Just Rose

Chapter 29

Rob woke her a couple hours later, moving over her to kiss her passionately.

‘I don’t want to leave beautiful, but I have a flight to catch. I need to be in Edinburgh for a meeting.’ He stretched out, pulling her head to rest on his exposed chest as he leaned back against the headboard at a slight angle. Rose sighed, equally bummed that he had to go.

‘You can’t help being in high demand with your business.’ She smiled up at him sleepily, smiling when he traced his fingers across her face, tucking back stray strands of hair.

‘Sometimes all the demands on my life get on my nerves. I would rather just stay here with you indefinitely.’ He smiled, moving down so he could pull her body against his in every way possible, moulding together, face to face, hooking her legs with one of his.

‘What demands would those be?’ She smiled playfully, lifting her chin to kiss him lightly on that sexy stubbled jawline. She heard the almost silent moan escape his throat and felt the stirrings between them arise again, now that she had found one of his weaknesses, nuzzling his neck with renewed vigor.

‘I swear if you keep doing that then I will cancel my flight.’ He caught her face with his hand and hit her with a toe curling kiss before drawing back and regretfully sliding out of bed. Rose sat up, drawing the sheets over her naked breasts, making herself comfy in a sitting position.

‘Does being Laird take a lot of work?’ She asked quizzically, intrigued by what the title actually meant. She watched him dress lazily, no hurry this time in his movements.

‘Not really, it’s more of an honorary title nowadays. The village don’t expect much of me, but I like to stay involved; keep the place maintained and deal with minor issues. It pretty much just means I own most of the land around here and I have tenants that rely on me to keep things ticking.’ He smiled back down at her as he pulled his shirt over his head, all those biceps and taut muscles moving seductively. Rose inhaled slowly, to cool her rising temperature at watching him.

‘So, the dances and charity things; they’re just you, staying involved?’

‘I like to be part of the community, the house is big enough for events, and as I grew up with these people, I want to have a part in things. Abby and I were raised to love this village, appreciate the people as well as the surroundings and being a Munro means I carry on the tradition of making sure it continues to grow.’ He had now started hauling his hooded top on and zipping it up slowly, running a hand through that sexy hair. He stopped to pull on his trainers before crawling back onto the bed and pinning Rose down with his body weight.

‘You’re just an all-round good guy then?’ She giggled as his mouth met her neck and jawline tenderly.

‘According to the town biddies I’m their favourite celebrity. They all treat me like a rock star when I’m home.’ He was moving decidedly low, pushing the sheets out of his way as he got to her cleavage. Rose moaned lightly, distracted and struggling to formulate a response.

‘Well it doesn’t hurt that you look like one of Hollywood’s sexiest men.’ The giggling turned to immediate groaning as his hand slipped under the sheets and found her a little too easily.

‘Is that you saying you find me sexy and good-looking Miss Turner?’ He was peeling back the sheets now, gaining full access and obviously changing his mind about going so soon. She breathed in response, only able to nod as a reply, incapable of more while his hands were on her that way. Rob let her go and leaned back to settle on his legs, pulling his top and shirt back off in one easy movement.

‘You make me horny as hell Rose. Don’t think I have ever wanted a woman as badly as I want you.’ He grinned and swooped back in, stopping the conversation with a swoony worthy kiss that sent her off the rails before moving back to gaze at her adoringly and move back to her cleavage.

‘Has there been many?’ It was out before her brain connected to what she was saying, instantly mortified that she would even ask him this and it seemed to stop his kissing slowly down her body, an immediate pause.

‘Girlfriends or s*x buddies?’ He looked at up her seriously, a slight smile to his face and no obvious irritation at her question.

‘Either. I mean I dated a few men in London, not many and they never went anywhere before I decided that single life was less hassle. I haven’t ever had a serious relationship though.’ She was blushing wildly, embarrassed by this and not sure she even wanted an answer to her question. Covering with her own rambling; Rob came back up to lay beside her, pulling her hands to his mouth and rubbing her small fingers over his chin.

