“I think –” I started and his fingers at my scalp gave me a squeeze.
“I don’t give a shit what you think, sweetheart, ‘cause by the time it passes your lips, it’ll probably be twisted and f**ked up. But what I think is that we’re done here…for now. I take your point and you’re right. We’ll talk before anything important goes down with those kids. But you need to take my point that we won’t talk about it until they’ve both graduated from high school. Now, are you good with that?”
“You don’t give a shit what I think?” I asked softly.
“Not if it’s twisted and f**ked up,” he replied. “Now, are you good with what I said?”
“But –”
“Mara, we got kids to get ready for school,” he reminded me. “Are you good with what I said?”
“I think –”
His hand left my hair to wrap around my shoulders, he gave me a squeeze and repeated, “Baby, are you good with what I said?”
“Uh…yeah. I’m good with what you said,” I agreed. “Or, at least, that last part.”
His eyes roamed my face and I let them because I couldn’t think in his arms with the skin of his hard shoulders warm under my fingers. I needed to think somewhere else. Perhaps Canada.
“Somethin’ else, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Earlier, I was straight about what I want from you but what you also need to take with you into your cocoon is that I get you more than you think I do. I get you and I like what I get. And you need to know you have nothin’ to fear from me. You know what I want but in gettin’ it, I’ll go gentle.”
Oh my. Gentle Mitch.
Um…yum.
“I, uh…” I started but stopped when his lips touched mine.
“I’ll go gentle, baby,” he whispered against my lips. “I promise. You’ll always be safe with me.”
Oh. My.
“Mitch,” I breathed.
His soulful eyes held mine captive as he repeated firmly, “Always.”
I stared into his eyes and he stared into mine. His were warm but serious. Mine were probably terrified.
Then he prompted, “Yeah?”
“Uh…yeah,” I whispered.
“Good,” he whispered back, dropped his head, veered left and kissed the hinge of my jaw. Then he let me go, saying, “I gotta jump in the shower.”
“Um…all right,” I mumbled and executed a hasty exit because Mitch was headed to the shower and my brain was headed to visions of Mitch in the shower. I didn’t have time to melt into a steaming puddle at the thought of Detective Mitch Lawson na**d in the shower or any other thoughts that crowded my mind after all that Detective Mitch Lawson had said to me.
I had kids to get ready for school.
Chapter Fifteen
He’s Six Foot Three and Never Misses a Workout
“Excellent,” I said, handing the receipt to my customer who just purchased our second highest end model, the Slumber Excelsior. “Delivery is scheduled between ten and twelve on Saturday. This is guaranteed and your delivery men will be…” I clicked the computer keyboard a couple of times, checking the monitor, then smiled back at my customer, “Luis and Paul.”
“You even know their names?” the customer asked.
“Sure,” I replied as, out of the corners of my eyes, I saw Roberta wandering our way. “Luis has been working with us for six years. Paul started two years ago.”
“This really is a family place,” the customer mumbled.