16.

R OOSTER

"Are you sure you've got this?" I asked Devon as I took one more swipe over the bar with a clean rag. "I can stay if . . ."

"If you don't leave now, there's not going to be a point in going home at all."

I followed Devon's gaze as he spoke and watched Rosie put her hand over her mouth to cover a yawn and laughed. "It looks like I might already be too late."

"It's never too late, my friend," Devon said as he pushed at my shoulder to nudge me toward the end of the bar. "Get her out of here, and don't worry about the bar. You know I've got this."

"I know," I assured him as I walked toward the table where Rosie had been sitting all evening with her friends. At one point, Jeremy's father had joined them, but soon after, he left to take Jeremy home. Flora and Fauna had left for the night minutes later. Rosie went with them for a little while but then came back wearing more comfortable clothes and carrying her laptop bag. She set up shop at the table and asked me to make a pot of coffee before she got to work.

"How's the progress?" I asked her as I got closer.

She frowned and then went back to typing, but when I started to pull out the stool across the table from her she shook her head. With a flourish, she closed the laptop and then smiled at me.

"Finished!"

"With the book?" I asked in shock.

"God, no! With the scene. I've got a million years left before I finish the entire book."

"That long, huh?"

"At least that long."

"Well, since it's going to take forever anyway, what do you think about taking some time off and coming home with me?"

"I've barely been able to think about anything else."

I laughed and walked around the table to give her my hand and reached for her laptop bag with the other. I called out my goodbye to Devon and led Rosie toward the door.

"If that's all you've been thinking about, I guess it was hard to concentrate on writing."

"Not at all. If anything, it helped."

"How's that?"

"Have you ever read a romance, Rooster?"

"Never."

"Let's just say I typed out a chapter that listed everything I want to do to you and everything I want you to do to me in explicit detail."

"Oh, really?" I asked as I pushed through the front door and took us out into the crisp night air. "Tell me all about it so I know what to do when we get to my cabin."

"Nope. That's not how it works. We do our thing and enjoy ourselves, and then the next time I write a hot scene, I'll just draw from those memories."

"So, what you're telling me is you just wrote about our first night together?"

"Exactly. Now you've gotta live up to not just the hype of my memories but also the written word."

"I do love a challenge," I teased as I swung our hands between us. "Did you have fun with your friends tonight?"

"I did. As much as I have loved hanging out with them, I'm glad that they're leaving tomorrow. I came here for some peace and quiet, and having Flora and Fauna around is anything but that."

"I like your friends, Rosie. If the rest of them are even half as kind and open-hearted as those two, then I can tell you now that I'll have to adopt the whole lot of them and ask them to move to my mountain."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Rosie argued. "I've been telling myself that Rojo isn't that far away, but if you invite them all here, I'll have to find another place to hide out for some peace and quiet."

"I can't have that," I said as I let go of her hand and lifted my arm to rest over her shoulders. "I want to keep you right here."

What I didn't say but really wanted to add was the word "forever." It was still hard for me to trust that Rosie wasn't going to take off again, and I was afraid if I said anything like that she just might go back on her word.

We had just stepped onto my porch when she asked, "Why did you tense up?"

I didn't even think about it before I asked, "Do you have any idea how different the relationship we have right now is from any relationship I've had before?"

"I think I might," Rosie mumbled. In a regular tone, she said, "Give me a few examples of the differences."

"First of all, I'm not generally the kind of guy that minces words and is afraid to say what's on my mind."

"But you're afraid to now because I might get spooked."

"Exactly. The obstinate and stubborn part of me thinks I should go ahead and speak my mind so I can get whatever happens out of the way now and see if this is the real deal or not, and the part of me that wants so badly for whatever the hell we're getting started to work out thinks I should shut the hell up."

"I told you I wouldn't run again."

"And I get that, but what if I'm the one who is considering it?"

She looked shocked when she asked, "You are?"

"Look at it from my perspective with one failed marriage under my belt already. I knew Dianna better than anyone else on the planet when we got married. She was my constant when I was in prison, and we learned everything about each other over years of writing letters. When I got out, it was like reconnecting with my best friend, and it just seemed natural for it to morph into a romantic relationship. Even with all of that history, it didn't work out between us."

"And then there's me."

"Exactly. I don't even know your middle name. Is Rosie your actual name or a nickname? How many siblings do you have? Are all of you close in age? Are you the oldest or youngest? Those seem like inconsequential details - and they are if you're in a short-term relationship such as a one-night stand. But if I'm going to plan a future with someone, details like that seem like something I should know."

