Roses and Kisses

1

His eyes could’ve been any colour. Brown, blue, green, hazel, but they chose black. The shade that made you feel like you were staring into the pitch dark abyss that lay at the bottom of the ocean.

Rose was certain he could see right through her chest and into her soul. It didn’t matter that they stood at least fifteen feet from each other, not including the sweating bodies and almost naked girls that was between them.

It was impossible to not feel out of place. Not when she was wearing her sleeping outfit which consisted of a very large shirt and mismatched pyjamas bottom. Sneaking out after her father had gone to bed had been a brilliant idea until she stepped into the club and realized she hadn’t understood the theme of the party.

Not one to back done she held her head high and scanned the room some more.The only source of light in the closely packed space were the colored tiny lights that bounced from one end to the other.

The music was lovely but it wasn’t the type of jam she would be caught listening to. No complaints on her part, the beats were nice and loud enough to drown out the miserable lyrics. Not like she could make out the words.

There was also alcohol, lots of it. That was her main reason for being here. The alcohol and the freedom it would offer later.

For one night she didn’t want to be the Rose Carmen that has never stepped foot outside her home, or the rich spoilt brat most people thought her to be.

The buzz was already swimming through her veins as she made her way to the bar. With only a few hours to kill it made more sense to start with the alcohol first.

She was about to grab a drink when someone bumped into her. With a smile she turned, she wasn’t about to let her night be ruined by any one. “I’m so sorry,” She said, grimacing on the inside.

“No, I should be the one apologizing,” the man in front of her offered. He was hunched over, the evident of excess alcohol blanketing them both.

It was a struggle to not scrunch up her nose in distaste. “It’s fine,” she said, discomfort suddenly crawling all over her skin.

Without permission he slung an arm over her shoulder, smiling at her like they’ve known each other all their lives. “You don’t have to act like it’s fine for my sake. I’m a little too out of it but my head is still with me. Why don’t I buy you a drink?”

Putting one hand inside her pocket she reached for her wallet. “I can buy myself a drink.” Except her hand came up empty.

“It would be a sin to not buy a drink for a lady as fine as yourself,” he said, already gesturing to the waiter with two fingers to pass her a glass.

“Really, it’s fine.” She pushed away the glass of clean vodka in front of her. When she imagined coming to a club to have the best night of her life, this creepy stranger hadn’t been on the menu.

Trying to not be rude she tapped the arm that was still around her shoulder lightly. “Can you move your hand?” She asked as nicely as possible.

Instead of responding he picked up the glass and pushed it into her hands causing the drink to spill onto her shirt. “I’m trying to do you a favour here,” he said, moving closer, his breath hot on her ear.

“No guy in their right mind is going to pay you any attention, not when you’re dressed like a homeless whore. Take this while I’m being nice and drink it with that sweet smile of yours.”

Navigating a situation like this didn’t come in the manual Miss. Mary had given her. Helpless, she looked around, her eyes automatically falling to the pair of dark eyes she had been drawn to earlier.

If he understood the words she mouthed to him, he showed no sign of it. The frown she had met earlier was still set on his face, his thick brows drawn too close like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

Realizing she was going to deal with this on her own she gulped really hard and counted to three.

First she pushed off his arm which wasn’t hard to do because of his lack of balance. Next, she set the glass down with a firm resolve.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” the man hissed, glaring at Rose like he could kill her with his eyes alone. “Is this what I get for being kind to a helpless girl?” She almost rolled her eyes.

Helpless was the last word anyone would use to describe her. This was what she got for running away from the sanctuary of her home. Maybe she should have listened to Miss. Mary.

“I’m sorry if-” her sentence was cut short when the man grabbed her hair causing her to scream in pain. For the first time since stepping into the club she resented the loud music, it would be impossible for anyone to hear her.

“Let go!” She yelled, trying to get hold of his hand. A bald spot was the last thing she needed. “Let go!” But he only yanked harder.

No one seemed to pay attention to her or her assaulter. The music drowned out her screaming, the people around her were already so drunk they thought she was yelling the lyrics to the song. She was at the brink of passing out from the pain when she heard a deep voice rumble beside her.

“Didn’t you hear the lady?” the voice said calmly. “She said to let go.”

This was what Rose imagined all those men in the romance books Miss. Mary snuck in for her to read sounded like. Deep, sultry, and filled with sin.

