Run Rosie Run (29 page)

‘Perv.’

He lifted his head.

‘Only with you, baby.’

And she was all his.

He still couldn’t quite believe it as he whispered a tender kiss over her flat belly.

‘I don’t wanna.’

‘You should hear yourself,’ he said between kisses.

‘I can hear myself. I have ears.’

‘Very sexy ears.’

At her giggle he raised his head and smiled into her big eyes.

‘You think my ears are sexy?

‘Honey, there isn’t a single inch of you that’s not sexy.’

The way she took a swift inhale of breath and long exhale told her he had her.

‘Okay. But we’re not staying long. You gonna share my bath?’

In a smooth move he lifted her and Rosie wound slim arms around his neck.

‘How did you guess?’

She fluttered her eyelids as he strolled with her into the bathroom.

‘The penny dropped when I saw you were butt naked. What can I say, I’m a genius.’

Over the years, Rosie had arrived at functions at Ludlow Hall with Alexander plenty of times.

But tonight he was making it crystal clear to the assembled guests that the dynamic of his relationship with her had changed. He’d held her hand, kissed her on the mouth, stroked her hair and behaved like a besotted lover in front of the stunned populace.

Stress was giving her a tension headache. Would she ever get used to the hushed whispers, the long looks now slanted in her direction?

After two gruelling hours of feeling like a butterfly pinned to a board Rosie wondered if she’d ever be able to feel her toes again in this lifetime.

‘Nice shoes,’ Janine said.

‘Shut up,’ Rosie responded and tried to look cool, calm and collected.

‘You’re such a moody little bitch. I like that about you.’

Eyeing Janine over the rim of her glass Rosie decided her friend was looking better even if she wasn’t feeling particularly comfortable either since she was receiving more than her fair share of looks and mutters too. She had more colour in her cheeks. Tonight she wore a modern twist on the classic little black dress, sleeveless and it fit her like a glove. It was the first time she’d left Boo and her cell phone was glued to her hand.

‘Relax, the Ferranti nanny is the best. She’ll let you know if there’s an issue.’

Janine’s big eyes, filled to the brim with anxiety, met hers.

‘I can’t help it. I fed Boo before I left and she was out for the count, but...’ Her deep voice went soft and low.

Rosie put her hand on her arm.

‘Bronte was the same the first couple of times she left the twins. Even at home she had a death grip on a wireless baby monitor. Still does and Nico’s just as bad. You mothers need to chillax.’

Now Janine slid her a look.

‘Wait until it’s your turn, madam.’

Rosie shook her head

‘I can’t see it in my future any time soon.’

Her friend gave her a hard stare.

‘Yeah, right. I’ve heard the buzz about you and Alexander.’ They watched him talk to the Member of Parliament and his wife. ‘Took you long enough.’

Rosie hated the blush of mortification that warmed her cheeks.

Did everyone in the sodding world know she’d lusted after Alexander?

‘You’ve got to be kidding. It’s all happened so fast.’

‘A turtle with a limp moves faster that you two,’ her friend said in a long slow drawl that sounded like the Janine of old.

Rosie smothered a groan as three blondes, tall, skinny and all trustafarians, made a bee line for them and one had a particularly nasty glint in her eye.

‘Here’s the Queen bitch and her minions,’ Janine muttered into her soda and lime.

Rosie braced herself.

They’d gone to school with the Queen bitch otherwise known as Cecilia Winthrop.

Cecilia was a first cousin to Bronte’s ex-fiancé, Jonathan. And a fully paid up member of the County set.

The smile wasn’t quite a sneer but it was close and ruined by the pink lipstick smear on her too white teeth. A blemish Rosie was small enough to enjoy.

‘Well, well, look who’s here.’ Cecilia drawled.

Rosie gave an exaggerated cough.

‘God, Cecilia, try and remember a little scent goes a long way.’

Pale grey eyes narrowed into slits.

‘I hear Alexander Ludlow is slumming it.’

Since there was absolutely no point in responding to the statement. And since Cecilia loved nothing more than to create a drama. Rosie simply took a tiny sip of wine, turned her back and ignored her. And desperately tried to ignore the sickening clutch in her belly.

