15
Rose felt uneasy as Matt pulled her into him for the slow smooch song, not that she had managed to evade his grip even for a minute, but at least a fast-paced song had offered her some body space, this song however seemed to give him an excuse to haul her against him hard. It felt weird and awkward being held against his torso. When he locked her fingers in his huge bear hand and pulled them to his mouth to nibble, she couldn’t resist the urge to glance around wondering where Rob was. Almost praying for anyone to save her, she squirmed her hand free and tried again to wiggle some room between them with no avail.
Like casting out a safety net and looking to see dry land, she looked out across the room again, praying for a glimpse of Rob to distract her from her fate worse than death. She caught his eye across the room momentarily, unable to read the expression on his face, but he was facing this way, watching the dancers, watching her. His overly slutty, serpent lady, practically humping his leg. She was whispering something in his ear and stroking his cheek with her long red fingernails as he stared practically blankly at the dancers. He seemed oblivious to the sweet nothings being whispered at him. His eyes focused intently on her.
Rose felt a shiver run up inside her and turned back to concentrate on what Matt was saying loudly into the side of her face. It was so hard to concentrate, aware of eyes burning into her from across the room, aware that he was watching her and that she had no idea of a single thing Matt had said for the last three minutes. She had been so lost in her own brain and he was now staring at her in a really odd way.
‘What now?... Sorry, the music...I didn’t hear?’ She focused back in his face apologetically.
‘I said... What about you let me walk you home after this? I heard you live close by?’ He had a smarmy kind of smile on his face, and his eyes were narrowed lustily. His focus was on her mouth and making it blatantly obvious where his mind was heading. Rose immediately felt her stomach drop from its happy nesting place to the floor and her face went cold as the blood escaped from the closest orifice.
Panic! Cringe!
He wanted to take her home. She knew only too well in grown up terms what that meant!
Shit, shit, shit.
Rose wasn’t one to have random one-night stands, even with hot muscular American romance heroes. Especially not with ones who had a look of a predator about to devour some innocent prey. She was physically beginning to recoil. Even without a stinking crush on another hot man, she still wouldn’t have been inclined to do so.
She began making fumbling excuses about staying with Abby tonight and maybe another time.
Like never!
Rose’s eternal need to be polite was sometimes a curse and wished she had Abby’s blunt ability to tell people to get lost.
She was almost willing the song to end, to give her an excuse to bolt from his overzealous grip to the lady’s room. He was not buying any of it and holding her a little too close for comfort, his mouth descending, no matter how much she turned and tried to dodge it. The song was incredibly long, and he was taking no form of NO as an answer.
Oh my god, how the heck was she going to get out of this one?
His grip was like a vice and he had no intention of letting her flee.
‘Can I cut in?’ like a warm sunrise over a chilly morning. That familiar voice coming over her, bringing with it the effect it always seemed to have on her. Melting her bones. Rob’s voice stayed her crazy manic panic. He expertly manoeuvred the pair apart, effortlessly shielding Rose behind his body in one swift move. His height and build equaling that of Matt. ‘Sorry mate, we just have something to discuss that can’t wait! Business!’ He said smoothly to the other man with a cheeky tone to his voice, a tone that also carried a hint of authority.
Matt shrugged and dived forward, planting a kiss on Roses’ cheek before informing her he would be at the bar when she was done. It was obvious he wasn’t going to argue with Rob, but he was still trying to make a claim on Rose. She resisted the urge to wipe her face in revolt. Instead faking a smile and shuddering inwardly.
Rose almost melted into Rob’s arms with relief as he turned her, pulling her into dance against him, a lot softer than the yank had been, a lot more welcoming too. Even though she barely knew him there was something about being in his arms that felt familiar, that his presence made her feel safe and at home. No awkwardness or uneasiness. Just a sense of belonging. And of course, a rising heat deep down inside her that came from being hot for his body. A complete contrast to how she had felt with Matt wrapped around her.
Panic dispersed, nerves calmed; the noise drowning into the background with her tipsy mood returned. He was watching Matt walk away across the crowded floor and not meeting her gaze just yet. Giving her time to revel in the closeness; to gaze at his perfect profile and the way his eyes changed tone almost every time his mood did. The smooth curve of his neck down to his wide strong shoulders and the perfect cut of his tailored suit.
