Mick’s look changed. Roz wasn’t sure if it was because he was tired of her questions, or if he was embarrassed by them. “What?” she asked him.
Mick exhaled. It was more embarrassment than irritation. “You’re younger than I am.”
Another out-of-left-field response. “So?”
“Every time we have an argument, which is quite often lately, what do you say to me, Roz?”
“What do I say to you? What do you mean?”
Mick didn’t respond. She knew what he meant.
She attempted to smile it off. “I was just running my mouth, Mick.”
“A woman telling me that if I don’t straighten up and fly right she’s going to go and get her a younger man and some fresh dick isn’t something I’m going to take lightly. Especially if that woman’s you.”
Roz couldn’t believe he was making this all about her. “I was just trying to let you know two can play that game. That’s all that was about. I was reminding your ass that I still got it, too, and that I get propositioned by these young studs just like you get propositioned by those young hoes. But you took it like I was gonna do something like that? That I was gonna do that to you?”
Mick felt embarrassed. He looked into her soft eyes. “Something like that, yes.”
Roz couldn’t help it. She smiled. “You were afraidIwas going to leaveyou?” Then she started laughing.
Which upset Mick. “It’s not that damn funny,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” she said, trying not to laugh but unable to stop. “I’m sorry.”
Then her laughter slowly stopped, and she looked at him. She was serious again. “There’s more to this story, Mick. I can feel it. Why can’t you tell me?”
Mick stared at her. She was one smart lady. But he wasn’t discussing all that hell he rained down in Rome. He wasn’t discussing that.
Roz exhaled. He was the hardest man to love. The absolute hardest! Why did she love him so much? “Is it your final answer that you aren’t cheating on me with Bella Caine?”
Mick frowned. “Why would I cheat on you with Bella, Roz?”
“Because her ass pretty, that’s why.”
“No, I’m not cheating on you with Bella.”
“What about the doctor from America that ‘oversaw’ your surgery? Was it a woman or a man?”
“A woman.”
Roz wanted to roll her eyes. Why was she not surprised? “She’s pretty, isn’t she?”
Mick now had irritation on his face. “What you asking me a question like that for? Just as long as she got my knee straight, what the fuck I care how she looks?”
“Yeah right,” Roz said boldly, which caused Mick to give her that chilling look that made strong men terrified. But Roz just stared right back at him. Until his tired ass gave up, and looked away.
“I didn’t even know you needed a knee replaced,” she said. “Since when your knees have been bothering you like that?”
“A lot bothers me,” he said, “but I’m not about to go around bitching and moaning about it. I had the surgery. That’s that.”
Roz was certain there was more to the story than he was willing to tell, but that was always the case with Mick. She wasused to that shit. Tired of it too, but used to it. “Let me see it,” she said.
Mick frowned. “See what?”
“Let me see your knee.”
Had Mick been the type, he would have rolled his eyes. Because he knew she wanted proof. He reluctantly moved her body to the left side of his body, removed the covers off of the right side of his now-revealed naked body, and showed her his knee.
