Page 99 of Arrogant Playboy

She’s right. But what happens if I say yes to Daniel and then things don’t work out, I’ll regret not going to Dubai.

“I’m going to go have a bath and an early night. My head hurts,” I tell her.

“I love you. Call me if you need anything.”

“You’re busy packing up your life for Paris, you don’t need me adding to your stress.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m here if you need me, okay?”

“Okay.”

37

DANIEL

“What’s with this secret meeting?” Alex asks suspiciously, closing the door to his office behind him.

“I need to ask a favor.”

His brow lifts curiously at me. “You don’t normally ask for favors. What kind of favor?”

“I would like a second card for The Paradise Club.”

Alex blinks at me as if he didn’t quite hear what I’ve just asked.

“Don’t tell me it’s Rosie?” His eyes narrow on me. That isn’t the reaction I was expecting.

“I thought you liked Rosie?” I question him.

“I do. Must be serious if you want to take her to the club.”

“It is,” I answer, shifting in my seat with unease.

Alex’s eyes narrow on me. “Fuck, Daniel,” he curses as he rakes his hand through his hair.

“I asked Rosie to be my girlfriend over the weekend.” Alex stares at me. “She hasn’t given me her answer yet, she needs some time.”

Alex shakes his head. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen,” Is he trying to protect Rosie from me? I thought he was a friend, “and I know why.”

My stomach sinks as a feeling of dread starts to trickle through my body. “What do you mean?”

“You know how Ivy and I went to Dubai the other month for work?” I nod. “Ivy’s been asked to set up a Starr Designs there with Pierre.” I stare at him as the pieces to a puzzle I didn’t realize I was working on start to fit. “Ivy wants Rosie to manage the office.” It feels like my friend has sucker punched me. “Ivy asked Rosie not to tell anyone, not yet. She is taking her to Dubai in a couple of weeks to check it out to see if she likes it. I also don’t know if she has spoken to Rosie about her promotion either.” I swallow hard, my heart pounds in my chest. “At the moment, Rosie thinks she’s just going to be one of the designers in the new office. Ivy is going to talk to her about it today, about being the lead designer and creating the office as if it was her own,” Oh fuck. “I’m going to assume you didn’t know?” I shake my head. “I’m sorry,” he says, giving me a sad face.

“But I love her.” The words come out without it registering. The thought that Rosie is going to leave London and live halfway across the world shocks me.

“Fuck, man, I didn’t realize. I assumed it was just a crush, I had no idea it was so much deeper. How long has this been going on?” he asks.

“Six months,” I confess.

Alex shakes his head, and I can see the confusion on his face. “You’ve been sneaking around for that long?”

“It wasn’t like that … fuck …”

“Maybe you need to start at the beginning.”

I think I might have to because I can feel the agony rippling through my chest at the thought of losing Rosie forever. I tell him about how we met at a party, had some fun, and then sheleft before I even had a chance to ask for more. I confess I was already smitten but Rosie had disappeared. Then I tell him about how Ivy brought her into the gallery and that’s when I saw her again. I tell him about France and about all the times we caught up and how she pushed me away because she was worried about her career, then I explain about New York, the weekend at the cottage then home.

“I can’t believe you kept this from me?”

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