Page 10 of Love You Already

But like all good things, time isn't on our side. I've got a new team to get to. She's got retirement and a new job on the horizon. We only have tonight.

I better make the best of it.

CHAPTER 5

WELCOME TO FIREFLY COVE.

Rose

“You look like you had a good time last night,” Bridgett says as I walk through the door of our hotel room. It's nine in the morning, well past the point of doing the walk of shame and into flat out embarrassing territory. I got more than a few looks from people, though I couldn't give a fuck less about it.

I smile to myself as I think about the incredible night I had with Lachlan. That man was dedicated to the cause. The cause being making me come as much as humanly possible. I lost count around round six, though he was a multiple orgasms per round kind of guy. We went well into the double digits.

“I gotta make up for that pitiful first round, Ace. You taking control was hot, but now I want to show you how I do it,” he'd said.

Bridgett’s giggling brought me back from the memories of the night before. “Did you two even leave the bedroom?”

Picking up the closest thing to me, a sweater, I threw it at her. “We did! It wasn't all sex.”

No, it wasn't. We'd needed to eat at one point, so we ventured out into the night hand in hand to find the best place to grab burgers. That led to a walk through the strip to hear the live music and take photos with some of the bombshells in various levels of spectacular outfits. Everything from overdone cowgirls to angels with barely there thongs and giant wings the state of Texas would be proud of for their size.

Through it all, Lachlan only had eyes for me. Even when the women tried to get his attention, or when someone would catcall him in the street, he ignored it all to keep his gaze my way. It was the best non-date post-sex outing I'd ever been on. And I don't know that anyone else could have made it all this carefree. It was magical in a way it shouldn't have been. Not between two strangers anyway.

“Earth to Rose! You sure it wasn't all sex? You're looking a little mashed up there.” My sister waves her hand around her head like she's trying to say I lost my marbles.

I sink onto the bed and throw myself back. “It was the best and worst night of my life.”

“How so?” Her fingers move to my hair to work out the tangles I'm sure are evident from all the pulling and tugging last night.

My body feels alive. Every inch of me remembers Lachlan's touch. It craves more, despite not being able to follow through.

“Best because holy fuck, that man is talented and funny.”

“Don't forget hot. He was fine as could be for a city boy.”

I nod. “Yes. He was. But also, it was the worst because now I'm never going to recover. He branded me, Bridgett. Like some freaky shit to my core, and I don't know how I'll ever be able to touch another man without wishing it was him.”

Her hands froze in their movements. “Holy shit, Rose. That's a big deal.”

Groaning, I roll to my stomach to look her in the eyes. “I know it is. That's why I'm late getting here. I didn't want to leave him yet, but I knew we had checkout soon. Boarding the plane smelling like sex isn't my idea of a good time no matter how badly I wish I could keep him with me.”

Bridgett gives me a sad smile like she knows how I feel. I'm not sure she does, though I can't say I'm adept at my sister's sexual exploits. Unlike her twin, our brother Beckett, who wears his heart on his sleeve, I can't tell you when the last time was that she showed much romantic interest in someone. It had to have been years ago. Five, if I remember correctly.

But it wasn't my place to bring up old hurts. And I knew from the way she watched me that my sister was going to be keeping an eye on me even more after this.

My family has always supported me. They've been by my side from day one up until the day I decided the riding life was no longer mine. As the only other female in the family, Bridgett also takes up space as my defender when it comes to our love lives.

“Are you going to be ok, Rose? You've never... this feels different somehow.”

I shrug as I try to ignore the ache in my chest. Nothing can come from us being together. He's from, shit. I don't even know where he's from. All the talking we did, all the intimacy. None of it was the big stuff. The 'what do you do for a living' or the 'where do you live' because we both knew it would lead to the 'let's see if we can make this work' type of talking. Despite how I feel, I can't say that last night changed Lachlan much at all. It seemed as if it had when I left this morning, though emotions could be faked. Smiles could be false.

I didn't want to know the truth if it wasn't the reality I'd put together in my head. His rejection would hurt worse after such a magical time.

“It is different,” I pause to correct myself. “It was different. But now we've got a flight to catch, and I still smell like I went ten rounds in that hot yoga class you made me take two years ago.”

As I'd hoped, my sister breaks into laughter at the memory. Me, bent like a pretzel, sweating profusely as I cursed her ten ways to Sunday.

“You loved every second. Especially since you started yoga shortly thereafter.” She gave me a knowing smirk. In that moment, she looked so much like Beckett that I had to fight the wave of homesickness.

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