Beautiful Rose (Elixir Billionaires #1)

13. Rose

13

ROSE

As I enter the reception hall, my eyes search for Zander. And it doesn’t take me long to find him near the bar staring right at me.

I’d thought the warm feeling his presence brings would have disappeared by now, but boy was I wrong. It feels like the temperature in the room has increased several degrees. His beseeching eyes hold me captive and take my breath away. Someone walks through our line of held gaze, breaking our trance.

I recognize his tie, and a smile forms on my lips. Yesterday, Kristy insisted we go to the mall to shop for the party. My dress collection is quite scarce, with parties being a rarity in my world. I also knew I couldn’t show up in my flannel shirt and canvas shoes. So, even though the idea of shopping didn’t stir my blood, I joined my friend.

When I saw the full sleeve red dress smushed between a shimmery backless green and a floral peach, his cherry tie came to my mind. Although the dress, with all its ruffles and layers, isn’t my usual style, the color drew me in.

I’m about to take a step toward Zander after leaving my jacket at the coat check station when a woman grabs his hand from behind and my heart stops. All the confidence I’d gathered after hours and hours of pep talk ebbs away, leaving me panicky and nervous.

The same old me.

She looks like a supermodel. Her hourglass figure draped in a green cocktail dress is exactly how someone would imagine Zander’s girlfriend. In high stiletto heels, she’s as tall as him.

And here I thought my new boots were cool.

Her hands curl around Zander’s arm in a tight grip as she whispers in his ear, giving him a sexy smile. I can’t see his face, but I can see hers and it’s clear they’re intimate.

Stupid Rose. What the hell was I thinking?

I misinterpreted his friendly behavior for something more. Remembering all the times I flirted back with Zander in the past few days, my chest cringes with shame. I turn around, hoping to run away from this place before bursting into unstoppable tears. But a clearing of a throat interrupts my escape plan.

“Marr.”

Why does he have to talk to me now?

“Hi,” I reply without looking at him.

“I was waiting for you.” He guides me to a secluded corner with a warm hand on my back, burning my skin though the soft fabric.

Liar . “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy waiting for you; I just wanted to see you sooner.”

“It doesn’t…look that way,” I say under my breath.

He chuckles. “Someone’s feisty.”

I peek under the hair falling over my forehead to admonish him, but as always, his dimpled smile gets to me. His kind and warm eyes hold the same affection that I’ve felt in his voice over the past few weeks.

“She is a friend, Marr. Acquaintance is maybe a better word. Vanessa is the daughter of Mathew Hilbert, one of our board members. We’ve known each other for a long time. She likes to throw herself at men, but I have never encouraged her.” He then asks, “Wouldn’t you know by now if I was with someone?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug, but his words slowly bring my confidence back. Maybe the past few weeks weren’t my imagination.

He takes a step closer to me and asks in a serious voice, “Marr, who am I?”

“Zander Teager, the CEO of Elixir. Did you forget?” I try to lighten the mood. I like playful Zander more than this broody man.

“Smart mouth.” He chuckles. “But I’m serious. What do you say we are? Friends?”

“Yes,” I reply, though I was hoping we were more than that.

“So, I’m your friend, like Oscar?” He cocks his head to the side.

“No. I mean, I—what do you want me to say?” I whisper, looking away from him.

“I want you to say what you feel, Marr,” he replies oh so gently.

I glance up at him. “Why don’t you tell me what you feel?”

“Me? I feel many things. I’m not sure you’re ready to hear them all, but I hope—I really hope—I’m more than a friend to you. I hope you feel the same way as I do.”

His whispered words create a thousand butterflies in my stomach. By the end of his sentence, I’m a buzzing, shaking mess of heat.

“What is it…that you…really feel?” My words come out as a stutter as I come close to hyperventilating.

