“Can I ask why you want me there? I think I need it spelled out.”
His smile was back now. “I want to get somewhere you’ll want to spend time. I need you to like it, and to see if Toby would like it too.”
“All Toby needs is a garden, a football and his games console.” I rolled my eyes. My nephew was torn at the moment between getting Rowan to play football with him, or Mario Kart. I preferred football; Rowan was quite happy with either.
“And other kids to kick the football about with.” He looked worried. “I played on the street, but Toby can’t really, can he? Not as he gets older. Or even now.”
I knew what he was thinking about. A couple of days ago a group of kids had knocked on my door asking for autographs from both of us. It was harmless enough, but it had made me wonder whether I was living in a secure enough place. Joanne turning up had made me think even more about possibly moving.
“He can’t. But he starts playing every Saturday soon, so that’ll be one thing for him.” Megs was taking him each week, which stopped my feeling of guilt as Saturdays were the one day that was definitely a no go for doing much with him when it was the football season.
Rowan shifted me back round on the sofa so my back was resting against his chest. He’d become quite good at moving me to where he wanted, something I didn’t mind at all, especially in bed. His lips pressed against the side of my neck, making me shiver.
“If you don’t like either of the houses, say.” He whispered the words, adding more shivers to my collection. “I don’t intend living there by myself after the end of the season.”
Warmth flowed through me and I couldn’t stop my smile. I couldn’t stop teasing him either.
“Why? Who’s going to be living there with you? Ryan?”
I turned my head up to see him. There wasn’t much more fun that tormenting Rowan by being deliberately dense about our relationship.
“No.” His eyes narrowed, sussing out whether I was being serious or not.
“Interesting. Jesse asked yesterday whether I was thinking of moving.” This was completely untrue, but Rowan had a complete hang up with Jesse, and for some reason thought I was going to get together with him in the future. Jesse only mentioned me to Rowan to poke the bear, then I’d usually get a text or even a recording with Rowan’s threats after.
Rowan inhaled loudly, as if getting ready to breathe fire. “Did he now? And did he make any suggestion as to where you might live?”
I giggled. I didn’t even have to try that hard to get a reaction. “He offered his spare room…”
“I’m going to fucking kill him.” Rowan grew tense underneath me. “He knows. He fucking knows.”
“Knows what?” I was straddling him now, a road that led to nowhere, because this position, with me on top, only led to us both feeling the need to take each other’s clothes off, something that couldn’t be done in a living room in a small house with a small boy upstairs, who may or may not be properly asleep.
Rowan’s hands were now under my tank top, playing with the strap of my bra. “That you’re the one thing that makes me flip. And the pair of you try and play me with it all the time.”
So he did know. Damn. “Because you react.”
“Yep. Can we go upstairs? No, let me rephrase that. You go upstairs, take your clothes off, and get yourself ready for me.” He cupped my breasts with both his hands. “I’m going to show you exactly which man gets to offer you a place to live.”
Warmth started to burn in my centre, desire becoming my dominant driver. “What are you going to do?”
“Lock up. Or check everything’s locked up.”
I didn’t argue with him or say that I’d already done it. I gave him a kiss instead, holding his face in my hands and keeping it from turning as dominant as he wanted. As I climbed off his lap, I felt his hand on my ass, spanking it lightly.
“I bet Jesse wouldn’t do that.”
Thick arms wrapped around me, lifting me up as if I was made from paper. “Jesse wouldn’t have the chance.”
I was tipped over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift, one of his hands steadying me, the other on my backside, low on my backside, more between my legs, fingers teasing through my thin sweats.
We were both quiet, passing Toby’s room, Rowan opening the door to my bedroom carefully and without putting me down. I’d already figured I was going to have very little say in what else went on tonight; teasing Ro about Jesse brought out the caveman that wasn’t too far under the surface.
He put me down on the mattress, then went straight for my sweats, pulling them down and flinging them across the room. My tank was lost quickly, the bra almost as quick, leaving me in just my panties.
Rowan’s gaze was as good as being touched as he cast it up and down my body, my nipples hardening as he looked, pulling off his T-shirt, exposing a torso that was cut, with abs I could trace my tongue over, and a happy trail that made more than one of us very happy, every time I rediscovered it.
“Take your underwear off.” His words were quiet, his pose determined.
