point, Kara and Charlie had added Rebel to their girl squad, and the three of them giggled and whispered as they started painting along the baseboards on the far side of the room.
“Where’s your mom, Reb?” I asked.
“Auntie Rose!” Rebel said, gasping dramatically with a hand pressed to her chest. “I didn’t even notice you there.”
“I see how it is,” I complained with a smile as she came toward me.
“I was just teasing,” she replied, grinning. “I always notice you.”
“I always notice you, too,” I whispered in her ear as she leaned down to give me a tight hug. Reb’s hugs were always firm. She said soft touches hurt, like bee stings.
“I wasn’t lying,” Rebel said as she pulled away. “I was teasing. Dad says sometimes they’re the same, but they’re not always the same.”
“Right,” I said with a laugh. “Teasing is just supposed to be funny.”
“Funny, not mean,” she replied, looking over my shoulder. Reb had come a long way from the non-verbal toddler she’d been when I first met her, but she still didn’t like to make eye contact or accept hugs when she was upset. “Mom is downstairs with Gram. She said she needed coffee and a hundred aspirin.”
“She’s not going to take a hundred aspirin,” I said seriously, knowing that she didn’t always realize when someone was exaggerating.
“I know that,” she said as she crossed the room. “Two aspirin is the recommended dose.”
Lily snorted. “She told you.”
“She was teasing me,” I said proudly, shooting Lil a grin. “Did you hear that?”
“Sure did.”
“Draco is not cute,” Rebel said loudly, making the other girls shush her. “Tell her, Charlie. Dad says he’s stinky.”
I choked on the spit in my mouth, and coughed like a lunatic as I tried to hide how interested I was in their conversation.
“He’s not stinky,” Kara said furtively, glancing over at us.
“That’s because he always showers before you come over,” Charlie replied easily. “When it’s just me, they smell like wet dogs.”
“That’s because you’re their aunt,” Kara said, her cheeks rosy. “I don’t shower when my grandparents come to visit, either.”
“You don’t shower?” Rebel hooted.
“I do shower!” Kara replied with a laugh, poking Rebel in the side. “I just don’t shower especially for them.”
“But you do shower especially for Draco,” Rebel replied, like she was finally figuring out how it all went.
“No—” Kara shook her head. “Let’s talk about something else.”
It was quiet for a few moments while me and Lily tried not to laugh.
“Mom said I can get a new bike,” Rebel said nonchalantly, glancing at the girls to see how impressed they were. “A purple one.”
My throat got a little tight as Charlie and Kara oohed and aahed.
“Lucky,” Kara said. “Are you gonna put stickers on it?”
“Maybe a couple,” Rebel said seriously.
“I’d definitely do stickers,” Charlie commented, pointing her wet brush at Rebel. “Really customize it.”
“Yeah,” Reb said quietly, nodding. “Customize it.”
“Do you know if you’re getting light purple or dark?” Kara asked.
“I’m glad none of the kids are assholes,” Lily said quietly, drawing my attention back to our side of the room. “Remember how shitty people were to me when I couldn’t see?”
“Of course I do,” I replied grimly. “I was the one throwing punches and getting suspended.”
“Punches?” Lily said, her lips twitching. “I can distinctly remember a baseball bat.”
“That kid was huge and the bat was just sitting there,” I replied defensively. “I had to get creative.”
“You’re lucky his parents didn’t press charges.”
“They’re lucky I didn’t aim for his face,” I shot back. “That douche deserved worse than getting the wind knocked out of him.”
“You always looked out for me,” she said, straightening out her leg so she could nudge me with her toes.
“Watch it,” I warned. “I’v
e got wet paint here.”
“Are we having a paint fight?” Rebel asked in wonder.
“No!” Me and Lil yelled at the same time, making the girls giggle.
* * *
Thankfully, Kara had gone home with Molly and Reb, because I really didn’t want Mack to see me sweaty, dusty, and covered in light green paint. What I’d thought would only take a couple of hours had turned into a massive project and I was exhausted.