“So you want me to do all the talking.” He raises an eyebrow and winks at me. “Not here. Someday when you’re with me, completely willing and mine, I’ll not only tell you but show you what I feel. But today, I’ll say that when you walked into this hall, wearing those boots and that beautiful dress, damn, you made my heart stop. I had to remember to breathe. You take my breath away every time you’re around. Ever since I got back to this cute little town, I’ve been dying to see these gorgeous blue eyes hidden behind the red glasses.”

Wow. I didn’t know someone could describe feelings so beautifully. It almost feels like a poem. His wonderful words make my heart flutter, dreaming about the possibilities of what he hasn’t said and enjoying what he has.

With my heart being in an entirely different world, I whisper, “I also liked the boots.”

“Yes, you look ravishing.”

“Zander!” My eyes widen at his brazen remark.

He finds me ravishing.

He chuckles. “What? I’m just trying to clear the air. I don’t want you friend zoning me again.”

“I didn’t friend zone you,” I reply in haste.

“Oh, really? You just said we’re friends.”

“But I meant like…close friends.”

“Like you and Oscar?”

What’s his deal with Oscar?

“No. Like me and no one. You’re…special,” I whisper under my breath. I’m not sure if he heard me.

But he did. “Thank you. So much effort to hear special from your smart mouth.”

“And…” I drawl.

“ Yeesss .” He stretches that yes, making it sound sexy and seductive like he does on our phone calls. “And what Marr?”

“I like your tie. I was hoping you’d wear it today.” I tug on the sleeves of my dress.

His eyes blaze at my admission. “Why, couch girl, I’m glad my attire meets your approval. And I love your dress.”

I get lost in his soul piercing gaze. I don’t know how long we stand in that corner, staring at each other. Maybe five seconds, five minutes… maybe ten.

A strange, hoarse voice breaks our moment, and Zander’s lips pull up in an affectionate smile.

I turn around to find Zane Teager standing behind me, looking at us with a bemused smile.

“Zand-der, who’s your fr-riend? Introd-duce me.”

It didn’t go unnoticed by me how Zane framed his sentences in a few words.

Zane is tall, even a few inches taller than Zander. Contrary to Zander’s serious features, Zane has a soft and compassionate face. I’ve seen the three brothers on the internet several times now, but the online pictures do no justice to their stunning features. I have no doubt their birth parents were beyond beautiful.

“Marr, this is my brother Zane, and Zane, this is Dr. Marlin. She is a lead data scientist here in Cherrywood.”

“Nice t-to meet you, Marr. Due to some r-reason my brother can’t s-stop smiling since you w-walked in.” Zane’s lips curl up as he bumps his shoulder with Zander’s.

I enjoy watching them. Over the weeks, I have heard so much about Zach and Zane from Zander, it feels like I already know them. Maybe it’s the reason I don’t feel my usual uneasiness around him.

“Nice to meet you too. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Zane’s eyebrows rise in surprise. “I mus-st confess, I haven’t hear-rd much about you. My br-rother kept you a secret.”

The smile on my face drops hearing his words.

Doesn’t Zander want anyone to know about me? About us?

But immediately, Zander clears his throat and gives me his soft dimpled smile. Slaying the monsters of my insecurities, he says to his brother, “I wanted to introduce you and Zach to Marr in person this evening.”

As always, his words make my heart flutter in delight, giving me jitters of happiness.

We walk further into the room to Kristy and Oscar when there’s an announcement on the stage. Zander is introducing Kristy to Zane while the event organizer addresses the crowd. After delivering the welcome note, she invites Zander on stage.

Giving me a discreet smile, he makes his way through the crowd. His stride is confident and controlled. I briefly pull my gaze away from him to notice the admiring eyes of men and women fixated on him as he takes the mic and starts to speak.

“Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us on this wonderful evening. Four years ago, my brothers and I came up with the idea of Elixir Inc. It was our dream to revolutionize the world of pharmaceuticals. Little did we know, we would be opening our second office a year later in this charming town. Over these years, several people joined us in our journey. And it’s their hard work, your hard work, that has turned our dream into a reality.”

Everyone bursts into applause as Zander finishes his speech.

