Rosalie It's currently six-thirty p.m. I got to my parents' home around five p.m. and had a late dinner with Gran because she refused to eat unless I was there. After dinner, I cleared out the dishes before preparing to go to my house."Rosalie!" My father's loud voice calls out to me. I rinse my hand and go to the parlor where he must be. "Where the bloody hell is it?" I hear him murmuring before I turn the corner and see my father searching for my handbag."Dad, what's the meaning of this? What are you doing?" I snatch the bag from the table and out of his reach.He gives me an outstretched palm, "I-I need some money, Rosie. Give me money." He staggers a little before getting his balance. He's drunk. Nothing new here I guess."I don't have any cash on me. The last one I had is what I used to buy Gran some dinner on my way home.""Liar! Give me some money or I'll sell the fucking shop," he tells angrily before tossing the table across the room.My heart breaks, "Dad I don't have any
Rosalie "Take the rest off," Nicolas commands referring to my blouse. I reach for the hem of my blouse before pulling it over my head. A sharp inhale of breath leaves his mouth when I'm standing in front of him in just my underwear and heels.The way his eyes rake my body makes me self-conscious and I slowly wrap my arm around myself covering my body from his preying eyes."Don't," He warns. "Drop your hands." He comes closer till there's only a mere inch separating us. "You're fucking perfect." He exclaims breathily before claiming my mouth with his. The first few seconds of the kiss are rough. It's a battle for dominance as he bites my lower lip so I can give his tongue entry. I finally give in and kiss him, taking what I’ve been wanting all along.Nicholas groans and fists my hair, his touch rough as he forces my lips open, deepening our kiss. His hands roam over my body with such urgency that he’s almost got me believing that this is more than just simple lust.“Fuck, Rosalie,” he
Nicholas I've always thrived on control. All my life, since I can remember I've wanted certain things to go the way I want them. If it's in my power and I want it, then it's happening.Which is why Rosalie Maxwell has spent the last two nights in my bed with my cock buried deep inside her. When I asked Rosalie to become my mistress in exchange for my help, I knew she'd do it. I had no idea why I was so desperate to have her sexually, all I knew was I could no longer deny the sudden sexual attraction that had sprouted for her. It was within my control so I decided to do something about it.I know I'm an asshole for manipulating her into signing the contract but I got what I wanted and that's all that matters to me. My mind travels to our first night together, I assumed Rosalie wasn't a virgin I had no idea why I did. She solidified that assumption after I got a copy of her STDS test in my email. And now that I think of it, I'm sure she only sent it because I asked.We never had any co
Rosalie "Hi, Grams!" I exclaim excitedly once I see her sitting in her favorite rocking chair."Rosalie, my darling. I've missed you. You haven't come to see me in days," she tells me and a hint of guilt makes my chest tighten.I've been really busy these past couple of days with work and... other things. There's a new contract that Mr. Sinclair is trying to acquire so it's been a stressful couple of days and nights for me. "I'm sorry, Grams. I've been busy at work, but I brought you your favorite burger to make up for it." I tell her happily before kissing her cheek and taking a seat beside her.I turn the fan on and I'm happy to see that the electricity isn't out anymore. I almost forgot to pay the bill because I've been too caught up with work during the day and then attending to Mr. Sinclair later at night. I've been meeting up with him every day for this week and it has always been the same. We have sex and then I leave, doesn't matter what time it is. He never objects, but he h
RosalieNicholas looks up in surprise when I walk in, a frown marring his handsome face as his gaze roams over my attire. I look down at myself, taking in the jeans and t-shirt I’m wearing, embarrassment rendering me speechless for a moment. I can count the times I’ve been around him in casual clothing on one hand. I never compromise on my professionalism, and neither does he.He crosses his arms and leans back in his seat, his eyes on mine. There’s something captivating about Nicholas Sinclair. He has this habit of making women feel like they have his full attention, and I’m not immune to it either, despite my best attempts to resist him."Rosalie, good evening.""Good evening, sir." I hope my tone doesn't expose my lack of confidence and the fact I'd been crying on my way here. "I had no idea anyone was here tonight," I add."Yeah, I couldn't sleep so I decided to come here and get some work done.""Oh, yeah me too." There's a short awkward silence, "I'll be in my office." I tell him
Rosalie "Rosalie, it's late right now but I'll send a message of the list of tasks I want you to get done by tomorrow," Nicholas tells me."Yes, sir. If you don't mind, I'd like a quick briefing on the tasks.He nods, "I want you to make reservations for my wife and me and also send her a bouquet of roses by one p.m." I feel my heart sink into my stomach and I can't help the hurt that suddenly covers me.My lips part to speak but no words come out of them. "Rosalie," Nicholas calls, snapping me out of my daze. "Did you hear everything I just said?""Y-yes, sir. Roses and reservations." I smile, "Got it."I keep trying to convince myself that I don’t care and that I’m happy for him when nothing could be further from the truth.Every night, my mind has been tormenting me with images of him with Natalia, warping my memories until all I can see is him touching her the way he touched me.When I close my eyes, I hear him whispering into her ear, telling her to look at no one but him. Just