As soon as he was satisfied, he turned his attention back to her. Locking her eyes with his and lowering his face towards her so they were close enough to talk over the music; manoeuvring her expertly, slow and steady. It was obvious this was not his first dance as he took control and made her feel like a ‘Strictly come dancing’ contestant. She had to reel her eyes back in, aware that she should stop looking at him like prize meat before he noticed.
‘Business?’ her voice sounded so childlike and pathetic, she wanted to slap herself for being so transparent. She needed to reel her faculties back in and not make it so god damn obvious. The steel grey eyes locked with her own chocolate brown ones intensely and a smile appeared
‘You don’t miss a trick do you Pen...? Rose!’ He spun her in time with other dancers and pulled her back, taking her breath away and letting her feel the strength straining under his clothed body. He could pull her around effortlessly, with a grace and ease that made her feel like she was floating on air. His hands, causing a delicious heat where he laid them and the sheer graze of brushing against him had her stomach fluttering. Her lower body warming up with a little too much longing. She had never met a man who could physically turn her on with the briefest of touches or looks, without even meaning too. He smelled strongly of a delicious designer aftershave and just the closeness to him was like a drug, making her feel giddy and giggly, breathless and carefree.
‘You looked like you needed rescuing from him. Figured I would be your hero.’ He smiled down at her, sliding her closer as the tempo slowed and he changed the speed of the waltz he was leading her in.
‘Rescuing?... Hmmm... I think you were imagining it.’ Rose tried for a playful tone, relaxing into the mood that he was putting her into and not quite ready to admit just how relieved she was to be rescued from an over amorous footballer.
‘I don’t think so. You looked like a kitten trapped down a well. If I had left you any longer I reckon you were going to form the fetal position at his feet.’ He smiled, that devastating smile which floored her every time and pushed her away, turning her under his arm and pulling her back in, so that she gently collided with his torso, his arm came up around her back, pulling her in tighter for a second. Her body responded, letting the hard-carved muscles of his chest meet her soft curved ones. She could have sworn his heart beat was as fast as hers, his breathing equally shallow before he released her a little again. Their eyes locked as his darkened and changed again.
‘Is that something you do often? Save damsels in distress.’ Rose smiled up at him, catching his gaze on her face and being mesmerised into locking eyes with him.
‘Only the beautiful ones.’ He winked; his expression somewhere between humour and seriousness and Rose felt her breath hitch a little more.
‘That’s a little unfair. I’m sure plenty of moderately pretty girls could do with a hero intervention at times.’ Rose jibed, trying to cover the way her chest was heaving up and down at a faster rate and her body was beginning to tingle at his proximity.
‘Possibly. Maybe I should reform my ways and stop being so shallow.’ Rob broke into a smile this time, complete humour and Rose couldn’t help the childish giggle that broke loose from her.
‘I’m not complaining; you pretty much just told me I was beautiful.’ Rose grinned, her face heating and her blood almost certainly pumping faster in her veins.
‘There’s no denying that Miss Turner, have to say I think you could easily be the belle of the ball tonight.’ His eyes darkened, and his tone took on a huskier sexier tone that made Rose unable to formulate a reply, his gaze moved to her mouth, which caused her to part her lips involuntarily. The urge to be kissed by him suddenly springing on her from nowhere and with such an intense force. Her own eyes moved to his perfectly formed mouth longingly. He had the kind of mouth that looked made for kissing. Sensual and perfectly formed.
‘I don’t think your date would like to hear you say that.’ Rose breathed, almost losing her voice completely as he moved alarmingly close to her mouth, her mind obviously disliking his advances and hitting her with reality. He seemed to regain control of his senses at her remark, loosening his hold enough to let her relax on her heels and again meeting her eyes, although a little less intensely this time.
‘I daresay she wouldn’t be pleased, but you can’t deny the obvious.’ He winked again and this time when he turned her under his arm, in time to the music and pulled her back, he didn’t bring her as close.
