“I know it’s your turn now, but you’ll have to do the work. My bones are mush.”
He chuckled softly. “Not gonna fuck you, Ro. I just wanted a taste. Something to keep me goin’ while I work for it.”
My heart fluttered inside my chest.
“You’re dangerous,” I murmured.
His head tilted to one side, and he asked, “You scared?”
My lips quirked into a rueful smile. “Fucking terrified.”
“You don’t need to be.” He took a lock of my hair and twirled it between his fingers. “You’re mine now.”
My smile died. “But for how long?”
He paused briefly while he thought about my question, then murmured, “I won’t tell you shit like we’re fated or destined, Posy, because even soulmates aren’t guaranteed to make it. A relationship can only last when two people fight for it and protect it. As long as we work on what we’ve got and have each other’s backs, there’s no reason why we can’t go the distance.”
The words came out full of meaning and determination, like he meant every syllable. I wanted so much to believe him, but the part of me that watched Evan obliterate our marriage, our family, and everything we built together couldn’t shake the feelings of doubt.
He must have seen the shadows flicker behind my eyes because his forehead creased. “You don’t believe me?”
“I’ve never had experience of being with a person who fights to make things stick,” I admitted. “And neither have you.”
“Maybe, but it’s only ‘cause I’ve never met anybody who I wanted to make things stick with. You say you have doubts, but we’re already doing it, Rosie. You’ve already gone to bat for me and Imogen, and I’m going to bat for you with your ex. I’ll make sure you, DJ, and Gabby get through this. You’ve shown me more understanding in five days than my old man showed me in a lifetime, and I won’t forget that.”
“Really? I thought Lorcan was a stand-up father.”
I watched the shutters snap over his eyes. “Let’s not ruin the mood.”
“Okay,” I assented softly, but my curiosity was piqued.
The town talked about Lorcan O’Shea as if he were some kind of legend. I’d always got along okay with him; he was charming and had a great sense of humor, but he was a bar owner, so hewas probably that way with most people. It wasn’t like I knew him behind closed doors.
It used to be the same way with Evan. When we separated, our friends gravitated toward him because he was such a great guy and our split couldn’t have possibly been his fault. Even after they discovered he’d had an affair, they made excuses for him. It was a big part of why I used to spend so much time in Wyoming.
I knew from personal experience that the good guy wasn’t always the hero of the story, but I didn’t want to force Donovan to talk if he wasn’t ready. We were still new, and I didn’t have an automatic right to his childhood, the same as he didn’t have a right to mine. If we kept getting closer, we’d eventually work up to it, so I’d let him keep his secrets, at least for now.
“I need a shower,” I declared.
“Same,” he agreed, his sexy grin spreading across his face. “Wanna share?”
I rolled my eyes.
“What?” he asked innocently. “We’ll be doing our bit for the environment and conserving water.”
“I thought you were going to work for it?” I questioned, cocking an eyebrow.
The Dimple flashed. “Baby. If you think what I just did to you wasn’t working for it, I’ll need to do it again, if only to prove a point.”
He had me there.
“Oh, alright then,” I acquiesced. “But no nookie.”
He threw his head back and laughed.
I watched, fascinated because his deep chuckles were infectious, and I really loved that Dimple. Plus, I’d just had the orgasm to end all orgasms, and it was given to me by a gorgeous, hot guy who wanted to fight for me and protect me, and work on what we had so that it went the distance.
Donovan threw back the sheet and got out of bed, then he bent down and grabbed me by the waist and hauled me into his arms bridal-style.
