35. Daniel
35
DANIEL
O kay.
I went off script earlier in the night asking Rosie to be my girlfriend. I’ve had enough of us hiding what is happening between us. I want the world to know she’s mine. I want what my friends have. I didn’t think I would ever be ready for that … until her.
I spent the rest of the night sitting with the boys, watching our girls dance and have fun. Knowing my friends have accepted her so willingly makes my earlier declaration the right thing. Having Rosie by my side at family dinners, birthdays, and holidays feels right. Images of us hosting dinner parties in my home or entertaining on the weekends down at the cottage. Flashes of a life I never thought I would want but now it is all I can think about.
“Saw Rosie and that young guy swapping details.” Alistair smirks taking a sip of his drink.
“And?”
“Then you stormed off and I didn’t see you for a bit, and come to think about it, I didn’t see Rosie, either.” He chuckles.
“What’s your point?”
“No, point just an observation,” he turns looking at me, “you know it’s okay to say, I like her.”
“I love her.” The words are out before I get a chance to register what I’ve said.
Shit.
Those words even surprised me.
“Fuck, so that’s how it’s been. How long have the two of you been hooking up?”
“Months.”
“You’ve kept that a secret.”
“She doesn’t want anyone to know, especially Ivy,” I confess to him.
“She’s her boss, you’re her friend, it’s understandable,” Alistair adds.
“I don’t want to hide anymore, Ali, I … I want what you all have,” I confess.
Alistair slaps me on the shoulder, consoling me. “Pretty sure you remember what happened between Eloise and me. She ran to the other side of the world.”
“Yeah, but look at you both now.”
“True, but it was hard to get ourselves there. The same with Jasper and Lauren, she disappeared with Eloise on him. Look at Alex and Ivy, they had to work through her ex attacking her. Add in the mess that Nate and Camryn went through, and Olivia and Axel, she ran out on her wedding to be with him. What I’m saying is, things may appear smooth now, but it took a lot to get here.”
“Is that your way of telling me to have patience?”
“Pretty much. You don’t want to push Rosie if she’s not ready. Are you willing to wait till she feels comfortable?”
“Of course, no one makes me feel the way I do like she does.”
Alistair shakes his head and smiles. “Welcome to the club, man, you are so far gone over her. Just be patient. The girls love Rosie, and she fits in well with the group, so know that when it’s the right time, everything is going to work out.”
“You think?”
“Yeah, I do. But remember, just because you are at that stage doesn’t mean she is, or maybe she is, but she’s scared to take that leap and you’re going to have to wait until she’s ready.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Anytime, you know I’m here if you need to chat.”
Now I’m lying here staring at the roof, hoping and praying that Rosie tiptoes across the house and into my bedroom. It’s been an hour since everyone went to bed. Maybe I should go to her? What did Alistair say? Be patient. Let her come to you when she is ready. He’s right. This has to be her choice, and I’ll be disappointed if she doesn’t come over tonight, but I’ll understand, it’s not like we haven’t spent the entire night screwing each other. Images of what we did earlier filter through my mind and have my dick standing to attention. Easy, it might be a lonely night.
At some point in the middle of the night I’ve fallen asleep, Rosie has snuck in and jumped into my bed, and I’ve curled myself around her. My chest tightens, knowing that she chose me and that’s why she is here. My hand slides down her body. It feels like she’s wearing a satin slip, and my skin is met by fabric until I move down over her ass and realize she is not wearing underwear, and the fabric stops.
She was ready for me.
Fuck.
My dick hardens against her peachy ass. I’m the luckiest man in the world. Rosie is all soft and pliant as I lift her leg and place it over mine, the tiny murmurs as she drifts happily between being asleep and awake are music to my ears. She’s already wet for me, as if her body knew I’d be needing her again soon. My dick slides easily inside her, making her gasp as I fill her.
“Daniel,” she moans as she arches against me.
“I need you.” My hands cup her breasts, my fingers plucking her nipples.
“Hhmm.” She moans as I continue to slide between her folds.
“I can’t get enough of you.” I breathe against her neck.
“Me either.” She moans as I angle my hips and give her what she wants.
