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“No, that’s not it.” He trailed kisses from her jaw to her ear. “It’s because I like make-up sex.”
She laughed as he lowered her down onto the couch. “Well now, that makes a lot more sense.”
* * *
For the fiftieth time that minute, Joe asked himself what the hell he’d done to be this fucking lucky. He was lying on the couch with the girl of his dreams, propped up on one elbow so he could memorize her face. A face he’d known his entire life. A face that somewhere around his sixteenth year, he’d become fascinated with.
Roxie was so damn expressive, and one of his new missions was to get to know all her looks. Right now, he saw happiness, exhaustion, and arousal on her beautiful face. The arousal was a bonus, but the happiness was what mattered. He didn’t want to fuck this up. She was too important.
“You know me, Rox. You know me better than anyone on this planet. You know that I can be an ass. I try not to be, but sometimes...”
She grinned. “Sometimes you just can’t help yourself.”
He traced her smile with the tip of his finger. “Right. I’m going to piss you off—and not just for the make-up sex—but know that I don’t mean to. I’m just an idiot sometimes.”
“You’re a guy.” She shrugged. “It goes with the territory.”
“True, but this is new territory for me. As you so eloquently called out, I’ve never been in a serious relationship. I’m not quite sure how they work. But me and you?Wework. I want to make us work.”
For as long as he could remember, she’d been the one he’d measured all others against. Which explained why he’d never been in a relationship for more than a few months. Everyone else had inevitably fallen short.
He wasn’t one to make promises because life had taught him that you never knew what the next day would bring. But he knew there was one promise he could make her. “I won’t lie to you. I don’t think I ever have, and I never plan to in the future.”
His heart stopped when her eyes welled.
She chuckled and shook her head. The tears escaped down the sides of her face. “Don’t look so scared. I’ve been an emotional wreck lately, but I promise they’re happy tears.”
He brushed his thumbs over her cheekbones. She was fighting it, but he could see her exhaustion overtaking all else. He laid a kiss on her lips before shifting them into a spooning position.
Draping a blanket over them, he held her close, marveling at the fact that she let him, even after all they’d been through. He took solace in her forgiveness. Her compassion. He wasn’t sure she would ever fully understand how much she meant to him.
It was no shocker that he’d loved her his entire life. Butlovelove? As in romantic love? He couldn’t go there yet. He honestly wasn’t even sure what the hell that felt like.
All he knew was that Roxie was vital to him. As vital as the air he breathed and the blood in his veins. He’d made so many mistakes with her—hell, sometimes he still made mistakes with her—but he would work every day to make them right and earn her trust.
After a few moments, her breathing slowed to a soft, steady rhythm. She was asleep.
He tightened his arms around her and relaxed into the couch cushions. The smell of citrus with a hint of honey teased his nose. There was nowhere else he’d rather be.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
On Tuesday afternoon, Roxie stood behind the counter of Comfort Food on the verge of tears. The support she’d received from the community this week was overwhelming. Everyone had come by and been so wonderful. She was touched beyond belief. She was also dead tired.
Prior to Joe coming home to Hudson Island, her routine had entailed going to bed by ten, waking up at three for her morning run, and then heading over to the café no later than four thirty. Joe’s arrival had thrown that all out of whack, but the events of the last couple of days had made things even worse. Not only was the front window still boarded up, but both Nina and June were out sick. Roxie was used to long days and little sleep, but this was something else entirely.
Stifling a yawn, she handed over Deputy Chase’s latte. “Thanks for the update.”
“I wish I had better news,” Chase replied. “But know that we’re working on it. Sheriff O’Conner will make sure we find out who’s behind this.”
She thanked the young deputy again as he headed out. There’d been no progress on finding out who had thrown the brick through her window. She knew the sheriff’s department was doing their best, but the lack of movement in the case discouraged her. If she was this frustrated, she couldn’t imagine what Quinn was going through right now.
A glance at the clock showed there were fifteen more minutes until closing time. Only a few customers remained, and they were talking with Sheila, who was tidying the tables.
“I’m going to be in the back,” Roxie called out.
A large stack of mail sat on her desk. Her eyes zeroed in on two large manila envelopes. To her relief, the top envelope was insurance paperwork. Putting it aside, she scanned the second. No return address. In fact, no markings at all.
Dread pooled in her belly, but it was quickly replaced by anger. She was so damn tired of this. If she ever figured out who the hell this coward was, she’d kick his ass. Well, maybe not personally, but she’d hold him down so Joe and Quinn could kick his ass.