‘You’re such a flirt.’ Rose smiled, although it didn’t reach her eyes; the awareness that his whole demeanour had changed with the mention of his date had her wondering if she was more than just a casual escort. Possibly his girlfriend.
‘You effortlessly bring it out in us simple men, with your sweet vulnerable, damsel in distress signals.’ He was back to light humour and a wink and Rose couldn’t help feeling a tinge of emotion that didn’t feel entirely good in the pit of her stomach.
‘Maybe that’s part of my method to reel in unsuspecting men.’ She sounded breathy and was fighting hard to control her voice, she could not break the gaze between them, despite her growing melancholy and her humour was starting to wane.
‘I thought that trying to drive your car into them was a better method’ his voice was husky and equally quiet and this time he pulled her a little closer with a step, bringing her back in line with his mouth. It was as though the music around them had drifted far away, along with all the people and the rest of the room. Neither said anything more. Just silence as they stared at one another and continued to dance. Rose was trying to extract the meaning in his eyes and Rob seemed happy to just watch her there, moving slowly to the music. Transfixed on one another. So much translating between them without any actual uttered words.
The applause started around them as the song ended. Breaking the moment and bringing them back to reality. Rob reluctantly stepped away from her to join in; releasing her and smoothing down his jacket.
She felt instantly disappointed and realised that the heat had risen to her face as she caught sight of herself in one of the long floor to ceiling mirrors on the wall. She looked rosy-cheeked, flushed and wild-eyed, like a lust fueled animal. Rob was looking a little shaken himself and small glances towards her did not go unnoticed by Rose.
Abby appeared beside them as equally rosy-cheeked and announced she was in love before Rob caught her under his arm and warned her of the dangers of telling a big brother that. Rose watched them, feeling amused, out of breath and strangely affectionate towards the brotherly protectiveness. It was warming her in ways she had never experienced. Abby’s intrusion giving both of them a chance to cool off and return to the previous mood and give her a moment to wonder what it had even meant.
Was there an attraction on both sides?
When he released his sister, he caught Roses eye again, an unreadable look and a smile, just for her. Something in his expression, as he moved towards her, made her think he had something more to say, but that was brought to an abrupt halt when Morag slunk into view and draped herself across his shoulders
‘I was so lonesome waiting on you Robbie baby!’ She slurred huskily; he tried to disentangle her arms from around his neck. It was obvious she had been hitting the champagne a little too hard and was rather worse for the wear. He didn’t look amused and looked at Rose with an almost pained expression; Rose wondered what it was meant to translate.
‘I’m sure there were plenty people keeping you company. I’ve been less than five minutes Morag.’ His tone was dry, expression deadpan as he was trying to unwrap her and place her arms around her own torso before turning her around to free himself, but she was persistent. Like an eight-armed beast desperate to capture her prey.
‘Take me upstairs Rob! Please, baby. I need you to take me to bed.’ her speech slurring incoherently and her eyes were drooping. She was not so attractive now in this state; all the sexual appeal and classy control, sizzling into a hot mess on the floor. He grimaced, casting Rose an apologetic smile and once again tried to untangle her long, slender arms from wrapping around his waist under his jacket. She had a snakelike way of moving her hands into his clothes, trying to get under them. Any longer and she would be undressing him right there on the floor. Rose felt the jealousy rearing up inside her stomach, causing her to look away and down at the glass she had been handed by a passing waiter.
‘Sorry girls, I need to deal with this.’ He threw her and Abby an apologetic soft smile before he turned and scooped up Morag over his shoulder; she let out an excited squeal and he walked her off in the direction of the doorway without another backwards glance. Both Abby and Rose watched them leave, Abby rolling her eyes and returning to her drink and Rose feeling less than merry.
Caveman style exit, right there. Dragging off his woman for some drunken fun, no doubt. He did not even flinch at the woman’s weight; just up and off, walking like he was carrying nothing more than a piece of clothing.
Rose felt her insides instantly crumble into a million pieces and her throat restrict at the sight of him dragging off his girlfriend. Confused by what had taken place between them even more now that he was literally dragging off his woman to bed!
Why did it have to be her? of all people! A born seductress that Rose had no chance of competing with. Why did he have to have a woman at all? One that was not Rose!
