Ned said something that made Rosie let out a little laugh before she said her goodbyes and ended the call.
“Hey,” I muttered, smiling into her soft, brown eyes.
“Hey, yourself.” She got up on one elbow and looked down at me. “Come on. What did Ash say?”
I shrugged. “Told you already, she’s good. Probably packing her car up to go back to Denver as we speak.”
Rosie exhaled with her entire chest. “Thank God. And the video?”
“Gone. Deleted. If they’ve kept any copies, Colt will soon find them. He’s hacking their cell phones as we speak. He’s also got Pagan’s burner, which contains all the numbers of their other burners, so there’s nowhere they can hide. We’re in the clear, baby, I promise.” I watched Rosie’s shoulders visibly deflate as the stress seeped out of her body. “Hey, Posy. I told you it’d be okay. There was no need for you to worry.”
“Now there isn’t,” she agreed.
I trailed a finger down her arm and clasped her hand, pulling her toward me.
She hitched a shapely leg over my stomach and straddled me, giggling as I knifed up and whipped her top off, leaving her topless and her gorgeous breasts exposed.
I let out a groan. “Where are the kids?”
“Last-minute back-to-school supplies,” she told me. “They’ve gone to the Superstore in Mapletree with Kady, Kai, Sunny, and a couple of other kids. They’re gonna stay out, eat at the diner over there, and come home around seven or eight.”
“I’ll go get Imogen and bring pizza back. Wanna do a movie night with the kids?”
She peered down at me. “You and Imogen have stayed here most nights for the last couple of weeks.”
“You need space?” I asked. “I can head to Ma’s tonight, give you a break?—”
Her finger covered my mouth. “No. I never meant it like that. I like you being here a lot, so I was thinking, maybe we couldconvert the spare room on the lower floor for Imogen so she can have her own space.”
I reached up to touch Rosie’s throat and trailed one finger down between her breasts. “That sounds permanent,” I murmured absentmindedly as I studied the way her nipples hardened from my touch.
“It could be, one day.” She wriggled her ass on my stomach, obviously getting turned on. “No point you buying a house when we’ve got more than enough room here. The kids love you, and they adore Immie, and so do I.”
I stopped studying her nipples and my eyes lifted to hers. “You do?”
“Yeah,” she breathed. “You’re pretty fucking amazing when you’re not being an asshole, and Imogen’s a dream.”
Something in me softened. “But moving in is a big step and?—”
Her face blanched slightly, and she covered my hands with hers. “It’s fine. I was thinking about the future, that’s all. If you want to take your time, that’s okay, too.”
It was my turn to cover her lips with my finger. “Let me finish.” I gestured for her to lift her ass while I scooched up until my back rested against the headboard. “Are you happy living here?”
Her face softened. “It’s a great house. We’ve got a big garden and a huge garage. I love the kitchen, and we’re not far from town, school, or the clubhouse. Plus, I repeat, it’s a great house.”
“If we move in, I want to approach Atlas about buying it,” I suggested.
“Okay,” she agreed. “I’m up for that. I’ve never been comfortable with not paying my way. I was grateful for the help when we first moved back to town, but now my business is doing great, so I can afford to pay more.”
“I pay, baby,” I murmured.
“No,” she protested.
“Yes. We both go on the deeds, and it’s our house, but I pay. I earn more than you, and Ma gave us all some cash when Da’s estate came through. The gym’s doing well, and it’s almost paid back my initial investment from when I bought it. I’ve got the cake, don’t worry.”
“I need to contribute, Donny,” she whispered. “I need it for me. When Evan and I broke up, I was left with nothing. I swore I’d never put myself in that position again.”
My jaw tightened. “You’ll be on the deeds fifty-fifty, and we’re not breaking up.”
