Page 51 of The Wish List
My mouth hovered over hers, grinning as she whimpered. I kissed her. Deeply. Passionately. Without intent, but wishing there were. Except she surprised me, tugging off my tie and unbuttoning my shirt, slipping her hand inside and trailing it over my chest in light touches.
“Rosie, I didn’t come here for this,” I groaned, dropping my hands and palming her ass. God, I loved her ass. It fit perfectly in my hands.
She pressed wet, openmouthed kisses up my neck, pulling my lobe between her lips and sucking. I shuddered as the heat rolled through me. “Did you want to, though?” she whispered. “Come, I mean?”
“God, yes. I suppose I should do a thorough inspection of your injured butt. For purely medical reasons.”
“Are you playing doctor now?” she purred in my ear, dropping her hand and cupping my erection through my pants.
“Yes. You have a fever, Ms. Duncan. There’s only one cure. A special injection just for you.”
“Give it to me,” she whispered against my mouth. “Please.”
I was only too happy to do exactly as she requested.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
ASHER
The next day felt endless, which was unusual for me. I had left Rosie sleeping on her sofa, hating to depart, but not wanting to risk being found by AJ. I didn’t want him thinking I snuck in at night after he went to bed. After our frantic coupling on the sofa, we had held each other, talking about everything and nothing. It was something I enjoyed about Rosie. She found the world around her interesting. At times frightening, but still intriguing. She talked about people at work, those she saw on the bus. She told me about the homeless man she saw every day. She often brought him a sandwich and made sure he had blankets.“He tries so hard to be dignified,” she said quietly. “I worry every time there’s a storm and I hope he’s found shelter.”
I adored her tender heart and her way of looking at things.
She was on my mind all day. It was odd for me to think of anything but business. Even after hours, I was usually handling emails and messages. Once I sat at my desk, the rest of the world faded away, and I concentrated on the task at hand. But since the holidays, Rosie and AJ slipped into my thoughts all the time. Especially today. I swore I could still taste her, smell her skin. When I tugged on my overcoat to head to a meeting, I realized her fragrance clung to the material. I had wrapped it around her last night, after noticing her shiver. The apartment was chilly, given its age and the poor insulation and drafty windows.“Even with the heat working, it never is very warm,” Rosie admitted.
Except, I couldn’t help but notice when I went in to peek at AJ, his room was toasty, with the little heater pumping away in the corner. I hated and loved the fact that she made sure he was fine, while she did without. She was a selfless mother, but she needed someone to look out for her as well.
I wanted that someone to be me.
Six o’clock couldn’t come fast enough, and I was out of the office before the chimes on the large wall clock I had in the waiting room had finished their song. I made record time getting to Rosie’s and was knocking at her door at six fifteen. She opened the door, smiling.
“This is becoming a habit.”
I grinned, stepping inside and handing her the small bouquet I had picked up earlier. I cupped her face, her skin soft under my cool palms, and kissed her. “One you can’t break, I hope,” I murmured against her lips before kissing her. “You look beautiful.”
AJ rushed over, so I kept my caress PG. I hunched down, exchanging fist bumps. Rosie went to the kitchen to put the flowers in water, and I listened to AJ tell me all his news. Like his mother, he was observant and loved to watch people. His world contained more crayons, nap times, and cookies, but I still enjoyed hearing him talk.
“You and Momma going for supper?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He twisted his lips. “Not me.”
I ruffled his hair. “Not tonight. This weekend, we all will. Okay?”
His sunshine smile broke out. “Okay!”
I grinned. He was easy to please.
Rosie returned, her pretty green dress swirling around her legs. She had her hair up, showing off her neck, tendrils dancing around her face. The dress had long sleeves and a bow on the hip. The color set off her eyes and ivory skin. I found myself wondering if the bow was for show or actually worked.
I hoped to find out later.
I met Rosie’s neighbor when she came over. Mrs. Watson set down a large bag containing wool and knitting needles. She looked me up and down, pushing her glasses higher on her nose as she did so. Rosie introduced us, and I shook her hand. She grinned at me. “You’re a fine specimen, aren’t you?”
I had to laugh. “I clean up well.”
She stepped closer. “She’s a good girl. A good mother. You gonna treat her right?”
