Thank god I have makeup in my bag to cover it.
“Don’t hold back with me, because I like where this is going between us, and I don’t care it’s only been six weeks. Because six weeks with you feels the same as—”
“Six months.”
He smiles and his eyes crinkle. “Exactly. But to add to what I said about this room. Just as I respect Lily enough not to bring another woman into our marital room and bed, I also respect you enough not to do that. Everything in this room was bought new about four years ago.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and throw sass to mask my emotions, tilting my head and arching a brow. “Do you respect me enough not to make me run?”
“Nice try, baby. I’ll give you an A for effort.”
“Shit.” I drop onto the bed as Rhodes’s expression turns curious.
“What?”
“My bag is in the car since someone held me hostage in this bed all night.”
He quirks a brow. “A hostage is someone kept against their will. But since I did do a very thorough job of exhausting you, I went downstairs, grabbed your bag, locked your car, and put it in my closet.”
My mouth drops open. Is this man honestly for real? “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any better, Rhodes Anderson, you add thoughtfulness to the growing list of pros to dating you.”
His voice drops low. “Growing list?” My eyes drift down and see my list isn’t the only thing that’s growing right now.
“Stop looking at my dick, Dee, otherwise we’ll never get out of bed.”
My lips curve into a wicked grin. “Well . . .” I say in a singsong voice, earning a growl.
Then I’m plucked off the mattress and planted on my feet in front of him. The only thing between us is the top sheet that I managed to bring with me. Rhodes’s amused eyes shift between our bodies, his hands gripping my hips and pulling me hard against him. “We’ve gotta go do this run, sweet cheeks. There’s plenty of time for looking and touching anything you want of mine after we get back.”
I jut my chin. “I’m gonna hold you to that. Nobody makes me run in the morning and doesn’t pay for it.” I step around him and sway my hips as I walk to his bathroom, yelping when his palm taps my ass.
“I’ll happily be in your debt forever, Dee.”
“You’d like that too much,” I call out as I turn the shower on before facing him again and dropping the sheet, not surprised when I find Rhodes’s hungry gaze eating me up.
He closes the distance between us and slides his fingers into my hair as he kisses me soft and slow before nipping my bottom lip as he pulls back. “Fuck yeah, I would. Meet you downstairs?”
I nod and steal one more kiss. “Thank you for last night, Rhodes,” I whisper, staring deep into his eyes.
“I should be thanking you, but you’re welcome, baby. Best morning ever, waking up with you in my arms. Best way to set me up for the day.” Then he kisses my nose, and I’m left standing there wondering how the fuck I lost the upper hand in that situation. But also, why I don’t give a damn, because I meant what I said. I really, really like Rhodes Anderson.
I must if I’m willingly—albeit, begrudgingly--going on a run with him. Jeez.
It’s after our run—well, I ran two miles before I waved the white flag and walked the rest of the way— and the downside of being in the honeymoon phase of a new relationship as a single parent is the vanishing opportunity for spontaneous shower sex when there’s a sixteen-year-old in the house.
Rhodes did make a point of personally bringing me a fresh towel, showing he’s ever the responsible host. I repaid the favor by letting him watch me wash myself, following his directions about parts of my body that I might’ve missed and helpful suggestions as to where I could clean more thoroughly, and even then telling me of a very useful pulsing feature on his detachable shower head.
By the time I’d turned off the water and stepped into the towel he thoughtfully wrapped around my relaxed body, he’d kissed me deep and long and promised retribution as soon as we had adult alone time again.
“I’m gonna go downstairs and see if Jake wants to help me make us all some lunch,” I say, looking into his languid gaze.
He quirks a brow. “You’re leaving me here like this?” He punctuates his point with a roll of his hips, making me smile.
“I’m rather looking forward to seeing what kind of payback you might dish up.” I quickly brush my mouth against his, earning a growl when I touch the tip of my tongue to the seam of his lips before stepping out of reach. I do pause at the door to watch him strip off his running shorts, enjoying the view of his tight, naked ass as he steps into the shower box and turns the water back on.
“Hey, Rhodes?”
“Yeah?” he looks over his shoulder at me, and I make a point of dragging my eyes slowly over his body, seeing the benefits of watching and delayed gratification. “More than two strokes and it’s playing with yourself.” I shoot him a wink then giggle as I close the door behind me.
Having dried off and dressed again—this time in loose-fitting lounge pants and a Blackhawks tee—I move along the hall to the kitchen where I find a fresh-faced Jake sitting at the dining table reading something on his phone.
He lifts his head and jerks his chin up.