‘I had girlfriends on and off until Morag... She was my first meaningful relationship I guess, and after it went t**s up I had to be a little more delicate with dating. She was unstable, so I kept things casual and brief the with women I saw. There’s been a lot, I’m not going to lie, none lasting more than a couple of months because Morag would start to see the clues and start getting hysterical again. I hate sneaking around, but it’s pretty much been my dating life for a while and not one of them was ever a real girlfriend. The last one was six months ago. Morag has made it near impossible to get any breathing space since then, so I just haven’t bothered.’ He sighed as he watched her closely and pensively, knowing that what he was saying was hardly putting him in a good light.

‘Why have you let her affect your life in this way?’ She furrowed her brow. A knot of apprehension growing inside. He sighed and pondered her question for a moment before getting comfy, obvious this chat wasn’t going to be brief.

‘I made the mistake of starting things this way and changing it has been hard. Anytime I tried to tell her I was moving on, she relapsed. I guess after a few close calls I started figuring that pretending I had no s*x life was easier than her momentous melt downs. I always intended to try and ease her into me being with someone else, but up until now none of the women I dated were worth the hassle. It was easier to break things off when Morag started her s**t than deal with her fallout.’

‘Are you saying I’m worth the hassle? You told me you didn’t want to sneak around with me.... But if that’s what you have been doing for years then why am I different?’ Rose averted her eyes to that strong neck and throat, trying to calm her over erratic heartbeats and unable to meet that steel gaze. She didn’t like what he had told her, but yet a part of her liked the fact that he was this honest. Honesty meant everything.

‘I knew the first time I laid eyes on you Rose, that you were different. We have something, an instant connection... A definite attraction; something rare. I didn’t want you to be like every other fling I’ve had, I want to be with you properly and I didn’t want to jade us by being the same guy I have been for years. I truly want to be out in the open with you, have Morag accept that I’m falling for someone else.’ He brushed her lip with his thumb tenderly, her eyes coming to his fast.

‘Falling for me? As in... Love?’ She smiled up at him shyly, a grin breaking across her face and small dots of heat flushing over her cheeks. She pretty much melted into him.

‘Isn’t that obvious? I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since I almost killed you with my car. Even spitting fire and looking murderous baby. I knew I wanted to wrap myself around you and kiss the s**t out of you....... When we lost you at the dance that night I was sick to my stomach, I had no clue where you were. I have never been so worried in my life, I acted like a mad man trying to find you.’ He kissed her this time, mouth in place of thumb and equally soft. ‘Sounds like you have it bad.’ She smiled against his mouth, her fluttering heart pounding erratically and her stomach doing somersaults.

‘You may be right there. As much as I do happen to be falling under your spell, I do really have to go. Rain check on what we were in the middle of and I’ll make up for it when I get back?’ That easy smile and then he was up and, on his feet, again, retrieving his clothes and throwing her back a loaded look.

‘I suppose; will really have to be something special then!’ She jested, once again burrowing back into the mattress and pulling the covers around her to snuggle in.

‘Dinner, movie...... Hotel after?’ He cast her another look as he put his top on again, smoothing it down. ‘I know a nice town about thirty miles from here that has all of the above.’

Rose’s heart sank a little, it’s not that she didn’t want all of that; it was just she knew his mention of a town far enough away from here to do it was just another sign that this was a secret arrangement. Hiding out, dating out of town. She had to remind herself that this was temporary.

‘Sure. It’s a date!’ She smiled, hiding how she was feeling behind it and accepted a brief peck on the lips when he was ready to go. Sighing as he straightened up, ruffled her hair affectionately and turned to go. ‘I’ll be back in two days; I’ll call you.’

‘You better.’ She smiled again and with another wink and that Munro smile knocking her for six, he was out the door and gone.