19. Rosenna
Chapter nineteen
Rosenna
“D id you miss me, Flower?” Beckham asked seductively.
I shrugged, not wanting to give the sick satisfaction of seeing how much his presence effected me.
“Not at all… Just wanted to get some space away from the party, is all.”
He hummed as he approached me. I simply placed my glass down as I crossed my leg over the other.
“Shouldn’t you be with your date?” I asked, my tone mildly bitter despite my efforts to keep it casual.
He tilted his head, his gaze shamelessly running up and down my leg. “She’s busy chatting right now.”
“Hmmm,” was all I said.
He placed his hands in his pockets. “Flower... you can’t be jealous ?”
I crossed my arms as I glared back at him. “Well, why can’t I?”
“You said it yourself. We’re not together,” he remarked with a smile.
I rolled my eyes. “So you’ll smile with her for every joke or word that comes out of her mouth, but only will smile at me when it’s convenient for you?”
He didn’t deny it. He simply ignored my accusation as he ran his eyes over me from head to toe once more, his gaze growing more intense as the seconds passed.
“You look gorgeous today…” he murmured. “So fucking sexy.”
“I know I do…” I said, even though his words made my heart flutter… As bad as it sounded, I’d been waiting to hear those words from him all day.
“Being a little brat today, aren’t you, Flower?” he asked, his sick and twisted smile returning as I leaned back on the chair.
“So what if I am? It’s not like you should care.”
He bit his lip as he leaned down to be at eye level with me. He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, and I pouted as he looked at me with complete lust in his eyes.
Why was I acting like this?
I hated the way he held me mentally captive. Here I was, trying to focus on Gavin and relinquish the feelings of guilt that weighed me down, but a part of me wanted Beckham to continue to push that fragile boundary.
His hands braced on either side of me, his scent engulfing me, making me feel more intoxicated than I probably already was.
“Don’t be jealous, my little flower… as much as you don’t want to admit it to yourself, you know you’re mine and mine alone. The most beautiful woman in the world… a fucking work of art. I should know.”
I couldn’t help but moan as he placed a tender kiss on my lips, almost like I’d been dying to have a taste of him.
That voice of his had weakened me, and as result, I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck, wanting to pull him in closer. He groaned as he sat beside me, putting his hand on my thigh, pushing my leg over.
“My pretty little flower…” he uttered.
I whimpered as he moved his hand towards my inner thigh and further up to my core.
I gasped as I felt his thumb over my clothed clit. “Someone could see us.”
“Let them see, Flower,” he murmured. “They won’t know. It’s not like I’m fucking you yet or anything.”
I bit my lip as his thumb went faster.
Maybe it was the bottomless champagne making me feel this way, but I felt utterly helpless against him.
“There we go. Already so wet? Looks like you were excited to see me, baby.”
His fingers were skilled, relentless, teasing me with a pressure that was just enough to have me squirming but not enough to push me over the edge.
My breath hitched as my thighs instinctively tried to close around his hand, but Beckham simply tsked, using his free hand to grip my knee and spread me open for him once more.
I knew this was dangerous. Anyone could walk outside and see us, see the way his fingers were working me through my panties, see the way my body responded so eagerly to his touch. And yet the thrill of it, the risk, only made the ache between my thighs intensify.
Then, suddenly, his fingers slipped away, leaving me trembling, aching, desperate for more. The sudden loss of contact sent a sharp pang through me, a cruel, unbearable emptiness.
My breath hitched as I squirmed in place, thighs clenching around nothing, my body still burning from the sensation.
Beckham leaned back against the chair, watching me, fucking savoring the pathetic view.
“Jealous and desperate, Flower?” he murmured, his voice rich with sadistic amusement.
I exhaled shakily, my pulse pounding in my ears, every nerve hypersensitive, every inch of my body craving more.
“You are such an asshole.”
The sharpness of my voice brought a dangerous smirk to his lips. “And you get horny when you’re tipsy.”
I’d had too much to drink. I realized that now. I’d thought it was Kira—and maybe it was—but it was me, too. Vincent had kept my bottomless champagne topped up, and now I was suffering the consequences of it. How I’d even been able to hold myself together until now, keep professional, I didn’t know.
