Chapter 34
ROSALIE
“Plane takes off soon,” Anson said, kissing my lips gently. “We should get ready.”
Evan and Klaus were up with Ellis, making breakfast, and Anson was still lying in bed with me.
I grabbed his hand and brought him back as he tried to get up.
He came immediately.
“Baby?” he murmured.
“D-Did Evan tell you—” I couldn’t even finish my sentence. My heart pounded just thinking about Cole. He always had a way of leaving wreckage in his damn storm. This time was no exception, it would seem.
It angered me that I’d let myself open my heart up again. I thought I’d be able to hold off any emotion since he pissed me off and broke me, but there I was, hurting once again.
“Yes. It sucks so fucking much, but I’m not mad. Neither is Klaus. I promise we’re OK.”
I breathed out, relief flooding through me.
“I-I don’t even remember any of it. I just was sore—”
He kissed me softly. “I don’t want to know the details, LeeLee. I believe you. I promise you we’re good. We’re going to get married. I’m excited to plan our wedding.”
I cradled his face, my eyes burning with unshed tears. “How did I get so lucky to find you?”
He smiled sweetly at me. “Fate, baby. Meant to be.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“And for your next question. We will get you tested. I know you’re worried about babies.
We’ve already discussed that, too. If you are, then…
” He paused, and his throat bobbed. “Then we have another baby. I’ll be bummed that prick beat me to it, but we wanted another baby, so it worked out.
If you want to try again later, I would be more than willing. ”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.” He kissed me again. “I’d love to try right now, but we have a flight to catch. I’m going to make love to you when we get home, though. All fucking night.”
“I want that,” I whispered against his lips.
“Fuck, now you’re enticing me even more. Fuck the plane.” He tugged me down onto the bed, his lips fused to mine, his erection grinding against my pussy.
There was a knock on the door.
“Yeah?” Anson called out between kisses.
“Can I come in?” Ryder asked.
“Cockblock,” Anson muttered. “If I didn’t think you’d mind, I’d just let him in to watch so I could make you feel good.”
I smiled against his lips, my heart jumping into my chest.
“I’m not opposed,” I said softly.
Anson crinkled his brows as he stared down at me, a strange look on his face. My cheeks heated as Ryder knocked again.
“Come in,” Anson said, not moving off me.
Ryder came into the room, and Anson looked over at him.
“Hope it’s good, Ry, I was about to be in the middle of something.”
“Uh, phone call,” he said, glancing at me. Evan told me that Ryder had left while I was gone and tried to work with a porn star in New York City. I knew he’d been acting oddly the night Cole took me, and I really wanted to get to the bottom of it because he still seemed off.
“Who is it?” Anson asked.
“Lorenzo De Luca. You left your phone on the coffee table, and he called. I didn’t tell the guys. Just brought it to you. He’s on mute if you want to talk to him.”
Anson moved off me quickly and grabbed the phone.
“Help her get ready,” Anson said, leaving the room with the phone as I called out to him to wait.
I wanted to know what was going on.
“Hey, Red,” Ryder mumbled, coming over to me. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, I guess,” I said, sighing. “Wish Anson would let me talk to Enzo.”
“He’s only trying to protect you.”
“I know,” I mumbled. “What was Ellis doing?”
“She lost Mr. Rufus, and Evan was helping her look for him. Klaus was on the phone in his office.”
I nodded.
“Can you take me to the bathroom?” I asked, knowing it was pointless to try to listen in on Anson and Enzo. “I need a shower before we go.”
I tried to shift off the bed to stand. I figured I’d just hobble over, but Ryder scooped me into his arms.
“You smell nice,” I said softly as he held me.
“Thanks,” he muttered as we moved to the bathroom.
He sat me on the bathroom sink as he turned on the water and adjusted the temperature.
He didn’t say anything as he came back over to me to help me down.
“Ry?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you OK?”
He stared down at me. “I don’t know,” he whispered. “It comes in waves. Just when I think I am, I’m not. Funny how that works.”
“If you want to talk, I’ll listen—”
“What I want is for you to get your shower. I don’t need the guys pissed off because I was yapping your pretty little ear off.”
“You think my ears are pretty?”
He chuckled softly. “The prettiest, Red.”
I smiled at him.
“Are you good to undress? I can get Klaus—”
“I’ll be OK,” I murmured.
He hesitated for a moment before releasing me. He didn’t say another word as he left me alone.
It hurt my damn heart that he wouldn’t just talk to me. Knowing I’d just overthink it, I peeled off my clothes and hobbled into the shower.
It was a tough one to manage, but I did it quickly so I could get out and see what was going on.
When I was done, I wrapped the towel around me and hobbled to the mirror.
I braced myself against the sink and dried off as best I could before tugging on my robe.
