Rose Blood

by Jessica Miles

  “I’ve seen some of it in the online celebrity news.”

  “That is just photographs and gossip. Most of it is pure fiction.”

  “Okay… you tell me about the real Marcus then… what does a man with so much money do for thrills… I’m just dying to know”

  “Much the same as anyone else. The size of my fortune has nothing to do with it. I live very well of course and I can do what I want when I want. But I have my passions too”

  One very big passion in fact, which controlled and dominated his life, but he wouldn’t be able to tell her about that one just yet.

  “Name one”

  “Flying my own plane”

  “You’re a qualified pilot?” That surprised her. It wasn’t what she expected to come out of his mouth at all…

  “I am. Maybe you will come and fly with me some time… after the 3%?”

  “Maybe I will… any more hot playboy stuff on the list?”

  “Gambling… in my own casinos…”

  “Well I never… that’s cheating… and surely it can’t be that exciting?”

  “I can still lose a lot in tax on the profits…”

  “Oh yes, I suppose you can… ”

  They continued to talk back and forth about their likes and dislikes and suddenly they were there.

  Rose was quite disappointed when they finally arrived at Park Lane outside the Hilton. She had really enjoyed talking to him. He was actually very interesting as well as being exceptionally handsome and incredibly rich. It could be very difficult to resist in the long term, that massive combination of plusses… if he had a kind and sensitive side too she may as well give up and fall in love right now.

  For God’s sake! She really mustn’t be thinking things like this! – Remember you love Harry, Rose. Keep focused.

  “So Rose… here we are.” He linked her arm through his. “Stay by my side tonight. I will introduce you to my richest friends and plug your company shamelessly and maybe you will drop your business wall for me later on and let me into your personal garden for a short while…”

  “Don’t hold your breath DeVere”

  “You really are such a prickly little Rose, aren’t you?”

  “Only around you – you bring out the best prickles in me”

  “I could take that as a compliment. I arouse your feelings maybe…?”

  “Or you wind me up, that’s more likely the reason…”

  “A beautiful woman with a good sense of humour! What more could I want?”

  He was absolutely delighted with his new Fund Manager. He hadn’t had such a fun filled verbal spar with a woman in ages. Especially one who looked like she did.

  It seemed that he could actually make a small exception to his rules too. Women and business did mix very well, but only if their name was Rose.

  He was very proud to have her with him tonight. Not only did she look like a dream, he could actually leave her alone now and then in the other guests company without being concerned that she or they may be bored. It seemed she had a lot to say, about everything…

  The evening went very well. Marcus did introduce her to a number of his rich friends and acquaintances and she subtly networked and collected quite a lot of business cards for potential new funds…

  She was absolutely delighted with her new client, he had risen highly in her estimation this evening. Her business wall was slipping away a fraction and a new tiny flower was budding in her personal garden.

  The black tie function took the form of drinks, a buffet dinner and a few speeches afterwards. It was the 8th anniversary of DeBar’s formation. Although he was still the majority shareholder in the publicly listed companies he once privately owned, he no longer took any part in running them on a day to day basis. Rose listened with interest to all that was said, in rapt attention as Marcus fulfilled his part of the evening’s agenda. What a confident and complex individual he seemed to be, quite different to her original good looking playboy impression. She was becoming quite fascinated.

  It was all over by ten and everyone started to leave. Marcus waited until all the guests had left and they were alone.

  “Rose, would you like to stop by my place… Just an interesting end to the evening for you… It’s not far and still quite early. Then Jeff will drive you home.”

  “I don’t see why not? I’m very keen to see your butler, the Ferrari in the basement and your rooftop pool with its four jacuzzis…” she joked.

  “How do you know about all this?” he asked with a serious expression

  “…. I’m just guessing Marcus!”

  “Oh right…. because there’s only one jacuzzi in actual fact!” he laughed out loud.

  It was the first time she’d heard him laugh like that. She couldn’t help but join in….

  A real Ferrari and a real butler? What a cliché! But then again, of course he would have those things, why on earth not?

  His car arrived at his penthouse apartment in Kensington in just five short minutes and they entered the underground parking area. She was feeling that perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all. What was the point of this little visit?

  To impress her? No, she had 1.5 billion of his money in her hands already, that was impressive enough….

  To seduce her? Perhaps… but she was armed and ready for any sign of that.

  Maybe it was to involve her… to make her feel part of his life, by showing her where he lived? That possibility was a little worrying.

  Perhaps he just wanted to entertain her.

  She wasn’t entirely sure he had a reason at all…

  Whatever his reason or not for bringing her back there, she was a tiny touch impressed, involved and seduced by the time she climbed the stairs to see his final attraction, the rooftop glass covered heated pool.

  She couldn’t help herself gushing aloud.

  “Your place is quite simply amazing Marcus… so modern and black and white hi techy. I’ve never seen such a massive TV to be honest… I am in love with Benet your suave French butler and your ridiculously sexy black Ferrari with its white seats. And wow oh wow… this pool is pure heaven on top. If I lived here I’d never go out!”

