Beautiful Rose (Elixir Billionaires #1)

41. Zander

41

ZANDER

I stare at my beautiful girl, her eyes closed as she lies next to me. Her soft breathing rhythmically causes her chest to rise and fall, and she has a hand tucked under her face. Covered in her baby-blue comforter, which I pulled over her once she fell asleep in my arms, she looks like an angel fallen from heaven and too good for this world.

My path has crossed with several attractive women, but no one has ever had this effect on me. One look at her gorgeous face and my body fucking revs up like a teenager’s. She has a hypnotizing power over my mind and body, and the craziest thing is, she has no clue.

I run my fingers through her soft hair and tug on the flower petal hidden in the silky strands. Bringing it close to my face, I stare at the crimson leaf and wait for the familiar darkness to grip me.

I’m back in the dark, wet, and cold night. My back, legs, and arms are marked with bruises, my tears mixing with the rain. The pain in my limbs deepens, and my eyes blur as the rain falls harder.

Something red floats from somewhere, fluttering in the wind before me. I raise my aching hands and hold it between my fingers. The rose petal feels weird, and then everything changes. I’m no longer the weak boy, but I’m Zander Teager. I look down to the flower trapped in my fist. A gentle hand lies over mine, opening my grip, and there it is. The rose-shaped diamond I’m giving to the love of my life. I look up to the woman holding my hand, my loving Rose.

Something brushes against my lips, forcing me to open my eyes, and I come face-to-face with Rose. For a second, my groggy brain thinks this is part of my dream, but then I notice the pink walls behind her, the faint morning light filtering through the silk curtains.

Her eyes are closed as she kisses me softly, caressing my lips with hers. I stay motionless, doing nothing but basking in her love. When she opens her eyes, we stare at each other. Her lips are mere inches from mine. She tries to pull away, but I flip her under me. Her eyes widen in surprise.

“Happy birthday, beautiful. I like waking up beside you.”

“Thank you. Me too,” she says, running her hands over my face, grazing my stubble.

“You were kissing me.” My voice comes out hoarse.

“I always do before leaving the bed.” Her cheeks turn pink at the admission.

“I didn’t know that.” I nuzzle her neck, plastering wet kisses on her skin. Then I wait for her to squirm and moan. It’ll take only two seconds. One, two…

“Zander.”

My heart bursts with fucking joy watching how responsive she is. I know it’s sickening to say, but I dig the fact that I was her first kiss, her first lover, her first orgasm, and all other future firsts.

With my face buried in her neck, my weight adjusted on my arms, I move one of my hands to her breast.

“So soft.” I gently bite her neck, making sure I don’t leave a mark. I’m not afraid of anyone seeing it, as my girl is usually clad in buttoned-up flannel shirts, but she has enough marks for a lifetime from her past.

She coos as I pinch her hard nipple through her thin cotton T-shirt.

“Stop squirming,” I chastise as she moves her legs up and down in a futile attempt to get some relief.

“Please.” She tries to free herself from my hold.

“What, baby?” I move from one nipple, which is now a stiff peak, to the other.

“Just…please.”

“Say it and I’ll give it to you.” I look her in the eye. I know she’s still shy with sex-talk, but God, what I wouldn’t give to hear something dirty from her sweet-ass mouth.

“Please,” she begs me.

“Say it, couch girl, and I’ll do whatever you want.”

I give her a long lick from the hollow of her neck to her chin, causing her to tremble in my arms.

Jesus. She looks so fucking hot when she peels my hand from her chest and places it over her sex, rubbing my fingers once over her cotton shorts.

“I’d love to hear from your sexy lips that you want me to rub your pussy and get you off.”

Her breath hitches at my brazen words and then goes away as I rub her briskly.

She’s like a wet dream come true when she twists in my arms, moaning and cooing.

“What an addict you have become, Rose.” I gaze at her, feigning shock.

Hearing my words, her eyes open wide and her face and neck redden with embarrassment.

I smile and lift her chin up. “Sweetheart, I like you addicted. It fucking turns me on to see you like this.” To prove my liking, I thrust into her stomach.

Her bright blue eyes sparkle, and then that shy smile is back. My nerdy siren .

Kissing her once more, I move lower, my lips trailing down her body.

“Where are you going?”

Before her sentence is complete, I’m tugging down her shorts. “Not far.”

We lie on the bed, entangled in each other’s arms, and I know I cannot dawdle any longer.

“Rose.” I rub small circles over her arms.

“Hmm?” she hums in a drowsy voice.

“I need to talk to you about something. Something important.”

She straightens up before turning around to face me. “Important good or important bad?”

