“Adam?” Rosie rubs the spot between Bear’s eyes, smiling down at his head in her lap. She looks up at me, her eyes moving between mine. “I want to apologize for not telling you sooner that I was in the foster system too. I know the ideal time to tell you would’ve been when you shared the same with me, but when you told me about your time in the system, I felt a bit jealous. You found this beautiful family, and I found nothing. Your experience sounded so wonderful, and mine was so lonely. The jealousy didn’t last, but then I felt dirty and guilty for ever feeling that way, and I didn’t know how to talk to you about it. My biggest insecurities were formed during my time there, and I’ve spent the years since trying to combat them, to hype myself up, love myself enough so that I didn’t have to rely on someone else to give it to me. But some days are harder than others when it comes to remembering all the strides I’ve made. So, I’m sorry, Adam.”
“You don’t need to apologize for being human. Those feelings are real and valid, and you deserved time to sort through them.” I press a kiss to her palm. “Thank you for being honest with me about this.”
We stay snuggled together for another half hour, no words spoken as we hold each other. She’s had a long day, so when she buries her third yawn against my arm, I shift her off my lap.
Standing, I hold my hand out to her. “C’mon, sweetheart. Let’s go to bed.”
Bear doesn’t make it past the living room before choosing to pass out on the couch. I keep Rosie’s hand in mine as we move silently through the dark house, and when she disappears into my bathroom to get ready for bed, she does so with a kiss on my lips first.
I strip down to my boxer briefs and plug my phone into the charger. I’ve got nineteen missed notifications. Two are more calls from that unknown number; the other seventeen are my Puck Sluts group chat. Garrett’s sent four eggplant emojis, four peach emojis, and eight question marks. Emmett says Cara wants to have another girls’ night so they can analyze our first time. Jaxon wants to know how many of his condoms I used. Carter wants to know if we had post-sex snacks in bed. Apparently, that’s his and Ollie’s favorite bonding time.
I’m too exhausted to deal with any of them, so when the bathroom door opens, I turn my phone right off.
“Ready for be—ahhh. You’re naked.” She’s fucking naked . I shove my hand through my hair, then gesture at Rosie’s beautiful, full, naked body. “You are…really fucking naked. Fucking spectacular, too, in case you were wondering. Also, naked.”
My favorite brand of trouble giggles, that adorable nose crinkling when she does, her hands wringing at her stomach. She steps forward, and my eyes bounce from her immaculate tits to the swing of those round hips. Christ, she’s flawless. Have I already said that?
“Can confirm, I am, indeed, naked. In case you were wondering.” There’s a hint of mischief in her eyes that shines so bright, hiding nearly all the nerves. “Would you like to get naked too?”
“Well, I…I…” I rub the nape of my neck, then point at the bed. “To do naked stuff?”
Rosie nods. “To do naked stuff. If you want to.”
“I don’t want to take advantage of you feeling vulnerable.”
“I am feeling vulnerable, but not in a bad way. I feel safe, Adam, and it’s freeing. Tonight made me feel closer to you. Maybe I dropped my last wall.” Her shoulder pops up and down. “I don’t know, but I feel good, and being with you makes me feel even better.”
I swallow the lump in my throat when she stops in front of me. “Being with you makes me feel better than I’ve ever felt.”
She takes my face in her hands, her smooth, warm touch gliding along my stubbled jaw. “Can I kiss you?”
My heart thunders, and I give her the most articulated whispered response I can manage. “Duh.”
She beams, the most incredible, breathtaking sight, and guides my face down to hers. This kiss is everything Rosie. Patient and slow, soft but confident, the gentle way her lips move on mine, her tongue sweeping my mouth with certainty, fingers gliding into my hair, sifting through the curls. It settles my heart and sends every nerve ending racing at the same time.
“You’re shaking,” Rosie murmurs, head cocked as she watches me. “You’re nervous.”
“No,” I lie. “No way. I’m totally prepared and super excited and not at all nervous. Look!” Dashing to my bedside table, I yank open the drawer with my super-steady hands. “I even got all these.” I hold up the massive wad of rubbers Jaxon shoved at my chest yesterday, waving them in Rosie’s face. “Condoms!” I start sorting through them. “Ultra ribbed, bare-skin raw, banana flavored, mag—”
“Adam.” Rosie laughs, placing her hand over mine and my gigantic collection of condoms. “Why the hell do you have so many?”
My face burns, and I can feel my heartbeat in my throat. “My friend gave them to me.”
“He really likes his variety, doesn’t he?” Rosie picks through the assortment, setting one aside, tucking the rest away. With a smile so sure, so certain, she steps up to me, and my brain short-circuits as I stare down at everything I’ve wanted, craved for so long. She’s finally here, this incredible woman in front of me, and part of me is terrified to reach out and take it. It feels like there’s no turning back after this, but what if she wants to? What if she decides I’m not enough?
“I keep trying…” I swallow, shaken by the nerves rolling off me while Rosie stands there so sure of this. She takes my hands in hers, steadying the tremor in my hands when she squeezes. “I don’t mean to rush you. I’m trying to take things slow with us.”
“Do you want slow?”
My eyes move between hers, hoping she sees it all. The commitment, the awe, all my best intentions. “I want…you. I just want you, Rosie.”
“You have me, Adam. I don’t feel like we’ve rushed anything or moved too slowly. Everything feels right.” She brushes my curls from his forehead before pressing her lips to mine. “Very right.”
And maybe that’s exactly what I needed to hear, that I’m just right for her. Because the tension stacked in my shoulders dissolves, and as I stand taller, my chest swells with pride.
“Ah,” Rosie muses. “There’s that smirk. One part playful, two parts cocky.” She slings her arms around my neck as I yank her into me. “Just the way I love it.”
“You know what else you’re gonna love?” My mouth moves over her shoulder, up her neck, pausing at the shell of her ear. “The way I fuck you.”
Rosie’s fingernails bite into my shoulders as I walk her backward. The back of her thighs hit the bed, and with my hand on her collarbone, I force her down to the mattress. Her wide eyes follow the path of my hands, down to the waistband of my boxer briefs, and when I lose them on the floor, she licks her lips.
“God, I keep forgetting how big your cock is. I’m almost certain this is going to hurt.”
“I’ll be gentle,” I promise. “I’ll try to be, at least.” Trailing my finger up her thigh, I watch her skin pebble with goose bumps before her legs fall open to me, letting me step between them. “We can stay in bed all day tomorrow and eat hot fudge sundaes while you recover.”