With a shuddering breath she did as he asked.
He took her fingers and pressed them to his erection.
‘My Love Muscle is feeling deprived.’
Her full mouth twitched as she massaged his cock through his suit trousers.
‘Your Love Muscle needs Bromide.’
He nipped her bottom lip, licked and heard her groan.
‘That’s a myth. You know what I want that mouth to do to me?’
This time her eyes went wide but they held no fear just a naughty gleam.
A dark brow winged into her hairline.
‘Will it take the edge off?’
‘Only if you want it to.’
Her fingers unzipped him to find and release his cock.
When she stroked and her thumb rubbed a gentle circle over the mushroom head of his penis, he couldn’t control a pleasured gasp.
‘I’ll need guidance since I’m not an expert,’ she purred.
She could have fooled him. The way her hand tentatively stroked was killing him.
His shudder made her smile and just like that Rosie was in the driving seat.
She had him by the balls.
Literally as well as figuratively and for Rosie it was a heady feeling.
He toed off his shoes, his socks, kicked off his trousers and briefs.
With her mouth on his and his heavy cock in her hand, she nudged him towards a couch.
Kicking off her shoes, she knelt and simply stroked him from root to tip.
He stood in front of her and spread his legs.
Her gaze flicked up to find him watching her through narrowed eyes.
He couldn’t hide his pleasure and seeing, hearing his breath hitch aroused her unbearably.
‘Want me to taste you?’
His muscled legs trembled and his hand caught the back of her head.
‘Please,’ he pleaded in a voice that made the slick ache between her legs burn.
Her tongue flicked out to taste, to lick him. The salty, clean taste was pleasant, so she did it again. The sob from his throat made her suckle him from root to tip in a way that released more precum.
She’d given a blow job before, but it had been nothing like this.
When she took as much of him as possible into her mouth, his balls went too tight in her hand and she gave them a gentle squeeze.
‘I can’t...’ he gasped and pulled out before he ejaculated.
His eyes were tightly closed as his breath gasped from his throat.
‘I thought you wanted me to taste you?’
Glittering green eyes met hers as he shook his head.
‘Later.’
Now she frowned and gave him a pout.
Those amazing eyes flashed into hers and Rosie found herself in his arms as he strode through the house and took the stairs two at a time.
They entered his bedroom and she didn’t even have time to admire the incredible bed before she was on her back, her dress was around her waist and he was inside her.
Their coupling was fast and frantic.
Her heart soared as she matched him thrust for thrust. All she could hear above the hammering of her heart was the slap of slick flesh, their moans of arousal.
His mouth swallowed her scream of completion before he followed her into oblivion.
‘What was that?’
Alexander was lying on his back and she was sprawled on top of him while his fingers massaged her ass.
His laugh vibrated through her body.
‘I can’t get enough of you. I hope you don’t mind warm champagne.’
‘I love warm champagne.’
Pressing a gentle kiss to his pecs, Rosie lifted her head and leaned an elbow on his chest.
His wince when he saw the condition of her dress made her smile.
‘Sorry.’
‘You can pay for the dry cleaning.’
He patted her bare bottom. ‘Deal. Worth every penny.’
Sitting, she thrust her hands through her hair and looked around.
The bed was a huge steel monster that must weigh a ton.
‘Good God, this bed is massive. You could easily sleep four people.’
‘I’m not into threesomes or anything kinky.’
She gave him a bland look.
‘No? Ah well, I suppose I’d better get used to just one man at a time in my bed.’
Then she found herself on her back and looking up into his eyes.
‘You’d better be joking.’
She patted his cheek.
‘You’re too easy.’
Then those eyes went serious as they studied her hair, her mouth, before meeting hers.
‘Move in with me?’
Temptation almost won over an innate sense of self preservation, almost.
By the intense look in his eyes she knew this was not the time for smart remarks. He was absolutely serious and her heart twisted because she knew she was going to hurt him.
