Page 23 of Waiting For A Girl Like You (Haven House #4)
Vivian was a McIntyre that had once walked among the Fairweathers. As she said in the kitchen, she knew the rules. She knew the power of secrecy. Annabeth didn’t, and she wouldn’t like being left in the dark. She’d push for the whole truth when really, the less she knew, the better.
Hell, the less he knew, the better.
“They didn’t like me, is that it?” Annabeth turned away from him, stalking down the porch toward the curve of the railing. “She thinks I’m a waste of your time. That being with me is ridiculous, and that I’m trying to trap you here with me.”
He couldn't help the surge of relief. Thank God she had her back to him, or she really would get angry at the smile on his face.
“No, sweetheart. Viv doesn’t think that at all. And if she did, I wouldn’t give a shit.”
“But I bet your mother thinks that.”
“My mom believes in doing whatever the hell makes you happy.” He tugged playfully on the back of her shirt. “And you make me happy, Annabeth.”
She let out a dismissive little hmpf , and moved to walk inside, but he spun her around before she could escape. Out on the lawn, the agents were drifting back into view after finishing a perimeter sweep. If he didn’t wrap this up soon, their little spat might end up in someone's incident report.
“I love you.” He gripped her chin, holding her gaze. “I love you here or there, or any–fucking–where.”
She jerked free of his hold. “You sound like Dr. Seuss.”
“And you sound like a brat who needs her ass spanked.”
He walked her backward, pressing her against the exposed brick exterior of one of Haven’s many fireplaces. Bracing his hands on each side of her head, he caged her in soundly.
“This doubting us crap? Yeah, it needs to end.”
He kept his tone soft, not wanting her to hear the exasperated anger that came every time she started this kind of talk. It hadn’t happened much since the night of the attack, but as each day passed and normalcy came closer, it had begun to creep into their conversations once more.
A haunted look filled her beautiful brown eyes, cutting him like a knife. “But I don’t ever move forward, Rowan. Not really.”
“Selling your achievements short just because of something you think my aunt said is a shitty move, Annabeth.”
The sadness that was there a second ago flashed to anger. Quick and swift, she struck him in the chest. One good punch that he hardly felt. “I love you, you big asshole. And it scares me.”
Another punch. This time to the heart .
“I’m allowed to have doubts. I’m allowed to be scared.” Another strike. “I am allowed to voice my fears in any snarky, sarcastic way I want because you’re mine. And because you love me.”
Another hit, softer now. Almost tender.
“If you want me, you have to put up with my crazy.”
He was grinning like a fucking idiot when he kissed her. Seizing her face with two hands, he nearly crumbled to the floor when she let out a muted growl that vibrated against his lips. But with a skilled swipe of his tongue, she calmed, almost crawling up his body as she sought more.
They ended the kiss right as the security detail rounded the corner. “You love me,” he whispered, slightly out of breath and refusing to move no matter who was watching. “You. Love. Me.”
In the shadow of his arms, she rolled her eyes. “Don’t be weird about it.”
“You’re weird. I’m weird.” He chuckled over how good it felt to hear her say it finally. “We’re going to be a weird family one day.”
The growing smile on her lips faltered. “Rowan…”
Shit.
Too much, too fast. She was skittish as a wild colt, fresh on the ranch. Straightening, he reeled himself back in.
“Come on. Let’s go inside. We’ve got work to do.”
Taking her hand, he tried to lead her to the front door, but she wouldn’t budge. “Rowan, we need to talk.”
Stubborn woman.
“Look, I know you have doubts, and you’re scared. But, baby, let me have this. Just for a minute. Let me hold on to this perfect moment where I’m floating because you said you love me.”
“I wouldn’t call this a perfect moment. A perfect moment would be me screaming I love you mid-orgasm.” She glanced at the security personnel nearby as the men and women pretended not to watch them. “Just saying, you know?”
“Soon,” he groaned. “I swear. We just need to find a place.”
It was her turn to shiver, and she wrapped her arms around his midsection. “Jamison and Liam are planning to bring the boat back here. Someone still has to return it to the marina.”
“Okay? ”
“I’ve never been on a boat,” she said, looking up at him. “And while I don’t think I could sail on one, I wouldn’t mind sitting on it with you tonight. Maybe we could take a break after sunset—have dinner on it, watch the stars? From what I heard, it has a small dinette?”
“Annabeth Howard, you’re a genius.” He kissed her forehead. “It does have a dinette, and I’d be honored to have dinner with you on it tonight.”
“I would be the dinner, Rowan.”
Holy hell. Had he really missed that? He should’ve caught what she was hinting at a mile away. But his brain had been too busy conjuring up all the ways they could sneak around on a boat together, and in that process, another image hit—one he definitely didn’t need.
“Uh, maybe. We don’t know what kind of condition it’ll be in when Liam and Jamison get back.”
Annabeth snickered. “They’re only supposed to check out the dock and come right back. But yeah, if I had a chance to have you alone on a boat right now, we’d spend about five seconds looking for some stupid dock before things got dirty.”
“Oh, really? And what exactly would you do?” Draping his arm around her shoulder, Rowan squeezed her close as they headed back inside. “Be specific. Don’t leave anything out.”