“I’m not fantasizing about anyone except Aurora.”
He turns on the coffee grinder, drowning me out, and I toss the water bottle and grab another.
When he’s through making his sixth shot of caffeine, I ask, “What did my sister say?”
“She didn’t believe me. She said there’s no chance her broody brother is dating a model, especially one married to Jackson O’Reilly.”
My lips curve into a smile, and I can’t help but chuckle. “Wow, great to know she has faith in me.”
“She’s going to shit her pants when y’all show up.” He shoots me a side-eye. “By the way, your shoulder is bleeding. It’ll be a bitch when the blood dries and you rip off that shirt.”
“Shut up and make me an espresso. I need you to drive me to Santa Monica.”
“Awesome,” he deadpans. “Just what I want to do.”
Chapter 5
Jackson
“Hey, you okay?”
Lost in my thoughts, I utter a noncommittal sound.
“Look at me, baby.” Ethan lifts my chin, brows pinched in concern. “Are you having a difficult time?”
Sucking on a Jolly Rancher, I sit on the windowsill of our hotel room and peer out over Denver. It’s snowing, white flurries dancing in the yellow glow of the city lights. It’s pretty from afar, where I’m not freezing my balls off.
“A little.” I gently brush my knuckles over the fading bruises on his chin. “But Aurora’s at the beach house, so I can see her.”
“You mean, stalk her?” He smiles, lighting up his eyes. “What’s she doing?”
My hands find their way to his waist. He’s powerfully built, solid and thick, while I’m lean and cut. I yearn to touch him, to memorize every contour and muscle, but I hold back, letting him lead.
“The contractor came over to assess the damage. Anything you want changed while he’s drawing up plans?”
“We should think about the beach access. Is it worth the risk to our safety?”
I untuck his shirt. “Apart from building a ten-foot wall, nowhere is one hundred percent safe. The security system alerted when someone entered the property. I have an idea, though. Anything else?”
His fingers thread through the back of my hair. “No, it’s perfect. You did an amazing job. I’m glad Aurora chose to stay.”
“Me too. I’m having the pool house remodeled. It’ll eat up some of the yard, but I’m contemplating asking Charlie if he’s interested in working surveillance. He’s up all night and attached to Reece, and right now, we don’t have anyone. I’m sure the twins will want to return to New York soon.”
“Okay, that’s something we can discuss. Is that why you missed dinner? Are you worried?” He bends down and presses his lips to mine. “Fuck, I’ve wanted to do that all day.”
He lingers, and I’m tempted to deepen the kiss, but it’s our first night on the road together, and I don’t want to push it.
We break apart, and I reach up to loosen the knot of his tie. “I was giving you space. I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable when I stared at you the entire time.”
Truth be told, yes, I’m worried. Not only about our safety, but aboutus. All of us. I want to be home, ensuring our relationship is solid and everyone is happy.
He scoffs, removes the tie, and tosses it on the chair. “Grant was asking for you.”
“Did you tell him where I was?”
I begin with the top button of his plain white dress shirt. I should order him clothes. He’ll hate it, but I’ll do it anyway.I’ve already switched out his hair products but left his soap because it smells like him.
“No. Why would I do that?” The corner of his mouth twitches into a slight smirk.
