ROSE The moment we entered inside the suite and stumbled over to the bedroom, Ryan was back to his arrogant and dominating self. “Lift your hands up,” He ordered. I raised a brow in challenge, he raised one of his own and said, “Don’t forget, wife, that you agreed to my terms and you love when I demand your submission.” With a huff, I did as he asked. I lifted my hands up in the air and felt the dress inching upward with the movement. I felt his fingers trailing upward on my thighs, felt my core quivering for more. I was still on the edge and knew that one touch from him, would sent me hurtling down the slope. He lifted the dress, his fingers skimming my bare skin as he went. Just a caress, not much, just to give me a taste of what I wanted more. Once the dress was past my waist, above my breast and over my head, he threw it away unceremoniously. Taking a step back, his smouldering grey eyes took a detour of my body, singing me with the intensity. “Remove the bra.” All ov
ROSE We were going to have sex. My body was on board with it, aching, flushed and ready, but my mind? It wasn’t so easily silenced. It whispered warnings beneath the heat, reminding me that we were headed to my hotel room. Not his home. Mine. Like I was still a visitor in his world. In the backseat of his car, the silence had been thick with hunger. Ryan’s hand rested on my thigh like a brand, hot and heavy, trailing invisible fire as he drew slow circles on my skin. I couldn’t breathe properly. Not with the weight of his desire pressing down on me like a second atmosphere. And now… in the elevator, waiting for my floor, with his hand openly palming my ass like it belonged to him? Every inch of me burned for him, to feel his skin against mine, to feel his hardness against my softness. The moment the elevator pinged and two older women entered, I stepped aside instinctively to make room for them. And that’s when my husband decided to play dirty. His hand slid lower. His f
ROSE"On your knees, Ryan.”His grey eyes widened just barely before he laughed. His deep throaty voice filled the empty café and all I wanted to do in that moment was to crawl in his lap and put my lips on top of his and kiss him, satiate the hunger inside me for my husband. His lower lip was no longer bruised, the faint purpling near his eye had faded but I could still see the shadows under his eyes and this time sitting across him, not blinded with rage, I noticed the sharpness of his jaw and the perfect fit of his shirt. He had lost weight, I realised, but still he looked unfairly beautiful, still dangerous and unreasonably devastating in that fitted shirt that stretched across broad shoulders and muscled chest like it was made for him.I remembered how those muscles felt against me in the trailer.Don’t go there. Don’t fucking go there.Oh god. I hated how much I wanted him.“Why doesn’t it surprise me, my lioness?” he said with a crooked grin that screamed of pride and possessi
ROSE What the hell just happened? One second, he was gently holding my wrist, his voice trembling with apologies, remorse etched across every line of his face. And the next? He was walking away, leaving me here…. My heart hammered with confused fury as I watched him lean down to speak to the woman at the reception. She shook her head, clearly refusing whatever he asked. But Ryan didn’t falter. Another man emerged from the door marked Management, and with a quick handshake, a few low words, and a smile that sent chills down my spine directed at the man, Ryan turned around and made his way back to me. I didn’t sigh in relief. I didn’t!! When he returned, he took the seat opposite me, not beside me and I hid my disappointment as I stared at him. “What was that?” I asked. “Nothing,” he said, but the glint in his eyes betrayed him. There was excitement there, controlled and measured, like a fuse waiting for a match. “Noth—” I stopped short as chairs scraped across the floor and
RYAN The moment Rose agreed to meet me, I hadn’t done anything else except to think about what would I say and do to make her understand. I couldn’t just tell her that the reason I had left her was my eight years older daughter. Could I? Only if I wanted to die a cold merciless at the hands of my beautiful, fierce wife. Yeah, no thank you.I just have to find a right way and right time to tell her about it. And, hope that—“Daddy?” I stopped short on the sidewalk to the café. When I turned around, I found my Angel coming toward me with my grandfather in tow. “Hey, Precious, what are you doing here?” I asked, crouching down as she came to hug me. “Cupcakes…” She shrugged, showing me the brown bag she was holding. And, then with a look in her eyes that always managed to make me wary, she asked, “What are you doing here?”I looked at my grandfather, who was as helpful as ever for he added, “Answer her.”“I am here for a meeting.” I said, without looking at her. How could you lie t
ROSEWhen I finally felt like it’d be fine to get out of the bathroom, I opened the door and stopped short. Michael was standing against the opposite wall with his arms crossed over his chest.“You didn’t tell him.” There was a hint of accusation in his voice.And, I was afraid that somehow in the moment of weakness I had lost my friend. My very genuine and kind friend. The friend who has been there to hold me up when everything was crumbling down to nothing around me.“Michael, I…”He raked a hand through his hair as he pushed back from the wall. In two long strides he was standing in front of me. “Rose, I know whatever happened wasn’t what you wanted… it just happened, and I also know that now you’re beating yourself for it. But…” He took a long breath. “You have to tell him.”I nodded my head, agreeing with him. “I know.”He chucked me under the chin, smiling. “Good.” His eyes flickered to my stomach as he placed his hand on it. “How’s the little bean?”“As demanding as his father,