Beautiful Rose (Elixir Billionaires #1)

25. Zander

25

ZANDER

I wake up wrapped around Marr’s soft body—her back against my chest, my hands clasping her waist, even in sleep. Her neck is stretched away from me as she whispers something on the phone. I shift, and her gaze lands on me.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she murmurs after ending the call. Her hair is disheveled and wild, and her eyes are heavy due to lack of sleep, courtesy of my intermittent disturbance.

“What are you doing on the phone?” I whisper back.

“I… ordered breakfast. Is it okay? It’s past my breakfast time.” She looks at me apologetically.

“We’ll make sure to set an alarm next time.” I’m aware of how important it is for Marr to stick to her schedule.

The creases on her puckered forehead loosen upon hearing my words. A shy smile curls up her lips as I pull her closer. But the navy-blue blanket wrapped around her obscures my view of her delicious body. I grab an end and try to push it lower to expose more of her beautiful skin.

“Zander!” she squeals.

“What? No hiding, Marr. Moreover, I saw you pretty good last night or you did you forget that already?”

“But… it’s daytime.” Her eyebrows furrow together in co nfusion as she looks at the faint light filtering through the curtains.

“So? We’re not a couple from the fifties who only have sex at night. We’re a couple who can’t wait to get each other off.”

Her big blue eyes widen as her gaze wanders around, resting for a few seconds longer on my lips. She bites her own lower lip, and I’m all set to give her what she’s begging me for with those lust-filled eyes. But our excitement is short lived, as we’re interrupted by a knock on the door. I get up and put on my track pants, not bothering with a T-shirt. A young guy dressed in a hotel uniform rolls the food cart into the room.

I call Marr through the curtained glass door separating the living space and bed. “Would you like to have breakfast in bed or on the balcony?”

My girl, dressed in her pink shorts and T-shirt, saunters into the room. “Balcony, if that’s not much of a problem.”

“Not at all, ma’am. If you give me two minutes, I’ll set up your breakfast table.” The young man rolls his cart to the balcony, leaving us alone.

“You are proving me all wrong, babe.” I place a kiss on her neck, enjoying her shiver when my lips touch her toasty skin.

“What do you mean?” She looks at me under her lashes. Her coyness, even after our night together, turns me fucking on.

“I thought yesterday was the best day of my life, but then this morning I woke up wrapped around you, and I’m wondering what I want more, to sleep with you in my arms or to wake up beside you.”

“I don’t care, because I’d like to have both.” Her small hands stroke my chest before she kisses just above my heart.

Her simple action sends a rush of adrenaline through my body. I feel beyond loved and cherished under her shy affection. I don’t think I’ve ever woken up this happy and rested. Caressing her cheeks, I reply, “You speak to my heart, couch girl.”

“Excuse me, sir. Your breakfast is ready. I wish you both a wonderful day.” The room service guy steps away from the balcony door, giving us a glimpse of the breakfast laid out on a small table with fresh lilies and red candles. I grab some bills from my wallet and thank him for the extra effort.

We eat our meal in comfortable silence, and when I take the last sip of my coffee, I look up at the sky, which still isn’t clear. Black clouds loom with the threat of more rain.

“What do you want to do today?” I ask Marr, who’s curled up like a kitten in her chair.

“Dunno,” she lazily replies, stretching her arms just enough to get my cock’s attention. “Can we stay in?”

“And do what?” I ask in my most innocent voice.

“Talk.” She pouts, looking as adorable as she is. “I love listening to you talk and learning more about you.” She pauses before whispering, “Though I wish…there were more happy things.” Some of that cheer evaporates from her face.

“Come here.” When she takes my outstretched hand, I pull her on my lap, where she fits perfectly, resting her head on my chest. I stroke her arm up and down. She feels so good and warm nestled against me.

“It’s okay, Marr. See how far we’ve all come?”

After a long silence she asks, “What does the name mean?” When I look at her in confusion, she explains, “The tattoo. There are a few more letters written before your name.”

I take a heavy breath, not overly excited with this discussion at such an early hour. But I know how much this means to her.

“When Ashcroft Miller—Beast—took us in and legally became our guardian, I wanted to start a new life. I wanted to wipe out all the memories of my life before, or at least I hoped for that. ”

Her brows knit in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Zander is not my birth name.” There’s no way she can’t feel my body tensing underneath her.

“You know, my name is also not my birth name. At least not what my parents would have thought, if they would have thought of any,” she whispers, resting her head back on my chest. There’s no missing the hint of longing in her voice.

“Do you think about them?”

She shakes her head. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.” Hiding her face in the crook of my neck, she murmurs, “I don’t think about them, because I’m scared of my thoughts. There is no good memory that will guilt me when I curse them.” Looking at me with eyes that are so sad they almost gut me, she whispers, “There’s no explanation in this world that can make it right. What happened to you, me, and your brothers was wrong, Zander. It shouldn’t have happened. People should have protected us, loved us, rather than leaving us in the wild among savages.”

