Craving Rose (The Aces' Sons 5)

“No, they adore you,” I insisted, leaning up to meet his eyes. “Your parents think the sun shines out of your ass.”

“Your parents feel that way about you, too,” he pointed out.

“Well, yeah,” I huffed, laying back down. “Because I’m their only girl. They love the boys a lot less.”

I smiled as Mack’s chest shook with silent laughter beneath my head.

“Howie and Lou dug the hell outta you,” he said, rubbing his hand up and down my back. “Don’t be surprised if you gain a fuckin’ pen pal.”

“That would completely make my year,” I replied seriously.

“I love you,” he said quietly.

I froze, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. If I had, holy shit. If I hadn’t… what had he said?

“Could you repeat that?” I asked, swallowing hard.

“I love you,” he said louder.

I closed my eyes and let the words wash over me. I’d heard them before. Men had been telling me they loved me since I slept with my bull-faced prom date in high school. Some said it during sex, some said it jokingly, and some were completely serious, but I’d never felt the words all the way to my bones the way I did then. It was like I was covered in a weighted blanket and Pop Rocks were crackling in my belly at the same time.

“You gotta say somethin’,” Mack murmured. “Even a thank you would be okay.”

“I love you,” I said quickly, climbing on top of him, my legs straddling his hips. I peppered his face in kisses, and pulled back to grin at him.

“Thought I was tired,” he said, reaching up to slide his fingers into my hair. He pulled me down for a kiss. “Feelin’ all sorts of awake now, though.”

Our kiss was interrupted by Mack’s phone ringing loudly on the nightstand.

“The fuck?” he said in frustration. “Who the fuck is callin’ at two in the goddamn morning?”

He reached out and snagged the phone, cursing when he saw the name lighting up the screen.

“Yo,” he barked. His hand patted my hip, and he was up and out of bed as soon as I’d climbed off his lap. “When?”

My eyes widened as he started dressing quickly.

“Give me twenty,” he said before hanging up. He turned to me. “Sorry, baby. I gotta go.”

“What?” I sat up in bed, alarm making my stomach twist. “What’s wrong?”

“Club shit,” he said dismissively.

I scoffed. “That won’t work with me,” I shot back.

Mack paused from putting on his boots and turned to look at me. “Right,” he said with a shake of his head. “Club business. Everyone’s fine, I just gotta go take care of some shit.”

I let out a breath of relief. Calls in the middle of the night were never good, but if everyone was okay, I could deal. “Should I go home?” I asked quietly, watching him pull on a hoodie.

“Hell, no,” he said in surprise. “I’ll be back in a while, and I want ya waitin’, all warm and sleepy in my bed.”

“You know you won’t be back tonight,” I murmured against his mouth as he leaned down to kiss me goodbye.

“I’ll do my damnedest,” he said, pulling back just far enough to meet my eyes. “If not, there’s pancake shit in the pantry for breakfast and bacon in the fridge. Hang with my parents until I get here?”

“No problem,” I said, leaning up to kiss him again.

“Jesus,” he muttered. “You’re fuckin’ perfect.”

“Remember that,” I ordered as he pulled away.

“Hard to forget,” he said with a grin.

“Keep your head on a swivel,” I called out as he walked away.

“Say what?” he asked, laughing.

“I always wanted to say that,” I admitted with a shrug. “Love you.”

Mack’s eyes grew soft. “Love you, too, baby. Be back in a bit.”

He strode out the door, and I listened to him jog down the stairs. Within moments, his bike started up. As the sound of his motorcycle faded away down the street, I sighed. Then I giggled.

He loved me. He was a fantastic dad, a hard worker, close to his parents, and damn near perfect for me on every level, and he loved me. I’d finally hit the jackpot.

* * *

“We heard him leave,” Lou told me the next morning while we cooked breakfast. “Hard to miss those pipes.”

“They are pretty distinctive,” I replied, shooting her a smile.

“But we figured he just had to run to the store or something,” she said with a shrug.

“The store?” Why would he go to the store in the middle of the—

“For rubbers,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Kara didn’t hear her as my mouth dropped open in shock.

“Uh, no,” I stuttered. “We have plenty.”

“Good,” she said with a nod. “Can’t be too careful.”

What in God’s name was happening, and how did I stop it?

“Oh, don’t be such a stick in the mud,” she teased. “You’re red as a tomato.”