After showering off the funk and cleaning dried paint out from under and around my nails, I sat down on the couch with a cup of instant noodles and a beer. I didn’t plan on moving again unless there was an emergency of natural disaster-like proportions.
When someone knocked on my door a couple hours later, I groaned in frustration. I didn’t have work or any family events for once. Why couldn’t everyone just leave me alone for a single night?
“Just a minute,” I yelled when they knocked again.
I wasn’t wearing a bra, so I threw a hoodie on over my tank-top as I walked toward the door. When I looked through the peephole, I froze. What the hell was Copper doing at my apartment?
“What are you doing here?” I asked flatly as I opened the door.
“Come on,” he replied, giving me a small smile. “Don’t be like that.”
“Seriously,” I said, standing my ground as he moved as if to come inside. “Why are you here?”
“I thought maybe I’d left a couple t-shirts here,” he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“You didn’t.”
“Are you sure? I thought I might’ve left ’em in the laundry.”
“I’ve washed all the laundry,” I replied. “No t-shirts.”
“Did you check under the bed?” he asked, smiling.
“No,” I said honestly. “But you didn’t leave anything here.”
“Could you check?” he asked, leaning against the door frame. “I don’t have a lot of clothes to spare, ya know?”
“Fine,” I muttered, stepping back so he could come inside. “Stay here and I’ll double check.”
I left him in the living room and jogged up the stairs, eager for him to leave. It was so strange. I’d missed him so bad when he left that I’d felt physically ill. I’d laid in bed wondering what I’d do if he came back and said it was all a mistake and he loved me and wanted to work things out. I’d even planned what I’d say to him, how I’d make him understand how badly he’d hurt me, and then force him to jump through hoops for a second chance.
But now that he was standing downstairs, smiling and asking me to check my room for shirts that we both knew weren’t here… I felt nothing. No sadness or regret. No anticipation. No butterflies. Nothing. I just wanted him to leave again so I could get back to watching Dirty Dancing for the thousandth time and dozing on the couch.
“They’re not here,” I said as I made my way back down the stairs.
“You got a new TV,” he said, looking around the living room.
“Yeah,” I replied. “I did. Your shirts aren’t here.”
“Trying to get rid of me?” he asked teasingly.
“Well,” I tossed my hands in the air. “Yeah.”
“Ouch.”
“There’s no reason for you to be here,” I said, not unkindly.
“I’ve missed you—”
“I’m going to stop you before you say something and embarrass us both,” I muttered, cutting him off. “There really isn’t any reason for you to be here, okay?”
“You’re a real robot, huh?” he asked. The words were light, but I recognized the look on his face. He was far from calm. “Don’t even give a shit that the guy you said you loved came to see you.”
“You left,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. I really wished I would have gotten fully dressed before letting him in.
“I wonder why,” he snapped.
“It doesn’t even matter,” I said. “It’s in the past. Okay? No hard feelings.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up,” he shot back, making the hair on my neck stand straight up. “No hard feelings,” he scoffed. “You were fuckin’ begging me to stay, and now all of a sudden, you don’t even want to be around me?”
I wanted to point out that this, what he was doing right this moment, was the reason I didn’t want to be around him. Time apart had given me some clarity, and the things I’d used to find attractive about him weren’t appealing anymore. Maybe he was insanely sweet once in a while, but it didn’t outweigh the way he spoke to me when he was angry. It didn’t excuse the way he looked at me or flew off the handle. I didn’t say anything, though. I just stood there, hoping that if I didn’t engage, he’d stop.
“You fuckin’ lied when you said you loved me. You’re a liar.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from responding. It wouldn’t help. Nothing helped when he was like this.
“You said you were in it for the long haul. That there wasn’t anything that would make you leave.” He laughed nastily. “Fuckin’ liar.”
He had no idea how ridiculous he was acting, but I knew from experience that nothing I said would make him see it. It didn’t matter that he was the one who left—not me. It didn’t matter that I still loved him, in a way that made me hope nothing bad would happen to him, but didn’t make me want to actually be with him.
“I told you not to use sex as a weapon. I told you not to do that from the very beginning, and you did it, anyway.” He glared at me. “And now you’re acting like it’s my fault that shit didn’t work out. Such bullshit.”