“Important good, I hope.” I try to hold on to a light smile at her expected question, but it’s short-lived. My mouth dries, worried about her response to the news I’m about to dump on her. “You know Kristy and Zach were scouting a location for our third office.”

She nods, her face emotionless and her hands already drifting toward the cuffs of her cotton tee.

“They’ve found a place. It’s perfect. Until the office is up and running, I’ll be spending most of my time there.”

“And this is good news, how?” Her shoulders stiffen, and she crosses her arms, protecting herself from the looming blow. Her wacky brain is expecting the worst, as always.

“To decide that, you’ll have to see the location.” I grab my iPad from the nightstand and open the maps app. I point my finger after I’ve zoomed in on said location.

“But that’s in…” Her gaze shifts from the screen to me.

“Cherrywood,” I confirm.

“How?” Her crumbling face turns up, and she beams at me .

Thank heavens.

“Kristy found the best deal in Cherrywood. There was no reason for me to turn it down.”

“So, you’ll be staying in Cherrywood for some time?”

“That’s the plan, baby.” I caress her face, trying to distract her from thinking too hard. But my super smart fiancée can’t be easily distracted.

“But what about your apartment in St. Peppers?”

“I haven’t thought about it. Maybe I’ll rent it out or…maybe sell it.” I shrug as if it’s not a big deal. And maybe it’s not to some, but to Rose, it’s a huge deal.

“Sell it?” She gasps and her hands shake as she scuttles a few inches away from me.

My enthusiasm plunges low at her reaction. “Yes. Maybe I’ll…buy something here,” I murmur, not wavering my gaze from her face for a second.

“Zander,” she whispers. Her hand slowly flattens over the cuff of her shirt.

Fuck. This isn’t what I wanted to do on her birthday. I haven’t even had the chance to make her Sunday breakfast of granola and strawberry-blueberry-peach fruit mix.

“Couch girl, breathe.” I slowly place one knee forward, trying to get close to her but also making sure she isn’t startled. “Rose.” I cup her face in my hands and mentally kick myself. I know, even though Rose has agreed to my proposal, that she isn’t ready for the next step.

But why the fuck not?

I’m not having any second thoughts. Is she? I don’t think so. I hate my fucking head for even considering it. She thanks me repeatedly for wanting her, for fuck’s sake. If it were up to me, I’d drag her to the courthouse now and get that marriage license. I want to always keep her with me and never let her go.

Super cool, Zander. Maybe your impatience is scaring her away .

My hands clutching the bedsheets loosen their grip when I glance up. Her eyes are shut tight, but she breathes deeply through her nose. Her shoulders rise and fall as she tries to hold her breath. Being a witness of this action several times before, I know she’s thinking of her happy moment, which is now our engagement day.

“Rose,” I urge, and she opens her worried eyes.

“I haven’t made a decision, couch girl. I just thought, if you would like, we could look at some properties…to stay at together. But you don’t have to say yes. As I said, it’s just a thought.” When she thankfully doesn’t flinch at my words, I continue. “I’d really like to come home to you in the evenings and spend my weekends with you, lazing on a couch with no hurry of being anywhere else.”

“Zander!” My name falls from her lips as if she’s scared to say anything more. Looking at her response, as always, I question our decision.

Did she accept my proposal in haste?

Did she need more time?

Why isn’t she jumping up and down in excitement at the thought of us living together?

I pull her close to my chest. Her anxiety has made me anxious.

“Baby, like I said, it’s just a thought. We can think about it, even do a trial run, and you always have the option to say no. You know that, right?”

She nods hesitantly against my chest.

I kiss her forehead and whisper, “Rose, the things you do to me are beyond words. If I could, I’d never let you go, even for a minute. But I also don’t want to bulldoze you into doing something you’re not comfortable with.”

“You don’t bulldoze me, Zander. You could never bulldoze me.” She looks up from my chest, and I notice her misty eyes. “But what if…I fail to fulfill your expectations.”

“There are no expectations, babe. When I met you, I had no clue what was missing in my life. I just want you and your love. That’s all I need.”

Every time I think Rose’s insecurities are subsiding, something like this happens. But I’ll spend my lifetime reassuring her of my love.

She stays huddled in my arms, silent, and I worry. Despite everyone’s efforts to bring Rose and me together, maybe her doubts about herself will win and we’ll still be living miles apart.

But then she says, “This doesn’t change anything, right? We’ll not start looking at wedding dates or anything?”

“No, sweetheart. It’s just a proposition from your fiancé to move in together.” I hold my breath.

“I’d love to see some houses with you.”