  “It’s just home.”

  “No it’s not!”

  “It is to me.”

  “Well I can tell you, this is the most unhomely home I have ever been in. It’s a celebrity dream pad… no… actually it’s a very modern playboy’s love nest… that’s what it is… which reminds me… you haven’t shown me your bedroom yet, where all your super model action goes on… come on, show me that!”

  “I’m not sure I want to Rose”

  “But that’s one of the highlights of the tour, surely? Why can’t I see it?”

  “Because when I take you in there, I want it to be for a reason other than curiosity about my love life.”

  “Don’t start getting all personal on me”

  “I’ve been personal all evening, I’m just waiting for you to admit you are.”

  She ignored his comment.

  “Not even a tiny sneak peek Marcus?”

  “I’ll do a trade… you give me a sample and I’ll give you a sneak peek.”

  “Don’t do samples sorry…”

  “No sneak peek then.”

  Curiosity really was getting the better of her, or was it the fourth glass of wine she had in her hand tonight?

  “What’s a sample anyway, dare I ask?”

  “Just a kiss”

  “What kind of a kiss? There’s a lot of varieties. A peck on the cheek. A small kiss. A big kiss. A quite steamy kiss. A making love with your mouth type kiss… which type is a sample Marcus? Actually no, don’t bother to answer that as I know exactly which type it will be… the last one”

  “Rose, is this really you talking, or is it the drink?”

  “Well my tongue always loosens a lot when I have a few but no, I’m not drunk in the slightest… Look, this is against my better judgement, but okay then… You get a sample
of me and I get a very quick peek, sound good?” She definitely was feeling a touch worse for wear, but she wouldn’t admit it…

  “Yeah, sounds good and I really like the idea of you having a loose tongue Rose. So, shall we go downstairs for our sample, or would you like it here next to my pool?”

  “No we absolutely have to have that downstairs in your bedroom”

  “Why’s that?”

  “So I can peek some more whilst you’re doing it”

  “Rose, I guarantee you won’t be looking around when I’m kissing you.”

  “I bet I will, unless you’re some kind of super kisser”

  “It has been said”

  “Oh shut up, Mr I’m So Fucking Wonderful… Take me to your bedroom, I am simply dying for my peek”

  “Rose Porter… Shut the fuck up yourself… and come with me”

  He took her hand and led her back down the stairs into his apartment. He took his jacket and tie off and threw them on the sofa.

  They stopped outside his bedroom door and he smiled at her wickedly.

  “I’m just going to put something around your eyes, so you don’t peek too soon. Is that okay with you?”

  “Sure, go ahead.” She loved playful things… and this sounded interesting!

  He opened a tall chest of drawers which stood next to his room and got out a silky looking scarf.

  “Come here then” She obviously liked a bit of fun and he was up for that too… he tied it around her head. “How does that feel?”

  “Nice actually” Rather exciting in fact as it smelled rather delicious, of him she presumed…

  He took her hand and led her blindfolded into the bedroom.

  “I’m going to take it off in a minute, but first stand very still. This is a very short pre kiss before we get to the sample… ready?”

  “Sort of a sample of a sample then?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what it is, just a tiny taster”

  His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her closely to him. She could feel the heat of him against her. She waited for the first touch and there it was, light as a feather he brushed her lips with his. And again, and again… but what was that now? She could feel his teeth gently biting her lower lip and his hot breath mingling with hers… A surge of pure desire shot through her body. A gasp escaped from her, she couldn’t stop it. And this was just the pre-kiss? She was in trouble here…

  “Nice pre kiss Rose? I’m taking the scarf off now and you can have your peek.” He untied it and dropped it on the floor.

  She stood and looked at him in a pre kissed daze. Her eyes finally wandered around his bedroom.

  He had a pure white room. She was surprised.

  “It’s not very playboyish in here, is it?”

  “What did you expect, black satin sheets and red velvet drapes?”

  “Kinda did I’m afraid… ”

  “Rose you don’t know me at all … Seen enough?”

  “Not much to see is there. It’s all white, white, white… I’m getting snowblind looking at it all!”

  “I have blue cushions…”

  “So you do! I’m so snowblind I didn’t see them straight away. It’s actually quite lovely Marcus. Quite unexpected but I really like it.”

  “So… ready for the sample then, now that you’ve had your peek, and rather a long one in fact…”

  “Mmmm… alright then… I’m ready. Bring it on Mr super kisser”

  He moved them further into the room, almost next to the bed.

  “Oh yeah? … don’t even think about it…” That seemed to amuse him as he smiled at her.

  “What I’m thinking is none of your damn business Rose…”

  She watched his much too handsome face as it descended towards hers. This was crazy, what on earth was she doing in Marcus DeVere’s bedroom, having samples on his first invite? What’s more, she’d be the envy of the entire female population of the world if they only but knew…!

