Beautiful Rose (Beautiful Rose 1)

I told her how I'd walked upstairs after he hadn't answered and found him shirtless. I laughed as her eyes widened, and then dodged the cushion she threw at me.

“Oh my god,” she sighed. “Is he…you know…big?”

I shrieked with laughter.

“Darcy! What are you talking about?” I gasped between giggles. “What about Benj?”

“Hey I love Benj, but I'm a woman. I appreciate a fine looking man as much as the next girl, and they don't come much sexier than Jack. Especially with that accent. So, is he?” she pressed impatiently.

She was right. I frowned suddenly, remembering how quickly the experience had gone downhill.

“For someone that just bedded one of the hottest guys I've ever seen, you don't look very happy,” Darcy commented.

“I'm not. I guess I thought . . .” What had I thought? I felt like an idiot saying it, but the reality was I'd thought I could potentially be more than just a convenient hookup for him.

“What?” Darcy pressed gently.

“I get the feeling it’s not going to go anywhere,” I finally responded.

“Rose, I've seen the way he looks at you. I don't think there’s an issue of his feelings not being on the same page as yours.” She hesitated, her eyes flicking downward as she bit her lip.

“What?” I asked.

“Look, it's not my place to tell you about his past but trust me, it's worth pushing him a little further to try and break through his shell.”

“What about his past?” I asked.

Darcy looked at me pleadingly. “His last relationship didn't end well. I don't even know all the details, but someone sure broke his heart. He was a mess when he first came here.” I nodded. It made sense. If he’d been hurt before, it was natural for him to try and distance himself. I stood up. Darcy grabbed my hand. “You’re not going anywhere until you answer my question,” she said, her huge eyes pleading with me.

I laughed. “He’s huge,” I grinned, winking at her.

I made my way down to my own apartment. Tonight, I didn't feel like doing anything. I couldn't even be bothered having dinner. Instead, I shut off the lights and went to my room and curled up on the bed.

Chapter Sixteen

Jack

I don't think I could've come across as more of an asshole if I'd tried.

Things should never have gone that far. Seeing her standing in my apartment, the smell of her perfume, the way her eyes had clung to me . . . I'd let my guard down, and now things were even more fucked up than before. At least before I could kid myself that this whole infatuation with her was just in my head. Sure, the friendship, and the kiss were one thing, but now I'd gone way, way over that line. Faced with the issue of how to deal with my feelings I'd chosen the easy way, insisting to myself that it was for both our sakes.

I stacked the glasses from the dishwasher a little too aggressively, causing a pile of them to topple over and smash on the floor.

“Shit!” I cursed, ignoring the look Benj and Darcy were exchanging.

Yesterday, after the whole thing with Rose, I wished I’d given her the night off so I could avoid facing her.

Tonight everyone was here, and with the looks the guys kept sneaking my way I was sure that Rose had spoken to Darcy, who had spoken to Benj. The only person who wasn't acting weirdly was Ash, but he was so absorbed in himself that it didn't matter.

I swept up the broken glass and tied the bag, lifting it out of the bin. I had the perfect excuse to get some fresh air. Rose had been avoiding me for the last two hours, which suited me fine. And before that she’d only spoken to me when she needed to. The tension was obvious. It hung in the air like a bad stench, one that everyone could smell but nobody wanted to bring it up.

Bag in hand, I headed to the back exit. I passed Rose, who was walking over to the bar, a tray of empty glasses balancing on her hip. I snuck a glance at her when I was sure she wasn't looking. Fuck, I couldn't even think around her. My nose tingled as I breathed in her perfume. I closed my eyes and imagined my hands on her body. What I wouldn't give to be able to touch her skin again. The way she felt yesterday when she was underneath me . . .

"Can we talk?" Her voice sent shock waves through my body. Shit. I felt myself get hard. I hadn't heard her approach me. Now I stood next to the back door with a bag of trash and a hard-on, looking like a fucking idiot.

"Sure," I forced out, my tongue feeling like rubber against the roof of my mouth. "What's up?" My hand was resting on the door, my eyes looking anywhere but at her. If I gave her my attention, I’d be gone, lost in her forever.

"Jack." She reached out and grabbed my arm. I breathed in sharply. Don't do this, Rose. I was sure that if she started something, I wouldn't have the strength to pull away.