“Fuck you,” I seethed.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? As much as I appreciate your honesty, I won’t do anything more until you’re completely sober and can remember every single thing I do to you.” His voice was calm, unbothered.
I opened my mouth, ready to snap back, but I stopped.
“Go on then,” he continued smoothly, tilting his head. “Storm off. Find your husband. Tell him how much you love him… give him a kiss for me while you’re at it.”
Maybe it was the growing buzz of alcohol in my system, but rejection from a man who won’t take no for an answer weirdly made me feel even more drawn to him.
I hated it. Hated the way my body reacted to his words, to his control, to his refusal to give me exactly what I wanted when I wanted it.
I hated him .
Sobering up slightly as I grabbed things, I pushed my hair out of my face, annoyed.
What the hell has gotten into me? Metaphorically, that is.
Standing up, I fixed myself up. But as I walked over to the doorway, the sound of the patio door sliding open stopped me in my tracks. Gavin made eye contact with me and slowly looked back at Beckham.
My eyes were wide in shock. My hands twitched at my sides, instinctively smoothing down my dress, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. Did he see anything? He doesn’t seem too upset.
“Rosenna, I was looking for you. What are you doing out here with Beckham?”
My throat went dry. What was it that I was doing out here with Beckham? Pining after him? The same way his father said his date was? Only I probably seemed more desperate.
“She wandered over here a bit earlier, and I came over to ask her a few questions about the exhibit. She may have slipped in a few times about how excited you were for me to join guys’ night…” Beckham smoothly put in behind me.
I gave a subtle wavering grin as Gavin laughed.
“That means you’ll be there, Garcia. No ifs, ands, or buts.”
Beckham let out a chuckle. Gavin turned and walked back inside, signaling Beckham to follow. As he passed by me, my breath hitched as he ran his hand over my waist and gazed down at me, an alluring, dangerous glint in his eyes.
I shook my head as he closed the patio door. I needed to snap out of it . But as Kira even said, drunk thoughts are honest thoughts. Regardless, I needed to reevaluate said thoughts… and maybe put the wine down, too, Rose.
After gathering myself for the hundredth time, I walked back inside and made my way back to the party. As I opened the other patio door, I noticed Beckham and Gavin still talking by the bar. Beckham’s date walked over to them and smiled as she held onto his arm.
Maybe it was the wine talking through me, but my feelings of jealousy started coming back. I did my best to ignore them, but I couldn’t as Gavin waved me over.
Reluctantly, I joined the throng, standing beside Gavin as he wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Jessica, this is my wife, Rosenna. Rose, meet Beckham’s date, Jessica,” Gavin introduced.
I did my best to smile as I greeted the woman who seemed only half interested in getting to know who I was.
As Gavin continued talking to Jessica, I saw Beckham’s eyes harden, and I noticed it was because Gavin had his arm around my waist. I had half a mind to step out of his embrace, but I didn’t. If he was okay with her feeling up on his arm, he should be more than okay with my actual husband holding his wife.
“You own your own law firm?” I heard Jessica’s voice.
Gavin chuckled. “With a few other partners of mine, yes. We practice different types of law. We’re well-versed in the major fields.”
Jessica beamed happily as she batted her eyelashes subtly. “You must be very busy then?” She caressed Beckham’s bicep; he remained unresponsive.
“Ask the wife. She knows better than anyone how busy it can get.” Gavin looked over at me with a smile, and I gave a smaller one as Jessica glanced over at me with a grin.
“Rosenna, you’re so lucky to have a husband who is so knowledgeable and caring.”
Gavin squeezed my hip softly—the same husband who ridiculed me for wanting to work more, threw me under the bus to appease his parents and believed in prehistoric misogynistic beliefs and ideas of what an ideal wife should be or how she should act…
Nodding, I responded, “The luckiest…”
Jessica turned back to Beckham. “They’re so cute, aren’t they, babe?”
Babe .
Beckham’s eyes landed on Gavin’s hand, still resting on my waist for a split second, and he gave her a smile.
“They sure are…”
I immediately felt my jealousy skyrocket. How he was able to smile and laugh at her freely was beyond me. Maybe I wouldn’t be so reluctant to be around him if he showed me more positive and lighthearted emotions… rather than the overly obsessive, dangerous, and lustful ones.
