Chapter 52
MAX
Rosalie had been quiet since we got back, lost in her own thoughts. I could see what tonight had done to her, but she was handling it better than I expected. Hell, she was handling it better than most.
Rosalie slipped off her heels, her dress rustling softly and a quiet sigh of relief leaving her lips as her feet hit the cool floor. She was still wearing her wedding dress, and she looked damn good in it too. Her father had deprived me of the chance to see her wear it down the aisle. Bastard.
I must have been staring, because she looked up at me with a curious smile.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
My head fell back, and a chuckle slipped past my lips. “I think you were right about us having bad luck.”
She paused, her eyes meeting mine. Then a smile reached the corners of her lips and the creases of her eyes. “I’m starting to think the universe doesn’t want us to be together.”
“I don’t really give a damn about what the universe wants.”
She shook her head as she walked toward me, her steps slow. When she reached me, she placed a hand on my chest. She always wanted to feel the beat of my heart. She knew when I was nervous, anxious, and tense at all times.
“And what do you want?” she asked, leaning in even closer.
What did I want? Her. Always her. I was unabashedly selfish for her presence, greedy for her laughter, and utterly impatient for her love.
Every moment spent away from her felt like an eternity, and the thought of not having her by my side drove me to the brink of madness.
I wanted her lips on mine now, and not a moment later. But I wanted something more.
“I want . . .” My hands moved almost instinctively, sliding around her waist and pulling her closer. “I want you to be my wife, Rosalie.”
“Then you should’ve shown up to your wedding on time. Someone once told me being punctual is a basic requirement for that sort of commitment . . .”
I laughed, the sound bitter, just like her. She was ready to argue with me, like she always was. The woman fed off my words.
“You were really there?” I asked. “At the church. You were going to marry me?”
“Well, I needed an excuse to wear the dress.”
“So you would’ve married any man then, as long as you had an excuse to wear the dress.”
She didn’t want to admit she was ready to marry me.
She didn’t want to admit she trusted me even though she’d tried her hardest not to.
She didn’t want to love someone who’d been an enemy, but that was okay, because I didn’t want her love.
I wanted something far more profound, and I was still determined to earn it.
Her eyes locked with mine. Her lips folded, trying to hide the truth I was so eager to hear. “It’s not just about the dress. It’s about the deal we made for my family’s safety—”
“You were going to show up at that altar because, despite all your efforts, you feel something for me. You know damn well I’m not someone you need to fear. And come tomorrow, you’ll be my wife.”
“Don’t interrupt me—”
“Oh, here we go.”
She rolled her eyes, annoyed. “I—”
I kissed her before she could say anything else. For a moment, she stiffened with shock, then she melted in my arms like putty, her initial resistance dissolving like sugar in water.
She was driving me crazy. I couldn’t help it.
Her hands, which had been clenched in annoyance just seconds before, slowly found their way to the back of my neck, pulling me closer to her. The kiss deepened, growing more urgent. It was as if she were desperate for my lips.
Her fingers tangled in my hair, holding onto me, scared I’d let go. I could feel her pulse racing under my fingertips as I traced the curve of her jaw.
As I deepened the kiss, she guided my hands back to her hips, holding her weight on my shoulders.
My hands slid upward, finding the delicate line of buttons running down the back of her dress.
Slowly, I undid each one, savoring the way her body moved beneath the fabric.
The dress loosened, and I gently slid it down, over her shoulders, letting it pool around her waist before I eased it further, down her hips, until it lay on the floor at our feet.
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close, feeling her warmth against me, the curve of her body fitting perfectly with mine. My mouth found the side of her neck, her collarbone, tracing down slowly, drinking her in.
With her wedding dress now forgotten on the floor, I lifted her, carrying her up to the bedroom.
I laid her down carefully on the bed, trailing kisses along her skin, making her shiver beneath me.
Her fingers tangled in my hair again, urging me closer, her soft breaths breaking into whispers of my name.
I wanted her completely—mind, body, every inch of her.
When I pulled away, I noticed Rosalie’s lips were slightly swollen, and her cheeks were turning red. I’d thought about her lips maybe a thousand times today alone. One kiss from her wasn’t enough—I needed them all.
I couldn’t think straight anymore. My hand brushed her upper thigh. Her eyes were weapons of mass seduction, and they were one of my favorite things about her. I could barely wait to see them turn glossy.
“I want you to kiss me,” she murmured so softly I almost didn’t hear her.
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Show me where,” I demanded.
Her hands moved down her chest—all the way down. Without giving it more thought, I held her still by placing my hand on her stomach.
“Here,” she whispered.
My hands slid up her smooth thighs. “Your legs. Spread them.”
She did as she was told. My hands caught on something lacy wrapped around her thigh. It was the garter, and I took it off with my teeth.
Leaning in closer, pressing a kiss against her inner thigh, I continued to explore her body. I wanted to memorize every curve so I could relive this moment whenever I wanted—which would be all the time.
I lowered my head between her thighs, and she ran her fingers through my hair.
It was as if my body moved on autopilot whenever Rosalie was nearby. It knew exactly what to do when she was in front of me.
Her breathing quickened, and her hands found a grip on my forearms. She dug her long nails into my skin—deep enough to leave a few marks. She was holding on, but just barely. I could feel the tension in her body fighting to escape.
I lacked patience too, especially now. I wanted to be inside of her already. When it came to Rosalie, I had no control.
Her hands slipped around my neck, pulling me down to her, her lips finding mine in a kiss that was slow, unhurried, but filled with all the urgency we’d both been holding back.
Her hands reached for my belt and undid it. I moved carefully, lining myself up with her, and gave her a moment to adjust. Her breaths quickened, her fingers digging into my shoulders, anchoring us together. Once I felt her relax, I pressed deeper, finally losing myself in the heat of her.
Her soft moans were muffled against the pillow, her body arcing beneath me. I buried my face in her neck, breathing her in.
I glided my thumb over her clit, applying gentle pressure in circular motions. I pushed her legs closed to apply pressure, and she held onto my hand tightly.
“I know, baby. I know. Let it out.”
As if she were waiting for my approval, she came on my dick. It wasn’t quick either. I felt her pulsating for longer than she had before. I thrust into her once more, my pace quickening until I’d spilled inside of her.
With my arms caging her against the bed, I scooped her into one arm and moved her on top of me, so her chest was pressed against mine.
My hand moved to her inner thigh, where I could feel myself dripping out of her.
I kissed the top of her head, letting her hair tickle my lips. The warmth of her body against mine was comforting in a way I couldn’t describe. It was as if I needed her against me.
Her breathing was steady now, her earlier moans replaced with soft, contented sighs. Rosalie shifted slightly and traced her fingers in lazy patterns against my chest. We stayed like that for a while. There was no need for words, and no rush to move or break away from one another.
Finally, I shifted, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. “Let me clean you up. Come shower with me,” I said, and she nodded sleepily.
She got up before me and strutted her way to the bathroom. I leaned back against the pillows, letting a smile tug at my lips as I admired how good she looked from the back.
Then I followed her into the bathroom to admire her some more.