"Thank you for being open with me about what you're feeling, Rooster," Rosie said as she turned to stand toe to toe with me and wrapped her arms around my waist. "The thing is, if this does go where I've been daydreaming about, we've got the rest of our lives to learn those things about each other."

"That's true, but we might run into some dealbreakers along the way."

"Give me one."

"Raspberries. Can't freaking stand ‘em."

"I'll try to remember that." Rosie said with a grin. "Hit me with another one."

"I like my pizza with everything except bell peppers and sausage."

"I like my crust thin and crispy, but I don't like to eat the crunchy outer crust." Rosie lifted one eyebrow and asked, "If it doesn't have bell peppers or sausage is it really a pizza with everything?"

"It needs to have them to make it taste right, but I pick them off."

"Well, I like both of those things so I'll eat what you pick off."

"And I love the crust, so I'll eat yours."

"See? We're working our way through potential problems a little bit at a time." I smiled and then gave her a kiss. "I have a suggestion."

"What's that?" I asked as I kissed my way along her jaw to her ear, cursing the laptop bag I was still holding because it meant I couldn't wrap my arms around her.

"Why don't we go inside and confirm that the magic we felt that night is real and then give each other new and interesting details about each other as they come along?"

"I like how you think."

"Strange," Rosie said as she went up on her tiptoes and pushed her hips against mine, trapping my cock between us as it strained against the zipper. "If you had an inkling of exactly what I'm thinking about right now, you'd already have the front door unlocked and be halfway to the bedroom."

"Fuck the bedroom, Curious. We'll be lucky if we make it through the door."

◆◆◆

ROSIE

Rooster wasn't exaggerating when he said we might not make it through the door. I heard a muted thump and then his other arm went around me, and in the next second, I was sitting on the porch rail with my legs wrapped around his waist.

All of the want, need, and hunger I felt for him was matched equally with his own, and I needed to feel his skin against me as much as he wanted to feel mine.

"Strange, we should really go inside," Rooster mumbled as I unbuttoned his jeans. I ignored him and slid my hand into his boxers so I could wrap my fingers around the hard length there. He blew out a breath before he hissed, "Fuck, your hands are cold."

"You're warming them up, though, aren't you?" I murmured before I nipped at his earlobe. "Do you want me to stop?"

"Hell no," he retorted before he lifted me off the rail and turned to walk into the house. I had to grip him with my hips since my hand was sandwiched between us, but he didn't seem to mind at all when I squeezed him with my thighs. "I've gotta get you in the house."

"No," I murmured before I leaned back and looked at him. "I want you to fuck me right here. Give me something else to write about."

"If this is taking it slow, you're gonna be the death of me," Rooster mumbled as he set me on my feet. He yanked at the waistband of my leggings, and when he realized how stretchy they were, he grinned. "This is going to be so . . ." He pulled his hips back a fraction and hissed before he said, "Remember that shit you talked about how I couldn't last? Well, it's gonna come true if you keep that up."

I didn't stop the movement of my hand as I giggled and then said, "Well, if it does happen, I'm pretty sure you'll find a way to make it up to me."

"I've gotta go in the house to get a condom."

"Pull out."

Rooster chuckled before he said, "Isn't that what I'm supposed to say?"

"I'm clean, and I want to feel you inside me."

"What if I knock you up?"

The thought made my heart race even faster, and I whispered, "Would that really be a bad thing?"

"Fuck, Curious. Why does your crazy sound completely sane and right to me?"

"Maybe we share the same crazy?"

"God, I hope so," Rooster mumbled as he pulled my hand out of his pants. He spun me around and pushed me up against the rail before he yanked my leggings down. I bent forward and braced my arms on the porch rail and waited with bated breath for him to line his cock up and fill me the way I desperately needed to be filled, but he stilled behind me. I was about to ask him what was wrong when I felt his hand brush over my ass with a feather-light touch. I was shocked when he whispered, "I've dreamed of this. I've thought about this ass while I beat off in the shower. I could do this all night."

I shifted my hips until I bumped against him and said, "You can rub it later like you're trying to get a genie to pop out, but right now, I need you to fuck me like you mean it, Strange."

