by Rita Sawyer
“And then?” Tiffany asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Rosie smiled at her. “But I can promise you that I’m not going to be played with.”
“Too bad.” Nicolette teased.
* * * *
Dade paced the living room. He should have known she’d have him waiting around all day for her to show up. Out of common courtesy she could have called to let him know when to expect her. He had about a dozen other things he could be doing right now. If he hadn’t been raised to be a gentleman he would have gone about his business and leave her to get herself settled in.
He dropped onto the couch and picked up his laptop. With an impatient growl he opened the first of the three reports that he will need to go over before his meeting tomorrow. A loud bang came from somewhere in the house. He put the computer on the coffee table and went to search it out. Another bang came from right above his head. He raced up the stairs and came to halt. Rosie was standing in the hall bent over a large box she was trying to maneuver along the hall.
The jeans she had on were stretched across her ass, which those fucking shoes of hers helped to display. “How the hell did you get in here?”
She didn’t stand as she glanced back at him her ponytail flopping over her shoulder. “Duh, through the door.”
“I was downstairs…” He almost confessed he’d been waiting. “I didn’t see you come in.”
“The back door is closer to the stairs, and they lead right up to my room.” He walked over and nudged her out of the way and picked up the box.
Dade carried it into her bedroom and placed it at the end of the bed with the other four. “How did you get these up here?”
“I carried them.” Her tone was becoming more condescending with each thing she said.
Still he did his best to keep the surprise from his voice. “You could have come and asked me for help.”
“Or I could have carried them up here by myself.” She picked up a small box turned and walked into the hall.
He followed her unable to take his eyes off the sway of her hips. “Where the hell are you going now?”
“I’m hungry. I didn’t have time to hit the store so I thought I’d go order a pizza.” Dade grimaced as she marched down the stairs wondering how the hell she managed not to fall.
Rosie didn’t seem like a pizza type of girl, unless it was some gourmet goat cheese tomato piece of crap. “There’s plenty of food in the fridge. I had it stocked, because you were coming.”
He hoped she didn’t take that the wrong way. He realized that on one hand he’d gone out of his way to provide for her, but on the other he made it sound like some kind of chore. Still she hadn’t asked for him to do it so maybe she’d ignore his lack of tact. If she didn’t find anything she liked he could offer to drive her into town, but she had her own car. It was going to take him a while to adjust to having her there.
She hit the light switch with her elbow as she walked into the kitchen. He heard her soft sigh as she put the box down. The dark cherry wood on the cabinets and granite counters gleamed. She ran her fingers along the counter top as she headed for the fridge. Dade froze in the doorway wondering how it would feel to have her run her fingers over him. His body stiffened and he had to shift his stance. She opened the fridge and he heard a light groan that accompanied her frown. He didn’t know why. He’d bought all that crap women liked, vegetables, low-fat butter and cheese, even the salad dressings were low calorie. The worst offense in his opinion was the skim milk. In his mind it was like drinking watered down milk that tasted gross. There was no way he was drinking that shit, he just couldn’t do it.
She closed the door and walked over to the phone on the wall. She must have known the number for the pizza place they always ordered from was programmed into the phone, because she didn’t ask for it. While she waited for them to answer she glanced at Dade and asked him if he wanted anything. He shook his head knowing he could eat right now. Rosie ordered her pizza, a large which surprised him and a bottle of orange soda. She approved the charge on the house’s account adding a healthy tip for the delivery driver. That didn’t surprise him at all. Teddy had always been a good tipper and it was nice to see that she kept the tradition.
He watched her come back to the counter and start unpacking the box. There were strange looking utensils that he’d never seen before. She put a couple small appliances on the counter. After she moved some around in the drawers she lifted two stacks of material out of the box and placed them in the drawer.
“Do you need help bringing in anything else?” He asked more or less to fill the awkward silence.
“No, I’m done. I’m going to go start setting up my stuff in the study.” He stepped back willing to let her pass him, but she paused in the doorway with about six inches between them. “Can you let me know when the pizza gets here?”
Dade couldn’t talk, hell he was having enough trouble breathing with her this near. He nodded and she smiled up at him. Damn she was dazzling from a distance, but up close she was almost literally breathtaking. He knew that just because something came in a pretty package didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. He’d seen dozens of pictures of her splashed across the media with her cozied up with just as many guys. He didn’t want to be just another conquest of hers.
Rosie Crestmont, Teddy’s loving niece and all, wasn’t the type of girl that settled down for the long haul. Dade wasn’t a plaything for her to pass the time with, so he knew it would be smart to keep his distance whenever possible. Thanks to Teddy that wasn’t going to be easy. He went back to the living room and his reports. Not more than five minutes had passed when loud music drifted down the hall.
He dropped his head back against the cushion and stared up at the ceiling. Was she trying to get his attention, or did she not care if she was bothering him? Dade decided in that moment that he wasn’t going to let her get away with it. He put the computer down and strode down the hall. Without knocking he opened the door ready to give her a piece of his mind.
