Page 98 of Stuck With You
“Rox, wook,” Ollie runs back into the room with his arms full of Hot Wheels. He drops them on the floor and spreads them out.
I join their little circle as he tells Roxie about each one, relaying the information Slade told him about the different cars and their “features.”
“D-dis one is a s-s-supercharger. It’s super f-fast.” Ollie pulls it back and pushes it across the floor.
We play and laugh through the afternoon, then bundle up to take the kids for a walk before throwing frozen pizzas into the oven for dinner.
While Roxie gives the kids a bath, I open my computer to finish up an assignment and email it to my instructor. With only a few weeks left of the semester, I’ve been staying up extra late to study for finals.
When the kids are in bed and sound asleep, we open a bottle of wine.
“Soooo, you never told me what happened with Declan or what your dad wanted.” I lift my glass and take a sip, savoring the treat Roxie brought as a housewarming gift.
She flops back on the bed with a groan and slaps a hand over her face. “Why does he still have to havethateffect on me?”
“What effect?” I know exactly what she’s talking about, but I will make her say it.
She glowers at me. “The one that makes me want to pull him into a dark closet like we’re seventeen again. Only this time, I’m afraid I wouldn’t care about the consequences.”
I raise my eyebrows.
She sits up, careful not to spill her wine. She crosses her legs in the middle of my bed, facing me. “He’s still dangerous. He’s every mistake I want to make over and over again.”
I take another sip. “What if it wasn’t a mistake?”
She looks at me from under her eyelashes.
“I mean, he’s military. He’s clearly dedicated and has to have some level of maturity. He’s not the kid who ran around causing a ruckus just to see how many people he could piss off. Is he dating anyone?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I poured him a beer. We caught up for a few minutes. He smiled that devilishly handsome smile, and then I forced Micah to tend to the bar so I could wait tables.”
I’ve known Roxie almost my whole life, and I know she didn’t just run and hide. There’s more.
I squint my eyes at her. “That’s it. That’s all that happened. No exchange of phone numbers or keeping in touch. Nothing.”
There’s silence, so I sip my wine until she’s ready to give up the goods.
Her lips push to the side, avoiding eye contact.
“Rooooox,” I say, definitely knowing this will be good.
She cups her glass with her hands. “He waited until closing and walked me to my car.” Her eyes flick to mine.
“Annnndddd.”
“He hugged me. And good Lord, he smelled amazing. His arms came around me, strong and firm. We stayed like that for too long, like we were lost in a moment of the past.” She rubs her forehead.
A quick flash of Slade’s intoxicating spicy scent and the feel of his arms around me sends a shiver up my spine. I shake it off, forcing my attention back to Rox.
“When I realized I couldn’t hold onto him, I pulled away. He pushed my hair behind my ear and just. . .kissed me.” She squeezes her eyes shut tight, her face scrunching. “And I kissed him back.” It comes out in a rush.
I smile.
“And it was so much better than I remember. That man can kiss like there’s no tomorrow.”
“So, you made out in the parking lot?”
She grins. “Yep, and it was fantastic. But.” She holds one finger up. “I was smart enough not to take him home because I knew there would be no going back from that. I’d for sure be sentencing my heart to Declan jail forever.”
