Chapter Fifteen – Rose #2
I reached Oliver’s door having seen only two women dressed in the same outfit Jennie was wearing, and they thankfully paid me no mind.
Either they knew about the crazy lady in a bathrobe running loose around the estate or they were professional enough to pretend I didn’t exist, but whatever it was, I was endlessly grateful for them.
I knocked on Oliver’s office door and put my face close to the frame. “Oi. Let me in.”
The door opened slowly, and an eye appeared perfectly in line with mine. I shrieked, jumping backwards, and clutched at both the top and bottom of my robe as the belt loosened.
“You have no manners,” Lucas said, disapproval dripping off every word. “It’s been two hours. What have you been doing?”
“I’ve obviously been investigating the manor to see what secrets I can dig up on your boss,” I replied.
“In that dressing gown?”
“I thought it would look more natural than the black latex bodysuit I had stuffed in my backpack.”
He wrinkled up his face in disgust. “Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but—”
“Stop winding her up, Lucas,” Oliver said from inside. “I’m the one who takes the brunt of her temper. Let her in.”
“Ner-ner.” I poked out my tongue as I made my way inside.
“You’re so childish.” Oliver raised his head, then paused. “Huh. You really are in a dressing gown.”
Darn. The rotten git was in his glasses again.
If that didn’t give me a straight hit of horny hormones, I didn’t know what would.
I re-secured the belt and dropped onto one of the sofas, sighing heavily. “It was the best of many bad options.”
“I had clothes set out for you.”
“Yes, but you’re considerably taller and larger than me. I’m lean from continuous manual labour. What on Earth made you think those ginormous trousers of yours would fit around this lovely waist of mine?”
He tilted his head to the side, a teasing smile curving his lips. “So, what are you wearing, princess?”
Ugh.
“As if I’m going to answer that with Mr Pervert over there by the door.” I cocked my thumb towards where Lucas was still standing, staring at me with an irritated expression.
“I’m no pervert,” he snapped.
I held out my hands and shrugged. “You should have thought about that before you snooped on me, Mr Pervert.”
“Oli…” Lucas grumbled. “Why is she still here?”
As if I want to be.
“Divine punishment. For you and me,” I retorted.
Oliver rubbed his temple. “Don’t worry about her. When are you leaving for London?”
“Oh, you’re going to London?” I leant over the back of the sofa and pointed at Oliver. “Are you taking this nuisance with you?”
“There’s no need to look so pleased,” Lucas said. “And no, I’m not. I’m going there to take care of personal business.”
“Take as long as you need. Don’t come back, even. That’s half my job here done if I get rid of one of you.”
“Just go, Luke.” Oliver sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I’ve dealt with Rose’s temper enough today as it is without you pissing her off even more.”
Was that a compliment?
It felt like a compliment.
It probably shouldn’t, but it did.
I was taking it anyway. I didn’t get complimented often, so even dubiously half-hearted ones were a pretty boost to my already substantial ego.
Luke nodded his head. “Then I’ll speak to you tomorrow morning,” was all he said before he left the room without saying another word.
“Wow. He could have said goodbye,” I said, staring after him.
“Are you somehow hurt by his indifference towards you?” Oliver said dryly.
I snorted. “Please. I would be happiest if we never shared another word between us.”
He stared at me.
“What?”
“Are you sure you don’t have a twin sister hidden somewhere? Perhaps a local doppelganger?”
“I’ve already told you that I only have a brother. I suppose the doppelganger is a possibility, but I can’t imagine they’d be anywhere near as charming as me.”
“That’s exactly why I’m wondering such a thing. The more time I spend with you, the more I can’t believe you’re the same Rose I met that night.”
I paused. “People act differently depending on circumstances. I was obviously nice to you when we first met. Back then, you weren’t trying to ruin my life.”
“That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”
“It would be if you weren’t ruining my life.” I waved my hand. “Either way, thanks to you, I know better now. Always ask for someone’s name before you do the dance with no pants.”
He slowly removed his glasses and let them dangle from between his finger and thumb. “Are you intending to jump into bed with the next handsome man you come across, princess?”
“Only after confirming they’re neither an aristocrat nor a foreign prince willing to pay me one million pounds if I send them my bank account details.”
“This is no good. You’ll have to stay here.”
“What? Here? Why?”
“I can’t possibility inflict your particular brand of chaos upon any other man.”
“That’s a funny way of saying, ‘Rose, you’re so wonderful that I can’t let anyone else have you.’”
He rested his chin on his hand as a grin slowly spread across his face, making his blue eyes sparkle. “Sure. We can put it that way.”
I flinched. “I was joking.”
“I wasn’t. Although I might not have used the word wonderful. Perhaps… effervescent.”
“ Effervescent? What does that even mean?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I would, yes, hence why I asked.”
Oliver laughed, finally putting down his glasses. “Don’t you have bigger problems right now?”
“An endless number of them.”
“I mean an immediate one. You know very well that I’m attracted to you, yet you’re in my office in nothing but a terry bathrobe without a care in the world.”
My cheeks flushed, and I turned away as nonchalantly as I could. “I’m not only wearing this, actually. I’m wearing the shirt you left because it’s all that fits me.”
“Are you telling me that under that measly dressing gown you’re wearing my shirt? And nothing else?”
“Well, I’m wearing my knickers, but otherwise, yes. It’s not like I have any other clothes.”
“And you don’t feel any sense of danger at all by sharing such knowledge with me?”
I peered over at him. “No. I reckon I could take you in a fight.”
I wouldn’t pass up a chance to make him choke on a knuckle sandwich.
Just once.
“Knowing that you’re wearing nothing but your underwear and my shirt under that doesn’t make me want to fight you, princess. It makes me want to fuck you.”
Oh.
That kind of danger.
“That doesn’t sound like my problem. Perhaps you should keep your own perverted desires to yourself.” I coughed and got to my feet. “I’m going back to my room until someone comes with clothes and I can leave this place.”
“Rose. You can’t hide in there.”
I sighed and walked over to his desk, then perched on the edge of it, peering back at him. “If you’re trying to seduce me, don’t bother. I’m not responsible for your lust, Oliver.”
“You made me responsible for yours when you came onto me by telling me that I had a face you’d like to sit on.”
“And it was indeed a very comfortable seat,” I said. “But that was then, and this is now.”
“And now?”
“What about now?”
“Do you really feel nothing?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Why would I feel anything? You’re a grown man, I’m a grown woman, and we fucked with no expectations past that one time. That’s all there is to it. What is there for me to feel?”
Except the occasional traitorous tingling of my libido.
“We’ll see about that.” He pushed his chair back and got to his feet.
“What are you—”
The words had barely left my mouth before he was standing right in front of me with his hands planted on the desk, trapping me in place. His thumb brushed against my hip as he leant in, and his breath was hot against my ear as he said, “What about now? Still feel nothing?”
I leant back as far as I could and averted my eyes.
Yes.
Yes, I felt something.
He was handsome, and I was human. Not to mention I knew just what this man could—and would—do to my body given half a chance.
But I couldn’t. I couldn’t let him have his way with me. I couldn’t give in to him, no matter how my body tingled at his closeness.
I just… couldn’t.