Page 96 of This Time Around
“No.Jordan’s downstairs and you’ve got men outside.”
“What?”Her eyes flew open and I pressed up on my arms, still on top of her, my dick still hard at her center.My chest heaved with exertion, but it was the panicked look on her face that had me shoving off the bed.“What time is it?”
Her feet hit the floor and the covers were whipped off her lap as she moved.
I tugged on my jeans and followed her to the bathroom where she was frantically running her thin fingers through her mess of hair, refining it on top of her head.
“It’s just after eight.”
Her eyes flung to my reflection in the mirror.“The animals—”
“Are good.When I got here, Jordan said he’d take care of them.”
Her brows furrowed and her hands fell to the countertop.“When did you get here?”
“After six.You need some time to wake up and shower?I’ll go get your coffee.”
“That’d be great.Thanks.”I turned to leave the bathroom doorway.
“Cooper?”
“Yeah?”
“Last night,” her voice trembled and she shook her head, rolling her lips together.“Last night I said some things—”
I closed the gap between us in two long strides.Grabbing her hips, I yanked her until our bodies were flush together and my hands landed on her cheeks.“We’ll talk about last night later.”
“I was scared.”
“Later, Rebecca.You have other things on your mind today.”
“I didn’t mean it.There are things you don’t know.Things I haven’t told anyone.”She was rushing out the words, but she didn’t need to.
I slammed my mouth to hers and kissed away her objection and hopefully, her fears.We’d get to all of itlaterwhen we had the time.I pulled back, her cheeks flushed, lips swollen and wet.Her eyes were glazed over from lust and sleep and hell if she wasn’t more beautiful in that moment than I’d seen her yet.No makeup, tired eyes, messed up hair, and looking freshly kissed….
Yeah, I was definitely making the right decision.
“Later,” I all but growled, and dropped my hands from her.“Take your shower.Coffee will be here when you’re done.”
I hurried out of the bathroom, stopping only when something shiny caught my gaze on the floor.
The blue wall had a dent in it, white drywall showing from it.I went to the spot on the wall, bent down and grabbed the upside down picture frame on the floor.
Underneath it, something else glittered.
Her wedding ring.It was what had made me ask about her being married the first night I was there when I bandaged up her hand.She always wore it.
My fist curled around it and I flipped over the picture frame.
A picture of her and Joseph.My gaze whipped to the nightstand.It had been there two nights ago.It’d probably been there for years.She was smiling at him in this photo, unabashed and wild and free, a smile I hadn’t yet seen, but the first time I saw that smile in the photo an ache has pinched my chest.
It was obvious she’d thrown it, and she’d thrown it quite hard to leave the small mess.Why?Why, when she was frustrated with me, or scared, would she chuck this photo, one where they looked so beautiful and happy together, across the room?And why did she throw her ring?
I set the frame down on the corner of the bed, placed the ring on top, and left the room.Objects wouldn’t give me answers to my questions, only Rebecca could.
