“We’re here!” Mum announced from the front door. She had a key to my place and let herself in.
Dad followed her into the kitchen. “You girls had dinner yet?”
I shook my head. “No, we’ve just been eating cheese and dips. You hungry?”
“How about I go and grab some pizzas?”
“Sounds good to me,” I said. “But before you go, I need the light changed in the hallway. It’s too high for me. Can you do it?”
“It can’t wait?”
“It’s so dark without the light. I’m concerned Mum might trip. Her eyesight is so bad these days.”
“Yeah, okay, good idea. I’ll grab your ladder from the garage.”
“I’ll be fine,” Mum said. She hated any fuss about her eyesight or anything to do with her getting older. My mother liked to pretend she was still forty. I couldn’t blame her; I figured I’d take after her in that respect.
“It’ll take me five minutes,” Dad said as he turned to head into the garage. I loved the way my dad adored my mother. He’d do anything for her.
“Okay,” Mum said, clapping her hands together while looking at Savannah, “tell me everything.”
We spent the next twenty minutes going over Savannah’s man, Tatum’s cake, and my sex. Dad left during the middle of our conversation. And then Mum shared some news with us.
“Your father and I are going to buy a caravan and travel around Australia. It probably won’t be happening for another six months, but we’re getting organised for it now.”
My eyes widened with happiness. “That’s awesome!” They’d been talking about seeing more of Australia, and I’d been encouraging the idea. I was a huge fan of parents spending their kids’ inheritance—I wanted my parents to enjoy their retirement.
“Best news!” Savannah said. “Make us some more drinks, Roe. This definitely calls for cheers.” She left us to put some music on, and a few moments later my home came alive with beats and laughter.
It was about ten minutes later that my phone rang. I didn’t recognise the number. Usually when someone called who I didn’t know, I let it go to voicemail, but the alcohol buzzing in my system caused me to be a little playful. “I’m only interested if you’re tall, hot and know how to use what God blessed you with.”
Silence for a beat. And then a deep voice rumbled down the line. “And let me guess, if I like meat, that’s a bonus.”
Hyde.
I threw the last of my drink down my throat. “Always a bonus, tiger.” I squeezed my legs together. This was the call he’d promised me, and I still hadn’t decided what I was going to do. I needed to fob him off to give myself some more time. But damn if just the sound of his voice wasn’t sending my core into a state of need.
“How about you open your front door and let me in?”
Fuck.
He was here.
Fark.
“I’m kinda in the middle of family stuff.” Jesus, worst excuse ever. But fuck, I could hardly think straight.
“I can hear. Sounds like a party. Open the door, Monroe. I’ll make it worth your while.”
Oh. Good. Fucking. God.
Hyde making promises like that was dangerous. And that bossy tone of his that usually pissed me off? It wasn’t pissing me off this time.
“Who is it?” Tatum asked, but she knew. She could tell from my reaction who it was.
I moved the phone away from my mouth a little so I could answer her. “Hyde.”
Mum’s eyes sparkled. “Hot-sex Hyde?”
Fuck me.
Shoot me now.
He had to come over when my family was here.
“Yeah, Mum, hot-sex Hyde.”
“Monroe.” Hyde’s voice sounded from the phone. He didn’t say anything but my name, and yet I knew from his forceful tone the words he wasn’t saying. He was bossing me without even fucking bossing me.
“Can you come back later? Or tomorrow?” I knew what his answer would be, so I was just wasting my breath.
“No.”
I tried to ignore the look of pure expectation and excitement flashing in my mother’s eyes. “Fine,” I muttered and stabbed at my phone to end the call. Jabbing my finger at Mum, I ordered, “Stay here.”
She grinned, and I knew I had zero chance of holding her back. Groaning, I headed to the front door.
I opened it to find Hyde gripping the top of the doorjamb with both hands, staring down at me with the kind of look that could only be described as carnal. Before I could gather my wits, he dropped his arms, scooped me around the waist and pulled me outside. After he had yanked the door closed, he forced me up against the brick wall and ground himself against me.
“Been thinking about you, sugar,” he rasped against my ear. “We need to make a plan to get you back in that shower of yours.”
My breathing sped up and butterflies took over my stomach. I placed my hand against his chest in a half-hearted attempt to push him away. That attempt failed. Mostly because I really didn’t want him anywhere but up against me. “Fair warning, my mother’s inside and she will probably open this door any minute.”
His heated gaze met mine. “Noted.” He settled his hand on my ass. “What time will this party of yours finish?”
“I don’t know.” I wanted to run inside and kick everyone out right now.
We stood in silence for a few moments, eyes searching each other’s. It was like he was trying to work something out in his mind. Finally, he bent and claimed my lips in a kiss that revealed his desire for me. It was raw. Rough. Demanding. He was letting me know he wouldn’t be taking no for an answer.
Before he’d finished with me, my mother opened my front door and said, “Oh. My.”
I tried to end the kiss, but Hyde made a growly noise and pressed himself harder against me, his fingers digging into my ass as he held me in place. When he finally came up for air, he set me straight. “When I’m kissing you, you don’t get to end it.”
A sigh sounded from my mother. I barely heard it, though. Hyde commanded every ounce of my attention. I was fucking putty in his hands.
He let me go and turned to face Mum. “Jesus, there’s no mistaking you’re Monroe’s mother.” His tone made it clear he said this in the best way, and I guessed by the way my mother responded that he was looking at her with an appreciative gaze.
She flashed him a huge smile, her eyes dropping to take in his impressive body. “So, you’re hot-sex Hyde.”
He glanced at me with an amused smirk. “Hot-sex Hyde?”
I returned his smirk. “Come on, you’ve gotta admit it was pretty hot.”
My mother inserted herself smack bang in the middle of the conversation. “From everything I heard, it was hot as hell.”
Hyde dropped his head for a beat before looking back up at me with a slight shake of his head. I loved the smile on his face. “Can’t say I’ve ever come across a woman who shares everything with her mother.”
I threw caution to the wind. Hell, what woman wouldn’t when a man like Hyde was watching them with that smile? “Welcome to the family. You wanna come in and meet my sister, too? She also knows how good you are in bed.”
My mother’s excitement spiked. “Yes, come in. Sav will love you.”
He kept his gaze on me. “I take it Sav’s your sister?”