My legs turn to jelly. I fall forward, catching Rose around the waist, and pull her to the side with me. She curls up at my side, laying her head on Leo’s stomach and lets out a satisfied sigh.
She looks up at Leo and then back to me. “You were right,” she says, “That was wow.” She smiles again, and something inside my chest tightens.
I want to pull her into my arms and kiss those red, swollen lips. I want to pull the covers over us and fall asleep with her here tucked between the both of us. This woman makes me want to break all my own rules, and that scares the shit out of me.
I clear my throat and slide out of bed. “I’m going to clean up. Leo and I have a call with Hong Kong in an hour.” Rose frowns and shifts up to her elbows. She looks thoroughly debauched with her hair tangled and her lips swollen. I’m tempted to crawl back in bed, but I stay the course. “If you need anything…”
Leo narrows his eyes at me, but when Rose looks over her shoulder at him, he smiles. “I think I’m going to skip the meeting and call it a night.” He pulls Rose into his arms and kisses the top of her head. “Do you mind if I stay?”
Rose snuggles back against him, a smile teasing the corner of her lips. “I’d like that.”
Rose curls her naked body against Leo as he pulls the covers over both of them. I have to fight the urge to crawl back into bed.
I stalk back to my wing of the penthouse, confused and a little angry. This isn’t how we operate. We don’t stay the night. It’s one of our main rules, and Leo knows it. One of many we seem to be breaking for this woman.
So why do I feel like I’m the one in the wrong?
Because she isn’t some girl you picked up at a party, a little voice in the back of my head reminds me.
Rose is different. But now I’m left wondering what that means for us? Or more specifically, where does that leave me in the equation?
11
Leo
The next morning, I wake with Rose’s pert ass pressing against my hard cock. It would be so easy to shift and bury myself deep in her cunt, but I hold back. We haven’t discussed what happened last night, let alone losing the condoms. I roll on my back and think about work, trying hard to kill the need.
“Morning,” Rose says with a yawn. She smiles up at me with sleepy eyes. Not a shred of doubt or regret.
Warmth spreads through my chest, and I fight back the urge to fist pump in the air. I knew I was right about her. Instead, I lean down and kiss her. This connection is what has been missing from my life all this time. It pisses me off that Asher didn’t stay because deep down I know, he needs this just as much as I do.
“Good morning to you,” I say, caressing her cheek. It was obvious that Rose was hurt that Asher left in such a hurry last night, even though she tried to hide it. I’ll deal with him later. Right now I want to bask in this moment. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Good,” she says and lets her eye travel down to where my dick is tenting the blanket. “I can help with that. Last night we didn’t… you and I.” She bites her bottom lip and looks back up at me. “That is if it’s okay without Asher. We didn’t really talk about that last night.”
“We’re playing by your rules. And we’re still in the bedroom,” I say and toss the covers back. “As for Asher, it’s his loss for not staying.”
Her smile brightens, and she grabs a condom from the table. She pushes me back on the bed and straddles my hips. I lay back, allowing her the control this morning. She rocks her hips, seating my cock slowly, almost painfully so. I have to fight the urge to thrust up and impale her. I fist the sheet, determined to let her set the pace.
And when she starts moving, I’m glad I was patient. She’s like some ancient sex goddess.
With her head tossed back and her brown hair spills down her shoulders, Rose gets lost in a slow, steady tempo. After a few moments, her body is slick with sweat. Her breasts sway with the motion as she grinds her hips, finding her own pleasure.
It’s fucking amazing to watch.
I’ve never wanted a woman like I want her. Rose is more that even I expected. I understand Asher’s apprehension, but I’m done pretending. She’s ours.
Rose leans forward and grips my shoulder, picking up the pace. I grip her hips helping her move, so her clit grinds against my pelvis.
“Oh, yes. That feels good.” She moans and grinds harder. Her breath is coming hard, and her eyes drift close. Her legs are shaking and I know she’s close.
“Let go, baby. Come for me.” I tighten my grip on her hips and keep the rhythm.
She tenses and locks her gaze with mine as I continue to pound into her. “Yes, Leo.”
My own climax hits me, and I pull her down hard on my cock as I come. It’s enough to push her over, and I feel her muscles pulse around me, prolonging my own release. We both collapse into a heap of tangled arms and legs, panting hard.
After she catches her breath, Rose kisses me softly. “Thank you. What a nice way to wake up.”
I couldn’t agree more. I’m pretty sure I’m already in love with her, and that changes everything. She’s opened up something inside me that I didn’t know existed and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure this lasts.
As promised, we keep the sex to the bedroom. We work hard and keep things professional, but once we get home, all bets are off. After a few nights of amazing sex, I realize that keeping things to the bedroom was a lot harder than any of us expected. I want to touch her all the fucking time, and the feeling is universal. Soon the rule is amended to include anywhere in the penthouse.
But the merger still dominates most of our day. Most of our time is spent in the office, and for the first time I can remember, I hate the idea of working so many hours. It has everything to do with this woman. I want so much more with her.
She has boundaries. I get it. But that doesn’t mean I can’t test them.
