“Fresh.” I let the word settle. God, when’s the last time I had a fresh start anywhere?
She chuckles. “My god, there’s such a thing as a fresh start, Zander. Okay, so why don’t you pick up that phone, order some room service for two, have it delivered, and then you can take me again before we face the world hand in hand?”
“God, you’re the perfect woman.” I kiss her and roll over to call down for breakfast.
A half hour later, we’re still in bed, tangled in the sheets. She may have dozed off again, so I roll out of bed, tug on my sweats, and open the door.
Jensen holds out a tray for me.
“Ah… thanks.” I quickly take it.
He doesn’t say anything and wears no expression to say whether he knows that Romy’s in here or not. I shut the door.
When I come back to the bedroom, Romy pulls the sheets tighter around herself, sitting up. I set the tray on the small table by the window. It’s filled with eggs, bacon, French toast, coffee, tea, fruit—then my eyes stray to one item.
I lift the tray of cookies. “I think our secret might already be out.”
She laughs and falls back against the headboard. “Of course. Pistachio cookies. My family. I swear they have cameras implanted in me where they can see everything I do.”
“God, I hope they don’t have cameras. Your father might never speak to me again.”
“So, everybody probably already knows I’m in your bed. This is a little embarrassing.”
I sit on the edge of the bed. “It’s not embarrassing. Let them talk. Who cares? This is what we want, right? We want to be out in the open.” I lean in to kiss her slow and steady.
Then we forget about the cookies and the breakfast tray. Because the second her mouth parts under mine, I’m only hungry for one thing.
“Enough energy for another round?”
She laughs against my mouth. “Always.”
Then she’s tugging off my pants, I’m lowering the sheet, and we’re right back where we were—two people who can’t get enough of each other.
The sunlight streams through the curtains, catching a glint in her hair. I swear she’s never looked more beautiful. Here and now, when she’s smiling and flushed and mine.
She closes our kiss. “You do know what this means?”
“What?”
“Another family dinner.” She laughs.
If I thought admitting I was the father of their grandchild was hard, now I’ve got to prove I’m actually worthy of their daughter. Hell.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Romy
We’re parked outside the softball field in the back of Zander’s SUV, with DeSoto outside after he’s done a perimeter check to make sure there aren’t any wild bulls ready to chase us down. We’re here early, so my legs are swung over his lap, and his hands are lazily massaging them.
“All right, so explain this to me again. Grown men and women are playing softball?”
“I don’t know why it’s such a big thing to you. Ranches play against other ranches. We have a really big rivalry with Wild Bull Ranch.” I remember that when Zander was trying to get out of being at Plain Daisy Ranch, they were going to go to Wild Bull Ranch. “And just so you know, Wild Bull Ranch does not have a Romy. You should count yourself lucky you filmed your video at Plain Daisy Ranch.”
He laughs. God, I love hearing his authentic, genuine laugh. And the way his head rocks back makes me a goner for him.
“Nobody has a Romy. Believe me, I know how lucky I am.” His fingers slide higher under the hem of my shorts, brushing the inside of my thigh.
I press my hand over his. “Hey, you have a game to play. And I’m really sorry about where you are in the lineup. I’m not that strong of a hitter.” Zander is taking my place on the team for this game.