“So this must be the famous Rosenna?” I heard a voice beside me, and I looked over to see Vincent and one of his colleagues.
He continued, “Sebastian Howe. Forgive me for being late to the party, but Vincent has surely filled me in on the star of today’s brunch.” He smiled, and I held my hand out for him to shake as Gavin loosened his hold on my waist.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Hart. And I see you’ve been well acquainted with my daughter Jessica,” he continued with a grin
She beamed at her father, though something in her expression told me she wasn’t too pleased with our conversation. It was a look I knew all too well: the daddy’s girl look, which made everyone in the room aware that she could get away with anything and everything.
And with the way her hand continued to rest on Beckham as if she was staking her claim, I could tell she’d expected her father would be able to secure Beckham for her as well with his connections to Vincent.
“Now, Rosenna, Vincent is telling me all about the anticipated art exhibit you are planning with Beckham.”
Vincent chimed in, “You and Kira are going to have to convince him to attend, Rosenna. I told him he’d be better off if he rescheduled his week of meetings in London for another time.”
I shook my head. “Mr. Howe, if you are busy, we would completely understand. Just your encouragement is well enough,” I said honestly, and it was the truth.
As much as I would probably feel the knives of Kira stabbing me in the back for not securing a potential buyer, I wanted to grow connections too, not just profits… as ridiculous as it may sound. Maybe that ’ s why I have so much debt . That’s probably why I also need Kira to keep me in check when I don’t hustle or persuade potential investors like she does.
Vincent gazed over at me, and I immediately noticed the subtly, disappointed and unsatisfied look that scolded me for being so lenient. It felt fatherly, almost like most of his gestures did. It was enough to make my stomach clench, enough to make me straighten slightly before I even realized I was doing it. Much like Jessica and my past self, who both wanted their father’s approval, I spoke once again in order to make him satisfied.
“Although... if you would give us just a minute or so of your time, I would greatly appreciate it if you’d allow my assistant and I to show you what we’ve been working on for the exhibit… to make it worth your while if you consider attending, of course.” I gave a rather charming smile.
Sebastian glanced over to Vincent. “I like her. She’s quick on her feet.”
Vincent patted Sebastian’s shoulder. “I always thought I couldn’t be easily persuaded before. After I met the two of them… good luck. Rosenna, darling, Kira is already in my office. Finish up here and discuss with her for a short while and we’ll join you in a moment or so.”
“Of course, Mr. Garcia. I’ll be right there.”
I let out a breath as they stepped away. Turning back to Gavin, Jessica, and Beckham, I cleared my throat, feeling uncomfortable. I wasn’t used to such an audience in my encounters with businesspeople.
Gavin and Jessica shared somewhat the same look. It wasn’t entirely anger, but it wasn’t celebratory either. Gavin had downed his glass of whiskey, possibly trying to drown out the conversation, and Jessica just remained rather impassive overall.
Beckham, on the other hand, although he was able to keep his face rather stoic, his eyes said everything. And they told me that if he could devour me this second, he absolutely would within a heartbeat.
So… Jessica and Gavin didn’t favor me gaining potential investors. However, Beckham was severely turned on by it… right.
“Um, Gav, I’m gonna step back inside and go meet Kira so we can present to Mr. Howe.” He nodded silently as he took a sip of his new drink. “Oh, and Jessica, so nice to meet you, by the way.” I smiled towards her, and she returned a somewhat forced one.
“Same here,” was all she said.
I hoped to escape alone—but as I turned to leave, Beckham said, “I’ll walk you inside. Make sure you don’t get lost.”
I shook my head almost instantly. “It’s fine. I’ll manage.”
Incredibly, he didn’t follow. I made my getaway alone, thrilled to have finally escaped. But as I reached the patio doors and turned to pull them closed behind me, my happiness turned to an uncomfortable shiver. As Jessica and Gavin chatted as though they’d known each other their entire lives, Beckham’s dark gaze penetrated me, deeply unhappy, almost sinister.
I met that heavy look for a few moments—then I closed the door and turned away, making my way into the mansion to Vincent’s office.