Page 30 of Roses for Rosie

The restaurant is as nice as any I could find in a real city. Candles dot the tables and quiet music fills the spaces between murmured conversation. The wine list is impeccable and I order a bottle of Chardonnay to accompany our chicken piccata.

Rosie is easy to talk to and ready to enjoy her evening. We talk about books and writing, about Jamesville and Nooks and Books, about touring and book signing, about our favorite foods and our guilty Netflix binges. No topic is too trivial; no subject is off limits. Getting to know Rosie is like sampling tasty morsels from an endless buffet, each detail leaving me wanting more and I know I’ll never get enough.

Coffee and tiramisu bring us to talk of the future. “I’d really like to see you again, Rosie.”

“I’d like that too,” she says, blushing.

“I have to leave for a work trip on Monday – Boston, Chicago, LA, Miami. It’ll be a whirlwind of book signings and meetings with producers about the film rights for Moment of Lust. I won’t have a lot of time to call, but I’ll be back in three weeks. As soon as I land, I’ll be on my way to Jamesville to see you.”

“Your trip sounds exciting.”

“Not as exciting as coming back home and seeing you again.”

She laughs.

“That’s not just a line, Rosie. There is something special here, between you and me. You have to feel it too.”

“I do,” she says, quietly. “I just can’t believe someone like you is interested in someone like me.”

“You’re smart, funny, gorgeous, strong, interesting…” I say. “And you love my books,” I add, to lighten the mood. “What is there not to love?”

I reach across the table to hold her hand, looking into her beautiful eyes through the flickering candlelight. “This is just the beginning.”

Chapter 15

Rosie

I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I just spent the most romantic evening of my life with a man I never dreamed would even look in my direction. Adam is even more amazing than I thought he was when I was admiring him from the other side of the pages of his books.

His author photo on the back of Moment of Lust took my breath away, but those ice blue eyes staring into mine over a candlelit table at Antonio’s make the photo seem dull. His eyes sparkle with mischief and simmer with passion animating his already handsome face until he is simply irresistible.

The more I get to know him, the more I like him. The magnetic pull he exerts over me got stronger and stronger all night. He’s so much more than just a good-looking guy. He’s actually interesting too.

We love the same books, we watch the same movies, we have the same sweet tooth. I never imagined that we would have anything in common, but the hours flew by while we talked about everything and nothing.

I don’t have much experience with men - OK, I don’t have any experience with men – but this can’t be normal, right? I’ve been listening to friends complain about interminable first dates with men who make bigfoot look like a catch since I was a teenager. From what I’ve gathered, most first dates are about as much fun as a root canal. First dates like the one I just had with Adam are unheard of.

First date. I like the sound of that. It implies that there will be second date, and maybe a third and a fourth. I hug myself in anticipation. Adam said that he would come back to Jamesville after his trip. He said he wants to see me again. Me. Rosie Hall. He wants to see me.

I glance over at him in the driver’s seat. He’s focused on the road so he doesn’t see me looking. His profile is highlighted by the streetlights as we drive under them, giving me glimpses of the man I am quickly falling in love with.

I’ve only known him for a few days. Maybe it’s too early to be throwing around words like love, but he’s right. There is something special here. He feels it and I feel it too. I can’t wait until he gets back from his trip.

If only he didn’t have to leave for this book tour. Three weeks feels like an eternity. I wish we could hole ourselves away in a secluded cabin on a mountainside somewhere instead. No book tour. No alcoholic father. No jobs. No nosy friends or neighbors. It would just be him and me.

He pulls up in front of my house and I wonder what to do next. I want to play it cool, like I go on dates with men all the time, but I also don’t want this night to end. Should I give him a little wave, say thanks and get out? Is he planning to kiss me goodnight? Will he get out of the car and walk me to the door?

Adam eliminates my dilemma by reaching over for my hand as soon as he shifts into park. He pulls my fingers to his lips just like he did on the first afternoon we met. His kiss is soft and gentle, but he lingers over it, extending the moment.

He looks up from my hand and directly into my eyes. He leans toward me. He is going to kiss me. A shiver of anticipation runs down my spine and I close my eyes and shift toward him. Our lips meet, lighting up the night with fireworks.

The kiss is tender, exploring. It’s the kiss of two people wondering what will happen between them, a kiss which promises many more kisses to come. We linger over our goodbye, stealing one kiss after another. Neither one of us wants to let the other go.

As I lean forward to get closer to him, I feel the folds of my dress fall away from my skin. Adam’s gaze travels downward and lingers on the now exposed rise of my chest. His hand follows his eyes, grazing the tops of my breasts. I shift closer, leaning into his touch, desperate for more.

He gently slides one shoulder of my dress down onto my arm, revealing me to him further. His hand cups my breast as his finger strokes my nipple, bringing it to a hard peak. I gasp as he lowers his mouth to my chest as well, pushing aside the lacy fabric of my bra and swiping his tongue over me. Tingles of electricity flow from his touch into my core.

I push his suit jacket away and reach to unbutton his shirt, letting my hands linger over the bare skin I expose as I work my way down. The hard planes of his chest ripple under my fingers. When the last barrier of fabric between us is finally gone he pulls me into him. The touch of his skin sets me on fire. I want to touch him everywhere, to feel the length of him against me, head to toe.

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