Page 173 of The Virgin Romance Novelist Chronicles
“I’m sorry, Rosie. If I could take back anything, I would take back the way I reacted after we made love for the first time.”
“Made love?” Rosie asked, a lift to the side of her lips.
“Yes, made love. Rosie, I was already so madly in love with you. All I wanted was to hold you in my arms and keep you there forever after the first time, but the first moment you could, you checked your voicemail. It was a huge blow to my ego and my heart. I reacted in a shitty way, brushed you off, and tried to work you out of my system. Was it smart? No. Was I being human? Yes. We all react to situations differently. A bigger and less prideful man would have talked to you about his feelings, but it felt like I had been trying to tell you how I felt for so long, but you weren’t interested. All those nights when we hung out while you were on your mission to lose your virginity were precious to me. I tried to give you hints that I was the man you were looking for, but you never picked up on it. After you listened to your voicemail, I guess I just gave up. I assumed you wanted nothing to do with me, so I tried to move on.”
“Oh.” Her hands twisted in her lap. “I never would have thought about it that way, Henry. You’d dated Tasha on and off for a while. You’d slept with beautiful, if not vacuous, woman after woman ever since I'd known you. All I could think is that I'd never be the one you'd want. That I'd imagined everything between us.”
“I’m not trying to come up with excuses, love. What I did was wrong, I didn’t handle my emotions well, and I hurt you even more. I will always hate myself for that, but what you saw tonight was not even close to what I can only imagine you’re thinking.”
“And what am I exactly thinking?”And Defensive Rosie was back.
Why were things so hot and cold with this woman lately?
I let out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know, probably something insane like I’ve been banging her behind your back.” I threw my hands up in annoyance.
“Have you?” Her eyebrow rose in question.
“No,” I yelled. “Christ, Rosie, when would I have time to bang someone else? When I’m not on my computer working my ass off in the office, I’m here with you, my dick most likely in your hands. You’re all I ever want.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me about her working with you?”
Good point.
“I was afraid you’d get upset and it would start a fight.”
“Did you think I wasn’t going to find out?”
“Honestly, I never expected you to show up at my office, especially late at night in nothing but a trench coat.”
“How do you know I don’t have anything underneath this?” I could see her face light up.
Was this one of her many sexual games, fight and then have make-up sex? I had no fucking clue what was going through her mind.
I pointed at the opening of the coat. “I can almost see the pink of your nipple.”
She gasped and closed the lapels together. “How dare you.” She got up from the bed, walked around to my side, and slowly moved to the bathroom—but incredibly slowly. Did she want me to grab her? She looked over her shoulder at me and a small smile peeked past her lips.
Motherfucker. This woman would be the death of me.
Playing along, I grabbed her arm and pulled her down on the bed. “Don’t walk away from me; I’m still talking to you.”
“I’m mad at you.”
“Are you really?” I grabbed the belt to her trench coat and undid it so the jacket was forced to fall open. In seconds, her beautiful breasts were on display, as well as a very thin white thong that barely covered her.
In awe, I ran my hand over my face. “You’re so beautiful, Rosie. How could you think you’re not enough for me? You’re more than I could ever ask for.”
Her hand gripped my cheek and her face rang sincere. “I will always think you’re too good for me, Henry, always.”
That, right there, ripped me apart. Instead of talking, it was time to show her how we were the perfect match for one another.
“Get up,” I demanded.
“What?” she asked, probably a little shocked at my tone.
“I said, get up.” My voice was still harsh, but I added a wink so she’d know I was falling in line with her role-playing. Recently, she read me a sex scene from one of her books where the hero bent her over the bed for obvious reasons. She’d told me how hot it was over and over again, so it was time to make her dreams come true.
“Oh,” she quickly said. She got up, hiding her breasts.