“Do you remember anything?” I ask warily.

She shakes her head, hiding her face in my chest. Her tears are hot on my chest.

“I love you, Marr, if that’s any consolation.” I hate to see her hurting, but I know there’s nothing I can do that will make the past pain go away.

“It’s not a consolation, Zander; it is my greatest treasure.” Her misty eyes shine as she looks at me. “What was your birth name?”

“Alex. Alexander. My father named me after his father. Zach and Zane used to call me Xander, so I decided to keep that.” I tell her about the day Zach was furious that I got to change my name, while he was stuck with lame Jack . Finally, we all agreed that he and Zane could change one or two letters in their names.

“It turned out quite cool.” She smiles .

“Tell me more about your childhood—how you met Kristy.”

“That’s one of my happiest memories. One day, Sophia’s daughter came along with her to the class. My piano lesson started while Kristy sat in a corner doing her homework. When the lesson finished, I stood up and was leaving, as usual, without saying a word. But Kristy called out to me, ‘Aren’t you going to thank my mom ? ’”

I stifle a laugh. I can see a young Kristy doing just that.

Marr smiles back and continues. “I had no clue how to respond. No one ever spoke to me like that. My discovery had made the staff overly cautious and wary about me. When Kristy scolded me, I simply followed her instruction, said thank you, and left the room.”

She shrugs when I laugh.

“You have met Kristy, right? She wasn’t very different back then. Anyway, after that, Sophia started bringing Kristy more often. We soon became friends. Kristy enjoyed the thrill of bossing me around, and I liked her company. She always treated me like everyone else, like I was normal .”

Playing with the hem of her T-shirt, Marr says, “One day I overheard a nurse cautioning Sophia about our friendship. How Kristy was at an age when kids learn and pick up one another’s habits. What good can she learn from a child like me, a freak?”

Whenever Marr shares parts of her childhood, I want to time travel and pluck her away from that loneliness. I wish I could hold her then, tell her that all will be okay.

But not all wishes are granted.

I stroke her arms, trying to relax her bunched muscles.

She looks up to see my expression and I smile, encouraging her to continue.

“For the first time in my life, I experienced the fear of losing someone. The next day, Sophia came alone, and I panicked. I shared my fear with her, and what she said to me that day changed my entire life.

“Sophia said, ‘ You are different, Rose, and you’ll always be, no matter how hard you try. There might be times when you’ll wish that your life was simpler and as normal as others. But it’ll be just that—wishful thinking. Wishing things were different in the past brings us no good. Instead, you have all the power to construct your future, a future that’ll be your past someday. You’ll have to work twice as hard as others. You should make sure that your name speaks for you.’”

“And you did. Oscar showed me the recommendation letter from your professor.”

She looks at me in surprise before glancing down at her hands. As always, she shies away from praise.

“You like Sophia?” I kiss her nose. She looks so pretty and homey sitting on my lap.

Marr nods. “I’ve thought about my parents only a handful of times, but whenever I did, it was Sophia’s face that surfaced in my imagination. Not only because she was always so nice to me but also because of how much we look alike. A few times, upon Kristy’s heavy insistence, I joined them on their family trips. People would often refer to me and Kristy as her daughters. She never corrected them, and I cherished those moments.” Marr chews her lips in embarrassment, but I’m glad she had someone to look up to, like I had Beast.“Sophia and Kristy have always been welcoming to me. But still, deep in my heart, I know I’m an outsider.” The sadness in her voice guts me.

“You have me, Marr. I don’t know where this will lead, but here, at this very moment, I am a hundred percent committed to giving us a chance.”

“Us. I also want to give us a chance.” Her hopeful eyes meet mine. “I like you, Zander. A lot.” Her hands move from my biceps, and she gently strokes my face. Her voice is breathy as she speaks. “If someone told me a week ago I’d be sitting like this, sharing all my thoughts with you, I would have called them crazy.” She waves her hand around us. “But look at me now.”

“Yes, look at you. All sweet and sexy, making your guy wonder how he ended up in this beautiful morning with you.” I kiss her fingers, which are gliding over my lips. “I love you, Marr. You sharing your past means so much to me. But I want more of these moments, where we make our own beautiful memories. So beautiful that everything else of our past is forgotten.”

And how much I want that to be true for both of us.

“I want the same.” Her wishful words make my mind run wild, thinking about different ways to make her happy.

I nuzzle her neck, and when she sighs, I slide her bra strap further down her shoulders. I know how I can make her happy now.

“It just occurred to me that we were interrupted by breakfast.”

“I guess we were.” She giggles as I carry her inside. Overnight, she has mastered the style of clinging onto me like a koala bear.

