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Preferably with his life insurance policy deferring to me.
“Thank you.” Rose whispers and I almost miss the words over the noise of the water running and my murderous thoughts.
“You're welcome,” I whisper in response before gently turning her body back around to face me. Taking the soap in my hands I continue to lather across her arms and neck before drifting down to her tits and stomach. I have to get down on my knees to reach her ankles and I watch her eyes widen as I rub the soap along the souls of her feet, stopping to massage the paint out her skin and eliciting a pretty moan from her lips.
“Sorry.” She mumbles again, “I didn't mean to- it just, it feels so good.” she sighs again and I honestly think my dick might explode.
“Don't” I start and cover her mouth with my hand,
“Apologize.” I growl, my palm grazing her wet lips, “Not when you're with me. Not when we're like this.” I say, gesturing between our two naked bodies.
She nods and I remove my hand from her mouth before guiding her under the spray and rinsing the rest of the red paint from her body. Once the last of it is gone I turn off the water and reach for one of Blondie's girly bath towels. This one was pink with roses on it, how fitting. Home Goods founder was probably sitting on a mountain of gold right about now. Wrapping the pink monstrosity around Rose, I briefly rest my chin against her head, breathing her in.
She had almost been taken from me. And that fear. That fear was enough to kill a man.
“What are you doing?” Rose whispers leaning into my touch.
“Just inhaling your lovely scent. Did you know you actually smell like roses? Is it because your name is Rose?” I wink at her and she blushes.
“It's my shampoo.” She blushes deeper and the sight makes my dick physically hurt,
“It has a rose scent.”
“I like it.” I smile, for once at a loss for a sarcastic reply.
Scooping her up in my arms, I ignore Rose’s shriek of protest and carry her into her bedroom as if we were two sunburnt honeymooners on our way back to our overpriced hotel room.
“You, my little pixie, need some rest,” I say before unceremoniously tossing her on her bed and tucking the covers over her naked body. Nose scrunching up in annoyance, I watch as Rose pulls the sheets up and under her chin. Satisfied with her comfy state, I stand up, a pink towel wrapped around my hips (Jayson would lose his shit if he saw me like this), and make to find my jeans.
“Where are you going?” the question sounds small coming from my brave angel's lips and I turn around to find her ocean eyes focused intently on me, as if she were trying to read the very thoughts in my head.
“Are you - are you leaving?” she asks.
Was that - was that disappointment in her tone? It couldn't be. I was a means to an end for her just like she was for me. She needed my protection, and my bodyguards, and I needed her to hold on to the journal for me until I came to retrieve it.
So why did the sound set my nerves on fire?
“I was just-” My reply dies on my lips as I look back at her, snuggled under the blankets, her eyes fighting to stay open.
“Stay,” she whispers sleepily and I don't even know if she realized she let the word slip from her sleep-induced mind.
The word cuts through my heart and the next thing I know I’m slipping under the covers, my jeans forgotten, holding on to my angel for one night of peace.
“We’ll get it back. We’ll get it all back,” I whisper as I hold her to my chest,
“I promise.” The words echo into the space, a revenge promise, and I sigh as her body falls into mine before letting sleep drown me.
Chapter 19
Rose
Two weeks go by. Two weeks of trying to forget what Uncle John stole from me. Two weeks of barely holding my shit together. Two weeks of Kaleb sneaking into my room at night to hold me.
It's that last thought that causes my heart to warm.
The muscle beating like it was on fire.
I couldn't believe that tortured boy playing ice prince bothered to stay, but ever since that night he found me drowning in a pool of my own paint, he found excuses to curl up by my side. To sneak into my window and wrap his scarred arms around mine. The thorns to my damaged rose. My protection when the moon hung out in the sky.
