ChapterEighteen
Ronan rolled over as the sun streamed across his face. Although he’d never been a natural morning person, after years of working construction where his job was dependent on daylight hours, he usually woke with the sun. But unlike most days, he had a warm, naked woman curled up beside him. Chloe’s soft skin was enough for him to want to lounge under the covers much longer. He stroked his fingers up and down her back. She burrowed her face in his neck.
“Too early,” she murmured.
“Yeah. Go back to sleep. I couldn’t help touching you.” He kissed the top of her head. As far as mornings went, this one was pretty amazing. Maybe he’d sneak out and grab them some breakfast before he headed home and then to the O’Malleys. But that would require him to leave the bed, so instead, he chose to lounge, holding Chloe.
He didn’t know how long it had been, but her phone began buzzing and then within minutes, there was a knock on her front door. “Hey, babe,” he said, giving her a little shake. “Someone’s at your door.”
“Huh?”
“Your phone buzzed with a text and now someone’s knocking.”
She sat up and grabbed her phone. “Shit.”
Another knock, followed by, “Chloe. I know you’re home because you’re never moving this early.”
“Damn it. It’s my mom.” She flung the covers off and hurried around the room pulling on random clothing items. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.
He climbed from the bed and reached for his jeans.
“Uh. Can I ask you a huge favor?”
He looked at her and waited.
“Please stay in here until I get rid of her?”
He wouldn’t mind waiting here for round two. Sounded like a damn good idea.
“I can’t deal with her right now. Especially if she sees you.”
So it wasn’t about round two, but about keeping him a secret. His jaw reflexively tensed, but he held back the grimace. “Sure.”
She hustled out of the room and closed the door behind her. He hopped into his jeans and moved closer to the door.
“Hi, Mom. What are you doing here?”
“Nice way to greet your mother.”
“It’s early and you know I work late.”
“This is a respectable hour to visit someone.”
“Not when that someone often works until two in the morning.”
“I did call repeatedly and you didn’t respond. I was in the area running errands, so I popped in.”
“Can I get you some coffee?”
The fuck? He was supposed to stay in hiding while they shared a cup of coffee?
“That’s not necessary. I wanted to check in on you. I know your date with Lance didn’t go as you had expected, but Tobin McLachlan is back in town. I saw his mother the other day.”
No wonder Chloe didn’t want her mother to see him. It might ruin all of her matchmaking possibilities.
“No, Mom. I went on the date with Lance against my better judgment. Please stop trying to fix me up.”
At least she had the courtesy to not accept a date while he was still half-naked in her bedroom. He pulled on his T-shirt.
“I want you to be happy. Have a full life. Is that too much to ask?”
“I am happy, Mom. I like my life.”
“But the future. Who will take care of you?”
Ronan had the sudden urge to open the door and demand that her mother see that she could take care of herself, and if she needed help, he was there. He wanted to care for her. But he stopped himself with his fingers wrapped around the knob. Her mother would never see him as an acceptable anything.
“Look, Mom. I’m not trying to be rude. But I’m tired and I’m not looking for a husband. I appreciate that you care about me, but I’m fine.”
There was silence for a moment and Ronan strained to hear anything.
“I’ll be going then. Lunch tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’ll be there for lunch. Before you go, I have a cross-stitch for Mrs. Byrne. Can you give it to her?”
“You should deliver it yourself. She said she hasn’t seen you in ages.”
Damn. His girl was good.
No, not his girl. She was making that painfully obvious. He heard them saying their good-byes, so he finished dressing. Chloe came back just as he was tying his boots.
“Sorry about that. She drops in unexpectedly on occasion. Wait. You’re not leaving, are you?”
“Yeah. I should get my day started. Lot of ground to cover.”
“Do you at least want to stay for breakfast?”
He wanted to tell her to go have breakfast with Lance or Tobin, but the hopeful look in her eyes had him sighing. She was just living by the rules they’d set up. He had no claim to her. “Sure. What do you got?” he asked as he stood.
“Well...I’m not sure,” she answered, crinkling her nose.
“So you invite me to breakfast, but you don’t have food?”
She took his hand. “I invited you to stay because I want to spend more time with you. I bribed you with nonexistent food.”
Her smile was bright and as he’d realized last night, he couldn’t refuse her. “Get dressed and we’ll go out to eat.”