Beautiful Rose (Elixir Billionaires #1)

35. Zander

35

ZANDER

A waiter holding a tray of pink champagne flutes appears as Marr and I join my brothers. I’m about to take a sip when there’s a gentle pat on my shoulder. I turn to find Sophia dressed in a navy-blue suit standing behind me. I saw her earlier while she walked Kristy down the aisle.

“Hello, Zander.” She offers me her hand. Her firm handshake doesn’t surprise me; she is Kristy’s mom, after all.

“Hello, Mrs. Asher. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Sophia greets my brothers before asking Marr, “Rose, do you mind if I borrow your date for a while?”

I hand my untouched champagne to Zane and grab Marr’s hand, which is pulling on the silver bracelet around her wrist.

My lips on hers force her to let go of the bottom lip between her teeth. I squeeze her hand one last time before following Sophia out of the hall.

We reach the garden where a string quartet is playing, and guests are flocking to the dance floor or the gigantic wooden bar. Sophia leads me away from all the fuss to a quiet corner. I wait for her to take a seat, and then I perch on an opposite chair. The table between us, covered in white linen with a shiny golden border, holds a photo frame with a picture of Kristy and Oscar.

“I think my daughter made a wise choice,” Sophia comments, following my gaze.

“Oscar is a fine man.”

“I’m not talking about Kristy.”

My hand, which was straightening a fold on the tablecloth, stills. Sophia’s weird statement and tight smile catches me off guard. I had an understanding that Sophia’s role in Marr’s life has been more of a mentor than a mother.

I give her the unvarnished truth. “I love her.”

“So I’ve heard. Kristy is all praise for you, and I’d have to be blind to not see the way Rose’s eyes twinkle whenever you’re around or even mentioned.”

I try to ignore the wild drumming in my chest and reply, “I feel the same way about her.”

“I can see that too.” She sighs, looking away as if unhappy to confirm that my feelings for Marr are not fraudulent. “I hope you know what you’re getting into, Zander. Rose isn’t your normal girl.” Her head turns to the side, and something resembling pity settles on her face.

Does she feel sorry… for me ? Why?

I have a hard time believing she’s the same woman who is so deeply idolized by my couch girl.

“Excuse me?” My words come out with more force than I intend for them to.

“Don’t get all worked up. You’ve known that girl for less than a year. I’ve known her since she was born.”

“You mean found?”

Her eyes widen for a brief second before she schools her features.

“It’s good to hear that you know of her past. But do you think that’s enough?” Sophia leans forward, her arms resting on the table as she continues in a hushed voice. “For Rose, every day is a challenge. She fights with identity crisis on a daily basis. Even after years of therapy and surgery, she’s not comfortable in her own skin and scars. She wears nothing other than those flannel shirts.”

My chest clenches at her nonsense. “In case you haven’t noticed, she’s not wearing a flannel shirt today, though I find her equally beautiful in those. And I’m very well aware of her issues.”

“Of course. That’s what you are, aware. What about experiencing them firsthand? Today you don’t mind her quirks, but what about when she can’t mingle as much with your family and friends?”

“She likes my brothers and they her. That’s enough for me.” And so is this bullshit. I’m all ready to leave, but Sophia isn’t yet done.

“What about when your brothers marry smart, socially adept girls who don’t want to waste their time around Rose? People often feel that way about her. What happens when people don’t let their kids play with yours because they think Rose is some kind of weirdo?”

“Stop.” I never imagined my meeting with Sophia to be this caustic. “What’s your problem? I thought you cared about her.” I can’t stop the lump rising in my throat.

Why does my Marr have such shitty relationships?

“I’m not going to take shit from anyone about her or our relationship. I don’t need to explain to you or anybody else how we’ll handle our future. She is a brilliant woman, and I’m lucky to have her.” I roll all my anger, hope, and love into words. “If luck favors me, that smart girl will someday share a life, and even a family, with me.”

I get up from my chair, no longer interested in knowing Sophia. Our small interaction is enough for me. Before I can march away, she says, “Sometimes I wonder where I went wrong.”

I’m momentarily distracted as my gaze lands on her hand resting on the table, playing with the golden band on her ring finger.

Why is she still wearing her wedding ring?

“Rose has missed a lot in her life, and most of it was due to the overprotectiveness of others, including me. She doesn’t need more of that in her life. She just needs to be loved and understood.”

I’m unable to comprehend this sudden shift in her behavior. For a fleeting moment, I worry about Sophia’s mental wellbeing as she gets up and stands beside me.

“It was nice meeting you, Zander. I’m sure I’ll see more of you.”

I’m still not sure what happened in the last five minutes and how I feel about this woman, who sounds a bit crazy and a bit guilty.

Sophia is already ambling toward the main hall when I call after her, “I’m going to propose tomorrow.”

She looks at me over her shoulder and smiles. “I know. You have my blessing, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“Zander, I can manage.”

I ignore Marr’s protests and carry her inside the house. When we reach the soft plush carpet by her bed, I slide her down. “I know you can manage, but I like touching you any way I can.” My fingers glide over her soft cheek, and she lazily shuts her eyes. “How tired are you?”

“Not at all.” Her eyes immediately open wide, making me chuckle.

“Liar. It’s way past your usual bedtime. Come on.”

She again protests when I lead her to the bathroom. I bring the toilet lid down and situate her there before getting on my knees .

“What are you doing?” Marr tries to pull back her leg, which is tight in my grip.

“I’m helping you get ready for bed.” Unstrapping her low heels, I remove the sandals and place them just outside the bathroom door as she stays stuck in place with an open mouth.

I rummage through the cabinet under the sink until my hand grabs a pack of makeup wipes.

“Close your eyes.” I remove her glasses and gently wipe her face before working on getting off her eye makeup.

“I think it’s clean now,” she mutters when I’m on the third time of running the wipe over her eyes.

“I’m trying to get off the fake eyelashes. What kind of super glue did they use?”

She giggles at my irritation. “There are no fakes. You’ll just pluck my real ones out.”

My hands halt the rubbing. “Oh, sorry.” I throw the wipe into the trash before undoing the messy bun.

The gown pools at her feet when I unzip it, and Marr stands before me in nude silk undergarments, making me breathless with her shy beauty. My fingers glide over her belly button, and I watch her shiver in satisfaction.

“You were the most beautiful woman today.”

“Then you didn’t see the other women.” She looks at me from under the bangs lying flat on her forehead.

“Why would I waste my time looking at anyone else when you’re in the crowd, couch girl?” My lips press on her forehead as I try to keep my anxiety for tomorrow in check.

“You mean that?” She releases a deep breath, and her hands clutch my arms as I hold her face.

“I mean every word I say to you.” My lips move from her forehead to her ears.

“Why me, Zander?” She trembles in my arms. Her eyes close as if she’s scared to hear the answer to her own question .

“Because I’m a lucky bastard to have found you, to have you fall in love with me. I’m not going anywhere, Marr. I’m here for keeps.”

“But I—”

My grip on her face tightens as I interrupt her with insistent kisses on her skin. “You are the most amazing woman, and you make my heart stop with just one look.”

“But—” I put a finger on her lips.

“You can give a million reasons, but I’m not going anywhere.”

Her breath hitches, and she offers me her hand. “Promise?”

You have no idea, baby.

I kiss her palm before placing my own hand over hers. “It’s a promise of a lifetime, couch girl.”