Chapter 69
Rosie
The hospital seems like a distant dream now, days after my awakening. The doctors have declared me fully recovered, though it appears someone hasn't quite received that particular memo.
"Alex," I say, watching him dart to my side with a glass of water, trying to mask my fond exasperation, "I can actually manage to pour my own water."
"I know, I know," he says, yet still extends the glass toward me with those worried eyes. "It's just—"
"That you need to take care of me," I finish, letting warmth seep into my smile. "And I love you for it. But I'm okay now. Really."
He nods, but I see it there—the shadow that flickers across his face, the echo of fear that hasn't quite released its grip.
The girls told me everything: how he maintained his vigil by my bedside, how he refused food and sleep, how he spoke to me endlessly while I lay unconscious.
The thought of his devotion makes my heart ache with a bittersweet mix of love and regret.
"Hey," I murmur, reaching for his hand. The contact grounds us both. "I'm right here. Solid and real and not going anywhere."
His fingers intertwine with mine, seeking anchor. "I know," he whispers, voice rough with memory. "But when I thought I'd lost you—"
"But you didn't," I cut in gently. "I'm here, and what I need most is for us to find our way back to normal. Can you help me with that?"
Finally, a real smile breaks across his face, reaching all the way to his eyes. "Okay."
My mind wanders to all I've missed: the final touches for Dad and Maria's wedding, the apparently legendary bachelorette party that the girls are dying to tell me about.
Yet I'm grateful to be here at all, present for the wedding itself.
“Two days," I muse aloud. "I can hardly believe Dad's getting married this Friday. And there's still so much—"
"That's completely handled," Alex interrupts smoothly. "The girls have managed everything. Your only job is to show up and celebrate."
The mention of recent events brings to mind something that's been nagging at me.
"You know," I begin carefully, watching his reaction, "I'm still processing what you told me about Maximilian."
Alex stiffens slightly at the mention of his friend, but nods. Thinking about the fact that Max had specialists flown in for me makes me feel... confused.
"It's strange," I say thoughtfully. "I can't figure him out. One moment he seems so... cold, and the next he does something like this."
Alex sighs. "Max is... complicated. But in his own way, he cares about us. Even if he'd never admit it."
I nod slowly. "And then there's this whole thing with Lexy. I don't understand why he hates her so much."
"That's one of the universe's greatest mysteries," Alex admits.
I notice the subtle shift in his demeanor, the way his shoulders tighten, how his eyes grow distant.
He's working himself up to something, and I think I know what it is. Before I can speak, he finds his voice.
"Rosie... about what happened with Max, with the whole Los Angeles situation..." he pauses, wrestling with the words. "I'm truly sorry. I never meant—"
"Hey," I interrupt, squeezing his hand.
We talk it through, acknowledging that arguments are part of any relationship. We're both navigating these waters for the first time, learning to sail together.
After all, love doesn't come with an instruction manual. We're writing our own as we go along.
We’re lying on the couch, cocooned in the soothing silence of the house. Alex holds me close, his steady, warm breath brushing against my hair. This recovery period has been all about moments like these, me being pampered beyond belief and Alex tending to my every need with infinite care.
But I crave more. He hasn’t touched me intimately yet, and his restraint is wearing thin on my patience. I want my Alex back—the cowboy version, the one who doesn’t hesitate to take what he wants.
It’s time to act. I shift slowly in his arms, letting my hands drift along the hard lines of his chest. He watches me, his brows furrowing in mild confusion, but he stays silent. Smiling coyly, I lean in and press a soft kiss to his lips.
He kisses me back, hesitant at first, but I’m not stopping there. Emboldened, I deepen the kiss, teasing his lips apart and slipping my tongue into his mouth. He doesn’t stop me, but I can feel the tension radiating from his body.
I move closer, tangling my legs with his as the heat between us intensifies. My body presses against his, and I can feel the unmistakable hardness of his arousal. Still, he holds back.
His hands find my hips, gripping them as if to steady me—or stop me. But I have no intention of stopping. Straddling his lap, I settle my weight against him and start to move, slow and deliberate. The friction sends a shiver through me, and I hear the rough hitch of his breath.
