Page 65 of The Contractor's Rose
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and scanned the room for the one person I knew would help me shut this down quick, then made my way across the room to her. Teagan. She was nursing a cocktail that, judging by the way she winced, was absolute hell. Imayhave let the crew bartend. Lesson learned: they can frame a house, but mixing drinks? Not so much.
“How do we get them all to leave?” I asked, leaning in.
She looked up at me, raised a brow, and took one more doomed sip. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just ask your daughter to end a party so you can be gross with your girlfriend.”
“Appreciate it,” I grinned.
“That’s fucking disgusting, Dad.” She stood straighter, downed the rest of her drink, shook off the full-body shiver, and marched to the front door. “Alright, party animals! Show’s over. It’s almost time to return my dad to the senior center and Rose has to open shop in the morning!”
There were a few laughs and some groans, but everyone started saying their goodbyes and filing out. Harry nodded at me and ruffled Rose’s hair before slipping into the night with Stella on his arm.
I turned just as Rose realized, “Oh, crap, I forgot Elodie’s staying.”
“Absolutely not,” Elodie called from across the room. “For the sake of my sanity and my eyes, I amnotstaying. That was a decoration diversion tactic.” She gave Rose a pointed look. “No offense, Mr. Miller. You’re hot and all, but watching you bone my best friend … well …”
Rose slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter while Teagan rolled her eyes and grabbed Elodie by the elbow. “Let’s go, criminal.”
“Hey, now. We both got tossed in the slammer, Teag. Don’t profile me!”
Watching the two of them not claw at each other’s throats made something settle in my chest. I didn’t want to jinx it, but maybe … maybe they were getting there.
When the door clicked shut behind them, Rose ran over to lock it and flipped the front lights off. The only things left were the twinkle lights Elodie and Rose had put up in the front window, and the flameless candles I’d scattered around the shop earlier in the evening.
No damn way was I lighting real ones—not after what we just finished rebuilding.
She turned back to me slowly, soft and flushed and beautiful in a pale yellow sundress that looked like it was made to be peeled off her. Her arms slid around my neck, fingers playing in the short hair at my nape, knowing what it does to me.
I leaned down and kissed her. Once, twice—then deeper, slower, until her breath hitched and her nails curled at the back of my neck. Placing my hands on the back of her thighs, I lifted and she wrapped her legs around my waist. I walked us to the checkout counter and placed her on top.
“I have a surprise for you,” I whispered against her mouth.
“Oh yeah?” she panted, her voice breathy, pupils blown wide.
I stepped away, walked over to the front window, and reached up to pull the blinds from where I’d tucked them into the ceiling. They fell like a curtain behind the window display, blocking the rest of the store from the street view without ruining the aesthetic.
She tilted her head, watching. “What are those for?”
I didn’t answer—not with words.
Crossing back to her, I stepped between her legs where she sat on the counter and slid my hands up her thighs, under the hem of that perfect sundress.
“How about I show you?” I groaned into her neck, dragging my fingers lightly over the cotton of her panties. She gasped and bit her lip. “Words, sweetheart,” I said against her skin. “I want your words.”
I could see the switch in her eyes as it flipped, and the fire roared to life. Hopping off the counter, she reached under her dress and slid her panties down her legs, scooping them up and then tucking them into my front pocket, purposefully grazing my aching cock. She kicked off her sandals, leaned back on her hands and hopped back onto the top of the counter, resting her heels on the edge of the counter. Her dress rode up all on its own as she spread her legs for me, bare, glistening, andmine.
“I want you to show me, Daddy,” she whimpered.
“Christ,” I breathed.
I dropped to my knees and gripped her thighs, dragging her closer to the edge of the counter until her center was right in front of my mouth.
“You taste like heaven and sin, baby,” I grumbled before running my tongue through her folds, slow and deep. She moaned—soft at first, then louder as I kept going, sucking and licking, teasing the spot that I knew made her tremble.
She threaded her fingers into my hair and I slid two fingers inside her, curling them just right. She gasped my name. Her thighs started to tremble. I knew she was close. And just before she tipped over—I pulled back.
Her whimper was desperate. She looked down at me,wrecked and flushed.I stood, kissed her hard, and said, “Don’t worry, baby. I’m not done with you yet.”
I gripped her hips and lifted her off the counter. Her legs were shaky, her breath uneven, and she let out a gasp as I yanked the pale yellow sundress over her head in one hard pull. It tore slightly at the seams—I didn’t give a damn. I would buy a dozen more.
