Page 70 of Against The Boards

“I love that,” she said while she traced the lines on my arm. “This is good. The artist knew what he was doing.”

“Dinah’s brother-in-law Alex did it. He’s also a Mexican guy with a white dad, so it felt like fate to have him do it. He knows how to tattoo on darker skin tones, which is why I went to him. I’ve sent Hallsy his way too.”

“Oh! Her brother Eddie’s husband?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“I should check out the shop.”

“You should. Alex’s sister does a lot of flower tattoos; I didn’t meet her, though.”

I shifted our positions, so her back was against my chest, and I cradled her in my arms. My hand traced across the white flower on her shoulder blade and then over to the cherry blossom tattoo on the other one. I pressed a kiss onto her tattoos and smiled when she let out a girlish giggle. “You want to get another tattoo?”

“Yeah. Maybe something big on my thigh.”

I ran a hand down her thigh slowly. “What of?”

She shrugged. “Not sure yet. I saw this one of different-sized blue snowflakes down a woman’s leg.”

“Sexy,” I purred into her neck.

“Mmm,” she moaned in response.

“I could kiss all down your leg, tormenting you until I gave you what you wanted,” I teased.

“Mmm, what do I want?”

“You know, you little vixen. You want my tongue on your clit.”

Instead of leaning back into me or kissing me again, she slid out of my arms and stretched her arms over her head.

“Hey, where are you going?” I asked while she put her pajamas back on.

I smiled when she pulled my Bulldogs sweatshirt over her head. I felt like I wasn’t getting my sweatshirt back, but I was okay with that. The possessive part of me enjoyed seeing her wearing it like it proved she was mine even when she wasn’t.

“I need coffee,” she explained.

I leaned back against my pillow. “Make me some?”

“Of course, love.”

I pretended not to notice her letting that pet name slip. I switched my phone off Do Not Disturb and checked my messages. My stomach fell when I saw a couple of texts from my sister, fearing the worst, but it was just photos of my nephews at their first Red Sox game. I had already mentioned to my agent that if the Bulldogs were looking to trade me, my first choice would be Boston. Now I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave Philly. Not when I spent all my time wrapped up in the woman who used to be my enemy.

Rox came back into the room and held out a cup of coffee to me. I sat up and took it from her as she slid into the bed next to me with her own cup. I put my arm around her shoulders and squeezed her into my side. She fit perfectly there, like it was made just for her.

She glanced over at my phone and saw the photos. “Who are they?”

“My nephews.”

“Oh, right, you mentioned your sister had kids.”

“My sister’s a therapist for at-risk kids, and she kept seeing all these kids in dangerous situations. They ended up fostering the twins before they could adopt them.”

“What are their names?” she asked and took a sip of her drink.

“Carlos and Miguel,” I said and pointed them out.

We drank our coffee in silence for a couple of minutes.