“We’re just seeing how things go. Nothing official.” I clench my jaw.
“But you slept with her.” Joe chuckles. “Sarah said you were in an uncharacteristically chipper mood when you dropped Ty off, but I figured it just had to do with our prisoner.”
“So what if I did? We’re two consenting adults. I don’t know why that’s any of your business.”
“Because you’re my best friend. And I happen to like seeing you happy.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Happy.
I scoffed when Joe said it earlier, because fuck, how much more cliche can a guy get? One night with a girl and my entire outlook on life shifts? It sounds pathetic, but I don’t even care at this point.
I’mhappy.
Spending time with Maddie makes mehappy. Getting to know Maddie makes mehappy. Watching as Maddie’s toe curl as she comes makes me really fuckinghappy.
In some miraculous way, she’s pulled me out of the dark cloud that’s loomed over me for months. I wouldn’t say it’s completely clear skies yet, but it’s a start and I’m optimistic, which has never been a word used to describe me.
“What sounds good for dinner?” I ask Ty as we load into the truck. After showering at the warehouse, I picked him up from Sarah’s and we headed home. Maddie should be there soon, too.
“Isn’t Maddie going to cook something?” he asks.
“She cooks for us a lot. Maybe it would be nice if you and I handled dinner for a change.”
Ty seems less than confident about my cooking abilities, and honestly, so am I. So when he suggests we order pizza, I’m all over it.
“Now that sounds right up my alley.”
Maddie’s car is already in the driveway when we get home, and Ty skips in front of me to get inside.
“We’re home!” he calls, throwing the front door open as I trail behind him.
“There’s my favorite Molanari man.” Maddie grins, coming around the corner and as he leaps into her arms.
“Hey!” I frown, trying to draw some sympathy. It’s hard to compete for attention with an impossibly adorable six-year-old.
Maddie slips her arms around my neck, standing on her tiptoes to brush a kiss across my cheek. “And there’s my second favorite Molanari man.”
“You haven’t met uncle Emmett yet. Dad might move down the list,” Ty snickers.
“That’s enough out of you.” I chuckle, ruffling his hair as he lunges out of the way and disappears into the living room.
“Who’s this ‘uncle Emmett’?” Maddie smirks as she backs up.
Snaking my arm around her waist, I pull Maddie back into me. I’m not ready to let go of her just yet. “Emmett is my older brother, and Ty’s right. He is much cooler than me. Now you never get to meet him.”
“Well, if he’s anything like you, then that’s fine with me. I’ve got all the arrogance and charm I can handle right here.”
“I don’t know…I think you can handle a lot more. Maybe we should put that theory to the test tonight.”
Maddie drops her head to the side as I lift her off her toes and nuzzle her neck. A gentle, sultry moan escapes her lips as minebrush across the sensitive spot. Palming her ass, my fingers dig into her muscle and pull her even closer.
“Roman…” Her whisper spreads across my skin like wildfire and, for a second, I forget that we’re standing in my kitchen.
“Dad said we could order pizza!” Ty blurts out, charging back into the room.
Maddie and I frantically break apart, squashing the moment that was building between us.
