Cash Money (Bad Money #4) by Ali Parker

to cook at my place or go out?" He wrapped his arm around the back of her shoulders, feeling like they'd gotten over some odd, unseen hurdle.
    "Your place." She got on the back of his bike and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
    Jon started the bike and took off to the closest grocery store, trying to work through how to tell Kate that letting Marcus go was going to be much easier than watching him go of his own decision. The big guy seemed to have made up his mind on moving out of New Orleans, and trying to start another life elsewhere.
    Surely he wouldn't expect Kate to go with him, or be a part of it.
    Surely he wasn't that fucking selfish.

Chapter 12
    Kate
     
     
     
    After gathering everything to make spaghetti at the store, they rode home as the sun set in the far end of the sky. Peace and calmness had settled over her sometime during the ride, and by the time they got back to Jon's place, she wasn't concerned with the future, or even what might happen later that evening. Living in the moment was too appealing to worry about it for a while.
    "You cooking, or am I?" Jon brushed his hand over her butt as they walked to the door. The playful smile on his lips was refreshing. Having visited the safety deposit box tore down some of the barrier she was starting to resurrect against him.
    "Let's do it together." She moved back and let him open the door, enjoying the view of his ass in his jeans far more than she thought possible. "I like these jeans."
    "I think you like what's in the jeans." He chuckled and turned on lights as he moved to the kitchen.
    "That too." She set her bags down next to his and started to open cabinets in search of pots and pans.
    "Hey. Last tough subject for tonight, I hope." His voice was soft, inviting.
    She stood up from her bent-over position and gave him her attention. "Sure. What?"
    "You're not going after Billy Turner. You had your revenge with Victor. Billy's mine. Understood?" He moved to stand in front of her and gripped her chin, half expecting her to swat him off and bite his head off.
    She nodded and pressed against his hold. "Yeah. Take him. I'm tired anyway."
    "Good." He leaned down and licked at her mouth. "I wanna own you tonight, Kate. Just us. No drama or worries of dying tomorrow. No Billy or Victor. No Marcus. I need tonight for us."
    "Okay," she mumbled as tendrils of pleasure raced across her skin. Her indecision over next steps with Jon and Marcus were going to have to find their proper place. Life wasn't just about who you spent your nights with, but where you were going, who you were becoming.
    "Now, cook me my dinner, woman." He chuckled as she picked up a spatula and swatted his side.
    "Better watch it. I don't mind the black widow title. It's kinda sexy." She wagged her eyebrows and worked to get the hamburger meat in the skillet. "Fix the salad and tell me where you want to see yourself in ten years. Just be honest. If you could have anything you wanted in the future, what would it look like?"
    He ran his fingers over her lower back as he moved around her, gathering the items needed for the salad. "Hmmm... that's a hard one."
    "Try for me?" She glanced over her shoulder, wanting to know him more. Needing to.
    "Yeah, sure." He grabbed a few beers from the fridge and offered her one. "I want a small house, a lot like this one. Two or three bedrooms at most. I want a couple of kids, a job that leaves me proud to be involved with it, and a wife that loves me almost as much as I love her."
    Foreign emotions danced inside of her. There was no place for Marcus and her to continue to see each other if she and Jon were to create that future together. The question was whether she wanted it to.
    "I like it." She smiled and worked on the meat.
    "Your turn." He moved up behind her and moved her hair from her neck before pressing his mouth against her and wrapping his strong arms around her. "If you could have anything you wanted. What would it be?"
    She swallowed and pursed her lips