Just Rose

Chapter 31

‘Hurry up shorty, if you want to catch the bakery before it closes for lunch.’ Rose pushed Abby out of the cottage door into the bright sunshine, heading for her car. They had spent the morning packing up her artwork for the courier and sketching flowers in the garden. Abby loved fine art as much as Rose and they were working on a collage together for her studio.

‘Oooh, well move then. I have a severe craving for cupcakes and I promised Duncan I would save him some for later.’ Abby grinned at Rose’s eyeroll, Abby had been absent a lot lately due to her blossoming romance with the farm boy from the dance. Rose could only grab time with her sporadically, but it did make concealing her relationship with Rob a little easier.

‘What does your brother think of your new love life?’ Rose pressed when they were settled in the car, Abby just smiled wickedly.

‘What he doesn’t know won’t kill him.’ Abby chuckled and pulled her bag onto her lap to check for her purse, pulling it out triumphantly and waving it around. ‘You know he offered to take me to college this morning. What’s that all about? Normally he’s up at dawn and married to his work and you barely see him. Lately he seems to be around a lot more, although he didn’t believe me that today was my day off.’

Rose’s phone vibrated before she had even pulled off and her mother’s face flashed on screen. She tried not to react, just slid it into her bag at her side and carried on manoeuvring out of the car park.

She had been avoiding her mother’s calls lately or passing her off with excuses that she was busy. Truth was, she just couldn’t lie to her and her mother would know something was up. They hadn’t spoken properly in weeks, she had no clue what to tell them about Rob, if anything and it just made things a whole lot more complicated.

‘Avoiding mummy still?’ Abby cut in with a knowing look and leaned back to clip her belt. They had pulled out onto the road and both girls immediately rolled down windows to let the breeze in. It was another surprisingly scorching day and shaping up to be the best summer in years.

‘Who said I’m avoiding my mum?’ She lied and crossed her toes childishly, accelerating as they passed the Manor opening, she still got nervous near that entrance.

‘Come on, I’ve seen you blank that phone several times when your mothers beautiful face is on screen. What are you avoiding her for? I thought you were close.’ Abby was inquisitive at the best of times, Rose’s nickname for her was ‘Nosey mare’ as she was forever prodding for information, it only made Rose surer that Abby knew something about Rob as she never broached that subject at all.

‘It’s nothing, she just calls a lot and she is just a bit over protective.’ Rose hated the white lie, hated that she was yet again bluffing her way out of the truth with Abby, but she couldn’t tell her the truth. It had gone on too long and even if she could, she didn’t know how to tell her now. Abby would be crushed that she had been kept out of the loop. That Rose and Rob had been sleeping together for over a month now and had never told her.

Abby flicked through her phone and bumped on a tune loudly.

‘This is my new fave.’ She beamed Rose’s way and started gyrating in her seat and singing along as they pulled up to the town sign and Rose followed the familiar route to the café car park, it looked unusually full as she circled for a space, noting a couple of tourist buses nearby and headed back out to the road for the next carpark at the museum.

Tourist season was starting and that’s when the village would start to get busy, she hadn’t been looking forward to the invasion in her corner of paradise but thankfully it would only last the summer.

Finding a space outside the museum was easy, practically at the door though; Rose couldn’t help but spot Rob’s car parked near the entrance and that familiar pang hit her in the stomach. He was here... With her. She knew he sometimes had business with the museum, Rob was a benefactor after all. She just didn’t expect to turn around as she slid out to come face to face with him walking towards her. Morag at his side and sauntering a little too closely beside him as they approached.

‘Morning’ He smiled towards her, aware of eyes on them and Abby’s usual presence. His face a picture of blankness and giving nothing away; he was always a little too good for Rose’s liking at this causal indifference. She assumed it was honed with years of dating women quietly. She smiled tightly, trying not to look at the redhead or the figure revealing dress she was sporting today, or the way she was leaning a little too close to Rob’s side. That air of ownership.

Abby slid out of the car and greeted Rob with a sisterly hug. They always showed affection to one another in small ways publicly, that highlighted the bond between them, and it made Rose envy it a little.

Okay, envy it a lot. She longed for the days when he could be that way with her in the open.

‘Where’re you girls off to today then?’ His eyes kept coming to rest on Rose and then shifting again. He was only too aware of the way Morag was watching intently and Morag smiled at the two women in her usual fake hospitable way. A seasoned pro of social etiquette when faced with members of the public or strangers, she played her part so very well. Cool, calm and poised, as though nothing more was going on behind those narrowed green eyes; her manner giving nothing away at all. Today she was dressed for a party, even though it was around ten am, and made Rose feel plain in her white summer dress and sandals with her loose waving hair around her shoulders.

‘The bakery for Abby’s daily intake of cupcakes, then maybe the beach for a walk with Muffin. We’re celebrating the conclusion of my commission today.’ Rose was trying to sound light, trying not to focus on the hard lines of his body under his shirt and linger in the memories of what he had done to her last night. Her face must have betrayed a mere hint of what she was thinking as she caught the change of shade in his eyes and the briefest pause of his attention on her mouth. She saw the familiar glint of lust as he cleared his throat, pushing it away. Her body always so aware of his every tiny movement.