Asher and I have a black tie affair at the end of the month. We’re getting a stupid award for donating a shit-ton of money to a local foster care program. I want Rose to be there with us. We’ve never gone out on a date or even had a meal at a restaurant. This event is a great opportunity to remedy that.
On the ride home from work on Friday, I bring it up.
“No,” she says, shaking her head. “We agreed.”
“We agreed on a lot of things, but our relationship has evolved. It was your idea to take things out of the bedroom.”
“I meant the sex. This is like dating.”
“This isn’t like a date,” I argue. “There’ll be food, dancing, drinks. You’ll have fun.”
“Oh, it’s that simple. I’m just supposed to come?” She looks back and forth between the two of us. “With both of you?”
“You do all the time,” Asher says and runs his hand up her leg.
“I’m being serious. How would it look? People would make assumptions.” She turns to Asher. “Back me up on this.”
“You live with us, Bambi. I’m pretty sure people are already making assumptions.”
“See. There’s no reason for you not to go.”
“Men. They never listen. I must be stupid to get involved with two of them.” Rose tosses her hands up in the air and growls her frustrations. “What if I told you, I don’t want to go?” Rose says crossing her arms. “I’m not a party girl.”
“It’s not that kind of party.” I tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear and kiss her jaw. “I want you there,” I whisper against her ear.
To my surprise, she picks up my hand and kisses the knuckles. “That’s sweet, but I don’t have anything to wear.”
“I can take care of that.” I smile in triumph and send a text to my personal shopper. He’ll have a selection of dresses to her by dinner.
The car comes to a stop outside our building. Asher chuckles and opens the door, shaking his head. “You walked right into that one, Bambi.”
Rose rolls her eyes but accepts his hand as she gets out of the car. Once standing,
she grabs Asher’s jaw and plants a quick kiss on his lips. “Don’t call me Bambi.”
He laughs and slides a hand to the small of her back. “You love it when I call you Bambi.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a flash of light. Asher must have seen it too because he turns, pushing Rose behind him.
“What is it?” she asks.
I spot a guy in a trench coat across the street snapping pitchers. “Fucking, paparazzi.”
“Let’s get inside,” Asher says to Rose who’s straining to see around him. “I’ll send out security.”
“I don’t understand,” Rose says, confused. “Why are there paparazzi taking pictures of us?”
“It must be a slow news week, and the gossip columns love to speculate about Asher’s love life.”
“My dad’s up for re-election next year,” Asher says after coming back from security. “It’s always worse during an election cycle. They’re going to increase patrols, but if it gets bad, I’ll hire some additional security.”
Not one to let an opportunity go, I put my arm around Rose. “Looks like you’re going to be in the paper. Now there is really no reason for you not to go.”
She sighs, and I plant a kiss on her temple. At least Rose is starting to relax into the idea of a relationship. Now, I just need to get Asher more invested.
12
Rose
I can’t believe I’m doing this. I check my hair in the mirror one more time and roll my eyes at the dress Leo picked for me. Red. A bright, ruby red satin that clings to my body like it’s painted on. There’s no way I’ll be able to blend into the background.
I admit it’s a beautiful dress. I brush my hand down the length of the silky material. They wouldn’t let me pay for it, and I have a feeling it cost more than my car. But that’s the least of my problems.
I grab the matching clutch purse on the dresser and join them in the living room. The two of them are milling around the room like nervous prom dates. I can’t help but smile. I never went to prom or any school dance, but look at me now. Like Cinderella attending her first ball with two devastatingly handsome princes.
“What are you two waiting for? I thought we had a dance to go to.”
“Wow,” Leo says and elbows Asher.
Asher glances up from is phone, and the look on his face… Every nerve in my body lights up, and I go weak in the knees. I know he’s not as invested as Leo, but Asher looks as if I’m the only woman in the world.
“You clean up nice, Bambi,” he says, letting his eyes trail down my body. I’m disappointed we have someplace to be because that look promises all kinds of dirty sex.
I swallow and clear my throat, trying to break the spell. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting. We should probably go, or you’ll be late for your award.”
“Your chariot awaits,” Leo says and extends his hand.
To make it easier for me, we agreed that I’d go as Leo’s date. But that doesn’t stop Asher from placing a hand on the small of my back and helping me up the stairs when we arrive. The ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel downtown is decked out in an earthy fall theme. Several hundred people fill the room, mingling, and dancing to a full orchestra.
As we enter, the guys attract a lot of attention. A lot more than I expected. A sour taste settles in the back of my throat as all eyes turn to us. And because of their reputation, I can almost hear the whispers, speculating about me.
Several people greet them by name with handshakes or polite kisses as we make our way to the front of the room.
Leo introduces me, and there are the usual questions. Someone hands me a glass of wine, and I gratefully take a big sip to steady my nerves. I thought I’d prepared for this, but I had no idea the amount of attention we’d attract.
Once my glass is empty, it’s magically replaced with another. Leo is stopped again, and I go through another round of introductions. By the time we reach our table, I’m sure I’ve met a hundred people, but they just keep coming.
