Page 24 of Roses for Rosie

I lower my mouth to cover hers again and she pulls me into her, wrapping her arms around my back. I take it slow, gentle. I want nothing more than to plunge ahead. With another woman, I would. But Rosie is special. Rosie deserves to be romanced, to be flirted with, to be teased to the heights of desire and then gentled back down again.

I kiss her again, and she responds with her hand in my hair pulling me closer. I nudge her lips open with mine, it’s a mere suggestion but she runs with it. I let my tongue dart into her mouth, just a quick visit. She gasps and opens herself even further.

There is so much of her to explore. I want to learn which places make her squirm and which spots make her gasp in delight. My kisses leave a trail from her lips to her ear where I discover my first favorite place. Rosie shudders with pleasure when I reach it. I rain kisses on her, nibbling on her earlobe as I go.

Her throat is next on my list. Her head is tossed back on the pillow, her body arched toward me, giving me perfect access to the sensitive skin near her shoulder. I take full advantage. She is trembling by the time my fingertips graze her breasts over the thin fabric of her t shirt. Her nipples are hard and tight, poking through the shirt and begging me to get to know them better.

I pull the shirt slowly over her head and gaze down upon the treasure I’ve revealed before burying my face between her breasts, caressing them with my hands. I take one nipple into my mouth, teasing it with my tongue while I roll the other between my fingers.

I take my time, waiting until her eyes glaze over with need and she wraps her legs around me before moving on. Her lounge pants are the only barrier between me and heaven. They don’t stand a chance.

I peel them down her legs and drop them in a puddle on the floor. Her eyes go wide as she watches me kneeling over her. She knows exactly what I’m going to do next, she’s read enough of my books to know how this works.

I spread her legs wide with my elbows and begin to feast, just a tease of my tongue at first. She moans in response, urging me on. She doesn’t have to ask me twice. As I lap her up, I feel her tighten and quiver. She is on the edge and I’m going to push her over.

One well-placed finger is all it takes before she is pulsing around me, sighing my name. I gentle her down and crawl up to lay next to her, petting her hair and kissing her thoroughly.

“Good morning,” I say.

She turns a brilliant shade of red and giggles. “Good morning.”

“Sleep well?”

“Better than I expected.” She stretches luxuriously, her whole body lengthening and then falling back to the mattress and into me. “What time is it?”

I check my watch and jump out of bed. “Shit. It’s nine o’clock. We have to get moving. My appointment in the city is at eleven.” I give her one more kiss and a lingering gaze, letting her know that while we might not be able to explore this today, I’m not done with her by a long shot. “I’m just going to jump in the shower. Back in a flash.”

Twenty minutes later, we are back in my car and on our way to her house.

“You can just drop me off here,” she says as we reach a stop sign a block away from her house.

“Nice try. There is no way I am going to let you face him alone.”

“It’s all right, really. I know what I’m doing.”

“I know what you’re doing too, walking on eggshells and living your life trying not to piss him off. That’s no way to live, Rosie.”

“I’m an adult capable of making my own choices about how to live.”

“Not good enough,” I say, pulling into her driveway and getting out of the car.

“Adam, don’t,” she calls after me as I stride up to the door.

I don’t bother to knock before walking in. He doesn’t deserve the respect of a knock after what he has done to Rosie. “Mr. Todd,” I say as I beat on his bedroom door. “We need to have a little chat.”

“Adam, please,” Rosie begs as she hovers in the doorway, torn between her urge to keep the peace between me and her father and her desire to run from the ensuing conflict.

“Mr. Todd,” I yell, as I bang on the door again. No answer. I open the door and walk into the bedroom. Rosie’s father is still right where I left him last night, but he’s awake and blinking. I walk over to him and stand tall next to the bed, looking down on him. I let every ounce of hatred I ever felt for my own father plaster itself over my face.

“Intimidating your daughter is unacceptable. Holding her hostage in this house under the threat of violence cannot continue. Physical assault of a woman is wrong and I won’t stand for it.”

At first, he just gapes at me in shock, unsure who I am and how far to push me. When he finds his voice, he also finds his temper. “Who the hell do you think you are?” he asks as he sits up.

I take a step forward, resisting the urge to shove his puny frame back down onto the mattress and opting instead to tower over him. “I am a decent human being, which is more than I can say for you. I’ll be watching you, Mr. Todd. If you treat Rosie like anything less than the amazing goddess she is, you’ll be hearing from me. Do we have an understanding?” I ask.

He looks at me defiantly but doesn’t respond.

“I asked you a question,” I reach out and grab him by the shirt collar, giving it a little yank to let him know I’m serious. “There will be consequences and they will not be pleasant. Understand?”

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