19. Rosie
19
ROSIE
W e arrive in New York a couple of days before Emily’s exhibition. The four of us want to have girl time exploring the Big Apple for the first time together. It is so much bigger and there is way more garbage on the sidewalks than I was expecting. It’s strange being in a place that feels so familiar, yet you’ve never been there before all because you’ve seen it in movies. We stroll through Times Square, overwhelmed by the buildings covered in neon billboards and the wattage coming from them. Of course, we have to sip Cosmos together, recreating Sex and the City. Apparently, I’m Charlotte or so my friends say. We then eat lunch on the Metropolitan Museum of Art stairs like they do in Gossip Girl. There is a ferry ride down the Hudson, and we see the Statue of Liberty, which is much smaller than I thought. We take a carriage ride around Central Park, snap photos of Emily, and post them online just like her ex did with his new American girlfriend.
Tonight, Emily is heading to the gallery to check in on her exhibition, while we stay at the bar just around the corner from the gallery in Brooklyn.
“Ladies,” Matthieu calls out as he walks over to where we are seated. Behind him, I see Daniel, and beside him is another handsome man. “You remember Daniel,” Matthieu says, pointing to him, “and that guy is my brother, Deveraux,” he says. I can see the resemblance now.
“What are you guys doing here? Weren’t you meeting Emily?” Ava asks Daniel.
“Louis wanted a chance to talk to her before the exhibition, thought it would be easier alone than with people around,” he answers, his eyes landing on me. I look away, sipping my drink.
“Do you think that was wise?” Georgia asks.
Daniel shrugs. “It could go either way.”
“I believe in love, and I think they will be back together again,” Matthieu states confidently. “Now, who needs drinks?”
“How are you enjoying New York?” Daniel asks, taking a seat beside me.
“It’s been great. We’ve seen a lot. Walked everywhere. Ate all the food. Drank the cocktails,” I answer, taking a sip of my drink, feeling the stares of my friends at the back of my head as we talk.
“You and your cocktails.” He chuckles. “I was wondering if you might have a day, or half a day free during your trip for me.” Huh. I turn and look at him, wondering if I heard him correctly. “Thought we could go shopping for the cottage.”
“You want to go homeware shopping?”
He shrugs, looking almost bashful over the request. “You’re here with your friends so I totally get that you don’t have time.”
I reach out and grab his arm. “There are so many places I would love to visit, and none of my friends are interested.”
Daniel’s brows raise in surprise at my enthusiasm, but it could be all the cocktails I’ve drunk to ease my nerves. He turns my hand around and somehow ends up entwining our fingers together, thankfully, the table is hiding what he is doing.
“Then sign me up. I’ll go check them out with you.”
I give his hand a squeeze in silent thanks.
“Oh my god.” Georgia gasps as she stares at her phone. “Emily and Louis are back together. They won’t be joining us tonight.” She squeals and we all cheer in their honor.
“I knew it, another round on me,” Matthieu cries.
The night turns into a bit of a blur after that. At some point, Ava and Deveraux disappear, and Matthieu mumbles something about an after-party they went to.
“Ava will be fine. Deveraux will make sure of it,” Daniel leans in and whispers into my ear, his soft lips touching my skin, sending shivers over my body. Every chance he’s gotten some part of him has been touching me all night, either his hand, his knee, or a thigh as we’ve spoken. And I didn’t mind it. Because you’re drunk. That I am. Damn that Matthieu and his constant need to keep the drinks flowing.
“I’m going to head back to the hotel,” Georgia states, leaning in and giving me a kiss on the cheek.
“I’ll come too.”
She shakes her head. “No stay, you look like you’re having fun,” she tells me before looking over my shoulder at Daniel.
“Georgia, I’ll take you back,” Matthieu says, holding out his arm for her, which she takes willingly, and before I have a chance to argue they are gone.
“Did they just leave?” Daniel asks. I nod. “Why?”
“Georgia wanted to go back to the hotel.”
“And my cousin took her?” he asks, arching a brow at me. I nod again. “You didn’t want to go, did you?”
“Do you want me to go?”
Daniel shakes his head. “No, I’ve been having fun with you.”
He has? I look up at him and even though the world around me is a blur I can see him perfectly. “Why?” I question as my body sways toward him. Is he as drunk as I am?