Rooster's chuckle was sexy as hell, but I couldn't hear anything but the beat of my heart when he pressed a hand between my shoulders and pushed me forward to lean further over the railing as he kicked at my feet with his boot. I took the hint and spread my legs as I closed my eyes in anticipation and then moaned when he slowly pushed his cock into my eager pussy.

"Fuck, that feels like . . . I don't even know."

He stopped blathering on when his hips hit my ass and he was as deep as he could get at this angle and then hissed as he slowly pulled back until just the head was inside me. "Hold on, Curious. It's about to get rough."

"Bring it, Strange," I dared.

He took that dare and ran with it, powering his hips so hard that it was all I could do to brace myself against the rail in fear of falling over. My precarious position took my attention away from what he was doing, and he seemed to sense my predicament and wrapped his arm around my waist. I let out an involuntary squeal when he picked me up and then spun us in a circle but realized what he was aiming for when my legs bumped into the edge of the chair I'd admired every time I looked over at his cabin.

I reached for the back of the chair and got a good grip before I put a leg up for traction. Rooster easily got back into rhythm, but now that I wasn't afraid of falling, I could pay attention to how good it felt to have him inside me. As if he knew I needed help catching up, he reached around and cupped my sex, sliding a finger against my clit gently before he began to strum it in sync with his thrusts.

Again, all I could do was hold on for the ride, but this time in a good way. Just like he had many, many times the first night we were together, Rooster played my body like a fine-tuned instrument and had me on the brink of orgasm in just a few minutes. When I fell over that cliff, I expected him to join me just from the growls and grunts I heard with every thrust, but he had something else in mind.

When the last tremors of that orgasm faded, Rooster pulled out and grabbed my hips before he spun me around and gently shoved me back. I fell onto the chair, my leggings tangled around my knees, and gasped when he dropped to his knees and put my legs over his arms, pulling my ass closer to the edge of the chair.

With my legs resting over his arms, he filled me again, this time bending me almost in half as he leaned closer for a long kiss. I felt him cup my breast but wanted more, so I pushed it aside and yanked my shirt up. He took the hint and swept his hand inside the cup of my bra, pushing it underneath my breast to give him better access. The tangle of our bodies wasn't the most comfortable, and I was starting to get a twinge in my lower back, so I straightened my legs to try and rest them over his shoulder.

Rooster seemed just as frustrated as I was with our predicament but then smiled before he reared back and yanked my leggings further down past my knees. I couldn't figure out what he was trying to do until he used his hands to pry my thighs apart and then pushed his upper body between them. Now that my legs were bound behind him, he lined his cock up again and then pushed all the way in with a loud grunt.

"Fuck, you feel good, Curious." Rooster's hands were free now, and he ran them up over my stomach to cup my breasts, catching my nipples between his thumb and finger to tease them as he leaned forward and gave me a lingering kiss. "I could stay like this forever."

His hips were still, and I wanted more than anything for him to start moving again, but I couldn't resist the look in his eyes or the passion in his voice and answered, "There's that word again."

"Tell me you don't feel the same way."

"If you don't start moving again, I'm going to tell you all sorts of things and none of them good," I threatened.

Rooster laughed and gave me another kiss before he slowly pulled out and pushed himself in again. The pace of our joining had changed now that we were face to face, and I had to admit that as much as I had enjoyed the frantic pace and the mindblowing orgasm that it brought me, I liked this even more.

"Stay with me, Curious," Rooster mumbled before he leaned forward and took my nipple into his mouth. "I know it sounds crazy, but this is where I'm meant to be."

I wasn't quite ready for his declaration, but my heart wasn't nearly as cautious as my brain. Without even giving myself time to analyze my thoughts, I said, "Don't pull out, Rooster. Tie us together forever."

"Oh fuck," Rooster groaned a split second before his hips jerked and the loud slap of our skin coming together again seemed to echo out into the darkness. I could feel his cock twitching deep inside me and that set me off for the second time tonight. This orgasm wasn't nearly as intense as the first, and I let it flow over me as my body clutched at his, welcoming every drop.

Out of breath, Rooster let his head rest on my collarbone as he tried to regulate his breathing. His hands moved around my ribs and across my back until they were wrapped around me, and then he lifted me up and held me tight against him.

"I sure hope you don't regret that," Rooster mumbled before he gave me a lingering kiss. When he pulled back, he said, "I never will."

"What's your real name, Strange?"

"Brewster."

"Hi, Brewster. I'm Drea Rose. It's a pleasure to meet you."