Given the way Rowdy watched her, she gave up and closed her mouth.
Seeming mostly unaffected by the suddenness of it, Rowdy answered with his own question, saying simply, “Between work and you, when would I have time?”
So he planned to keep her with him 24/7? That suited Avery just fine.
“Speaking of time.” He deftly changed the subject—for his benefit or hers? “How long will it take you to get ready?”
“For what?” If he meant more sex, she’d have to call it quits, at least for a little while.
“I told you. We need to go visit Marcus today. You okay with that?”
Belatedly, Avery realized that he wanted her to go along. Marcus was staying with Alice and Reese. She couldn’t imagine they wanted her as an uninvited visitor. Much as she loved the idea, she said, “I shouldn’t intrude.”
Setting his cup aside, Rowdy frowned at her. “You don’t want me to murder Fisher, either, so as long as that bastard is out there, you go where I go.”
Avery, too, set aside her cup, preparing for a confrontation. “Is that supposed to be an order? Because you should know right now, I don’t take well to orders.”
He grinned at her ferocious tone. “A request, honey—and very necessary for my peace of mind.”
“That’s better.” She sat back in the seat. “You think Alice will be okay with that?”
“She’ll love the company, but to be sure, I’ll call her and let her know.”
He and Alice seemed to have a very special relationship, so naturally Avery wanted to get to know her better. “Do you plan to visit Marcus every day?”
“I was thinking about that.” He turned his cup, rearranging it as he stared off at nothing in particular. “I can’t just drop in on Alice every day. She’s getting Marcus set up for school in the neighborhood where they’re moving next week. That means he won’t be home until I’m at work, and on weekends, I imagine they’ll have stuff they want to do as a family.”
“I got the feeling that they consider you family, too.”
Rowdy ignored that. “I need to let the little dude know that I want to be around, but it can’t be every day. But I don’t want him to think I bailed if he doesn’t see me for a while.”
“You want him to trust you.” Avery knew all about that particular desire. “That might take some time, though.”
Rowdy snorted. “It’ll take an eternity. But we’ll get there.”
Did he say that because he’d never learned to fully trust? Avery feared it might be so.
Well, she wanted his trust. One way or another, for as long as this lasted, she wanted Rowdy to know he could confide anything to her.
“You’re brooding again,” he pointed out.
“No, it’s just...” Avery took in the mellow satisfaction in his golden-brown eyes, his rumpled blond hair and that to-die-for muscular body. Scars and all, Rowdy Yates was more man than any man she’d ever known, or even imagined. But he wasn’t superhuman. He didn’t have to carry his burdens alone. Not when she definitely wanted to share them with him. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” He sipped at his coffee. “Doesn’t mean I’ll answer, but you can give it a shot.”
Of all the— “If you’re not going to answer, why would I bother asking?”
He plunked his cup back down. “This is about Fisher, isn’t it?”
Avery let out a breath. He didn’t sound happy. And yes, she needed to talk to him about that, but first... “I told you what happened with Fisher and me. After everyone more or less called me a liar, I had decided I’d never again tell anyone. But I trust you, Rowdy.”
“I’m glad you do.”
Because he figured he could handle anything and everyone and never break under the pressure of responsibility. But he didn’t have to do that anymore. Not with her. “I’d really like it if you’d trust me a little, too.”
“You think I don’t?”
“To a degree, maybe.” He wouldn’t let her in his home if he didn’t. But she needed more than that. Hoping to find the right words, she gave herself a little time by drinking her coffee. She couldn’t very well say I want more because she had no idea what Rowdy wanted. Except more sex. He’d been pretty plain about that. “Will you...will you maybe trust me with something private?”
“How private are we talking?” He lifted a brow. “You’re not going to grill me about past hookups, are you?”
“God, no!” That was the last thing she wanted to hear about. Her face heated just recalling what she’d walked in on in his office. “Ass.”
He grinned. “Then stop tiptoeing around and spit it out.”
“All right, fine.” She bit her lips, girded herself for his reaction and asked, “Will you tell me about those other scars? Not the scars from adult fighting but...the scars I assume came from your parents.”
That sudden stony expression on his face didn’t bode well.
Avery sat forward, pressing him. “Will you trust me, Rowdy, the same way I’ve trusted you? Will you trust me enough to share your past?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ROWDY LEFT THE table and stalked to the bedroom. He heard Avery’s feet padding behind him in a rush, and a second later her body impacted with his, her arms coming around his waist, her face on his back beside the stitches.