“Back off man, she’s with me,” he started to say but stopped.

Wade recognized that expression instantly. Undiluted fear, and it fueled him, the innate desire to conquer everything that was in front of him.

“Mr. Wade,” the man stuttered, instantly moving away from the poor girl. “I didn’t know it was you.”

Disgust was sprawled over Wade’s face. He hated this type of men the most, cowards that preyed on vulnerable people. “Now you know,” he answered. “If you’ll excuse me,” he continued and pulled the girl along with him.

Any other day he would have punished the man on the spot but today he had bigger things to worry about, like the revenge plot he was about to embark on.

“What are you doing here?” he asked Rose, letting go of her hand immediately when they were far enough from the man. “This is clearly not your scene,” he pointed out, “Having a moment of teenage rebellion?”

Rose huffed, the gratitude she had felt towards him disappearing with her smile. “I’ll have you know that I stopped being a teenager today, hence my need to celebrate.”

With a slow glance up and down her frame he said, “I’d think you were in middle school if I didn’t know better. Next time the attire should match the occasion when you decide to do something as stupid as coming to a club alone and looking like that.”

“What is wrong with how I look?” she exclaimed, looking down at her outfit.

“Teenage rage,” he muttered under his breath. “Look around you,” he paused for effect. “I’m sure you wouldn’t see anyone dressed in their sleeping fit.”

True that, but Rose wasn’t about to acknowledge it as she snuck a look down her shirt. “Shit!” she exclaimed when she noticed her shirt was now transparent and sticking to her skin as a result of the alcohol spill earlier.

“Can you direct me to the restroom?” she asked, secretly thanking her stars that she had opted for her black bra. “And also, where can I get a spare shirt?”

A blank expression was the answer she got. Tugging his tie slightly Wade wondered if he should have left her back there. “Does this look like a high school with a locker room to you?”

“If there are no spare clothes you should have just said so.” It was always the pretty men that were rude.

“No one comes to a club looking for spare clothes,” Wade pointed out. This was his cue to abandon her, but as he looked around and saw the eager eyes on her he knew he couldn’t.

A vulnerable teenager with a transparent shirt in a club was like blood to a shark, and lord knew this men were insatiable.

“Do you have someone you can call to pick you up?” he asked, his eyes zeroing in on her almost bare chest without meaning to.

Rose felt his hot stare and covered her chest immediately with her hands. “Miss Mary would be asleep now and I don’t have the heart to bother her.”

“You can put down your hands, there’s not much to see there anyway,” he said in a nonchalant tone that irked Rose.

Boob size has never mattered to Rose but right now she wished she were at least a decent D-cup. It would kill to admit but she wanted his eyes to burn through her for longer than the five seconds he stared. She didn’t know the reason why.

Pushing her boobs up slightly without him noticing, she said, “I’ll have you know they are quite capable of filling those big hands of yours.”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. “Can’t know if you’re telling the truth.”

God, she wanted to hit him, even if it was only once. “I’m not lying.”

A small smile danced across his face, his eyes glittering under the sparkly lights. Rose has never seen any man more beautiful than him in that moment. She wished he would smile more, that way she could look at his face forever.

That was until his response reached her ears and broke the spell he had on her. “Whose hands have they filled then?”

The air was knocked out of her lungs. Stuttering she struggled to answer him, “Technically no one has tried but-” Rose stopped mid-sentence and slapped her forehead. Why on earth did she even feel the need to explain herself to this man? “Look, I don’t care what you think.”

Wade held in his laughter for her sake. “If you say so,” he said in a nonchalant tone that irked her.

The innocence that she exuded clothed him with a feathery feeling, one that he was not familiar with but liked all the same.

Having to survive in the business world meant you had to be ruthless, having a weakness meant you’d never make it to the top. This was why her presence brought him some relieve, and also enabled him to let his guard down.

Black curly hair was wrapped with a scarf that sat pretty on her head. He bet they smelt like roses. Wheeling his attention back to her, he tuned into what she was saying.

“I’d really appreciate it if you’d be kind enough to show me where I can at least wash my shirt before I head home. I came here to drink alcohol and enjoy my freedom, but even my shirt is having more fun that I am.” The little pout of her lips did it for Wade.

There were two options before him. Leave her here and get on with his life. He had a big day ahead of him that he couldn’t mess up. The other option was helping her out, a change of shirt and he’ll send her on her way.

