Page 63 of Necessary Roughness

“Imagine the barking.”

He shoved himself up on one elbow. “Sadie. Go take a nap in your bed.” The dog gave him an injured look and a soft woof. “I mean it. Go. I’ll play with you later.” Sadie pushed herself onto the pillows and flipped onto her back. “Okay, girl. You leave me no choice,” he warned.

Jordan let out a laugh at the look on his face as he moved off the bed, pointed at the bedroom door, and said, “Squirrel!”

Sadie raced out into the hallway, and Tanner shut and locked his bedroom door, then lay down next to Jordan again as they both heard Sadie barking.

“I never knew my dog would turn into such a cock block,” he muttered as he reached out to pull Jordan’s oversize T-shirt off.

***

SEX IN THE shower was always a fun idea, but Jordan knew testing the strength of his knee repairs on slippery tile might need to wait a few more months. He nodded at the bench built into one side of the shower enclosure. “I’m having that sledgehammered out and widened.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. We can get as freaky as we want and nobody ends up in the emergency room.” He was helping her rinse the shampoo out of her hair. “I have plans, DP.”

She turned to face him. “I have plans too. We both need to be in the same state to make them happen.”

He grabbed the water wand once more and went over her hair. She knew he had to be back in Atlanta by Monday morning, which meant he’d be leaving Seattle late tomorrow afternoon.

“Do you want me to come to Atlanta with you for a few days?” she asked.

“Your new employees can handle it while you’re gone?”

“They won’t be happy and neither will my clients, but we’re going to have to figure this out.” She let out a long breath. “Do you have a game next weekend?”

“We’re at home. Want to sit in the suite? There’s free beer.” He was trying to joke, but she could see the dark circles under his eyes. He was working long hours without a lot of sleep. He missed her, and she missed him. She’d tried to tell herself that it was good to test their feelings for each other. Right now, it felt like someone was using a cheese grater on her heart. She reached behind her for the shower door and pushed it open.

“Come on, big guy. It’s time for a convo.” She reached out for his hand. “We’re going to have to put something on and go outside. If we go back into your room, we’re not going to leave your bed until five minutes before you have to go to the airport.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” he said. He followed her out of the shower, grabbing a dry towel as he did so.

***

JORDAN DRESSED AT lightning speed and headed upstairs to the deck. Tanner was already there. He’d loaded a grocery bag with beverages and brought them too. He leaned his cane against another chair and indicated the bag by nodding.

“I’m off the painkillers,” he said. “Want a beer?”

“When did this happen?” She sat down next to him on the love seat he’d turned so they could look at the view. Sadie padded out and flopped down on the deck next to them. Judging by the snoring, she was asleep seconds later.

“Last week. I’m still taking ibuprofen. The doc said it’s okay to have a beer once in a while, but not fifteen.” He reached into the bag, handed her a beer, grabbed one out for himself, and produced a bottle opener out of his pocket. “So, DP, I have a question for you.”

Her heart rate picked up. She knew he was not proposing, but any woman would wonder what was coming next. He put the bottles down on the low table in front of them and took her hand.

“I want to stay with you. Would you like to stay with me?”

She wished she could freeze this moment. The blue sky streaked with wispy clouds, the sun warming them both, the sailboats drifting by as he held her hand, and a snoring dog at their feet. She heard a slight mechanical noise. Tanner was unfurling the sun shade over the deck via remote control.

“Is there anything this house doesn’t have?” she said.

“We still don’t have a Dick’s Drive-In.”

“Nobody has one of those,” she said.

“True.” He shoved the remote control back into his pants pocket. “Well? What do you think?” He was attempting to look relaxed, but she could feel a little perspiration on his palm. He was nervous too.

“I want to stay with you too, but I can’t figure out how we’re going to do this.”

---