My clapping hands pause when I feel someone new beside me and find Zach Teager standing next to me. I’m seized by startling numbness when I realize I’m surrounded by Zander’s brothers, Kristy, and Oscar.

Familiar people. Friends or future friends.

“What’s up with him today? If he smiles any more, he might get stretch marks,” Zach drawls, breaking my reverie.

My lips twitch up in a smile. The middle Teager is notoriously famous for his sense of humor.

“Zach, meet Ms-s. Marlin and Ms. As-sher,” Zane introduces us to Zach. “You might have already s-seen them in the conference calls in the past month.” As we are shaking hands, he adds, “Mar-rr is a very good fr-riend of Zander’s.”

A look passes between the two brothers, but only for a second before Zach smiles. “It’s nice to meet you, ladies.” He cocks an eyebrow toward me. “So, Ms. Marlin, you are our tech genius in Cherrywood. My sales and marketing team is smitten by your work.”

I shy away from his inquisitive gaze, but Kristy replies on my behalf.

“Rose is certainly a tech genius. We are so proud to have her with us.”

Before our discussions run further, Zander starts announcing the awards.

A middle-aged manager with salt-and-pepper hair from human resources receives the outstanding leadership award. A woman around my age dressed in a gray skater dress steps onto the stage to collect a customer service award. There’s no mistaking the pink in her cheeks as she takes the trophy from Zander.

Who wouldn’t fall for that face, and more importantly, the person behind it?

Zander looks at me, and I know it’s my turn. I have tried to prepare myself as best I can for tonight. My phone is flooded with Zander’s texts telling me how everything will be all right. I think at some point he was more nervous than me, which was both scary and gratifying.

“This year, we have a special category for one person who has impressed us all by her innovative ideas and admirable work ethics. I am very happy to present, for the first time, the innovation award to Dr. Marlin,” Zander declares, his eyes never leaving mine.

As he announces my name, Kristy squeals beside me. I didn’t tell her about the award, because ideally, it’s supposed to be a surprise, and also, I didn’t think it was such a big deal.

Kristy throws her arms around me. “Congratulations, Rosie.” Next, Oscar shakes my hand. I hadn’t expected to feel such pleasure at seeing the proud smile on his face. He briefly touches his shoulder with mine in some form of light hug.

After Zach and Zane have wished me congratulations, Kristy whispers in my ear, “You’ll be all right?” Her head cocks toward the stage.

I look at Zander, waiting patiently for me with a glass trophy in his hand.

“I’ll be fine,” I whisper, putting one hand over my chest, attempting to slow my heart rate.

Kristy glances at me and then at the stage before she gives my shoulders a gentle squeeze and a kind smile touches her lips.

I climb the two steps, and Zander is already by my side when I’m on the raised podium. His eyes shine with excitement, which sends a warmth through my body, warding off the nervous cold.

He gives me his lopsided, dimpled grin, and for a second, I forget that I’m in a room full of people staring at me.

He holds my gaze captive in his, not letting me look anywhere but at him as he hands me the award. My ears briefly register the claps and flashes of cameras. When I’m about to turn around, Zander’s palm presses on my damp hand under the glass trophy.

He doesn’t want me to look away.

“This was the last award,” he whispers. For a brief second, his gaze leaves mine and he glances at someone behind me.

Then I hear the woman from before, addressing the crowd and asking everyone to join the dance floor. While the crowd’s attention is elsewhere, Zander and I get down off the stage.

Kristy, Oscar, and Zander’s brothers join us, and Kristy immediately pulls me in for another hug.

I can feel the woodsy vanilla scent around me as light conversation about the party and office starts to flow .

Zander’s hand brushes against mine in the bunched group, and a shudder runs down my body. He held my hand before on the stage, but my brain was in a nervous daze then. This time, I register everything .

His long warm fingers touching mine. His cold watch hitting my wrist.

My head jerks up to him. There is a hint of confusion in his gaze as it bores deep into mine, but then he grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers together. I look down at our joined hands. My pink painted nails from this morning press against his sun-kissed skin.

Hard and soft mixing together.