“You’re in,” I protested.
“No. I’m not.”
“Rosie, you’re in,” I insisted. “No woman’s ever been as deep in as you are except for my ma and my sister.”
“They’re not in either,” she murmured. “Nobody’s in. Not even Callum. You say they are, you may even believe it, but they’re not.”
I tipped my head back against the seat and muttered, “I dunno what you want from me, Rosie.”
“I want you to trust me,” she explained. “But I don’t think you’re ready.”
A flash of heat swept through my gut. “Seeing as youarein and I can’t give you any more than I already am, then maybe you’re right. Maybe thisistoo much.”
The pain that flashed across her face made my heart clench. “Right,” she whispered, turning to open the door.
“Ro,” I called out, suddenly desperate for her not to leave. “Wait.”
With her hand still on the door catch, she craned her neck until our eyes locked. “You’ve constantly got one hand up, holding me off.”
“I haven’t,” I denied.
“How long have we been doing this?” she asked.
My eyebrows pulled together. “About six weeks, or thereabouts.”
“So why haven’t we had sex?” she asked quietly.
“I wanted to take it slow,” I reasoned. “I always get accused of being a fuckboy, and I didn’t want you to think it was all I wanted from you.”
“I’ve known your intentions since the day I turned up at the court hearing, Donovan. We’re in a relationship, and sex is meant to bring us closer, but you don’t want us to get closer, do you? That’s why you always make excuses. It’s either work, or my kids, or Imogen, or your mom. Tonight, we have an empty house and we are both kid-free, but still, it never even entered your head.” She let out a brittle laugh. “I can’t believe I’m sitting in a truck with Donovan O’Shea, asking why he doesn’t want to fuck me. It’s like I’ve been zapped through a wormhole into an alternate fucking universe.”
I pushed out a humorless laugh. “Babe. I do wanna fuck you.”
“So come inside,” she murmured.
“I can’t, Posy. I gotta go do some research on this fucking PI.”
“It’s covered,” she cried. “Colt and Kennedy’s investigator are already doing what needs to be done.”
I thrust a hand through my hair. “I can’t sit idle while Imogen could be in danger.”
“Spending time together as a couple isn’t sitting idle,” she told me, her voice thick with hurt. “Us being together is crucial if we want this to work. It can’t all be about kids, the family, or work. There has to be an us too, or there won’t be a foundation to fall back on when things get tough. How can we be close if there’s no closeness?”
My throat clenched as a stab of heat blazed through my chest, and before I could stop myself, I exploded. “For fuck’s sake, Rosie, stop pressuring me. I’ll fuck you when I’m ready, alright? Jesus, when did you turn into this fucking person? It’s not all about you, babe.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them, especially when a blank look hit Rosie’s eyes and she tilted her chin defiantly.
“Fuck you,” she spat, her eyes glittering. “Don’t you dare try and gaslight me into thinking I’m being too demanding because I want to feel close to you.”
“Babe,” I croaked. “I’m sorry, but sometimes, you’re a lot for me to cope with.”
Her face blanked, and her lip curled. “Then go and find yourself someone who’s less.” And with that parting shot, she threw the door open, hauled ass, and left me sitting there staring after her with my mouth hanging open.
I watched her stomp down the path, her juicy ass wiggling as she went, and my mouth watered.
Fuck.
Why was I such a dick?