His dark brows pull together. “Why? You’re smart, funny, fucking beautiful, there are so many reasons I like hanging out with you.”
Oh.
I stare at him for a little longer than I should. Damn him, he is hot. I reach out and touch his face, running my fingers over his five o’clock shadow, loving the way the roughness feels against my skin and my body lights up.
“Rosie,” he growls my name, but I ignore him as I continue to touch him. Not sure why, ask the tequila and champagne because this is their idea. But I am. He reaches out, pulls my barstool closer, and places a leg on either side of me. “Are you trying to kill me?” he asks, those turquoise eyes darken with hunger as he stares at me. I run my thumb over his lip catching it as I drag my finger down. He opens his mouth, captures my thumb, and bites it, making me gasp. Then his tongue swirls around it and goosebumps lace my skin. I lean into him. His hand comes out and grabs my hip, pulling me close into him as he slides me to the edge of the stool. His heat envelopes me. My mind becomes fuzzy as all I can think about are the things I want this man to do to me. Pulling my finger from his mouth, I launch myself at the poor guy, he catches me before we topple backward, but as soon as our lips meet, he’s not holding back. His fingers dig into my hair as if he doesn’t want to let me go, that this moment may vanish from his fingertips.
“Get a fucking room,” someone hollers at us, making us break our kiss. Heat blooms across my cheeks, my chest tightens and my breath is labored as we both stare at each other not one of us daring to say a thing.
“Do you think we should?” he asks.
I blink at him, trying to shake the lust-filled daze his lips created. “Do you think we should what?”
“Get a room?”
Oh.
I stare at him again, my fuzzy mind trying to find an excuse for why that would be a bad idea, but all I can think about is getting those lips back on me.
“Okay,” I answer, biting my lip.
“Okay?” he questions as if he can’t believe I agreed with him. He then stands, grabs my hand, and pulls me out of the bar as quickly as he can. We are on the sidewalk, and he spins me around and pulls me right into his chest as he kisses me. “Are you sure? You’re not too drunk?”
“I’ll blame it on the alcohol in the morning, but I want this,” I confess to him.
His brows pull together as he stares down at me, then shakes his head. He hails us a cab and asks the driver to take us back to our hotel.
“I thought … I won’t be your regret, Rosie,” he says stiffly before turning and looking out of the cab’s window as we head back to Manhattan.
Oh.
Disappointment fills me, also regret at my words. I turn every so often during our ride to stare at him, but he’s stiff as a board as he refuses to look at me. I hurt him. My inconsiderate words hurt him, and I don’t like that. We arrive at the hotel, and I don’t give him a chance to open the cab’s door for me as I step out and walk into the hotel without a second glance behind me. He catches up to me when we get to the elevators but still, he is silent. He presses the number to my floor, and we ride up in silence. Then we walk down the long corridor to my door.
“Good night, Rosie,” he says, giving me a nod.
“No. Get into the room, Daniel, we need to talk.” My voice is even and steely, which surprises him, and I think for a moment that he is going to ignore my request, but he doesn’t. I hold the door open for him, and he enters, I can see the confused look on his face, but he remains silent. Louis has arranged for separate rooms for each of us girls. I think now, in hindsight, it was because he was hoping that there was a chance that he could win Emily back and he didn’t want her sharing a room if he did. Now I am thankful, too.
“What did you want to talk about?” Daniel asks.
“Sit,” I say, pointing to the bed.
His brows raise in surprise, but he follows my command. Thank goodness I am wearing a cute denim-style summer dress and tan wedges. I walk over to where he is sitting at the edge of the bed, rubbing his hands together nervously. I stop in between his legs and stare down at him. I watch him swallow and then I turn around and give him my back.
“Unzip me.”
The air cracks with electricity as I hear the small intake of his breath over my request.
“Rosie,” my name is a groan as it falls from his lips, and I think for a moment he isn’t going to do it, but then I feel his hand at my back, his fingers grazing the bare skin at the nape of my neck. Then the sound of the metal teeth opening echoes around the room as the rush of cool air meets my bare skin. I am so happy I decided to put on my sexiest pair of lingerie tonight, it was the secret confidence I needed when seeing Daniel again. “Rosie,” he says my name again, and I can hear the need vibrating against his lips.
