Then we were both moving. The slow, leisurely, sex we’d had the night before was a distant memory as we both fought toward orgasm. Her hands were everywhere, never stopping as she scratched at my back and squeezed my ass, pulled at my hair and gripped my shoulders. Mine weren’t any less busy. Leaning on one elbow, I played with her nipples and pulled her leg further up my side, changing the angle and making her whimper. I wrapped my hand gently around her throat and she moaned. When I slid my finger into her mouth and she bit down, sucking as she came, it took every ounce of willpower I had to wait until she was finished before I blew.
I rolled onto my back and pulled Rose against me, my chest heaving as I struggled for air.
“I didn’t think it could get better,” she said with a sigh. “I was wrong.”
“It’s always better once you know what the other person likes,” I said, tipping my head down to look at her.
“Not true,” she said, raising one eyebrow. “I’ve had really good sex before, and it got progressively worse. It was just the excitement in the beginning that made it good.”
“The man you were fuckin’ clearly didn’t know what he was doin’,” I replied, making her snicker.
“Well, I’m glad you do,” she said, patting my chest.
“Baby, I haven’t even had your ass,” I joked. “You haven’t seen my skills yet.”
“Oh, come on,” she said, drawing out the last word as she smacked me. “Why’d you have to go ruin the moment?”
“We were having a moment?”
“Ass,” she joked, relaxing into my side.
“I’m just givin’ you shit,” I said, running my hand up and down her back.
“But only half-joking, right?” she replied.
“Well, yeah.”
She huffed out a laugh.
“This was a good way to end the night,” she said sleepily. “Work was shit.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing for the first few hours,” she replied. “Then a couple of douchebags came in and wouldn’t fucking leave.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “What kind of douchebags?”
“The harmless, think they’re God’s-gift-to-women, kind.” She turned her head to look at me and rested her chin on my chest. “They kept talking to me, even though I made it perfectly clear that I found them annoying.”
“You got someone working with you?” I asked.
“Yeah.” She grinned. “Tonight was Wren.”
“Wren?”
“He’s this super hippie dude that can name any of our beers by taste with his eyes closed. It’s awesome.”
“Sounds like good protection,” I replied dryly.
“Yeah, well, one of my regulars was there, too. Old Larry likes to tell anyone bothering me about how he killed Charlie in ’Nam with just the knife he still carries around on his belt.”
“That right?” I asked.
“I don’t think he’s kidding, either,” she mumbled.
“You like bartending, huh?”
“I love it,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “I mean, I know pouring drinks isn’t rocket science, but it’s fun. It’s always different, you know?”
“Hey, don’t knock doin’ somethin’ you like,” I replied. “People spend their whole lives doin’ jobs that suck. Who wants to live like that?”
“Not me,” she said, raising her hand.
“Yeah, me, either.”
“You like working on cars?”
“Wouldn’t be doin’ it if I didn’t.”
“What’s your favorite part?”
“Restorin’ old ones,” I said, the answer coming easy. “I like makin’ the old ladies purr again.”
“I swear to God,” she said, shaking her head a little, “everything that comes out of your mouth sounds like an innuendo.”
“Not everythin’,” I argued.
“See!” she pointed at me. “Even that sounded dirty.”
I laughed and her head bobbed with every shake of my chest.
“Probably sounds like that to you ’cause you want my dick all the time,” I said reasonably.
“Not all the time.”
I just looked at her.
“Okay, most of the time,” she grumbled.
She blew a piece of hair away from her face, then crossed her eyes and smiled at me. Jesus.
“Are we doin’ this?” I asked quietly. “Me and you?”
“Do you want to?” she replied, just as quiet.
“Yeah.” I was beginning to think there wasn’t even a choice to be made. That train had left the station when she sprayed me with water through the kitchen window.
“Me, too,” she said with a sigh.
“Alright.”
“Alright.”
I was pulling her up to kiss her when a loud thump came from inside the house.
“Fuck,” I said, jumping off the bed. I quickly pulled on my shorts and grabbed my pistol from inside the nightstand, checking to make sure it was loaded. “Stay here.”
Rose nodded, her eyes wide and worried.
I checked the living room and kitchen first, but nothing was out of place. Just as I started back down the hallway, Kara called for me. My stomach sank as I ran toward her room.
“I’m okay,” she said tearfully as soon as I reached her doorway. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, holding her hand to her head. There was blood everywhere.