I managed to put on a little makeup before I went back to the bedroom, wincing as I hopped along.
I was definitely going to need crutches or something.
“I got this for you,” Ryder said, stepping out of the walk-in closet, holding a white sundress with little pink flowers on it.
“Thank you,” I replied as he placed it on the bed.
I watched him go to the drawer, pull out a pair of white lace panties and a matching bra, then return.
“Here,” he murmured, handing them to me. “I think the guys would appreciate these.”
“I’ll tell them you highly recommended them.”
He scoffed, looking away. A muscle thrummed along his jaw.
“Ry?”
“Red?” He didn’t look back at me.
“I’m worried about you.”
He sighed and rubbed his eyes before facing me. “Don’t worry about me. I’m OK. I’m just going through some shit mentally. I’ll be fine once I work it out.”
I studied him, taking in the turmoil on his face.
“I don’t blame you,” I whispered. “If that’s what you think. That night… I was so scared. I-I thought you were hurt and I-I was going to lose you—”
“Don’t, Rosalie,” he said, his voice thick.
“Don’t what?”
“Just… don’t, OK? I’m fine. I’m sorry, I was a shit bodyguard. I fucked up. I was in my head and not paying attention. I told Klaus I know a few guys on the team who would make excellent guards for you—”
“I don’t want them. I want you,” I said fiercely. “I’m not letting you leave.”
He stared down at me.
“Ryder. Please. Stay,” I whispered. “I need you.”
“I’ll stay,” he whispered back, his voice thick. “Get dressed, OK?”
He backed away from me and went to the door, leaving me alone. At least he was going to stay. Maybe in a few days, he’d be more open to talking.
At least I hoped so.
Klaus quickly lifted me into his arms and brought me to the leather wraparound couch in the living room.
“Where’s Ani?” I asked. “And Evan?”
“Busy,” he murmured, kissing along my jaw as Ryder sat staring at his phone on the other end of the couch.
“Where’s Ellis?”
“She is insistent on changing Mr. Rufus’s clothes one more time and said she wanted to surprise us and made me leave her alone in her room.”
I smiled at that. She was sassy when she wanted to be.
“Are Ani and Evan talking to Enzo?”
“Mhm.” Klaus kissed my bare shoulder.
“Should we talk?” I asked, pulling away from him.
He sighed and closed his eyes. He was quiet for a moment before speaking.
“Evan told us about you and Cole. I’m pissed, if you want to know the truth, but not at you. Maybe not even really at him, at least for that portion. I would very much like to choke the shit ass out when I see him for taking you. That won’t go unpunished.”
“I think he’s punishing himself enough,” I said.
He sighed. “I’m sure he is, but he does need some hard truths spoken to him. He is a father. If he wants back into your life, he needs to prove himself. It’s not just you who will end up hurt. It’ll be our little girl. I won’t stand for that.”
I kissed him gently. “I love how protective you are.”
“I love how fucking sexy and sweet you are,” he answered back, kissing me again. “If he got you pregnant, I might beat his ass just a little harder.”
“I’m scared,” I whispered.
“I know, baby. Let’s try to keep from worrying about it. We’ll get it all checked out.”
“I can’t believe you’re OK with this.”
“I’m not OK with it, but I know there are some things that can’t be changed. This is one of those things. It happened. It’s over. Now we wait and see. I am hoping the guy gets his shit together so I don’t have to stomp his ass into the ground.”
I knew he was being serious. Klaus and Cole had fought before. I didn’t want a round two.
Klaus ran his hand along my bare thigh until he was beneath my dress.
“Lace. I really fucking like this,” he murmured against my lips.
“Mm, Ryder picked them out. He said you’d like them.”
Klaus pulled away and stared at me. “He did?”
I nodded.
Klaus looked over my shoulder. “Romano.”
Ryder looked up from his phone. “Yeah?”
“Did you pick out my woman’s underwear?”
“Yeah.” He shifted awkwardly in his seat.
“Why the fuck were you in her underwear drawer? Is there something you’d like to share with us?”
Ryder scowled at him. “No, Klaus, there isn’t. I was only trying to be helpful. She’s hurting and stressed. Figured she didn’t want to rifle through her underwear drawer on top of it all.”
Klaus grunted and eyed him for another moment before kissing me again.
“Mommy! Look what Unkie Ash got Mr. Rufus!” Ellis rushed into the room, holding her bear.
I looked at him in his clown outfit.
“Oh wow. That’s super cute! I love it!”
“Me too.” She giggled and clutched the bear to her chest. “Unkie Dunkie said that he had another one, but it was on fire by accident on account of Unkie Ash playing with matches. Unkie Kai said he’s not supposed to do that.”
“He’s definitely not,” I said.
“It’s OK. He said he won’t do it again, and he owes me one more outfit for Mr. Rufus!”