Rosalie "Hi, Rosalie." I raise my head and lock eyes with the person greeting me. I was surprised to see one of my colleagues. Anna Bailey is standing in front of me clad in a leopard print jumpsuit and black heels. I've always wondered how everyone from the finance department managed to look so fucking good every day."Oh, hello Anna." I give her a genuine smile even though we've never talked before. "How may I help you?""I don't know if this is intrusive, but I wanted to ask if you'd like to join us out tonight. I and some other colleagues usually hang out at this bar downtown every Friday, and I thought it would be nice to extend an invite to you."My eyes widen with surprise but I'm quick to hide it, "I..I, uh." I clear my throat. I'm about to think of a valid excuse as to why I'm rejecting her invitation."It's okay if you're busy. I just thought it would be nice to make a new friend." She smiles and my heart melts.However, another part of me also wants to know why she'd choos
Rosalie I always assumed the hangover part of too much alcohol was exaggerated sometimes, but right now as I lay in this overly comfy bed - that's definitely too soft to be mine, I want to strangle the source of that noise that's filling my ears. "What the bloody hell is that crap!" I murmur to myself trying to make out the source with my hands. I grab one of the pillows and place it over my head and I don't miss the sharp, delicious scent of new cologne that fills my nose. I use one hand to hold it in place and the other to search around for my phone. It took a minute, but the noise finally registered first among other things. That horrible noise is my phone.I find the phone on the other side of the bed and I bring it to my ears after answering the call. "Hello," I grumble. I don't care if I sound rude or sleepy the person should know better for interrupting my sleep so early in the morning."Hello, Rosalie!" The voice calls out. This person sounds too chirpy this morning.
Rosalie A year had passed since the whirlwind of my tour ended, and now I stood at the threshold of a new chapter in my life. Nicholas and I had returned home, and I couldn’t help but reflect on how far we had come. I remembered the day I announced my engagement to Anna, her face lighting up with joy as she squealed and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Oh my gosh, Rosalie! You’re getting married!” she had exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. We had laughed and cried and laughed again while we watched romcom and drank ice cream, feeling a warmth in my heart that I had never known before. After that, I had rushed to visit Grams to share the news. I could still picture how her face would lighten up and what she would say if she was here, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. “Oh, my sweet Rosie, I always knew you’d find someone special,” she would say, her voice filled with pride. I had told her everything—the proposal, the plans, and how Nicholas had swept me o
Rosalie It's been a month since Nicholas proposed to me. We decided to keep it a surprise from everyone until after I was done touring. At first, I didn't know how Anna was going to feel about Nicholas and I getting back together, and I told him about it. That was until he told me how she had come to his office and gave him the longest and most useful pep talk of his life. He also kept his word and followed me to work and waited every single day. And the gifts never stopped even though we were back together.The tour ended with a grand exhibition attended by the movers and shakers of oak view’s art world. The exhibition took place in a big hall, and every photgrapher had their own section in the pop-up gallery.It was exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and utterly surreal.I stared at my little slice of heaven and the people passing through it, dressed to the nines and examining each piece with what I hoped were admiring eyes.I’d grown by leaps and bounds as a photographer over the
Nicholas That’s Scorpio.” Rosalie pointed to a spot in the sky. “Do you see it?”I followed her gaze toward the constellation. It looked like any other cluster of stars.“Mmmhmm. Looks great.”She turned her head and narrowed her eyes. “Do you really see it, or are you lying?”“I see stars. Lots of them.”Rosalie huffed out a half groan, half laugh. “You’re hopeless, Nicholas.”“I told you, I’m not and never will be an astronomy expert. I’m just here for the view and the company.” I kissed the top of her head.We lay on a pile of blankets and cushions outside our glamping resort in Caravans Desert, one of the top stargazing destinations. After all the shit that’d gone down last month, this was the perfect place to reset now that she has given me another chance. So I brought her to this resort six days ago. We’d spent the past four days hiking volcanoes, luxuriating in hot springs, and exploring sand dunes. My assistant had nearly keeled over with shock when I told her I was
