Chapter 43

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Rose

CHRISTMAS HAD COME AND gone, and Alex and I were another month into our relationship. A new year was about to begin in just a few hours, and my resolution was to be more open with Alex about how I was feeling and let him know I trusted him with my heart. I knew how strong my feelings were for him, it was just so hard for me to express them.

We had spent our first Christmas together and it was everything I’d hoped for and more. In addition to my emotional transformation in the coming year, I also had two special birthdays coming up in January, first my aunt’s and then Alex’s. I was throwing my aunt a surprise party as a thank you for letting me stay with her and for always being there when I needed her. Alex was going to be a little tougher. I wanted to do something extra special for him, but I hadn’t a clue as to what. I was hoping it would come to me all of a sudden. Whatever it was, I wanted it to be meaningful and memorable, the same way he had made my birthday for me.

Alex and I were going to be spending the night ringing in the New Year at his place. He was cooking me dinner, and I had never been so excited to just do nothing on New Year’s Eve as I was about this one. The past years had always been the same thing, going out with my friends, getting wasted and partying all night long, then waking up the next day feeling like I’d been run over by a train. I’d grown up so much in just a few short months, and I never wanted to go back to that irresponsible party girl I once was.

I spent the afternoon writing out the invitations for my aunt’s party and then snuck into her closet and found her old photos so I could put together a video for her. I sat on my bed going through each one, laughing at her ever-changing hairstyles over the years. Some of them good. Some of them very bad. I placed all the ones I had wanted into a pile, stopping when I heard my phone ding with a text message.

Alex: Are you standing me up?

“Oh, shit!” I whispered, just noticing the time and realizing I was supposed to have been at his place for dinner five minutes ago.

Me: I’m so sorry! I got wrapped up going through old pictures. I’m leaving right now.

I grabbed the pile of photos and put them in my nightstand drawer, coming up with a whole new vocabulary of profanities when I dropped the box with the remaining photos on the floor. I bent down and threw them in the box, slowing down my pace and eyeing up one in particular that caught my eye. It was a picture of a much younger Aunt Kate with her arm around a very familiar-looking man. I studied it closer, trying to put the pieces together as to where I’d seen him before. I placed the photo on the nightstand and picked up the others, placing them in the box and shoving them under the bed.

I put on my coat and flung my overnight bag over my shoulder, grabbing the picture from the nightstand and looking it over once again. My eyes widened when it finally dawned on me where I’d seen this man before. He was the older British man in Mr. Andrews’ office that day. He was a lot younger in that photograph, but there was no doubt it was him—just a little more handsome and a lot less distinguished than he was now. My mind was going at warp speed as I tried putting together the fuzzy memories of our brief meeting that day. Unfortunately, his egoistical son was who I had the strongest recollection of. I didn’t have time to ponder it at that moment. Alex was waiting, and in addition to wanting to see him, I was also starving, so I shoved the picture in my bag and was on my way.

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“I’m so sorry.” I walked over to Alex and kissed him on the cheek just as he was taking the filet mignons and shrimp off the stove. “Oh my God, that smells so good!” I said, sucking in the heavenly aroma.

“You’re lucky, it took longer to cook than I thought.” He tried his hardest to pretend he was annoyed by my tardiness, but he wasn’t doing a good job of it.

I won him over when I looped my arms around his neck. “I’ll make it up to you.”

He couldn’t hold back his smile, playfully smacking my ass and moving me out of the way.

We sat down to dinner, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it tasted as good as it smelled.

“Wow, cute, sexy, and you can cook. I’m a lucky girl.” I winked.

“Yeah, and don’t you forget it.”

After dinner we cuddled up on the couch watching movies. It was only ten o’clock, and my eyes were weighing heavy as I rested my head on his shoulder.

“You sure you don’t want to meet up with Lucy and Declan?” Alex asked.

“Nope. I’m perfectly happy sitting right here on this couch under this blanket with you.”

“Wow! That’s a switch from your normal social butterfly self.”

“What can I say? Maybe I’m getting old.”

He rested his lips on the top of my head, and I closed my eyes, feeling so content in knowing there was no place else I’d rather be at that moment than with him.

“Or maybe for the first time ever, I finally feel like I’m where I belong with the person I most want to be with.”

“And who would that person be?” he teased.

I lifted my head from his shoulder and gazed into his eyes.

“You.”

A beautiful smile spread across his face as he moved his lips closer to mine and our tongues collided. I creased my eyebrows when he abruptly ended our kiss and stood up, my confusion transforming into a smile when he took my hand and led me into his bedroom.

Our lips came together once again as we fell down on his bed, slowly removing each layer of clothing from the other until we were completely undressed. His hands explored my body in a way I’d grown so pleasantly accustomed to. A way that made time stand still and made me wonder how I ever existed before I had met him. Each and every time we were together was both familiar and new. He was able to make me feel things both physically and emotionally with just a simple touch. I always knew the difference between just sex and making love, but I’d never experienced the latter until Alex came along.

I arched my back as he eased himself inside of me, and our bodies became one, moving together in unison to reach that high we were both chasing. Our tongues clashed, and my fingernails glided down his back. Each thrust he made became more intense than the last. His breathing hitched, and he let out a pleasurable groan at the same time I allowed myself to give in, both of us getting lost in each other together. He turned on his side and pulled me closer as I rested my head on his chest. His heartbeat was like a melody that sounded like it was created just for me. I’d never felt so connected to anyone before in my life and even though I was the happiest I’d ever been, I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.

“Hey, why are your crying?” he asked upon feeling the first teardrop falling onto his chest.

“I don’t know. I’m just happy, I guess.”

“You guess?”

“No. I know. I’m one hundred percent without a doubt very happy.”

We lay in silence for some time, my fingers trailing up and down his arm, until I heard his breathing pattern change. I carefully lifted my head from his chest and watched him sleep, thinking how different my life would be right now if my father hadn’t come up with his ultimatum that landed me in the arms of this man I cared for so deeply. Staring at the big red 11:59 on the clock, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. Here I thought I’d be the one who wouldn’t make it to midnight, but instead it was Alex who was sleeping like a baby. I kept my eyes on the clock as I lowered my head once again and hugged him as tight as I possibly could. The numbers on the clock switched to 12:00 at the same time, “I love you,” fell from my lips in a soft, gentle whisper meant for the man lying sound asleep beside me.