He moaned against my neck. "Sounds good. Time for a shower?"
I turned in his arms, heat in my gaze as it locked with his. "A solo shower, definitely. Anything else, no."
He let out a sigh of disappointment that made me smile. "Too bad. I'll be quick." Xavier cupped the back of my head and kissed me deeply, thrusting his tongue into my mouth while his other hand pulled me close enough to feel the effect I had on him.
My arms flew around his neck and I glued my chest to his, the sound of his heartbeat pounding against his chest in time with my own. He felt good, so good, everywhere, and I wanted him more and more with every swipe of his tongue, every caress. Every orgasm.
My phone rang on the kitchen table, and I reluctantly pulled back with a groan. "Stupid technology," I grumbled.
Xavier laughed. "Probably for the best. Too many hot things boiling in here for me to have my way with you properly." He brushed another kiss against my lips. "I'll shower and you finish dinner. I already know what I'm having for dessert." The heat in his gaze caused an instant pooling of desire in my panties.
"I guess I'll have the chocolate mousse all to myself."
He laughed. "My dessert is better, I'm sure of it," he called over his shoulder.
I was still smiling as I reached for my phone and returned to the stove to make sure the vegetables didn't stick to the pan. "Hello?"
"Rosie, baby."
I groaned and pulled the phone away to stare at the screen. It was another unknown number Jason used to call. "I told you to stop calling me, Jason. I have nothing to say to you."
"I need your help, Rosie. You can't leave me hanging."
I laughed, and the sound was bitter. "You mean the way you left me hanging all the time to hang out with your boys, because of some alleged work meeting, or simply because you neededsome time to yourself?" I stopped myself because I was getting off track. "Leave me alone, Jason."
He groaned his frustration. "Just meet me anywhere you want so we can talk about things."
"There's nothing to talk about." It shamed me to admit that there had been a time when a talk might have fixed things, but that was a long time ago. "Goodbye, Jason."
"You'll regret this, Rosie. I promise you that."
A chill settled over me at his words, but I recovered quickly, finding my own strength. "So will you, if you don't leave me alone. Stalking and harassing are crimes, and I don't think you'll fare well in prison." I ended the call with a smile, ignoring the way my hands trembled.
His threat sounded cold, which wasn't like him at all. Jason was the charmer, always smiling and laughing, which had made it hard for anyone to believe my version of our relationship. But if he was issuing threats, he was in real trouble.
Not my problem.
I listened for Xavier, and the shower was still on, so I called Toni because she seemed like a woman who didn't let anyone walk all over her.
"Oh, good. Are you calling to give me all the dirty details? Because I could use the distraction."
"Not all the details, but," I sighed, "things are good. Really good. But casual."
She groaned. "Please tell me that's not the tea you called to spill."
I laughed. "It's not. I actually need some advice."
"Always take him a little deeper than you think you can; it drives them crazy."
I felt my face heat up even though Toni couldn't see me. "Okay, thanks. But that's not it either."
"Okay, fine. I'm all ears. Talk."
I told her about Jason and his sudden reappearance in my life and the persistent calls even after I blocked him. And I ended with the threat. "You'll regret this, I promise you that. It's definitely a threat, right? I'm not being crazy."
"Definitely a threat," Toni confirmed. "Does he know where you are right now?"
"Texas, yes, but otherwise no. At least I don't think he does, but I can't risk that, Toni, not when I have to look after Violet." My hands shook at the thought of anything happening to that little girl, and in that moment, I hated Jason more than I'd ever hated another human being.