Why couldn’t he have discussed this with her first, given her time to get used to the idea?
Her hand rose, her fingers stroked that marvellous face, threaded through his hair.
‘I’d love to say yes...’
His eyes narrowed on hers.
‘But...?’
She’d been with men before, of course she had. Two. They’d touched her, held her and made love to her. But compared to Alexander they’d been boys not men. And he was much too sure of himself.
And much too sure of her, which was a problem she needed to deal with.
‘You’re moving too fast.’
The flash of hurt was quickly hidden.
She hadn’t said yes and she hadn’t said no.
It was a cop out and they both knew it.
He rolled off the bed.
With his back to her he scrubbed his face with his hands.
She stood.
Her hands trembled a little as they smoothed her dress.
What to say?
How could she explain to him how she felt if she had no clear idea herself?
Any woman in her right mind would jump at the chance to move in with Alexander Ludlow. And Rosie knew she was the first woman he’d asked to live with him.
Looking at him now as he hauled on jeans, by the rigid jaw, the stiff back, she saw how much it had cost him to ask her.
Zipping up his jeans, his eyes met hers.
‘Don’t look at me like that, Rosie.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like a smacked puppy.’
She spread her hands, shook her head.
‘I don’t want to hurt you.’
He gave what passed for a crooked smile.
‘I’m a big boy. I can take it. I can’t force you to do something if it doesn’t feel right for you. I accept your feelings, angel face. But that’s not to say I won’t do everything I can to make you change your mind.’
Well, she’d have expected nothing less from him.
‘Can I road test the shower?’
Now he moved into her, caught her face between his hands, kissed her. It was hard and hot and hungry and she received the message loud and clear. This was not finished.
He lifted his head to stare into her eyes. And what she saw there, possession, determination and something else she couldn’t identify had her wonder if she’d lost her mind. But he hadn’t mentioned the word she so desperately longed to hear. Love. And until she did hear it compromise was not an option.
‘Knock yourself out,’ he said.
When she padded into the kitchen, Alexander found himself unable to speak with the emotion that flooded him.
She’d rifled through his closet and now wore a pair of his cotton boxers and a T-shirt.
So he just shook his head, cleared his throat.
‘Is the dress ruined?’
‘Nothing that dry cleaning won’t fix. You don’t mind me wearing your stuff?’
Was she joking?
The fact she was wearing his clothes did something crazy to his heart. And he realised she’d no idea of how he’d been struck by the intimacy of the moment.
Okay the fact she wasn’t jumping at the chance to move in with him still stung. But he was honest enough with himself to realise that he was becoming a little too eager for her to fully commit to his sparkling vision of their future.
At the moment she was watching him with big eyes and he realised he hadn’t responded to her question.
‘You look cute and sexy. I’m looking forward to peeling them off you later.’
She smiled.
He didn’t miss the flash of relief in those big eyes.
‘You’re insatiable,’ she teased.
Baby, you have no idea how insatiable I am around you he wanted to say.
But if there was one thing Alexander Ludlow always trusted it was his gut. And his gut was telling him to take it easy and not to force the subject that he wanted her to live with him. He’d take it one step at a time. So he’d just make sure she stayed tonight, spend the day with him tomorrow like a regular couple who were dating and exploring their relationship.
Mostly, Rosemary Margaret Gordon was a stubborn, independent, self-aware little witch. God, he loved those facets of her complicated personality. So he’d just need to suck it up when the things he adored most about her didn’t work in his favour.
The chef at Ludlow Hall had prepared a fruit and cheese platter. Now, he took it out of the fridge.
‘Grab a couple of plates from that cupboard, will you?’ He gave a jerk of his chin. ‘And knives from the drawer to your right.’
She did as he asked, opening and closing cupboards and drawers.
‘Napkins?’
‘In one of those drawers in the island unit. You were right, we did need another drawer pack.’
Poking her head in a couple of cupboards and moving to the drawer, she found napkins and handed him one.
