Kissing the top of her head, he nodded toward the front door. “Go on, sweetheart. I’ve no doubt Miss Ethel is waiting up for you.”
Watching her step inside the house, he waited until he heard the lock click in place before walking back to his truck. Driving toward his apartment, he smiled at the memory of her excitement over the permanent substitute teaching position. As much as it hurt not having her in his arms all night, he knew Rafe had been right. She needed this time. But, as soon as she was ready…he wanted her back in his place, ready to make it their place.
31
“Are you not going out tonight?”
Rosalie, sitting on the sofa, an English Literature book in her lap, smiled at Miss Ethel. “Not tonight. Zander needs to be at Grimm’s for a delivery that got delayed and since it’s Saturday, he needs all his staff on the floor.” Shrugging, she said, “I haven’t been working there since the substitute jobs have been rolling in and, I have to admit, I miss it. But, it’s all good. I wanted to get some lesson plans completed tonight since I’m seeing him tomorrow.”
Shaking her head, Miss Ethel murmured, “Grimm’s. I swear, when I heard what he was going to name his bar, I laughed out loud.”
“I think it’s cute.”
Miss Ethel chuckled, “Oh, Lordy. Have you told Alexander that you thought the name of his bar was cute?”
Joining her mirth, she answered, “No, ma’am. I think my words were something along the lines of the name just fit.”
They settled into a comfortable silence, Miss Ethel with her knitting and Rosalie fiddling with her pen.
“Something on your mind, dear?”
She jerked her head up, surprised at the question. “You really are good at this, you know.”
“Good?”
“Yeah…reading people. I think that’s why you were such an amazing mom to all your boys.” She smiled as Miss Ethel blushed, waving off her praise. “But, I do have something on my mind. I just don’t know how to tell you.”
Miss Ethel set her knitting needles back on the bag at her feet and turned her attention fully to Rosalie. “I think, perhaps, you have decided that you’d like to be with Alexander more and you’re afraid of leaving me alone.”
Mouth open, she shook her head. “How do you do that?” Sighing, she set her book to the side, holding Miss Ethel’s gaze. “You’re right. During the past weeks, my feelings toward him haven’t diminished at all. In fact, they’ve grown. And, while I’m not working full time yet, I do substitute about three days a week, so my self-reliance has grown as well.”
“Let’s not forget the car that Jaxon was able to get for you, so you can get out and about more.”
“Oh, my gosh, yes! Now that I can drive, I feel so much more independent. I’ve got money in the bank, a car I can use, and some income coming in.”
“So, what’s stopping you?”
Dropping her gaze to her lap, she sighed heavily. “Being here is…safe…comfortable. I remember living with both of my parents, before my dad died. And then, it was just Mom and me for a while and, while I remember her lovingly and we certainly had some good times, her sadness was always just under the surface.” Lifting her eyes, she swept the room, saying, “But this house is so full of love. You can feel it from every room.”
A benevolent smile graced Miss Ethel’s lips, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “That was such a lovely sentiment, Rosalie. Thank you. As much as I loved every boy who graced my home, I always knew they were not mine to keep forever. When the time was right, they needed to move on into the world. For some, it was while they were still young and went back to their parents who had managed to overcome their difficulties so the children were safe again. For others, it was when they graduated and became adults. I never kicked them out of my house just because high school was over. Many stayed until they had jobs and enough money to make it on their own. Some, like Alexander, joined the military, but they all managed to come back to visit.”
“And that’s a testament to their love for you,” she avowed.
Chuckling, Miss Ethel nodded. “Yes, I would have to agree, this house was full of love.” Her mirth slowing, she leaned forward and pinned her with her gaze. “However, they did leave when the time was right. And so must you. I am fine here…and hardly lonely with all the boys checking on me so often.” Shifting back against the well-worn cushions, she picked up her knitting needles once more, adding, “And I hope you will return often as well.” Glancing at the cuck-coo clock on the wall, she asked, “Are you anxious to tell Alexander your decision?”
With a wide grin, she bounded off of the sofa. “Yes! Absolutely. I won’t be long since I know he’s busy, so I’ll be back soon.” Bending to kiss Miss Ethel’s cheek, she grabbed her phone and purse before heading out the door with her keys.
Zander viewed the crowd with a practiced eye. Loud. Noisy. But, so far, under control. Making his way through the crowd from the back, Zeke stopped him near the bar.
“Boss, you’ve got a visitor. I escorted them into your office to wait until you had a free moment.”
Staring at his employee and friend, he narrowed his eyes. “Visitor? Who the hell did you let into the office?”
“Just go on back and see,” Zeke quipped, walking away. Looking over his shoulder, he grinned. “But take your time…no rush…we’ve got this out here.”
