by Maise, Ella
Just in case, I closed the lid of my laptop, hiding the email I had just received.
“Please, come in,” I repeated, and she finally showed her entire body and stepped in, closing the door and leaning her back against it. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep my hands off of her or how wise it was to be in a secluded room together like this, but I didn’t care.
“I woke up,” she said, softly smiling at me. “Couldn’t go back to sleep.”
Rose was wearing black leggings and a light grey t-shirt that did nothing to hide her yellow lace bra underneath it. I had lost my tie somewhere when I’d walked into a quiet apartment, but I was still wearing the white button-up and black slacks I had put on that morning. She looked beautiful even disheveled, whereas I must have looked like a mess.
“What are you doing?” she asked when I didn’t say anything.
“Something came up that I had to deal with.”
She pushed herself off the door, slowly approaching with her hand behind her back. “You still have work to do?”
I gave a sharp nod.
“I didn’t see you today.”
Had she been hoping to see me? I didn’t think so. “I was at the office. There was a crisis with a client, but I dealt with it.”
“I thought you didn’t work every weekend.” She was a few steps closer, and I was aware of each and every one of those steps. Her gaze slowly took in everything in the room but me.
Rising from my seat, I rounded my desk and sat on the edge of it. I had to shove my hands into my pockets so I wouldn’t grab her, but I needed to be closer. I sat still on my perch and watched her slow movements as she walked up to the bookshelves and strolled the length of them, pausing once or twice to check a title, her fingertips softly grazing each spine.
“No, not every weekend. Did you need something?”
She stopped perusing the books and focused on me. “If I’m bothering you…”
“You are not bothering me, Rose. Did you want to talk about something?”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug and kept her eyes on the books. “Nothing in particular. Like I said, I couldn’t sleep.”
“Okay.”
She turned to me, keeping her back against the bookcase. “Will you go to bed?”
“At some point, yes.”
“Good. That’s good. Sleep is good.”
With even slower steps, she drew closer to me, her eyes moving around the room.
“You have a beautiful apartment,” she murmured, and I frowned at her.
“Rose? Are you okay?”
She hated when I asked her that question. I knew that, but I loved her reactions too much to quit asking.
She sighed. “Yeah, sure. Why?”
“You’re acting weird.”
She waved a hand in front of her, dismissing my words. Then, standing next to me, she put her hand on my desk. “This is a beautiful desk,” she said.
Something was definitely wrong with her.
“It’s a desk,” I agreed in a flat tone.
Her lips twitched, and my gaze focused on that tiny movement. I was losing my mind. Being so close yet so far away from her was wreaking havoc on my self-control.
She released a deep breath and finally met my eyes, no trace of the smile I had become so enamored with. “So…at the event…we…did a good job, right?”
“A good job? Of what?”
“Of being husband and wife. I need to try something, so can you just stay still?”
My eyebrows rose in confusion, but I simply gave her a sharp nod, not having any idea where she was going with this.
She licked her lips and puffed up her cheeks before letting out a long breath. Then she took two more steps forward until her chest was only an inch or two away from my shoulder.
I stiffened, my hands twitching in my pockets. Not sure what she was about to do, I had to take my right hand out and grip the edge of my desk. Her focus was on my lips, and I watched her bite down on her bottom lip then lean in close.
Her eyes flitted between my eyes and my lips.
“It’s just…I’ll…”
Then she leaned forward, and I covered the remaining space between us until her lips finally touched mine, pressing a soft kiss on the edge of my mouth. Her eyes still closed, she pulled back and made a noncommittal sound.
“Huh.”
To say I was surprised would be an understatement, but I didn’t dare move, scared I would break the spell of whatever was going on. I just kept my eyes on her beautiful face and tried to read what she was thinking. Then she took another step forward, and I swear to God I felt her nipples press into my chest.
She swallowed and put her hand on my cheek.
“What are you doing, Rose?” I asked, unable to hold back anymore. My voice sounded rough to my ears.
“I’m just trying something.” She looked into my eyes. “Could you close your eyes?”
I raised an eyebrow in question.
“Just for a quick second. Promise.”
I sighed, slightly annoyed that she didn’t want me to watch her, to take in her features when she was standing so close to me. My fingers gripped the desk tighter, but I did as she’d asked.
“It’s just…you’re making me nervous when you frown at me like that. This’ll only take a second, I promise.”
My lips parted to give her an answer, but no sound came out because her lips had found mine again. I responded to her gentle kiss and opened my eyes anyway so I could watch her. She had already closed hers, and her hand was slightly trembling against my cheek. Tilting her head, she deepened the kiss, her left hand pressing on my chest as she rose higher. I dipped my head down and closed my eyes, feeling drunk with her kiss.
She pulled back before I could take over completely, and we just stood there a few inches apart, her breath coming out in little pants. My heart hammering in my chest, I studied her as her eyes slowly opened and she made a face like something wasn’t quite right.
Scrunching her nose, she gave me a look I couldn’t interpret.
I cleared my throat. “Not good?”