When her moaning becomes too loud, my hand finds her mouth. “No screaming, you don’t want to wake the house.” Her cunt constricts around me, and I find myself not being able to hold back as she milks every last drop out of me as I try and hold back my own screams. “Fuck, I love you,” I say, nuzzling into her neck. “I needed that.”
“Me too.” She sighs.
“Go back to sleep. We can have another round in the shower before you disappear in the morning.” She nods, and we both fall soundly to sleep.
When I wake up, Rosie is gone, and a heavy weight sinks in my chest knowing she snuck out in the early hours this morning or maybe she got hungry from all the sex we had, and she’s downstairs having breakfast. That thought has me jumping out of bed and heading into the shower before heading downstairs. It doesn’t look like anyone is up yet except Alex.
“Morning,” he says, greeting me with a cup of coffee in his hand. “There’s bacon, eggs, and other shit if you want.” Pointing to the buffet. I open the silver trays and start to add my food onto the plate. “You’re not normally up this early?” he asks.
“Just stuff on my mind.”
He nods. “Are you worried that the house won’t be finished in time for your party?”
I shake my head. “No, I have faith in Rosie, she’s being doing a great job.”
“Ivy likes her, all the girls like her, they all seemed to be having fun together,” Alex states, sipping his coffee while scrolling his phone. “You know the girls seem to think something is going on between the two of you,” he says.
I still.
I can’t betray Rosie’s trust because Alex is engaged to Ivy, and I know he tells her everything. At least I know if Alistair tells Eloise, nothing directly will happen to Rosie.
“I like Rosie, a lot. She’s fun, smart, beautiful …”
Alex’s eyes narrow on me. “You have a crush on her.”
He has no idea. “Yes,” I answer honestly.
“Wow, wasn’t expecting you to own up to it.”
“I haven’t said anything because I didn’t want you guys to try to play matchmaker. Ivy has already warned me off her once,” I say, shoving some eggs into my mouth.
“That’s when she thought it was just a hook up not that you like her …”
“Look, Rosie is devoted to her career. I know that she also looks up to Ivy.”
“Ivy wouldn’t care if you two dated, she’d be all for it, she loves Rosie. But, oh …” Alex’s face drops as if he said something he shouldn’t have.
“Oh, what?”
“Nothing,” he says quickly.
“No there’s something,” I push.
“Morning,” Ivy groans, “my head hurts. Why did you let me drink so much?” she says to Alex.
“You told me it was your birthday, and you could do what you wanted.” Alex chuckles.
“Hungover me wishes she could have punched drunk me for saying that.” She pouts as she picks up a bit of bacon and starts chewing on it. “Did you have fun last night?” she asks me.
“You always know how to throw parties.”
Ivy nods as she takes a seat beside Alex and snuggles into him. He kisses her head, and she hums happily, biting the bit of bacon.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the cottage. I bet Rosie did an amazing job. She’s so talented. I love her.”
I do too, I want to say.
“I’m happy with what she’s done.”
“Good, I was worried about the two of you working together. You can be charming,” she says, pointing her half-eaten bit of bacon at me.
“I can keep my hands to myself.” I huff.
Ivy’s brows pull together. “I know you can. Rosie is young, she has plans and I guess I was worried that you might derail them.” Oh. I’m not sure how to respond to that. “I’ve noticed the way your face lights up when you see her.” She has? “You seem to get on well and I’ve heard from the other girls in the office that you pop in quite regularly to have lunch with Rosie.”
“She’s a busy woman, it’s the only time we can meet to discuss the cottage,” I argue.
“I know.”
“But you’re still asking me not to pursue anything?” I question her.
Ivy stills. “Do you want to pursue something?”
“Maybe,” I tell her honestly.
Her brows raise high upon hearing my answer. “And you think Rosie wants that, too?”
How do I answer that without giving away what we are? “I don’t know.”
“I’ve never seen you not confident about a woman before,” Alex adds.
“Because he likes her,” Ivy says, staring at me in amazement.
“I think I might,” I confess.
“Fuck,” Alex curses, running his hand through his hair.
“Don’t be weird, guys, especially not you,” I say, pointing at Ivy.
She holds up her hands and shakes her head.
Then Lauren walks into the kitchen. “Do any of you know how to fix a car? Rosie’s seems to have died.”