Chapter 35 Boone #2
We’ve never kissed in public before. Her father’s rules were clear: this marriage was for show, and the real world is our stage when the cameras are watching. There is no room for off-script moments. There’s no room for touching more than the required minimum.
Trust me, I’ve wanted to publicly kiss her, but I knew that was a line I shouldn’t cross if I didn’t want to betray her trust.
But here we are. Her lips on mine. Her tongue sweeping into my mouth.
And she initiated it.
That makes me feel about ten feet tall. Like the luckiest fucking dude on the planet.
I kiss her back, deep and unrestrained. I press her front to mine, pouring all the unsaid things, the quiet longing that we've kept behind closed doors, into one very public, make out session.
When we finally pull apart, her eyes are sparkling with something mischievous. She knows exactly what she’s doing even if I don't. Before I can ask her what that something is, she tugs me toward the restaurant, ignoring the shouting photographers still snapping pictures.
“You little vixen,” I whisper in her ear as I press my chest against her back and grip her hips while we wait for our table. I’m hard and we’re in public but it’s just us in my eyes. I rub my pelvis against her discreetly as she twists her head slightly to smile up at me with faked innocence.
“What?” she asks sweetly.
“What do you think you were doing out there?”
“Kissing you.”
I raise a brow. “Was that part of your dad’s plan?”
She shakes her head. “It was despite him. It pissed me off when he said I wasn't doing enough for the case just because I didn't show up at your game tonight.”
I grin so wide it feels like my face might split open. Rosie’s standing up to him now because she cares about me. She cares about… us. This thing we’ve started.
"I'd say you've been very committed to my case. Working extra hours... making sure the client is satisfied... always coming on time..."
She shoves at my chest with a grin, and the hostess appears and leads us to our table. I trail behind her, taking her beauty in and the way her hips sway when she walks.
Cheeks flushed pink from the cold, or maybe the kiss.
Her perfectly painted lips match the rosy hue, and her dark blonde hair is pinned half-up, cascading down her back.
She’s in one of those tailored suits she wears when she’s working, the kind that drive me a little crazy because she looks so stunning. She’s beautiful.
“You’re beautiful,” I tell her as we sit.
She smiles genuinely. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” I lean closer, unable to stop grinning. This is who I’ve become now. A guy who grins. “I think disobeying your father looks good on you. We should do it more often.”
She laughs, the sound soft and free, but then her phone buzzes against the tabletop, shattering the moment. She glances at the screen, her smile fading into a sigh when she reads the message.
“Let me guess,” I say, leaning back. “Your dad?”
She flips the phone over, her expression tightening. “Yup. He’s blowing up about the photos already.”
“Ignore him.” My voice drops, a hint of a growl slipping out as I reach for her hand.
She hesitates, then shakes her head but doesn’t pull back. “Your court case is tomorrow. The last thing we need is him removing Cain’s support at the last minute. This’ll just take a second.”
I watch as she swipes to answer an incoming call and stands. Just like that, the carefree, rebellious Rosie who was willing to say fuck your demands to her dad from moments ago transforms into someone else: polished, professional, and precise.
Don’t get me wrong, I love this version of her too, but I’m already missing the way she kissed me without abandon or pretending.
“Hi, Daddy,” she says, her tone clipped but respectful.
I sit back, watching her handle him, but my jaw tightens. I don’t like seeing her shift into someone else for his approval.
Her voice fades as she moves toward the back of the restaurant, seeking privacy for her call. But I still catch her words. “It was for show. You told me I was ruining the case because I hadn’t shown up to his game, so I had to make it believable. I was acting.”
“The hell you were,” I mutter, loud enough for her to hear even as she disappears out of sight. A few heads turn in my direction, brows raised at my outburst, but I don’t care. I glare back, daring anyone to say something.
She’s gone just long enough for me to flip through the menu, but I’m not thinking about food. I’m thinking about the way her father is still controlling our marriage and how much I hate that.
By the time she returns looking a little rattled, I already know what we’re doing next weekend.
“Everything good?” I ask, watching her sit down with that polished smile, the one she always puts on after dealing with him. It’s like it physically pains her.
“Yeah, he’s fine. He believes it was for show," she says, brushing it off like it didn’t just ruin the mood.
I nod knowing it was absolutely not for show. “Good. Will you come to Canada with me?”
Her brows shoot up. “What? Boone… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? When’s the last time you took a trip that wasn't for work? It’s beautiful there right now.”
She nibbles on her bottom lip, smudging her red lipstick a little. “Not since I graduated from law school.”
“Perfect,” I say, leaning forward. “Then now’s your shot.”
“When?” she asks, a soft laugh slipping out.
At least she hasn’t said no yet.
“Next weekend.”
I watch her do the math, her pretty face scrunching up in thought. Court’s tomorrow. By the end of the day, everything with Cain and the Prescott family should finally be settled and I can go back to my real life. The life where someone else isn’t calling the shots and I get to date Rosie honestly.
“This weekend is our big public fight. The PR team has already planned it,” she reminds me.
“I know.” And I fucking hate that.
“So, won’t it look a little strange if, the following weekend, we’re caught jetting off to Canada together? I mean, the divorce paperwork is supposed to be signed on Monday.”
I shrug. “We’re going to Alberta, not Toronto. No one there keeps up with gossip news or cares about professional hockey players.”
“You’re insane.” She laughs softly.
“Insane for you,” I counter, locking eyes with her. “I want you, Rosie. Come to Canada with me and meet my mom. Let me date you properly. After you get your promotion and I’m done with this ridiculous case, let’s just… be us.”
She chews on her lip again, and I can see the hesitation that’s creeping into her reflection, the wheels turning as she starts backing away from the idea. I can’t let her talk herself out of this. Not when we’re so close to the beginning.
“We’ve got a long weekend,” I press. “Three days. We’ll leave Friday and be back Monday for your work. No fuss, no headlines, just us.”
“But won’t that be… I don’t know… confusing for your mom and brothers if I show up there with you after we've publicly called off our marriage?”
I grab her hand, threading my fingers through hers and holding on tight until she meets my eyes. “What’s confusing about this, Rosie? Are you confused about how feel about you?”
She shakes her head, slow and sure. “No.”
“Then that settles it.”
I let go of her hand, leaning back in my chair with a grin so wide it makes her laugh softly again.
“I guess I’m going to Canada, then,” she says.
I nod, feeling victorious. “We can call it your divorce trip party.”
She snorts. “Shouldn’t that be with someone other than my ex-husband?”
“Not when he’s your future husband, too,” I say, my voice steady, certain.
Her cheeks flush, and for once, she doesn’t argue with that.