With each new group comes another round of questions. Question after question. These people seem to have no boundaries. The men are polite for the most part, but the women are vicious with their cloyingly bitter compliments.
All the attention and scrutiny bring me back to a time when everything in my life was out of control. It doesn’t matter how much older I am or more prepared, I feel like a frightened teenager all over again. Within an hour, I’m painfully aware that this was a bad idea. I shouldn’t be here, but I’m kind of stuck.
So I do what I do best. I try to go unnoticed. But every time I manage to melt into the background of the conversation, Leo pulls me back in. I can’t fault him for being attentive and trying to include me, but his attention is just making things worse. And someone else forces another glass wine on me.
It’s all too much. I feel like I can’t catch my breath, and my head starts to spin. I force a smile, but I’m on the verge of a full-on panic attack.
Asher comes up beside me and presses a steadying hand on the small of my back as if sensing the impending meltdown.
“Leo, isn’t that Heather over there? I promised to introduce her to Rose,” Asher grabs my elbow and turns to the rest of the group that’s surrounding us. “If you’ll excuse us. I’m going to steal Leo’s date for a second.”
In no shape to argue, I follow as he leads me to a side door. We step out into the sparsely populated hall, and I suck in a deep breath for the first time in what seems like an hour.
A waiter carrying a tray of wine glasses comes over and offers us another. I shake my head and try to back away, but Asher holds on tight.
“Fuck. What do we have to do to get some privacy around here,” he says and shakes his head. He tucks a curl behind my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
He leads me to an empty meeting room across the hall and locks the door behind us.
“Are you okay?” he asks, cupping my chin.
“I fine.”
“Fine my ass,”
I take another breath and let it out slowly. My heart is finally slowing down, and I lean back against the cold wood of the door. “I shouldn’t have agreed to come. I knew this would happen.”
“And what exactly is this?”
“I don’t do parties,” I say, trying to avoid his question. “I’m not cut out for this.”
“I’ll let you in on a little secret, I hate these things,” he says and trails his hand down my neck, lost in his own head. “I usually spend the evening at the bar, snarling at anyone who gets close enough.”
“Then why do you come?” I ask, feeling some of the panic subside.
“Appearances.” He plants a kiss on my cheek next to my ear. “Networking. But tonight I’m here for you. Leo wanted to show you off. He thought a dress and a party would be like a Cinderella moment or some shit. I’m guessing by your reaction, that’s not the case. So what is it that has you spooked, Bambi?”
“I told you not to call me that,” I say, backing away.
“You’re avoiding the question,” he says, pulling me back to his side.
“I had an unconventional childhood. My mom toured—still tours with her band MissConceptions. It was like growing up in one big frat party.” I take another breath and try to banish those memories.
“This isn’t exactly a rock star grade party,” he says. “What exactly spooked you?”
“You can dress it up in a tux, but it’s still a party. Excess, drinking, bad choices. I don’t like to be around that.”
Something in his demeanor shifts. Asher’s eyes darken as he pulls me into a crushing hug. “Fucking parents. Did someone hurt you?”
“No,” I answer out of habit. “I mean, not exactly.”
“And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?” His anger is almost palpable. He’s not angry at me. He’s angry on my behalf. I go soft at the thought. No one’s ever stood up for me, and suddenly I feel the need to soothe him.
“I did a lot of stupid things. Underage drin
king. Drugs. When I was sixteen, I was out of control. I didn’t have a parent that told me no. One night, things spiraled out of control, and someone ended up dead.”
“Fuck, Bambi. I’m sorry.” He kisses my forehead and wipes away a stray tear. I hadn’t even realized I’d started to cry. “Was it someone close to you?”
I shake my head. “I don’t even remember her name. She was some groupie. We’d partied together the night before. We both had the same drinks and the same drugs, but she ended up dying in her sleep of an overdose.” I might not remember her name, but I’ll never forget waking up next to her cold, lifeless body. I still have nightmares about it sometimes.
“That wasn’t your fault,” he said. “Where the fuck was your mother?”
“Off doing her own thing I’m sure. She did her best to protect me, but there was a lot of press. Photos got out from that night that I wish I could take back.” I’m not surprised that this is news for him. I doubt any of this showed up in my background. Luckily, I was a minor and the band’s publicist did a great job keeping my name out of the press. Even with the photos, I was just an unnamed witness. “That night was a wake up call for me. The girl that died was only seventeen. Just a year older than me. I straightened up and made plans for a future away from that madness. But being with you and Leo feels like I’m sliding back.” I look up, and I meet his gaze. “Tell me I’m not making another bad choice.”
“You’re not going backward. We won’t let anything bad happen to you,” Asher says, looking straight into my soul. “Like I said, I’ve got you.”
He cups my chin with both hands and kisses me softly. All the pent up fear and anxiety I’ve been holding onto tonight melts away with each tender brush of his lips. I reach up and circle his neck, needing to get closer. His solid frame is like my own personal shelter, protecting me from the hurricane of my past.
Her Billionaire Bosses: A Menage Romance Page 7