She lifted her hand between us, rocking it from side to side. “Ehhh.”
“I see. Turtle again?”
Another noncommittal sound.
“Right. And this was important…why?”
She huffed and thought about her answer for a second. “Kinda like practice, maybe? Saturday was a little weird, so I thought we could work on it, so it looks more natural?”
“So Saturday was bad? I didn’t realize you had a problem with my kiss. You seemed okay with it then, but now you think we should work on it?”
“I mean…I didn’t have anything better to do, so…”
“Right.”
I waited, my eyes on her.
“Maybe one more time? Just…you know, to see what we’re doing wrong.”
“Sure. Any pointers you’d like to give?”
She took me seriously and thought about it some more. I was having trouble keeping a straight face but decided to play along. I didn’t buy into her bullshit, but if she wanted to kiss, I wasn’t gonna argue.
“Would more tongue be weird for you?” she asked.
My lips twitched, and I smiled.
“What?”
Clearing my throat, I shook my head. “Nothing. I’m not sure about the tongue,” I ventured. “If you think that’s a good idea, I’ll have to give it a try.”
“Okay.” She sighed and put a hand on my shoulder. “Then…yeah. Okay, let’s try that.”
After another deep breath, she took one small little step. Her eyes were already closed so she missed my smile. Taking my other hand out of my pocket, I brushed her bangs away, relaxed my hand that was gripping the desk to death, and gently placed it on the small of her back so I could bring her closer in a soundless order. She obeyed and licked her lips, eyes still closed, face slightly tilted up.
“Let me know if it gets worse,” I whispered against her lips, and she nodde
d quickly. “Relax.” My voice was even lower this time, and her hand tightened on my shoulder, fingers digging into my shirt.
There was only a breath separating us, and her breathing was already too loud. I kissed the edge of her lips first. They parted and the tip of her tongue swiped the bottom one. I released a breath. I was in so much trouble.
Impatient, I took her upper lip between mine and slid my tongue in, gently licking and sucking, getting reacquainted with her mouth. She took a step forward and fell into my chest. I fisted her t-shirt in my fingers and sat up straighter, my dick already straining in my pants as I pushed my chest against her. There was no doubt she could feel it.
Her mouth opened wider with a wild moan, and I tilted my head to the right as she went for the left, the kiss becoming something more in just a quick second. I brought my hand up to her neck, feeling her skin against mine, her pulse wild just under my fingertips. I pushed in and took as much as I could from her, thirsty for more, for everything I could take from her. I wanted her to drown in me like she’d never drowned in someone else before. If I had thought it was the right time, I would’ve planted her ass right on my desk and fucked her until she couldn’t take it anymore.
Her hand slid from my shoulder around my neck, and her fingers grabbed hold of my hair, her other hand gripping my bicep. I didn’t think she realized what she was doing or the fact that she was moaning and melting into me, pressing and pulling at the same time as I took her mouth ruthlessly. I’d been so hungry for her touch and taste.
The more I demanded she give me, the quicker she responded with more. Maybe this marriage thing hadn’t been the worst idea I’d ever had. Maybe things would work out just fine.
We were both reaching the point where we’d need to take a breath, but I wasn’t sure I could let go. She abruptly pulled back, deciding for me as she let my hair go and rested both her palms against my chest. We were still standing close enough to breathe in each other’s air, our heads tucked in together, still close enough for me to go for her lips and pull her back into the kiss so she wouldn’t have time to think about it.
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “That was better, I think,” she croaked, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her breasts and hardened nipples rubbed against me with each and every breath. I was seconds away from lifting her up onto my desk and taking her little fake experiment further.
“You want to try again?” I asked, my own voice just as rough as hers had sounded. I used my thumb to caress her jawline.
“Uhh…” She swallowed and unfortunately remembered that she was touching me. She took a healthy step back, causing me to reluctantly let go of the back of her t-shirt. “I think we’ve got it down now. We should be fine, I think. I’m guessing, I mean.”
I shoved my hands back into my pockets so I wouldn’t grab her and pull her back against me, starting something we would have even more trouble stopping. I noticed her eyes drop down to my waist, where she could clearly see my outline, and then she was backing away. I had to lock my body to stop myself from tracing her steps and asking for another go.
She cleared her throat. “I have to wake up early tomorrow, so I’m going to try to get some more sleep. You staying up late?”
I forced my body to relax and straightened, walking behind my desk. I sat down. It was the only way I could stop myself from going after her. I opened my laptop.
“I’ll come up as soon as I’m done here.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
I looked up from the screen and into her glazed eyes. Yes, she’d see me the next day, and hopefully every day after that. I was going to make sure we finished what we’d started soon enough. I was going to do everything in my power to make sure she wouldn’t want to let go of me. The guilt I had for deceiving her was still there, but I would tell her everything when the time was right, no more holding back. I’d be anything and everything she would want and need me to be.
“Yes, Rose,” I replied softly. “We’ll see each other tomorrow.”
She nodded and, while still trying to back away without breaking eye contact, bumped into the floor lamp next to the door. When she winced, I stood up.