Deciding he’d feel a lot worse leaving her here, he motioned for her to follow him. “I rented the room above the club. I’ll give you a spare shirt then you’ll find your way home.”

“That is more than enough,” Rose said as he led her through the crowd and to the back door. Cold breeze hit her face when they made it outside. “Damn it, the air is definitely cleaner outside. Why do people punish themselves by going to the club?”

Wade didn’t respond until they’d gone up the stairs and he was unlocking the door. “The same reason you came to the club I suppose, to have fun?”

“To be honest it’s not much fun,” she replied with a frown. “I’m not sure what I was expecting but it’s not the sweaty bodies and having alcohol thrown on my shirt.”

“At least they had the decency to wear appropriate clothes,” Wade mused to her annoyance.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. I’ll change my clothes and leave.”

There was a certain sadness to her words, Wade noted as he turned the door knob. She didn’t want to leave.

Wade was not the type to care about someone’s feeling, no one has ever cared about his. But the moment she walked into his room, skin glistening under the warm light, he knew he was done for.

It had been easy to overlook her beauty down at the club, he had the lights to blame for that. Now that he could see her perfectly, he found himself drowning in her, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be rescued.

Honey was all he could think of as he took in her caramel skin. He wondered if she would taste the same. It was torture dragging his eyes back to her face.

Thick brows framed almond shaped eyes that were darting around the room in curiosity. They led the way to a cute bottom nose and full lips.

A man’s hunger wasn’t one Rose has ever witnessed, all she knew was he looked at her differently now. “Uh, can I have the shirt now?” she asked, snapping him out of his daze. She wished he would tell her what he was thinking, she had no doubt it had to do with her.

Wade was almost startled when she spoke. He turned swiftly on his heel and went to the closet. Taking out the first shirt he saw he gave it to her. “Bathroom is first door down on your left. I’ll be here.”

With a nod Rose went into the bathroom and shut the door. She leaned on the closed door and held a hand to her chest. Why was her heart beating so damn fast? So much that it threatened to jump out of her chest.

Maybe it was the way he had looked at her, like a child seeing adolescence for the first time. The awe always came first, then interest, then curiosity.

Quickly, she changed out of her shirt, cussing under her breath when she saw that the drink had left a stain. Miss. Mary would surely ask her what happened. And with shame she’d explain how she had managed to bump into the most lowly man ever, and how he had turned her night for the worse.

Even fun was far-fetched from her now. She would have to go home with her head bowed in shame. So much for trying to rebel and prove to everyone she was no longer the shy little girl they knew.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed in defeat. She was not ready for her night to end yet. Crumbled in her pocket was a piece of paper, she took it out.

Wade wondered what was taking her so long. He never would have let a stranger into his room, but tonight was a lot of firsts for him. He had smiled, been concerned for another, and now he thought a woman beautiful.

Unable to stop himself he walked to the bathroom to make sure she was okay. That was when he heard her.

“Get drunk,” he heard her mutter. “Dance with a man that’s not my father. Make out with a hot stranger before midnight.” A sad sigh followed. “This operation was a total failure.”

There was silence for a short while before he heard the sound of flushing. He walked swiftly back into the room and sat at the edge of the bed.

“All done?” he asked, his voice coated with a low squeak.

Her nod was non-committal. “Yes, thank you very much.” With her head hanging low she moved to the door, “I’ll be out of your hair now.”

Five seconds was all Wade had to make a decision. “Wait-” he said, the moment her hand touched the doorknob.

To think of it objectively he would be doing himself a favour too. He deserved to enjoy his last night as a free man.

Come tomorrow his world would change completely, for better or for worse, till death rests on his shoulders.

He could explore this attraction he felt towards her, even if it was for a few hours. He could give her the night she wished for, and he could have a warm bed in preparation for the cold nights to come.

“Stay.”

It was a single lifeless word but it brought the brightest smile to Rose’s face. “You don’t want me to leave?”

“That is a corny way to put it,” he mused, regaining his composure. “But stay, I’ll give you all the fun you deserve.”

At that moment she was Cinderella, and he was her fairy godmother. But Wade thought differently, she was the one saving him from himself.

Standing up he walked to her, slowly, deliberately, his eyes never leaving hers. And like a starved man he bent forward and ate from her lips.

For this night alone, he would be completely hers.