Janine, bless her, stepped into the breech.

‘You want to watch that mouth or you’ll be banned from Ludlow Hall just like your cousin.’

‘I wasn’t talking to you.’

‘You’re talking to me now. Why don’t you and your little friends go and play somewhere else.’

Cecilia opened her mouth but before she could speak, Alexander and Joshua Erichsen strolled over.

‘Evening ladies,’ Alexander said in a silky tone that made Rosie cringe.

Alexander was a patient man.

If anyone was going to bitch at Rosie about their relationship it would be these three and he’d waited all evening for this moment.

Rosie turned to look at him.

Her face was bone white and those dark eyes looked too big for her face.

They’d upset her.

A protective fury roared through his system so fast it shocked him, but he kept a smile on his face as he moved in close, wrapped an arm around her waist.

He didn’t miss the tremble so his kiss on Rosie’s vulnerable mouth was soft and gentle as was the one on her nose and forehead.

Since his reputation for not wearing his heart on his sleeve or for public shows of affection was well known, Cecilia’s shocked gasp was music to his ears.

He turned to her.

‘How are you, Cecilia? Enjoying the evening?’

The message in his eyes was crystal,
back off.
And by her beetroot red response she’d received it loud and clear.

He didn’t miss the venom in her eyes as they slid to Rosie and back to him.

She flashed him a brittle smile.

‘Very nice, thank you. We’re just leaving.’

As one, all three women moved away.

Josh blew out a low whistle.

‘All they’re missing are the pointy hats and the broomsticks,’ he said. And watched them with interest as they minced toward the exit in their high heels.

Then he turned and his eyes collided with Janine’s.

After a long drawn out moment, he held out his hand.

‘Joshua Erichsen.’

Rosie noticed the tension in her friend’s posture and how she clenched and then relaxed her fingers before reluctantly placing her hand in his.

‘Janine Faulkner.’

Rosie’s gaze bounced from one to the other and she didn’t miss the glint in his eye or the flush over her friend’s cheeks.

‘Janine’s the new manager of Sweet Sensationss. She’s a geek,’ she told him.

Josh grinned and took Janine’s hand to his lips.

‘A very beautiful geek.’

Then he frowned as Janine snatched her hand back as if he’d burnt her.

Too pale, she turned to Rosie and Alexander.

Her smile was forced and it appeared she was trembling.

‘Thank you for inviting me, Alexander, but I need to get back to my baby.’

She gave Rosie a hug and moved away.

They all watched her leave.

‘Was it something I said?’ Josh wondered and sniffed his armpit.

Rosie patted his cheek, made him grin.

‘You smell wonderful.’

He kept his eye on Janine as she greeted a middle-aged couple.

‘Married?’

‘She’s a widow,’ Alexander told him.

‘Tough deal. She’s too young and has a baby?’

‘A beautiful baby girl called Daisy Boo.’ At Josh’s stunned look, Rosie nodded. ‘I know, she should be put up against a wall and shot for it.’

Before Josh could respond, Bronte and Nico joined them.

Her best friend was looking sensational this evening, Rosie decided. The ivory sheath was sleeveless and a couple of inches above the knees. Her hair was tied back in a slick high tail. The gold collar at her neck matched the cuff on her wrist.

‘You’re channelling the corporate wife look tonight,’ Rosie told her.

Bronte gave her big eyes and scanned her from top to toe.

‘I love that dress on you, it showcases your legs and arms.’

Rosie grinned.

‘Are you telling me we both look hot?’

With a smug smile, she responded,

‘We do, don’t we?’ Then Bronte’s eyes slid to her brother who was chatting to Nico. ‘How are things?’

‘Things are good.’

In a fast move that made Bronte and Nico blink, Alexander took her hand, brought it to his lips and nibbled her knuckles.

The heat that scorched Rosie’s cheeks now made her friends grin.

‘Rosie’s been on her feet all day. Will you miss her if she takes a break tomorrow?’ he asked his sister.

‘
What?’
At Rosie’s howl of outrage, Bronte bit down hard on her bottom lip.