I dug my fingernails into the fabric of my hoodie and kept my mouth shut, even though I wanted to scream my denials at him. The way he was twisting things and making me feel defensive was something he did. I couldn’t have an opinion different from Copper’s, or be angry with him about anything without it somehow getting spun around until I had to defend myself.
“Fuck you, Rose,” he said, leaning toward me.
For a split second when he was in my space, I felt actual fear. My baseball bat was across the room, and even though he wasn’t a huge guy, I knew I’d never stand a chance if things got physical.
I startled as another knock came from my front door.
“Who the fuck is coming over here this late?” Copper asked, scowling.
I had no idea who it was, but I was really hoping one of my brothers had decided to stop by. I didn’t bother checking to see who it was before I flung the door open.
I’m not sure what Mack saw when he looked at me, but his expression instantly darkened as he put his hand against my belly and pushed his way into my apartment.
“Didn’t know you were back in town,” Mack said as he wrapped one arm around my shoulders and closed the door with the other. “You just get here?”
“So it’s like that, huh?” Copper said in disgust as Mack kissed the side of my head. “Fuckin’ figures.”
“You got a problem?” Mack asked, his arm tightening around my shoulders. “Pretty sure you two have been done for a while.”
“No, man,” Copper replied, looking me up and down. “No problem.”
I quickly wrapped my arm around Mack’s waist to keep him from tearing Copper’s head off. I held him there, next to the stairs, as the other man strode past us and out the front door. It wasn’t until I heard the door latch that I finally let go. My hands were trembling.
“You alright?” Mack asked, using both hands to cup my face. “You looked freaked as fuck when you opened the door.”
“I’m okay,” I replied, shaking my hands out at my sides. “He was just being an asshole.”
“He put his hands on you?”
“No,” I shook my head. “No, he’s never done that.”
“Good thing,” he said seriously. “I’d bury him.”
“You’d have to get in line,” I said ruefully.
“He always like that?” Mack asked as he let his hands slide away from my face.
“When we were alone? Sometimes.” I moved away and le
aned against the back of the couch. “He was always careful not to act like that in front of people.”
“Looks like the mask’s slippin’.”
“He’s not my problem anymore.”
“Why’d you let him in?” Mack asked. There was no censure in his voice, just curiosity.
“He thought he’d left some t-shirts here,” I mumbled.
“Rose,” he chastised with a laugh.
“I know,” I replied, an embarrassed laugh escaping my mouth. “I know. But he wasn’t going to leave until I checked.”
“That joker would’ve been back the next day if he’d thought he forgot somethin’,” Mack said. “The man wears the same four t-shirts constantly.”
“There’s five,” I corrected, my lips twitching.
“Well, hell,” Mack replied. “Color me surprised.”
I couldn’t stop my laugh or the tears that came immediately afterward. I didn’t even know why I was crying. I hadn’t felt sad when Copper showed up. I hadn’t felt anything. But now my chest ached like crazy, and I just wanted to bawl my eyes out.
“I’m sorry,” I said, wiping at my face. “I don’t know what’s the matter with me.”
“Adrenaline crash,” Mack said knowingly. “You’re okay.”
“I’m sorry,” I said again as my chest heaved. Pulling my hoodie up so the neck was near my forehead, I hid my face and used the fabric to dry it.
“Stop apologizing,” he replied.
“This is so stupid,” I said, pulling my head out of my sweatshirt once my tears were finally under control. “I don’t even give a crap that he showed up.”
“Because he was screamin’ at you?”
“I didn’t give a crap before he started screaming,” I replied. “That’s why he was screaming.”
“Motherfucker,” Mack muttered.
“No shit,” I said unsteadily, lifting my hands to show him how they shook.
“Damn, baby,” Mack’s voice softened. “He really freaked you out.”
“I don’t even know why,” I replied. “He was just being his normal asshole self.”
“Come here,” he ordered softly.
Without hesitation, I walked into his arms and relaxed into him.
Craving Rose (The Aces' Sons) Page 8