“Leo was right?” she said in surprise, looking back and forth between me and the Jeep. “When did that start?”
“Your brother gossips like an old lady,” I snapped. “And nothing has started.”
“Bullshit,” she replied. “I knew something was up with that prank war.”
“Rose has prank wars with people all the time.”
“Her brothers,” Trix clarified. “Not you.”
“I pissed her off.”
“I’m guessing you did more than that,” she said in amusement as Rose parked and climbed out of the Jeep.
She was wearing a pair of old Levi’s cut-offs that were baggy and faded, and they shouldn’t have been attractive. On anyone else they would’ve looked ridiculous. But on Rose, they were hot as hell. I couldn’t fucking figure it out.
“Hey,” Rose greeted, her eyebrows rising as she realized I was on the porch.
“Hey back,” Trix said as I gave Rose a nod. “Did I invite you over and forget?”
Rose laughed, and I felt the noise deep in my gut.
“No, I’m just here to get Charlie. We’re painting over at Lil’s today,” she said, making her little cousin groan.
“Can you come back later?” Charlie pleaded. “We’re riding.”
“I see that,” Rose replied. “But no can do. I’ve been sent by the parentals.”
“I totally forgot that was today,” Trix said, leaning over the porch railing. “But I can head over in a couple hours.”
“No worries,” Rose said with a wave. “We can use the help whenever.”
“Can I come?” Kara asked, throwing her arm around Charlie’s shoulders. “I’m a fantastic painter.”
I knew for a fact that my daughter had never painted a bedroom in her life.
“It’s up to your dad,” Rose said with a smile. “But I don’t care.”
“Dad?” Kara asked, bouncing up the porch steps. She wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned back to look at me, smiling so wide that I could see her back molars. “Please?”
“You sure she won’t be in the way?” I asked, meeting Rose’s eyes.
Damn, I probably shouldn’t have done that. Not if I wanted to play shit cool. Looking at her, really looking, brought every single memory from the night before to the surface. The way she smelled and tasted and felt. I could feel a smile pulling at the edges of my mouth.
Rose’s eyes widened and she quickly looked away. “Yeah,” she said, trying and failing to seem unaffected. “She’s more than welcome.”
“Then it’s okay with me,” I replied.
“Yes!” Kara let go of me and danced away.
“Kara, grab your bag,” I reminded her before she could jump off the porch.
“You, too, Charlie,” Rose said.
“I’ll help them grab their stuff,” Trix murmured, grinning.
As soon as they’d gone into the house, Rose practically ran for her Jeep.
“See ya later, Mack,” Draco called as he and Curtis rolled the dirt bikes around the side of the house. I guess it wasn’t as fun to show off when no one was there to watch you do it.
Once they were gone, I walked over to the Jeep.
“Uh, hey,” Rose said again as I reached her window. She watched me closely as I leaned in, crowding her a little.
“What time should I pick Kara up?” I whispered, rubbing my thumb down her bare arm.
Rose laughed and pushed at my shoulder. “Get the fuck out of here,” she joked, rolling her eyes.
I chuckled and braced my elbows on the door. “Is this an all day thing?” I asked, my gaze roaming over her face. She wasn’t wearing any makeup and her hair was pulled up in a knot on top of her head. Jesus, I wondered what it would look like if I pulled that hair tie out. Would it be wild and sexy as hell, or look like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket? And while I was thinking of that, my mind wandered to what it would look like after I’d fucked her so hard she screamed my name.
“Stop looking at me like that,” she said, shaking her head.
“Like what?” I asked distractedly.
“Like you’re picturing me naked,” she said bluntly.
“I wasn’t picturing you naked.” Yes, I was.
“Yes, you are,” she said with a laugh. “Newsflash,” she whispered. “It’s better than you’re imagining.”
And that’s the moment I got hard.
“You—” my words were cut off by Kara and Charlie whooping and yelling as they ran down the porch steps toward Rose’s Jeep.
“You were saying?” Rose teased as the girls climbed in the Jeep.
“Time,” I muttered roughly, rubbing my hand over my face. “What time should I pick Kara up?”
“Why don’t I just drop her off?” Rose asked with a laugh.
“Works for me,” I replied, taking a step back.
“Love you, Dad,” Kara said, leaning up between the front seats.
“Love you too, princess.”
I took another step back and lifted my hand in a dumbass wave as Rose backed up and turned around. As soon as they were headed back down the driveway, Trix spoke up from the porch.