I shake mom’s voice out of my head. Just because a man turned up at a bar and did the decent thing before kissing me like I’ve never been kissed before doesn’t mean he’s the right man. He’s the right man for tonight, and that’s all I need.
I run cold water over my wrists until I’ve calmed down and sobered up enough to face Sergeant Gray.
I’m going to go through with this. But I won’t get carried away just because he knows how to kiss. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do this on my terms.
I fix my hair then unlock the bathroom door.
It’s time to lay down the rules.
5
RYAN
When Rose exits the bathroom, the armor’s back on. I see new determination in her expression.
The kiss in the elevator was something else. This woman fits with me, I can tell. The vibe is pure connection, and I want to explore what happens when we kiss without getting interrupted. I was this close from taking her in the elevator, and I can’t wait to get my hands on her again.
“Come here.” I pull her toward me, but she holds up a hand.
I drop my hold on her arms immediately. If she wants to put a pause on this, I’ll back off. It will be a shame, but I’ll do what she wants.
She takes a deep breath. “I have rules.”
Well, there’s a surprise. She’s got this all thought out, and I like that.
“Go on.”
“Rule one.” She holds up a finger. “No names.”
My lips quirk upward. “You mean your name isn’t Rose?”
She shakes her head. “No. But it’s what you can call me. We don’t share real names.”
I wonder what she’s hiding or running from. Or maybe just like me—she wants to escape the real world for a while. I already checked her ring finger, and there’s no ring or indentation that would indicate one usually sits there. Which would be a deal breaker for me. I won’t be party to an affair.
“Two.” She holds up a second finger. “This is for one night only. One time only.”
If the kiss is an indication of what the sex is going to be like, then it would be a shame to only do it once. But I’m deploying in two days, and she’s passing through, so there’s not much chance of a repeat performance anyway.
“Okay.”
She presses her lips together, and her forehead creases into a small frown. “I can’t remember the third rule.”
“I’ve got one.”
She turns her big eyes to me.
“We use protection.”
“Oh, yeah.” She nods. “That was my rule, too. I’ve got condoms.”
She pulls out a packet from her purse. The box is dented like it’s been in there for a while. “I don’t do this often.”
“Hey, I’m not judging.”
She sticks her chin out. “Good, because even if I did, there’s nothing wrong with a sexually active woman.”
Her eyes hold a note of challenge in them. She’s fiery. But she’s overthinking this.