‘Of course not, enjoy.’

Struggling to keep up with his pace as he pulled her away from Bronte and Nico, Rosie’s voice went too high.

‘You have no right to make decisions for me. You can’t take over my life like that.’

She tugged on her hand but he held it fast, put an arm around her waist and smoothly steering her through the room towards the vast main reception area of Ludlow Hall.

It was swarming with people chatting and waiting for their cars to be delivered to the entrance by a team of valets.

When he simply turned her in his arms and kissed her hot and hard in front of an engrossed public, every logical thought in her brain was wiped clean. His tongue plundered. Rosie clung onto his shoulders for dear life as arousal battled with shock and won.

By the time he’d finished with her she couldn’t remember her own name.

Amused green eyes glittered into hers.

‘Get used to it.’

Before she could utter a syllable, he’d guided her outside and into his Range Rover.

It wasn’t until they’d cruised to a stop outside his new house that Rosie’s heart calmed and she found her voice.

‘Why are we here?’

Instead of responding, he got out, walked around to her side and opened her door.

Taking her hand, he walked her up the path.

As they stood outside the door he opened her palm, dropped a key attached to a silver keychain that held a shiny heart.

‘I’ve moved in. You’ll need this.’

Omigod.

He was giving her a key to his house?

But what did it mean?

Confused, she blinked up into his eyes and what she saw there made her throat go tight.

‘I don’t understand.’

‘It’s the key to the door. I have one and now you have one.’

‘Why?’

He opened the door, pushed her through and closed it behind her.

‘This is my home and I want it to be your home too,’ he said in a perfectly reasonable tone that made her blink. As if he gave women the keys to his home every day of the week.

‘But, are you asking me to move in with you?’

Her heart was beating so fast in her throat she pressed cold fingers to the spot.

Now, he simply moved into her, took her face between his hands and stared into her eyes.

‘Yes.’

Before she could utter a word, he took her hand and towed her through the dining area and into the most fabulous kitchen she’d ever seen in her life.

A glossy AGA in ivory sat in state. A couple of electric built ovens were tucked under the worktops. The cupboards were hand crafted and painted a smooth ivory with mahogany knobs. Acres of work surfaces were a sparkly granite in creams, gold with flecks of black. The central island was split level with six hand crafted chairs in smooth wood on one side and on the other a food preparation area with an extra sink and a complicated tap arrangement.

Folding glass doors took up most of one wall, in front of which were three spacious sofas in soft leather the colour of butter hugging a huge mahogany coffee table.

Alexander knew he’d shocked her and considered the possibility he was moving too fast.

Too bad.

While she was ogling the space, he needed to do something with his hands rather than haul her up to his bed and ravish her.

Instead, he moved to a vast stainless steel fridge, took out a bottle of champagne and grabbed a couple of crystal glasses from a cupboard.

As he popped open the bottle, poured a glass, he watched her face.

Sure, she was stunned, but there was something else in those big eyes. A mixture of hope and disbelief.

But it was the flash of fear that made him narrow his eyes. If it was the last thing he did, he’d remove that look from her fabulous eyes.

He poured a second glass.

‘Take off your panties.’

Her jolt of shock made him bite down hard on his tongue.

Heat travelled up her throat and into that beautiful face as her eyes clung to his.

After shrugging off his jacket and tossing it on a chair, with deliberate care, he removed his cufflinks, his tie and slipped the buttons on his shirt as he strolled towards her.

He stripped off his shirt and her eyes went wide as they burned a path down his torso. Oh, yeah, Rosie liked what she saw. He could tell by the way her pupils dilated, how her nipples went too hard and how her breathing went ragged.

Standing in her personal space, he unbuckled his belt, slid it out the loops of his trousers. The tip of her tongue explored her top lip and then her full bottom lip. His Love Muscle, already swollen, went so hard so fast the tendons in his thighs, his belly, were rigid.

Big eyes never left his.

‘Are you wet?’ he demanded to know.

A shuddering breath whooshed out her lungs as his hand cupped her neck and pulled her into him.

‘Rosie,’ his breath whispered over her mouth. ‘Take off your panties.’