“Rosie…”
he murmurs, his voice hoarse, yet laced with resistance.
I tilt my head, giving him a mischievous smile.
“Come on, cowboy. Aren’t you my part-time doctor? Shouldn’t you be taking better care of your patient?”
He shakes his head, but the darkness in his eyes betrays him, smoldering with unspoken desire. “Rosie, it’s too soon. I don’t want to hurt you.”
This man, he makes me feel cherished, desired, and utterly exasperated all at once. Leaning in, my nose brushing his, I lower my voice to a whisper.
“I’m fine.”
I sigh dramatically, rolling my eyes. “And you know what else? I’m yours. I want you to touch me, Alex. I need to feel alive. I need you.”
He swallows hard, his gaze fixed on mine, a storm of emotions swirling within. I know he’s fighting a losing battle with himself, and I don’t plan to make it easy.
My hands slip beneath his shirt, trailing over the taut muscles of his abdomen. I tug the fabric upward, pulling it over his head to reveal his warm, bare skin.
“Rosie…”
he tries again, but his voice trembles, his resolve crumbling.
“Shh,”
I hush him, capturing his lips once more, this time pouring everything I have into the kiss. My hands roam over his chest, while my hips move rhythmically against him, igniting sparks that make us both gasp.
At last, his hands surrender, gripping my hips with a possessive force that sends my pulse racing. He guides my movements, pressing me harder against him, and his control begins to slip. His hands slide lower, gripping my ass firmly, his touch branding me.
His fingers tighten, his breathing deepens, and I see it in his eyes—the dam is about to break. A thrill of anticipation rushes through me as I lean forward, grazing his earlobe with my teeth.
“So, doctor,”
I murmur, my voice a sultry purr, “don’t you think your patient needs a more… thorough treatment?”
Alex groans softly, the sound sending a delicious shiver down my spine. His hands trail over my body, slow and deliberate, igniting a fire beneath my skin.
“Rosie,”
he whispers, his voice gravelly with need.
I bite my lip, meeting his gaze as I press harder against him, the friction drawing a low moan from both of us.
He closes his eyes, breathing deeply as if summoning the last vestiges of control. When he opens them again, I see the change—a spark of surrender that sets my heart racing.
“Alright,”
he says, his voice low and edged with hunger. “If you want to play, I guess I’ll have to show you just how good of a doctor I can be.”
A jolt of excitement courses through me as Alex effortlessly lifts me into his arms, carrying me to the bedroom. He sets me down on the bed with a tenderness that contrasts with the fierce intensity in his eyes. Kneeling above me, his hands skim my sides, his body radiating heat.
“So, Miss Rosie,”
he begins, his tone teasing but laced with authority. “How long have you been experiencing this… problem?”
I smile, my heart pounding as I run a hand through my hair, locking my gaze with his.
“Oh, doctor, it’s been building for a while. A heat so intense I just can’t cool it. Do you think you can help me?”
Alex leans in close, his lips hovering just above mine. “And where exactly do you feel this… heat?”
“Everywhere,”
I breathe, my voice thick with desire. “But especially here.”
I take his hand, guiding it down my body to rest just below the waistband of my silk shorts.
He exhales sharply, his resolve visibly faltering. His hand moves slowly, tracing lines over my bare skin, making me tremble under his touch. “This seems… serious,”
he murmurs, his warm breath caressing my neck.
“It is,”
I whisper, letting out a soft moan as his lips graze my collarbone.
“I think we’ll need to remove these shorts for a… better examination,”
he says, his tone low, dangerously seductive.
Both his hands slide beneath the waistband of my shorts, and my breath hitches. With a single, deliberate motion, he pulls them off, his lips curving into a knowing smile as he watches my reaction.
“Doctor,”
I manage to say, my voice trembling, “I think we need to take this treatment… deeper.”
Alex chuckles, the sound low and intoxicating, reverberating through me. His fingers trail over my thighs, slipping inside me with slow, deliberate precision.
“Oh, Rosie,”
he murmurs, his voice dark and full of promise. “We’re going to go as deep as it takes.”
And with that, Alex surrenders completely, unleashing the raw intensity he’s been holding back.