  As his lips touched hers she felt tremors run down her body. He pulled her tightly to him and began an all out assault on her mouth, her tongue and her brain. She tried extremely hard not to but ended up kissing him back with quite a lot of enthusiasm. Her arms wound themselves tightly around his neck and her eyes fluttered open and closed as her mind wandered off in a purely sensual state of being. His hands were in her hair and moving down around the softness of her neck, his soft and gentle fingertips started exploring behind her acutely sensitive ears… then his lips ran over her face, up and down her neck and around her ears, licking, sucking, grazing her with his teeth… she was so full of lust for him it hurt… her legs were feeling odd, weak, wobbly…

  She broke away from him remembering Harry… That was quite, quite enough! She didn’t want this to go any further and fixed Harry’s face in her mind.… She felt so incredibly guilty about him as she had enjoyed her time here much too much.

  “Marcus… this is going way beyond a sample now … and you’ve just created a new category of kiss too”

  “Rose come here …” He pulled her down on the bed to sit next to him.

  “No Marcus, please don’t…”

  “Hey, stop panicking … I promise you I’m not going to try it on … But I’d really like it if you’d kiss me back now.”

  “Marcus, I just did!”

  “No, that was me kissing you mostly.”

  “This isn’t part of the deal”

  “No, I know. But I thought you might want to. Just a goodnight kiss Rose, then Jeff will run you home… you to me, sound good?”

  He lay down on the bed and turned on his side towards her giving her one of his looks… He was far too good looking and charming and he knew it, she couldn’t resist him for a second…

  “Don’t I get even a small peck on the cheek?”

  “Alright then Marcus….to thank you for my lovely evening and all the business contacts you introduced me to, I think that might deserve one more kiss…” Just one more and she would go. Yes, a nice special one in fact… not a peck on the cheek though… he would certainly remember this one…

  He lay with his hands behind his head watching her. She kicked off her shoes and knelt next to him on the bed, her arms either side of his chest. She bent down and started her thank you and goodnight kiss. Her lips touched his and he remained completely still beneath her. She kissed him very gently and softly, teasing him a little with the tip of her tongue… her mind was full of him again… she deepened the kiss a little more and lay down across him, still no movement or reaction… he seemed to be very controlled… she tested him out with her own rather lovely super kisser techniques. Aha! There was something going on at last… heavy breathing had started in fact, she ground her mouth down hard on his and polished him off with a superb tongue full of her whilst she ran her fingers around his neck and ears…

  There, that should do it!

  She made to get up, the kiss over.

  Marcus took hold of her and rolled her over on her back.

  “No … don’t go now … kiss me like that again…”

  Why she didn’t stop it there and then she’ll never know. She didn’t seem to have any resistance to him or any conscience about what she was doing either… His hand moved around the back of her head, fingers in her hair pulling her face hard against his and they were both kissing each other again, and it was much too passionate to her mind. It went on for quite a while… He was lying on top of her, his very obvious hardness between them. They wrapped their legs around each other in a sensual dance of delight. His breathing was heavy and fast matching hers… his fingers were slipping under one of the wide satin straps of her dress… she wanted him like crazy and gave herself up willingly to whatever was to follow… how could she possibly want two different men so very much, it just wasn’t right… She was in love with Harry for God’s sake… But that thought didn’t stop her.

  “Marcus, this seems to be going full on right now.”

  He was kissing her neck with a lot of
enthusiasm.

  “No, it isn’t…” his mouth watered with her delicious scent and the taste of her… he licked her neck again for the final time.

  “Kinda seems that way to me and I’ve got used to the idea.”

  “It’s just a heated kiss Rose. We’re going to stop right now.”

  “We are? Well that’s a surprise!”

  “Not for me… I am quite the gentleman actually… heated kissing is all we are doing tonight Rose.” His thoughts weren’t at all gentlemanly in fact and his desire to taste her was all too strong. But she wasn’t quite ready for him yet. He wanted it all, everything she had to offer… he would wait… not for much longer though… He wasn’t that much of a saint.

  He broke away and stood up running his fingers through his hair and straightening himself up. The lust he felt was brimming over. His mouth was swimming with the exquisite taste of her. He needed to calm down and fast. His tongue pushed against his teeth for a second and he fought back the reaction to it digging his nails into his palms. For a few seconds more he stared at the vision of female beauty lying before him on his snow white bed, in her black dress, surrounded by her long dark hair. Her face was a little flushed and she looked confused, more than a little rejection was evident in her lovely eyes.

  He felt the hunger rushing through him in waves, blinding him with its intensity… he had an overpowering need and desire for her.

  “Jeff will take you home now.”

  He turned and left the room to get his phone from his jacket and call Jeff. She needed to go right now.

  That was all much too close for comfort. But she needed to be far more desperate for him first. He’d let this evening sit in her mind for a while first…

  He’d wait for 3% day… whatever that may bring.

  He had just put her on his full list – right at the very top…

  Chapter 14

  Rose walked into the office lift the following day in an odd and confused mood. Her love life had morphed from non existent to rather more than she could handle and far too complicated in the last few days. She was in love with one man and in lust with another it would seem. The fund must come first, she told herself sternly. No matter what else happened and how events changed in her personal life, that must remain constant.