“Well, I happen to know that Roxie’s parents aren’t merely here for her birthday. You should know that Seraphi-na heard her parents talking and she thinks they’ve got some plans up their sleeves. They might be smiling, but they don’t like the fact that Roxanne isn’t in New York anymore.”
“Sera’s been eavesdropping?” He hadn’t even thought about the fact that Sera was literally Roxie’s parents’ landlord for the week. She would have seen a bunch of things no one else would. They’d rented out all five rooms at the B and B despite the fact that they should only need two. Or perhaps three, since he’d been told the previous night that Shawna required extra closet space and apparently Brian snored, so she liked to sleep by herself. All of which would change after they got married, according to Pamela.
“Of course not. She would never do that, but she had been almost ready to serve breakfast when she heard something that made her stop. Just out of sight. And wait there until they were done talking. That’s nothing more than proper hospitality.”
Sera could be nosy, but this time it might work to his advantage. “She heard anything else? Anything I should know?”
“Her parents are planning a surprise for her. I don’t know what it is, but they’re flying it in from New York,” his mother confided. “According to Sera, they talk a lot about the upcoming wedding and how they want Roxie back home before it happens.”
She wanted to go home. He wasn’t going to be able to keep her.
The only question was how to distance himself.
Or if he should take whatever time he had with her.
The bedroom door came open and she was standing there. She was in pajama bottoms and a tank top, her hair piled on the top of her head, and all he wanted to do was sink his fingers into all that soft stuff and see her the way no one else got to.
Wasn’t he the guy who lived day to day? Hadn’t he learned that was all the universe had for him? Why was he even hesitating? She wanted him for the week? Well, she could have him.
And he could have her.
“Mom, I need to go.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about—”
He hung up and turned the phone off before putting it on the nightstand. He stared at her for a moment, taking her in. She was so gorgeous, and he loved seeing her out of uniform. “Good morning, Roxanne.”
A slight pink stained her cheeks, letting him know she wasn’t unaffected by his presence. “I made some breakfast. Don’t be too impressed. It’s bacon and frozen waffles. I haven’t toasted them yet. Are you hungry?”
Such a silly question. He was always hungry around her. So damn hungry. “Come here.”
She took a deep breath and her gaze held his. “I thought you were mad at me.”
“There’s nothing to be mad about, baby. You don’t want the same things I do. That doesn’t mean we can’t find a short-term compromise. I believe you said something about being together for the week.”
She moved to him. Her bare feet crossed the carpet until they were between his. Such small feet, and he loved the pink polish on her toes. “I don’t know, Zep. We should talk about this. I don’t want to hurt you.”
It would hurt like hell when she walked away from him, but he was starting to think it might hurt more if he never tried at all. “Do you want me?”
She bit her bottom lip, and her answer came out on a breathy sigh. “You know I do.”
“Why did you stay away?”
She hesitated before answering. “Because we can’t work. But I also couldn’t really stay away. I know I’ve been harder on you than anyone else.”
It was time to give her some honesty. “Do you know why you always find me in the middle of fights? Because I knew what shifts you worked, and I would get into the middle of the trouble just so I could see you. I knew it was the only way to get close to you. I had the money to pay those tickets. Hell, I knew I would get the tickets. I actually do know how and where to park. But if I didn’t get in trouble, I wouldn’t ever get to see you.”