The music was so loud Rosie hadn’t heard him. She was curled up on the love seat with a picture frame clutched to her chest. He knew from the silver frame that it was the one of her and her uncle that Teddy had kept on his desk. Her eyes were closed, but tears streamed down her cheeks. It only took him a second to realize the music had been to keep him from hearing her cry. Before he thought twice about it Dade walked over sat down next to her and pulled her onto his lap. She didn’t fight him as he tucked her against him and slowly stroked her back.
“It’ll get easier.” That was the only promise he could make her.
Anything else would be hinged on lots of hope and prayers. She sniffled and looked up at him. Dade could drown in the sadness shimmering in her blue eyes. He wasn’t going to let her get sucked in by the grief. It was too damn easy. Teddy had kept him from sinking in his despair when his parents died and he owed it to him to do the same for Rosie. Maybe that had been part of Teddy’s plan. The loud chime of the doorbell had them both tensing.
“My pizza is here.” Her voice trembled, but she managed a small smile.
He helped her to her feet. “Come on the food will do you good.”
She paused to put the picture back on the desk. Dade held out his hand and she slid hers into it. Together they walked down the hall. Dade had to admit it felt good to touch her even so innocently.
Chapter Three
A week. They’d been living together for over a week already. She couldn’t believe two people could live together and yet be so separated. They’d passed in the hall a few times and exchanged hellos. He’d come into the living room one night while she was watching a movie and had joined her. They’d laughed together, but neither of them had taken it beyond that into a conversation. When the movie ended they said goodbye and headed off to their bedrooms.
Whatever her uncle had in mind when he asked them to do this Rosie was pretty sure this most assuredly wasn’t it. Neither of them seemed inclined to make the first m
ove to get them started. She jumped under the desk at the knock on the study door. Her head hit the underside of the desk with a thud. She rubbed the spot as she popped out from under the desk.
“Lose an earring or something?” Dade joked as he walked into the room.
“No.” She didn’t bother to tell him what she had been doing under there.
“Are you attending the gallery event tonight?”
She wasn’t surprised that he didn’t push her for an explanation. “Of course. We’re one of the main sponsors.”
He stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed his booted feet. Rosie had noticed his affinity for boots almost rivaled her obsession for stilettos. Every time she’d seen him no matter what he had on for clothes he’d had on a different pair of boots. Some were scuffed up, others shined as if he’d just taken them out of the box. She even noticed that sometimes he switched them during the day. Today he had on jeans and faded black boots.
“I’ll be attending too.” His comment tore her out of her musings.
“Really?” Her voice actually squeaked.
He nodded. “Teddy wants us to work together. I think it’ll be good for me to get a firsthand look at what it is you really do.”
Since he made the first move it was only fair that she reciprocate. “Does this mean you’re going to show me what it is you actually do?”
“You’ll probably find it boring. Basically I read a lot of reports and decide if TC Corp should possibly invest and how much. I have a few meetings coming up that you can sit in on.”
“Good.” She nodded. “So you also choose the amounts we can donate to various programs like this event?”
“I do, but that depends a lot on your input. I’m guessing that’s one of the reasons your uncle wants us to start working closer together.” He paused as if choosing his next words carefully. “Along with all the regular business matters we need to deal with at the end of the six months a few more issues will come up.”
“Such as?” Rosie asked, but she really wasn’t sure she wanted to hear his answer.
“Well, Grest didn’t mention it,” Dade took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders. “Probably because he couldn’t, but with his passing your uncle made you the beneficiary of his life insurance policy. You’ll inherit a substantial amount of money yourself, but I know he also left a huge amount to be dispersed at our discretion.”
“Why did Grest tell you and not me?” She heard the edge in her voice and hoped he understood the anger wasn’t directed at him.
“He didn’t. I was the witness on the policy.”
“Oh. I see.” Teddy had trusted him enough to live with her why not witness his life insurance policy. “Did you witness the will as well, or did this request come to a surprise to you too?”
“Unfortunately he left me in the dark there.” He didn’t sound happy about that. “Now that we’re here we may as well make the best of it.”
“Agreed.” She nodded strangely relieved that he hadn’t known.
“Good. Do you have a date for this evening?”
She planned on meeting the girls there and handling business, and dates were not conductive to the kind of business she did. “No.”
“Good, then we can go together. What time are we leaving?”
Wow. He’d gone beyond making the first move. She kind of liked his take charge attitude even though she wasn’t sure she should. “I figured I’d get ready at my apartment so I wouldn’t be all wrinkled by the time I got there. Would that be okay with you?”
“Sure. I can take my suit and get ready there too.” He would be the first man other than Nicolette’s cousins, her father, and her uncle to be in her apartment.
She told herself to think about anything other than him getting naked in her place. “Would you like to grab dinner before the showing?”
“If you’d like to, that would be fine with me.” He smiled.