‘I love this kitchen. It’s fabulous.’
Biting down hard on his tongue, he wanted to say he’d had her needs in mind when he planned the space. But he had an idea the truth might spook her even more.
Time to play it cool, Alexander. Time to back off and let her come to him in her own time rather than pushing her too hard and too fast.
But God it was killing him.
Couldn’t she
see
they were meant to be together?
Again he cursed his stupidity.
What was it about her that made him so terribly desperate?
They sat at the island unit.
Rosie slid her knife into soft Brie, placed it on a cracker and popped it into her mouth.
He was very quiet she thought watching him take a sip of champagne.
Not in a mood. Alexander wasn’t a moody man and he didn’t sulk either, thank goodness. But she could almost hear the wheels turning in that handsome head of his and she wondered what he was thinking.
‘Why don’t you ever talk about what happened to your parents? The letter to Bronte?’ she wanted to know.
But the way he went stiff with surprise made her wish she’d kept her big mouth shut.
He tried to hide it, but she saw the hurt, the pain, in those green eyes.
‘I don’t see the point in digging up bad stuff from the past.’
‘So your idea of dealing with it is to ignore it?’
Now he frowned.
‘No. My idea of dealing with it is to remember them the way they were. Why do you want to bring it up? What’s it to you?’
The tone told her to back off but she ploughed right on.
‘I saw how much you and Bronte suffered, how it affected both of you. I stayed here because of it.’
Her mother always said the truth shall set you free.
She took a deep breath.
‘And I couldn’t leave you.’
His hand reached for hers and she felt, saw, him battle with his emotions.
‘I lost them both at the same second on the same day.’
Again she was hurting him by making him remember.
Why couldn’t she have left well alone?
‘I know how much it...’
‘No,’ he interrupted and his eyes went too fierce. ‘You don’t. You’ve no idea. It broke me, Rosie. And then I lost my home. And for a time I thought I’d lost Bronte.’
He shook his head. ‘I wasn’t in a fit state to ask anything of you. And you drove me nuts. I couldn’t understand it. There were times I almost reached out to you. But I...’
And there it was, right there, the reason why she couldn’t move forward with him.
She pulled her hand from his.
‘Don’t you see? That’s the whole point. When you care for someone it’s not just for the good times. It’s for the bad times too. I wanted to help.’
He blinked.
‘But you did. You did help by being there. A constant thorn in my side.’
As far as Rosie was concerned he just didn’t get it.
‘You never let me in.’
Again he took her hand and held it tight as his eyes met hers.
‘Darling, I didn’t let anyone in... And...’ He took a breath and she could see how much it cost him to open up to her. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever forgive them for not telling us.’
Rosie didn’t attempt not to understand him. She’d had almost the same conversation with Bronte.
He continued, ‘It was as if I didn’t know myself anymore. Everything I believed in, everything they made me believe in was gone. None of it was real.’
The man, Rosie realised, was hurting and damaged in a way she could never have guessed. He’d kept all these thoughts buried deep within him. Secrets and words unspoken leave a legacy of regret, mistrust and hurt. Bronte often said that and now Rosie knew exactly what she meant.
Perhaps she needed to back off until he was ready to talk through difficult feelings.
Without asking her he placed apple slices, grapes and peeled kiwi fruit on her plate. She noticed the gesture was instinctive and found her eyes sting. Did he realise how much it meant to her to have him take care of her?
Those eyes, the colour of deep emerald met and held hers.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
He smiled and something in the region of her heart twisted.
‘Baby, you are very welcome.’
And she knew he wasn’t just talking about fruit and cheese.
Regret made her take a shaky breath.
‘Alexander...’
But he simply placed his hand over hers.
‘Don’t say it. I’m not going to make a fuss or try and force you into something you’re not ready for. When you want more, need more from me, Rosie, then you’re going to need to tell me. Okay?’
And just like that, very neatly, he’d tossed the ball back into her court.