I place her down on the edge of the bed and squat between her legs. Her hands rise and she ruffles my hair. The beautiful pink surges on her cheeks, which has recently become my favorite color. I love the fact that she likes my touch and also touching me, exploring me.

“What do you want to do, Marr?” My fingers glide over her lips, trailing down her chin, neck, grazing her collarbone, and further down. As my fingers roam around her breasts, she trembles. Her reaction to my touch makes my mind crazy, wondering how else I can make her delirious.

Without losing eye contact, I lean forward and bring my lips closer, sucking the peaked nipple through the cotton of her T-shirt. My one hand molds her unattended breast, kneading it in slow motion, while the other continues the journey to her waist, marveling at her heavy breathing.

When I nibble the soft flesh, she gasps—head bent backward, eyes shut tight, hands clenching the bedcovers, just enjoying the pleasure.

I pull away and her hooded eyes open, making my heart smile at the disappointment I see in them. She wants me as much as I want her.

I give her shoulders a gentle nudge, and she falls on the bed, legs hanging from the edge. Rising on my feet, I hover over her. She looks like the perfect seductress spread out on my hotel bed. I remove her glasses and place them on the nightstand. Her eyes follow my every move as I lower myself and press my lips to hers. This time, I don’t lead, silently urging her to control the kiss.

A few minutes later, she does just that, sucking softly first my lower lip and then the upper. She places soft kisses all over my skin, and I once again feel the forgotten feeling of being cherished. When she hesitantly pushes her tongue into my mouth, I can no longer hold back. Our tongues roll over each other in a sensual dance.

Finding the hem of her T-shirt, I lift it over her head, only breaking the contact of our lips for a fraction of second. Her hands go around my neck as she runs her fingers through my hair. After quick work of unclasping her bra, I pluck it down her body and nuzzle the softness of her breasts and lick the valley in between. She moans and her grip on my hair tightens.

I kiss, suck, and lick her breasts before moving lower and continue worshipping every part of her body with my mouth. After running my tongue around and inside her belly button, I nip her hipbone, kissing from side to side. Finally, I drag her shorts down, taking along her lacy underwear. My mouth lowers to her sex as I run my fingers over her scant pubic hair. She squirms under my touch, and I can feel her slick arousal. Licking her folds, I nip her swollen bud and circle her clit with my thumb. Her cries are music to my ears.

“God, Marr.” I increase the speed and slide one finger into her wet heat.

Her back arches as she moans. Seeing her getting off is a sight to behold. I rub her clit and thrust a second finger inside her damp center. Her cries get louder as her wetness coats my fingers.

“You are soaking wet.” My hoarse comment only amplifies her noises. For a second, I’m distracted by the thought of people hearing her in the adjoining rooms, but another cry from her and I forget everything else.

Her toes curl tight, making ripples over the delicate arch of her feet, and she comes crashing down with a sharp cry. Without losing any time, I grab a condom from the nightstand, push my pants down, then wrap and position myself between her thighs. I touch her sensitive sex with my hard cock, making her aware of my intention. When I don’t move, she lowers herself just a bit, urging me to take her, and I do. I slowly glide inside her, her wetness allowing me easy access. I cover her with my body, my weight resting on my elbows.

“Being inside you is my favorite place, Marr. You feel so good. I don’t think I’ll ever get past this feeling.”

I move slowly at first and then pick up the pace.

“Fucking hell.” Her moans make me wild. “See how good we fit,” I tell her as I push into her, in and out, an insistent rhythm. A few more thrusts and I’m close. God! I want this to last forever, but with the way she’s clutching my cock, I’m having a hard time holding my sanity.

At last, I give up and we both come together with a loud moan. Lying back on the bed, I hold her in my arms as she takes me to a peaceful, safe place.

I hope I’m doing the same for her .

Giving myself a few more minutes to recover from the high of her love, I get up and amble to the bathroom.

When I’m back after getting rid of the condom, Marr is exactly as I left her, spread out on the bed. I take a moment to observe her and wonder how it would be to see this sight every single day of my life.

I know we’ve both opened many locked doors for each other, but we’re still in the murky waters of our damaged past. Anything wrong, said or done, can set us back.

As if reading my thoughts, she looks at me and states, “We promised to give us a chance. Don’t think anything else.”

I perch beside her as she sits up, covering herself under the sheets. Her modesty turns me on like every other thing about her. I pull her close and settle her in my arms, her back resting on my chest. Our entwined legs stretch out under the covers as she fluffs and tugs the duvet covering us both.

“How did you know what I was thinking?” I ask, pressing soft kisses on her shoulder.

“Because I was thinking the same.”

I nod, massaging her shoulders, and she hums in approval. Her head falls on my shoulder, and her eyes slowly close.

“If you continue, I might fall asleep,” she says in a drowsy voice.

“You sleepy?” I don’t pause my pressing fingers.

“Mm-hmm. You kind of interrupted my sleep a few times last night.”