“Then we should leave around three.” That should give them plenty of time to get there, eat, and go back to her apartment and get ready.
“I’ll meet you in the driveway.” He got to his feet and left before she could say anything else.
Rosie was no fool, but she wasn’t sure if Dade knew that yet. After her initial surprise by his appearance, she’d slowly noticed how calm and even rehearsed he’d been. Attending the showing hadn’t been a snap decision. Dade Sebastian was up to something and he didn’t want her to know what it was. It was okay, well not really, but she was going to let it be for now. She had too many other details to focus on. Later though she’d figure him out.
Sophia’s tinkling laughter came from the speaker on her desk. “So you have a date after all?”
“It seems that way.” Rosie clicked on her mouse and images appeared on her computer, including Sophia’s smiling face. “I’ve confirmed everything with the valet service, caterer, and the gallery. All three pieces we’re auctioning off have been delivered and are being prominently displayed. Of course no one will know which three pieces we’ve chosen until we start the auction, so we need to talk up everything in the gallery to keep people guessing.”
“I’ll fill Nicolette and Tiffany in on everything. Don’t worry we’ve got this under control until you get here. You just focus on enjoying your date.” The teasing note in Sophia’s voice made Rosie smile.
“I’ll try.” Rosie would and she’d use their time together to see what information she could wheedle out of Dade about what him and her uncle might be up to.
“If you want him off his guard wear that red dress you bought last month.” She should have expected Sophia to read her mind.
“I only bought it because you told me I had too.” Rosie quipped.
“Please. You never let that sway you before. Admit it you bought it because you looked hot.”
“There was that too.” Rosie laughed feeling better than she had in days. “Still I wouldn’t want Dade to get the wrong idea.”
“I should be so lucky to have a gorgeous guy get the wrong idea about me.” Sophia’s time would come and Rosie would tease her just as mercilessly as she knew they would her if she ended up getting involved with Dade.
* * * *
Though neither of them had talked much during the two hour drive into the city Dade still felt confident that he was doing the right thing. Rosie surprised him when she directed him toward a part of the city he hadn’t expected her to live in. He’d figured she’d live in, if not the same exclusive neighborhood her parents did, something similar. This was as different as it could get. It was clean and welcoming, but instead of big opulent houses this area was full of old warehouses that had been turned into lofts. There were lots of small shops and boutiques mixed among the buildings.
They parked his car in a spot a few feet away from the front of her building. Dade took the bag with his suit that he’d hung in the back seat and followed Rosie into the building. They took the elevator to the third floor. The doors opened and he stepped out. He found himself in a long wide hallway with a door at each end. Rosie headed to the right and again he followed. She opened the door and stepped back motioning for him to go first.
The apartment was basically one huge room. Living area and kitchen were separated by a shelf that you could see through into the other room. It kind of looked like a bunch of cubes stacked on each other. There were books in some and pictures and knickknacks in others.
The place was minimally furnished, but with class. Her couch and chair were white leather, but the pink chaise really stood out. Even more than the large flat screen TV hanging on the wall. Book shelves lined one entire wall. She had a small dining table that would seat four in the open space between the kitchen and living room. All in all, the place was feminine and girly and totally her style. He’d pay big bucks to go upstairs and check out her bedroom. She was up there right now getting ready. It would be easy to come up with some excuse for needing to talk to her.
A long time ago he’d read an article that said you c
ould learn the most about a person by looking around their bedroom. More than twice back at the house he’d been in her room, but he’d been too perplexed to think about really checking it out. It had only been her room when she came to visit, so he wasn’t sure it would even count, but sooner or later he was going to get a good look and hopefully a sneak peek at the real her.
It hadn’t taken him long to change so he took advantage of the time alone to look around. He’d seen enough to determine from her photos that the most important people in her life were Teddy, and her three friends. They were everywhere. However she only had two pictures of her parents, and they were smaller than all the rest. He walked over and stopped in front of the windows. Dade stood there in her living room and watched the people below walk along the sidewalks. It didn’t take more than a few minutes before he could picture Rosie walking along the sidewalks.
“I was thinking Italian would that be okay with you?” Dade turned around and looked up at her.
Her blonde hair was pulled back from her face but hung in loose waves down her back. A large section was pulled forward over her shoulder and draped along her breast. The red halter dress was a stunner. It hugged her breasts and looped up around her neck leaving her arms and back bare. It was tight around her midriff right down over her hips and thighs, but just above her knees it was cut at an angle with a slight ruffle. So each time she descended a step it flirtingly flashed him some thigh.
His gaze followed her legs down to the shiny red spiked high heels. He should have expected them, and what they did to him. Couldn’t she just do him a favor and wear a T-shirt, pair of sweats, and sneakers just once? Hell he’d still probably find that too sexy for words. She stepped off the last stair and it was all he could do not to reach for her. His confidence in having the situation in hand slipped just a little.
“Should I take your silence as a no to Italian? There’s a steak house down the road, about a mile away.” She walked over and put her purse on the table.