Rose Is Back With Thorns

chapter thirty two

His lips grazed hers softly so that she almost thought it hadn't happened. To assert it had, she felt him kiss her deeper, his velvety, wet tongue darting between her lips. She obliged to him and opened her mouth. Grabbing a fistful of her long hair which initially had been pulled in a clean, no-nonsense bun, he yanked her head backwards and took her lips with earnest ferocity. A moan escaped her lips as she began to reciprocate ardently.

Swiftly, he hurled her on his desk while gripping on her round thighs so that the pressure was painful in an enchanting way. Her groan assured him it had been effective. They now kissed wildly, moaning like animals as her busy hands roamed his body and before they knew it she'd popped his shirt buttons while ripping it apart. He growled into her mouth and dragged her behind closer to the edge of his desk, humping his member on her pelvis. The constriction of his pants became even more uncomfortable and he could tell the woman ached for him too, from her savage claws on his back.

Quickly he undid his belt buckle and unzipped himself. He was delving into his boxers to pull out his erect rod when the door yanked open. His once darkened with lust eyes widened and his excited body stiffened with tension. The disheveled, equally shocked woman a distant thought as he completely focused on the one by the doorway.

She was the first one to break their shock induced stupor. "Wow, um... I'm sorry for interrupting. I could just come back later." Quickly, she corrected herself. "No, I'll just come back later." She turned to leave but his staring spell broke and he stopped her.

"No! Rose." He gulped, sweeping his eyes from his flustered lover to a stoic Rose. "Stay, there's no need to leave." He gave the woman atop his desk a look who took her sweet time alighting from the desk, adjusting her  clothes and placing a lingering kiss on his jaw. He watched as she smiled courteously at the other woman before she sashayed outside, closing the door behind her. Now his attention was solely held on Rose. "Yes, you needed something?" He didn't bother fixing his messy clothes, reveling in her alerted eyes.

She almost missed the dismissal in his voice, distracted by his immodest state. Almost. Her tone oozed off sarcasm. "I see you've been busy,"

He shrugged nonchalantly whilst buckling his belt. "Quite observant. A seat?" He offered.

Her jaw twitched, her blood beginning to boil, ignoring his offer altogether. "I summoned you for an important meeting and you failed to turn because of... of," she seethed, pointing angrily towards the door. "That."

He sighed apathetically. "Her name is Lucia. And," he shrugged off his torn shirt, his taut, muscular chest catching her attention. "It's not any business of yours what I do with my schedule."

She really didn't want to ogle. She didn't want to salivate and stare at his hardened chest or the lean waist. She didn't will for her throat to dry painstakingly at the sight of his chiseled abdomen. But she did. However, she was quick to withdraw her gaze. "It is every bit my business just as it is yours. I'm your dang client and you failed to_"

"What? Huh? Failed to do what good ol' Miss Mayor?" He taunted. He crossed his arms over his chest and his muscles flexed visibly, he swore he saw her shiver. "Mr Lowell was present, wasn't he? I should be clear the man is as excellent as they come."

Rose masked her unease and kept her face blank. "And my monthly cheque goes to Mr Lowell, I presume?" She mused, hardly blinking. She wanted to focus on his face. Just his face. "Don't be a fool, Warren. You're going to lose clients if you keep up with this."

He laughed. His laugh deep and deliciously raspy. Even as he stopped, Rose could hear the echo of his laughter at the back of her mind. She didn't notice when he walked around the desk and closed the distance between them, his body towering over her. It was when his snarl filled her ear that she noticed. "Like you care."

"Of course I care, Warren." She said earnestly, craning her neck so she could meet his eyes. "That's why I came here to see whatever you've been up to. Because_"

"Because you need me as a tool in your sick, unscrupulous quest for revenge against the Sylvesters! Don't even try to act with me. I know everything you've been doing. I know how you've been masquerading about with that sob story about avenging the injustice against your mother when truly you're just bitter that Morgan dumped you for Rebecca. You're just angry at the world for your unhappiness. Hiding under a victim's suit when in real sense you are the evildoer. The used and discarded maid that hoped to gain status by sleeping with a rich_"

Slap! The loathe in her eyes was a bigger blow than the actual slap across his face. A tear streaked down her cheek and she bothered not to hide it. Pain, betrayal and abhorrence was all he read in the glistening irises. Then her lips as she uttered every bit of the emotion her expressive eyes already alluded. "Never associate yourself with me. I don't know you, like I've learned you don't, me. However you must know," her jaws clenched and she stepped backwards. "If you're not my friend," she'd retraced her steps to the door then she finalised. "You are foe." And she walked out leaving behind a regretful, teary and despondent Warren.

***

The blazing fury coursing through her body needed an outlet lest she blew up with everything else around her. But again it was a welcome distraction to the agony gnawing at her heart.

Warren. Her best friend and confidante. He'd also deserted and betrayed her like everyone else. After not seeing each other for far too long, Rose had swallowed her pride and gone to visit him only to find him atop his secretary, locked in an intense embrace that Rose queerly found nauseating.

When Lowell hinted Warren was misbehaving, Rose knew exactly what that meant but it still upset her to actually see it for herself. Then he'd sliced her heart mercilessly with those blunt, hurtful words. Everyone seemed eager to hurt her in the past days. Heck, all her loved ones hurt her all her life. Morgan's abandonment, Archibald's and Leon's lies and now Warren. There was only one person who'd never caused her pain and Rose was storming towards her room.

"Rose!" She screeched upon the startling invasion. Then her face contorted with worry. "Are you alright?"

It seemed her friend had been enjoying a glass of wine from the glass on a quaint table in the room. Rose grabbed it and downed its contents not caring how ungraceful she came off. She swallowed loudly like a goat. "Nope!"

The friend nodded slowly and cautiously. "Want to talk about it?"

Rose met her friend's eyes and caught the genuine concern there. But she didn't feel like talking. It would only bring her to tears and Rose was tired of crying, especially for people! It was all she ever did and now she couldn't anymore. Never again! Suddenly, her facial features relaxed and a Cheshire cat grin curved on her lips. Mischief played in her eyes. "Gabby," she breathed out.

Gabrielle grew wary and eyed her carefully. She could almost taste the impending calamity in her tongue. Too dreadfully bitter to stomach. "Rose..." She warned.

Without heeding the warning, Rose giggled madly. "It's barely five o'clock , people couldn't possibly have left their work places, right?"

"Rose." This time it was a growl that Rose had never heard before.

Seemingly, she was unperturbed. She continued, grinning wickedly. "What? I'm utterly harmless. I'm just going to visit someone." She pivoted towards the door.

"Rose, wait!" It was Gabrielle's last yell as the other woman sprinted out the room and onto the hallway.

**
A/N

Oh oh. Someone is up to no good. Any guesses? Let's here it from you. And...vote :-)