Page 23

JACKSON

The two flights of stairs up to Rosie’s apartment feels like two thousand.

I take a deep breath and heave my body up each step, clinging onto the banister like I might fall back down. When I finally drag myself to her front door, I take a second to sag against the frame.

Get it together, I tell myself.

Pushing myself upright, I knock gently on the door and fix what I hope is a pleasant smile on my face.

“Hey,” she greets me with a wide smile. “I thought that was you shuffling about.”

“Hi, pretty girl…” My body shudders as I tilt down and press a kiss to her forehead. I would give anything to kiss her lips but she’s far too short for me to get away with the motion without giving away just how much pain I’m in.

“Tea?” she offers, turning her back on me and moving to the kettle.

I gingerly rest my back against the counter opposite, toeing out of my shoes. “Yes please.”

If I can just angle my shoe onto the lip of the other one, I should be able to slide my foot out without any bending required. My shoe slips off the other and I almost lose my balance completely.

“What’s wrong with you?” Rosie asks suspiciously, watching me flail about like I’ve forgotten how humans take their shoes off.

“Nothing.” I brush her off. “Is it okay if I take a shower? It’s been a long day.”

Her eyes narrow behind her glasses. “Sure. I can make a start on dinner.”

“Thanks,” I mumble as I awkwardly shuffle out of the kitchen.

Just as I’m about to cross the threshold, Rosie stops me with a hand on my arm. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look…stiff.”

I force myself to bark a laugh and shoot her a wink. “Later, pretty girl.” Well, I mean at this point it will be a miracle if I can get my boots off, so we’ll have to reassess that later.

She rolls her eyes but bites her lip anxiously.

“I’ll be fine after a shower,” I reassure her and attempt to widen my stride on the way to the bathroom.

As soon as the door closes behind me, I sag against it, my energy depleted.

Thankfully, I’m wearing a shirt so it only takes a few tugs with shaking fingers to undo the buttons and pull it off my shoulders.

I turn the shower on and steam fills the room almost immediately.

I glance in the mirror, turning my back and peering over my shoulder to see the angry red mark that’s likely going to turn into a pretty nasty bruise spreading across my side.

Rosie’s biggest concern was my arm being yanked from its socket, but we didn’t really consider what would happen when I was thrown onto a mat so forcefully I had the wind knocked out of me and a medic going on about bruised ribs.

I’ve had worse, walked off worse, but production still insisted they rearrange the schedule to give me a few days rest. Normally, a few days off would be a blessing but this one comes with resentment from the higher ups for adding days to the schedule.

Gritting my teeth, I sit on the closed toilet seat and fumble with my boots until they’re finally off. I’ll probably burn them. Jandals only from now on.

Once I’ve got my jeans and boxers off, I think the worst is over, until I have to step over the lip of the bathtub.

I grit my teeth. I can’t wait for a walk in, six nozzle shower head with a bench seat and heated flooring.

I cling onto the white porcelain as I swing my body over into the water. If I slip, I honestly don’t think I’ll get back up.

I hang my head, letting the warm water pound my body and soothe my muscles. With each drop that hits my skin, I will for it to heal me. I’ll get out of this shower refreshed and healthy, and ready to tease Rosie until she blushes, and tumble her beneath her sheets. I just need five more minutes.

Maybe ten.

“Jackson,” Rosie’s voice calls from the other side of the door.

“Just a minute,” I call back.

“Too late, I’m coming in. I hope you’re in the shower and not on the toilet. We’ve been moving very quickly, but I think it’s still too soon for that.”

My laugh bursts out breathlessly, causing my ribs to clench and pain to shoot down my side.

The shower curtain pulls back gently and her big eyes peer at me. “I’m going to ask you one more time. Are you okay?”

I suck in a breath. “I’ve been better.”

“Eric just dropped some painkillers off,” Rosie says quietly. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

I shrug and attempt to hide the wince at the motion.

She quirks her brow. She’s definitely got the Mum look down. Smudge and I are never going to get away with anything.

“Are you washing your hair?”

“I uh—tried, but I couldn’t lift my arms.”

She sucks in a breath and her eyes widen. “Jackson,” she whispers before tugging the curtain back further.

I watch as she takes her glasses off and places them on the counter next to a box of pills.