‘Congrats, well done for getting them done so quick. Try not to drown my sister while you’re there, I know how irritating she can be.’ He was trying to lighten the mood and Abby sucker punched him lightly, a scowl on that pretty face. She had been standing glaring at Morag openly until that point, oblivious to all the passed looks between her brother and best friend.

‘Screw you, asshole.’ Abby laughed and ducked as he tried to catch her in a head lock. Rose watched them with a smile moving across her face, always warmed by the bond of siblings. Morag was looking cold and bored as she glared first at the sparring pair who were now dancing about then gave Rose a quick once over with a disapproving air. Rose stiffened and tried her best not to react.

Abby was trying to take another mock jab and Rob was keeping her at arm’s length, teasing her and calling her names, his hand on his sister’s head. He expertly ducked and dived from flailing limbs while she was calling him every name she could think of that would insult, but it only made him laugh louder. That unguarded smile causing Rose to warm up in places that brought a flush to her skin. It was in these moments when Rob lost the look of the mature business man and looked every bit the young carefree twenty-nine-year-old, years slipping away with a change of facial expression, that only made her want him more.

‘It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?’ Rose tried with the other woman, her heart beating fast and the awkwardness of being left here to stand silently facing her. Trying to drag her attention away from how hot Rob looked, fooling around with his sister so childishly.

‘Hmm I guess.’ Morag didn’t look at her, just checked her watch for the umpteenth time and sighed loudly. She was concentrating on sending facial signals to Rob to move; making it clear she had little interest in the annoying brunette standing three feet away. Rose could feel her irritation rising. This woman was not easy to warm too and the way she was looking possessively at Rob was making her temper simmer.

‘Going anywhere nice yourself?’ She pressed. Really trying to make an effort, maybe if she endeared herself a little to this woman it would make things easier. On Rob. On her. Maybe if she formed a friendship then things would move along faster.

‘Rob’s taking me to a business brunch for the museum.’ She said drily, closed off, offering no more information and shutting her down. She waved a hand at the pair who were now several feet away to attract his attention. Rob had Abby hanging upside down over his shoulder, screaming for dear life and wrinkling the hell out of his sky-blue shirt and navy trousers.

‘I see. Well, have a nice brunch.’ Rose interjected with her most friendly smile and was met with a mask of dead pan indifference. Morag just ignored her. Rose gritted her teeth, clamped her mouth shut with the temper that was threatening to pour out and focused her eyes on that gorgeous six-foot hunk instead. He always simmered her jets.

He was obviously in a good mood. Rose knew why; they had not slept much last night, the hot humid night keeping them both awake and they had simply filled the hours with some acrobatic exercise. He had pretty much tested out every available surface in her cottage that he could prop her on and she baulked at where the heck he was getting his energy this morning, he looked anything but tired.

He had been in a lust hungry mood and had not been able to get enough of her, no matter how many times he had her. It was one of those rare nights when he had stayed until morning and his phone had not rung, even once. They had talked, made love and held one another repeatedly until sun up and he had to leave for work. She was tired this morning and her body ached, but it had all been worth it. The memories fueling her through today and longing for later when they had arranged to meet out of town for dinner.

Rob finally dropped Abby back on her feet and hauled her over, under his arm, planting a kiss on top of her head. She was still struggling and aiming elbow jabs at his side, but he caught them expertly. He was faster and stronger than Abby and made it look easy to control the fiery demon.

‘We have got to get going Rob!’ Morag’s voice was tight and controlled, but a mere hint of temper fraying at the edges. She was obviously bored with the company and wanted him alone once more.

‘Yeah sure. Hate to love you and leave you ladies but we have a meeting.’ He looked directly at Rose as he said, ‘love you’ lingeringly, his eyes glinting, and the tiny hint of a smile tugged his mouth subtly, sending a small shiver internally through Rose’s pelvis. Anticipating later when she could be alone with him. ‘Behave yourselves.’ He walked forward between Morag and Rose as though making to leave, so that his body brushed her lightly, his fingertips quickly tracing down the inner skin of her arm and wrist gently. A small brief touch, concealed by his body but sending a thousand tingles through Rose like a shockwave, with his eyes catching hers; that now familiar look of longing in that shielded expression. She caught Abby lifting her attention their way with a narrowed look and moved away from him quickly, face heating and cursing herself for the inability to act.

These last few weeks She had been learning how to read him a little better, recognise the tiny signs and looks that he rarely gave away for moments like this, when his act made her feel insecure.

‘We shall!’ Abby butted in, the strangest expression behind those eyes and she pushed her brother in the back as though telling him to hurry and leave. He batted at her head with his hand before leaning down and hitting her with a kiss on the cheek.

‘Have a nice day.’ Rose said quietly, to him, not Morag and met his eyes with a smile.

‘You too.’ He turned, a last quick look at Rose and placed a hand on the back of Morag, guiding her onward towards his parked car. Rose tried not to watch him go, tried not to let that bubble inside that was growing affect her, but she was watching a little too intensely and aware she was frowning.

‘I feel the same way about her.’ Abby butted into her thoughts and nudged against her. ‘Slutty freak. Who dresses that way at ten in the morning?’ She laughed and turned, yanking Rose by the wrist and not waiting for a response as she hauled her into the bakery.