Painted Red

Beautiful young women moving to Miami were a dime a dozen. The city was a flurry of gorgeous people looking for inspiration, a good time, and a way to escape. But something told me the reason for Rosie’s departure had very little to do with her desire to spend her days sun-soaked and filled with Margaritas on South Beach.

I got the feeling that she was running from something. She didn’t seem to be constantly looking over her shoulder, nor did she appear to be deathly afraid of anything so I was sure it wasn’t anything deadly. With her speech, mannerisms, and general disposition, I could only assume she had left behind a life of luxury to “find herself.”

The thought gave me pause; this wasn’t some piece of shit ‘90s movie. I wasn’t some asshole from the wrong side of the tracks whose only purpose was to show the heroine a little bit of passion before she went back to her real life. Just like Rosie wasn’t some snotty rich girl who would throw me away at the first chance of trouble.

She was mine.

I’d had my first taste of her; she was still on my tongue for fuck’s sake! It didn’t matter where she came from or what she was facing, Rosie had to understand that we were no cliché, I wouldn’t let her throw me away.

As awful as it sounded, I wanted to save her. I wanted her to know she could count on me to help her destroy anything and everything that stood in the way of her happiness and wellbeing.

Whether she liked it or not.

11

Dex

Though she’d never been there, my bed felt empty without Rosie in it. Knowing she was right across the hall, so close to being with me but too far to reach, had me itching to get up and drag her into my room. Thinking about the events of earlier in the day, tasting her, feeling her, making her come on my tongue, had my cock hard and aching for her touch. I wanted to fill her with every inch of me, giving and taking pleasure in her gorgeous body. It was at the point where I didn’t think I would ever be satisfied until I got to fuck her. Fuck her until both of us were so wrung out on pleasure we could barely stand it.

Still, I didn’t want to be a presumptuous asshole and assume she was ready for more. I needed a signal, I needed her to be sure and confident in her want of me before I finally took her.

Hearing a loud clatter and subsequent curses coming from the kitchen, I jumped up and rushed out of bed, heading toward the noise.

Rosie stood in my kitchen, clad in a pair of tiny, cloud-print shorts and a tank top. I tried my hardest not to eye her hardened nipples peaking through the thin material before I addressed her.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” I walked toward her, helping pick up the takeout containers that fell out of the refrigerator.

She scoffed. “I got hungry, but you have so much garbage in here I can’t even reach the good stuff.” Rosie pointed a dainty finger towards the back of the fridge, at exactly what she was aiming for.

“Who the hell eats bagels at midnight?”

“Bagels and cream cheese are an anytime food, Dex.” She flashed me a smile.

I reached around her, grabbing the bag of bagels and the cream cheese before pulling out a knife and beginning to prepare them for her. “Didn’t I feed you enough earlier?”

Rosie shoved my arm. “You ate more than I did, if I remember correctly.”

I turned to face her. “When did you get to be such a smartass, huh?”

“Probably once I started working for you… Smartass.”

We were standing close and almost all of a sudden the two of us were nose-to-nose. I could smell the minty freshness of her newly-brushed teeth along with the floral scent of whatever shampoo she used.

Up close I could see the tiny, light freckles along her cheeks that hadn’t been there earlier, presumably caused by our time spent out in the sun. The crinkles around her eyes deepened beautifully as she smiled up at me and her soft, dirty blonde hair was still slightly wet from her shower.

She was so beautiful with that bright smile and those deep brown eyes. Her expression so open and earnest, so completely and totally Rosie. I knew in that moment, I had never seen or created anything as beautiful as Rosaline Reed. Nor could I ever hope to. The woman was in a league all of her own; I was just one of the assholes lucky enough to witness her in action.

Rosie licked her lips, before biting down on the bottom one and reaching out to stroke my right arm. Her touch sent bolts of electricity along my shirtless torso, making my hair stand on end.

“I’m about to kiss the shit out of you right now…”

Before she could reply, I pounced, my hands immediately framing her warm cheeks. My lips latched onto hers, feeling their pillowy softness underneath me before swiping my tongue along her bottom lip. I wanted every part of me to be inside her, but this would have to do at the moment.

Rosie let out a groan; the sound reverberated against my lips, causing my dick to pulse. With her body clutched tightly against mine, her tits pressed up against me, we stood in my kitchen, just enjoying the feeling of each other.

All too soon I pulled away. Rosie’s pretty, red mouth pouted in disappointment before I reached down to lift her up, wrapping her thick thighs around my waist and securing her place.

She laughed as I stalked out of the kitchen toward my bedroom. “What about my bagel?”