“Are you okay?”
Her hand shot up. “No, sit. I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine. I’ve bugged you enough, so you just get back to work.”
“You could never bug me, Rose.”
She froze then laughed, and for the first time, it seemed forced and tight. Her eyelids drooped and she glanced at the floor. Pushing her hand behind her back, she moved it around until she was able to grasp the door handle and open it. Eyes on me, she backed out of my room.
“Nice touch—a very husbandly thing to say. So, good night then.”
“Sweet dreams,” I said, and she hesitated as she was closing the door.
“What did you say?”
“Sweet dreams.”
“That might be a very, very bad idea, so let’s all have normal dreams instead—normal and alone dreams.”
I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes, studying her expression. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Perfect. A little flustered, actually, because kissing you is a little weird, so excuse my weird behavior.”
I raised an eyebrow, confused. “Kissing me is weird?”
“Yeah. You know, you’re my husband, blah blah blah, but also you’re not, blah blah blah.” Sniffing, she gasped and suddenly tilted her head back. “I’m going to sneeze. Okay. Bye.” She slammed the door shut, leaving me staring after her, confused.
I crossed the room and opened the door, listening to her running up the stairs and then hearing another door slam shut.
I walked back to my desk with controlled steps and took my seat. The email was still open, waiting for me to send a response. I was feeling much better than I did just five minutes before. My mind consumed with Rose, it took me a while to gather myself enough to form one simple sentence and press send.
You even think of threatening me again, I’ll turn your sorry excuse of a life into a living hell, Joshua.
Chapter Sixteen
Rose
It was caramel week, and Owen had baked four different caramel treats while I had tackled our basics—sandwiches, brownies, and berry muffins. Even our basics tended to change day by day since we were such a new place, but in a month or so we’d have a more set menu after we got to know our customers and learned what they enjoyed more.
On Monday, I had taken my usual ride with Raymond at five and had joined Owen in the kitchen as soon as I got in. Sally had come in an hour after me, earlier than her usual time. The mystery was solved when she started trying her best to flirt with a straight-faced Owen.
“You think you could teach me how to make this salted caramel banana bread? It’s really good.”
Owen just grunted and kept working the dough in his hands. He was making cinnamon buns, my absolute favorite.
Sally gave me a wide-eyed look and rolled her eyes. She was relentless. Resting her elbows on the marble workspace that dominated the center of the kitchen, she pushed him some more.
“I’ll cook you something. What’s your favorite food? I can’t bake to save my life, but I can cook.”
“If you can’t bake, what makes you think you’ll be able to make banana bread?” Owen asked, his eyes and hands busy, busy, busy.
Sally just slid a little closer to him. “You can teach me. I’m sure if you teach me, I’ll get the hang of it, and from what I understand, banana bread isn’t that hard to make.”
“Can you back off a little? You’re gonna be covered in flour if you come any closer.”
Barely holding back my burst of laughter before I attracted Owen’s fierce frown, I turned away from the doorway and focused on stacking up the sandwiches under the glass dome. Owen didn’t like anyone messing with his routine. He barely tolerated me working alongside him for a few hours in the mornings, so even though he sounded rude,
it was just his way, not to mention he was also a very private person.
“Would you like me to make you coffee?” I heard Sally push on, ignoring his rudeness.
As Owen grunted a nonverbal response that didn’t quite reach my ears, I couldn’t help but lean back to take a peek into the kitchen. Sally had been dismissed to her original starting point right across from him.
“How about cinnamon buns then?” Her voice was still upbeat and positive.
“What about them?”
“Can you teach me how to make cinnamon buns? It looks like a lot of fun, all the rolling and cinnamon stuff.”
“Stuff… Don’t you have work to do at the front? It’s almost opening time.”
I bit down on my lip and got back to my own work. Owen was somewhat like Jack— essentially, not a fan of using a lot of words. Speaking of Jack…I was still experiencing the effects of my dream and then everything that had happened after it. I wasn’t exactly sure what I’d been thinking when I’d decided to work on our kissing technique, but at the time, trying to see if what I had felt at the charity event was a one-time thing or not seemed like a good idea. Maybe my dream was the driving force behind me having the bravery to face him, but I couldn’t complain. The second kiss was just as good as the first one, maybe even better because we’d been all alone in his study, away from all the curious eyes. It was still temporary, this thing between us, but the dream had shifted something inside me, I felt it with every fiber of my being.
For a second there, I thought I had felt his erection against my stomach when he grasped the back of my shirt and pulled me in closer. I had encountered them in the wild before. I wasn’t imagining that. I might have imagined—because of the damn dream—that he was really into the kiss as well, but I hadn’t conjured up that erection in my mind.
He was a great kisser; there was no arguing with that. He was just a little rough and completely consuming, just as I had imagined he would be, and I thought I had a completely different stance about PDA after the weekend. I didn’t think he’d fall for the ‘practice kiss’ again, so I was going to have to make the kissing in public thing…well, a thing for us—only to make our marriage more believable, not for myself or anything.