Her t-shirt comes next and my eyes instinctively drop to her heavy breasts, the swell of our daughter underneath them.

A few days ago we found out we were having a little girl and today I thought I’d broken my back.

My heart shudders at the thought of just how badly today could have gone.

My mind runs and I barely notice until she climbs in next to me. “Rosie, what?—”

“Shh,” she says, running her cool hands over my skin. The contrast of the hot shower and her cool hands are soothing and I let her explore my back, only wincing when she reaches the tender spot.

“Here?” she mumbles. I can only nod, my eyes shut tightly.

“I’ll be okay. The medic said I just need to rest.”

She brushes my damp hair away from my face and nods. “It’s okay.”

She reaches behind me for the shampoo, gently combing it through my hair. Her nails scratch at my scalp and I let my eyes drift shut, enjoying the motion. She lifts the shower head out of the holder and uses it on my hair so I don’t have to move too much.

“This shower is way too small for you,” Rosie says, as if the thought has just occurred to her.

I chuckle. “Baby, this whole apartment is too small for me.”

“It’s a normal size apartment,” she defends. “You’re just oversized.”

My arms are loose enough now to curve my arms around her, pulling her wet, naked body to mine. “Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

She curls her arms around my neck and gently cuddles into me. I can tell she’s avoiding putting all her weight on me.

“Come on, we can get out now,” she says into my neck.

My dick pokes against her skin and I let out a low breath.

Her head shoots up. “Did that hurt?”

“No,” I sigh, “I’m horny now but realistically there’s just no way.”

She laughs breathlessly. “Down, boy.”

She delicately steps out of the shower before my brain catches up to offer her a hand, and when she turns to help me out, I shoo her away and copy her movements. “This feels backwards.”

She snickers as she wraps a fluffy towel around herself and then grabs one for me, helping me into it and wrapping me up. I’m six foot five, two hundred pounds and she’s wrapping me up in a pink fluffy towel. “You’re always looking after me. Let me look after you for once.”

I can’t argue with that.

I follow her into the bedroom where she pulls out boxers from the drawer I’ve taken to leaving my clothes in. I pull them on quickly, not willing to bend over more than necessary.

“Lie down,” she tells me, gently pushing at my arm until I’m sitting on the end of the bed.

I send her a bemused smile as I do what I’m told, allowing myself to be tucked in. “Are you going to get in with me?”

She ignores me. “I’ll get your meds. Stay here.”

I drum my fingers on the bed and stare up at the ceiling.

I hope she doesn’t take too long. I love her bedroom but it’s very much a room for sleeping, with the bed, wardrobe and dresser almost filling the room.

She’s already measured the space to the side of the bed for Smudge’s bassinet, but there’s barely enough space to swing a cat in here.

I’m debating getting up and grabbing my phone from the bathroom to see if the email I’m waiting on has arrived, when I hear a faint curse and rustling from the direction of the living room.

“Rosie?” I call through the open door. “Can I get up now? I’m feeling much better.”

Just as I’m about to stand up, she rounds the doorway with the TV from the living room cradled in her arms.

“Ah,” I drawl. “My meds.” I pull the blanket away from my body, ready to rise to my feet to grab it from her before she hurts herself, but she shoots me a glare from the over the top.

“Don’t move.” She gently places the TV on the top of my legs, trapping me unless I want to do some acrobatics which my ribs will not allow.

She spins on her heels and leaves again, whilst I attempt to slide the TV off my body without it crashing to the floor .

Rosie reappears with the pills and a glass of water, standing over me until I dutifully swallow.

She picks the TV up with ease but I still try to slide out of the bed. “Let me help you with that.”

“Jackson, if you try and get out of that bed one more time, I will tie you to it.”

“Promise?”

She snorts as she slides the TV onto the dresser untangling the wires and plugging them into the socket on the wall.

“Here.” She hands me the remote as she slides onto the bed beside me.

I grab the remote and her hand, tugging her closer until I can press a kiss to her lips. “Thank you, baby.”

“You’re welcome.”

I flick through the channels as she burrows into my side. “Do you feel better?”

The pain in my side still hurts, although lying down has eased it slightly, but my heart is bursting at the way she takes care of me. I kiss her forehead. “Much better.”