Rosie didn’t look at it and opted for her favorite comfort food. “Will you order? I’m going to shower before the food arrives.” She dragged herself off the bed and closed the bathroom door behind her. She’d been tempted to ask Shay to join her, but she felt a little too grubby to get sexy,andshe was exhausted. The judgmental part of her brain raised its eyebrow at the fact that she could eventhinkabout having sex when the ink was barely dry on her mom’s death certificate. She silently countered that argument with the logic that being around death made her realize just how precious and fleeting life was, so every last drop of existence should be squeezed out of each moment.
Her skin tingled when the hot water hit her body, immediately invigorating her. Rosie pumped the shower gel into her palm and inhaled the refreshing lemongrass and bergamot scent before soaping up. She ran her hands all over her body, washing away the grimy feeling of the travel day and the gritty sensation she’d had since going to the coroner’s office to see her mom and to collect the medical examiner’s report. She shuddered despite the warmth of the water and blinked away the image of her mom’s lifeless body on the metal table they’d pulled out of a cabinet door on the wall, like she was in an oversized safety deposit box. Her mom definitely hadn’t looked like she could’ve gotten up and cackled, “Rosarita!” like in Rosie’s weird dream. That total lifelessness had been so misplaced; while she’d often thought her mom would endup like that, she’d never stopped toimagineit. Death was certainly an equalizer and had dragged away all sense of the power her mom held over her. At least it had inthatmoment.
Tomorrow, they had to go to the Justice Center to file the death report, which she’d been advised would take a couple of hours, but for now, she wanted to focus on getting clean and continuing to process the gamut of emotions assailing her as she faced the reality that her mom was actually gone.
Rosie washed the suds from her body, wishing that it could be as easy to do the same with her parental baggage. Logically, she knew she didn’t owe her mom anything other than to follow the last wishes she’d detailed in her decades-old letter, and maybe not even that. But she didn’t want to miss the opportunity for personal growth. She patted her skin dry with a fluffy towel and decided she’d just let the situation be what it was going to be. No amount of second-guessing or trying to see into her subconscious would expedite the process. There were stages, and she’d work her way through them.
She pulled on a light cotton robe and tied it at the waist before going back out into the bedroom to see Shay lying on the other queen bed by the window. Rosie wrinkled her nose. “Do you think they assumed we were just friends when they allocated this room?”
Shay’s lips quirked before she seemed to school her expression. “They were probably just playing it safe. Does it bother you?”
Rosie sat on the edge of Shay’s bed. “Kind of. I don’t like when people assume two trad feminine women can’t possibly be lovers—or friends with benefits,” she added quickly, hoping there might be one last connection possible.To hell with it. If this was going to be the last time she was this close to Shay, especially in a nice hotel room, she’d damn well make the most of it. Most people didn’t know when their last time for anything would be, so they didn’t get the chance to treasure it properly. She wasn’t going to let their last time be on the same day she’d learned her mom had died.
But now wasn’t right. Her growling stomach let her know shewanted food more than she’d realized.
“But you didn’t correct them.”
Rosie frowned. “What?”
“You’re not happy that the guy on reception assumed we’d need two beds, but you didn’t correct him or ask for a room with just one bed.”
“I don’t think I was paying enough attention,” she said. “Butif I hadn’t been emotionally and physically exhausted, I definitely would’ve called him on it.”
Shay grinned. “I’m just messing with you. I’ve always thought you were feisty.”
“Really?” She liked the idea of Shay thinking of her before they’d gotten together, as much as theyweretogether. “Tell me more.”
Shay shook her head. “You don’t need to fish for compliments, do you?” She laughed when Rosie nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, okay. Gabe told me how you warned her not to hurt Lori, and when I saw you the first time at the garage, I could see you weren’t someone to play with.”
Rosie arched her eyebrow and caught hold of Shay’s bare foot. “But you have played with me,” she said hoarsely.
The knock at the door came before Shay responded, and Rosie reluctantly got up to answer it. She tipped the server after they’d brought everything in and laid it on the small table by the window. When they server left, she turned back to the table and moaned. “Thatlooks amazing.” She gestured to Shay’s plate of quesadillas. “Are you eating in bed?” Rosie giggled at Shay’s mortified expression as she practically jumped off the bed.
“No way. You should know I hate crumbs in the bed.”
Rosie pulled out a chair and sat down, not sure what to make of that statement. On the one hand, it implied they might share a bed again, but on the other, it implied Shay had chosen to sleep in the second bed and not join Rosie in the one she’d flopped onto earlier.
They ate in relative silence. Shay was clearly as hungry as Rosiewas, but when Rosie finished her entrée first and uncovered the third plate, she moaned in appreciation again. “Brownies!” They were her favorite dessert, which had been another thing they’d discussed on the journey here. Shay really had been paying attention.
Shay laughed. “It’s like you enjoy food as much as sex. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone moan like that over a grilled sandwich and cake.”
Rosie clasped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, do I make the same noises when I’m having sex?”
Shay tilted her head one way then the other as if she had to seriously contemplate the question.
“Shay…” Rosie said when she still hadn’t answered.
“You’re more…enthusiastic when it comes to sex,” she said and bit into the last quarter of her quesadilla.
“God, I wish I hadn’t asked at all, because now I want to know if I’m too loud.”
Shay chewed and swallowed then took a too-long pull on her beer, knowing damn well what she was doing.
Rosie shoved Shay’s shoulder. “Well?”
Shay shook her head and smiled. “You could never be too loud for me. I’m not a fan of quiet sex. It’s like people are ashamed they’re having such a good time.”
“Mm, that’s not exactly fair,” she said, though relief washed through her, knowing that Shay wasn’t turned off by the noises she made.