I turn around and notice the hunger and need swirling behind those turquoise eyes, then I let my dress fall. His eyes widen as they take in my baby blue lacy underwear. The demi cup bra helps push up my mediocre breasts, making them appear more voluptuous than they really are. I watch as his eyes slide down my naked body to my knickers.
“Rosie?” he says my name a third time, and this time, it sounds like a plea.
“Touch me,” I say, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady myself.
“Are you sure? You’ll regret this if I do,” he states, moving his eyes to my face.
I place my hands on either side of his jaw. “I don’t regret you, Daniel, and I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you feel like I have. It’s just no one can know.”
Those long lashes blink slowly as he stares up at me, his hands landing on my ass as his fingers squeeze my flesh, pulling me in closer.
“Are you saying I can have you as long as I am your dirty little secret?” I don’t know, am I? “Because I will be.”
“Daniel?” my face softens at his confession.
He shakes his head. “I will take you any way you want me to, Rosie.”
I bite my bottom lip and consider his words. Is he offering friends with benefits?
“I like hanging out with you and I also like fucking you. But I understand anything more isn’t on the cards for you.”
“You’re my client.”
His fingers dig into my ass harder upon hearing my words. “I am. But it won’t be forever.” Then he lifts me up, so my legs are straddling him. I can feel how hard he is against me, and I may move myself against it getting the friction between my legs that I need desperately. Daniel pulls me closer giving me what I want.
What was he saying? I’ve lost my train of thought.
“Nothing can happen between us until after the project is finished.”
Wait, what? I still. His words filter through my hazy mind.
“I’m in your lap half naked, your dick is hard, and you’re telling me we can’t do anything till the Kent project is done?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
I’m half naked in his lap and he’s turning me down. Embarrassment hits me like a ton of bricks, and I try to scramble out of his arms. Daniel holds me tighter, so I continue to wiggle until the next thing I know I am flipped on my back, and he is looming over me.
“Would you stop it and listen to me.” Those turquoise eyes narrow on me as his entire body engulfs me. “I will fuck you every single day if that is what you need when this project is done.” I still under him as his words start to sink in. “I will be your secret fuck that you use when your needy little cunt is begging to be filled.” My heart accelerates at his filthy words and a moan falls from my lips. “The things I want to do to you, Rosie, my cock is aching thinking about them, but I will not have my need for you ruin something you have worked so hard for. I can control myself until then. It will be fucking hard, but I can.” He grinds himself against me.
No.
Fuck me now.
“Do you think you can expedite the project? I’ll fucking pay whatever you need me to pay to get the job done quickly, so I can sink inside of you.” I swallow hard as I whimper. Then I feel his hand slide down my near-naked body before the next thing I know, his fingers are between my folds, sliding over my aching clit. I arch my back as the sensations take over. Then I gasp as a finger slides into me. “I’m not going to leave you high and dry tonight, sweetheart, but you’re not going to get my cock. Now, do we have an agreement?” he asks as he adds another finger inside me.
“Hhmm,” I say.
“That isn’t a word, Rosie. I need to know if you agree to us being fuck buddies once the project is over or if I’m going to have to make sure to keep my distance from you.” His slow, strong strokes have my entire body lit up.
“Are you saying we can’t be friends unless I fuck you?”
“No. I’m saying I’m not going to be able to be around you without thinking about how much your cunt squeezes my fucking fingers and how wet they make you.”
I swallow. Hard.
“I think we can both agree there is chemistry between us, wouldn’t you agree?” I nod as my eyes close and my back arches as his magic fingers do things to me. “We are both too busy to have time to date.” He’s right, dating isn’t on my radar, but also, I’m sick of having to use my vibrator, and I’m not really a one-night stand kind of girl, clearly. I nod. “And the sex between us is good?” I nod again as my legs start to shake. “And we have fun hanging out together?” Yes. Annoying as he is, I enjoy our time together and he makes me laugh. “Then I think we keep this arrangement between us, we don’t tell anyone. No one needs to know what we get up to behind closed doors.” I moan in acknowledgment. “If we do this, I won’t share you, Rosie.” His voice is like steel as his fingers continue to melt me. “Know that, if we are fucking, then I don’t want you fucking anyone else, do you hear me?”
“Yes, same goes for you.” I groan.
“Noted.” He grins. “Now come on my fucking fingers, Rosie, so I can taste you.” And with a flick of his wrist, he has me coming undone.