Rosalie My dates with Nicholas had been really successful. And he lived up to his promise-slash-threat of showing up every. Single. Day. He was there in the morning when I left for my fellowship, usually with a vanilla latte and blueberry scone—my favorites. He was there to walk me home after my daily photography time. Other times, especially when I was with other people or exploring the city on the weekends, he was less conspicuous, but he was there. I felt his presence even though I couldn’t see him.I never thought Nicholas Sinclair would become my stalker, but there we were.On top of that, gifts arrived every day. By the boatload.By the end of the first week, my apartment looked like I was opening an indoor garden. I donated everything to a local hospital—the roses of every color, the vivid purple orchids and sweet white lilies, the cheerful sunflowers and delicate peonies.By the end of the second week, I owned enough jewelry to make the Duchess of Cambridge green with env
Rosalie After our date, the gifts didn't stop. They kept coming. By the end of the third week, I was knee-deep in gourmet chocolates, gift baskets, and custom-made desserts. I didn’t care about fancy jewels or flowers, so those gifts didn’t matter to me. It was the little things that tore holes in my heart—the red velvet cupcakes that spelled out I’m Sorry; a rare, vintage Japanese camera I’d searched for for years but had never found for sale. By the end of the fourth week, I was torn between tearing my hair out in frustration and crumbling like a sandcastle at high tide. “We need to talk,” I said Friday afternoon after I left my lighting techniques workshop. Nicholas lounged against a light pole outside the building, infuriatingly gorgeous in jeans and a white T-shirt. Aviators hid his eyes, but the intensity of his gaze seared through the glasses and burned into my flesh. “Sure,” Nicholas said, unfazed by the attention he was getting. He was probably used to it. While he foll
Rosalie I didn’t move back in with Nicholas. Part of me wanted to, but I wasn’t ready to jump in with both feet again so soon.I did, however, agree to another date with him.Three days after our movie night, we arrived at a quiet corner of the Oak View Botanic Garden. It was a gorgeous afternoon, all clear skies and golden sunshine, and the picnic setup looked like something out of a fairytale.A low wooden table stretched across a thick ivory blanket, surrounded by huge cushions, gold and glass floor lanterns, and an oversized wicker hamper. The table itself was set with porcelain plates and a feast of foods, including baguettes, charcuterie, and desserts.It was amazing. And Nicholas lived up to his promise-slash-threat of showing up every. Single. Day. He was there in the morning when I left for my fellowship, usually with a vanilla latte and blueberry scone—my favorites. He was there to walk me home after my workshops.Other times, especially when I was with other peo
Nicholas "My sweet girl, it’s so nice to see you!” Freya brushed past me and swept Rosalie up in a hug. She only used the sweet girl endearment for her grandchildren, but apparently, she’d extended it to Rosalie. “The house isn’t the same without you.”I scowled at her pointed tone. She’d given me the cold treatment all week. I was pretty sure she’d burned my pork chops on purpose the other night. I’d forced down two bites before I gave up and ordered takeout. It wasn’t just her, either; even Edward my driver had cast disapproving glances my way when he thought I wasn’t looking.My staff didn’t know what happened with Rosalie amd I. They only knew she was gone, and they blamed me for it.Hell, I blamed myself too, which was why I was trying to make amends.I’d spent the past couple of days since my call with Rosalie planning the date, and my nerves were a humiliating wreck. I hadn’t been this nervous since I was a high school freshman asking out the most popular girl in school.
NicholasOne ring. Two. Three.I paced my room, my stomach twisted with nerves as I waited for her to answer.It was ten-thirty, which meant she was getting ready for bed. She usually took an hour to wind down with a shower or a bath, depending on how stressed she was; a bafflingly intricate ten-step skincare routine, and some reading, if she wasn’t too tired.I’d timed my call so I’d catch her after she got out of the shower.Four rings. Five.Assuming, of course, she picked up my call.My nerves pulled tighter.Rosalie gave me her number that afternoon, which meant she wanted me to call, right? If she didn’t, she would’ve simply left. Hell, a part of me had expected her to.I’d lingered in that damn coffee shop for almost two hours on the off chance I’d see her. She went there every day, but her timing varied depending on her workload.It wasn’t the world’s greatest plan, but it’d worked, even if it’d meant skipping a lunch video call meeting.Six rings. Sev—“Hello?” Her voice flow
Rosalie “Hey, Rosalie. The usual?”“Yes, please. Make it four,” I said as the barista rang me up. I frequented the coffee shop near the main building so often they’d memorized my order. “Thanks, Sue.”“No problem.” She smiled. “See you tomorrow.”I paid and moved to the pickup area, only half looking at where I was going. I was too distracted by the flood of new messages scrolling across my screen. Mostly from Anna and maybe one or two from Ares.With the way she sent numerous messages at once, one would think she's in trouble.She probably wanted to congratulate me on the success of the Picture Ball. According to her and Sarah, news outlets had deemed it “one of the most exquisite balls in the Picture Balls history” in their Sunday style roundup, which meant I woke up that morning with even more messages crowding my inbox.It was only Monday, and I already had twenty-two new client inquiries, five interview requests, and countless invitations to balls, screenings, and private par