Glaring at his back, Zander stalked down the hall, throwing open the office door before immediately coming to a halt. His eyes widened at the sight of Rosalie perched on his desk, her legs encased in tight jeans and with a revealing pink top showcasing her assets which, he couldn’t miss, were pushed out as she reclined with her hands behind her, flat on the desk. A quick glance to the side revealed a jacket. Thank God, she was covered when she came in.
His dick responded immediately to the buffet presented, but he held himself in check, lifting an eyebrow in silent question.
“Um…I missed you,” she divulged, licking her lips nervously.
Grinning at her obvious uncertainty, he nonetheless loved the way she had boldly come to him. Flipping the lock behind him, he stalked her way until his body was planted between her legs. With his erection pressed against her core, he felt the heat of her need through their layers of clothing. Leaning forward, he pressed his chest against hers, feeling her heartbeat pounding in time to his.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she breathed.
Nuzzling his nose across her face, his lips tantalizing close to hers, he asked, “So, what are we going to do about that?”
Swallowing deeply, she confessed, “I was hoping you’d tell me. Trying to seduce someone in their office is new for me.”
He inhaled her scent, floral mixed with arousal, and admitted, “Me too, princess. Never had anyone in here like this before.” Pressing his pelvis closer in, his swollen cock made his jeans uncomfortably tight.
She reached out, palming its length, eliciting a gasp from him. “Seems like you miss me too.”
“Minx,” he growled, the feel of her hand on his crotch almost unmanning him. Grasping her hand to still its movement, he added, “You plannin’ on ending our dry spell?”
“Actually…” she began, drawing his immediate attention, eyes widening. Staring into his piercing gaze, she continued, “I came to tell you that I talked with Miss Ethel tonight about moving back in with you. That is if you—”
He halted her words, slamming his mouth onto hers, his tongue plunging into her warmth as their noses bumped awkwardly. The kiss quickly flamed as their tongues tangled, both giving and taking at the same time.
His hands found the bottom of her shirt and with a deft lift, only parting long enough for the material to pass between them, he tossed it to the chair behind his desk. She attempted the same maneuver with his shirt, but was unable to achieve the same effect.
Chuckling at her noise of protest, he leaned back and whipped his Grimm’s t-shirt over his head. Her fingers managed to unbuckle his belt and were i
n the process of unzipping his jeans when he unsnapped her bra, his lips immediately dropping to latch onto a nipple.
Gasping with the intensity of his teeth raking across the swollen bud, Rosalie’s lost her purchase on Zander’s zipper as she moved to prop herself up on the desk more firmly. Leaning back, she landed on a pile of papers and he unceremoniously swept them onto the floor. With a hand placed between her breasts, he gently pushed her backward until she lay on the top of the desk, her ass at the edge. Unzipping her pants with more success than she had with his, he jerked them off, snagging her panties on the way. Sliding his fingers through her folds, he discovered her wet and ready. He stopped for a second, staring at the hooded gaze she landed on him, her oversensitive skin blushing.
Snapping out of it, he dropped his jeans and boxers to his ankles, palming his erection after grabbing a condom from his wallet. Rolling it on before placing the tip at her entrance, he halted, holding her gaze.
His voice rough with need, “What do you want, princess? You gotta tell me…I gotta hear it.”
Reaching up, her fingers grazing his chiseled abs before sliding up to squeeze his shoulders, she said, “I want it all. You…us…now.”
With a grin, Zander plunged into her warm channel. Like sweet nirvana, the sensation of her grabbing him almost had him coming immediately. Forcing his thoughts to her pleasure, he palmed her breasts, his thumbs flicking over her nipples.
His thrusts were hard, but Rosalie met each one with a thrust of her own. She crossed her ankles around his hips, her heels digging into his muscular ass, urging him on.
Watching her breasts bounce with each movement, her beauty laid out before him, Zander dropped his gaze to their coupling, watching as his cock, slick with her juices, moved in and out. He was struck with the intimacy of the act—the complete joining of two bodies. Feeling his balls spasm, he knew he would not last long but wanted her pleasure to come with his.
Reaching between them, he rubbed her swollen nub, eliciting a groan pulled from the depths of her lungs. Feeling her inner walls clamping onto his cock, he thrust again, climaxing into her warmth, his neck straining with the orgasm. As the last drop left his body, he fell forward, his chest landing on her, catching himself from crushing her at the last minute with his hands planted on the desk.
Gasping for air, he slowly became aware of the smile of contentment on her face. Dropping a kiss on her lips, he nuzzled her nose as he breathed in her essence.
“Mmmm,” she moaned, satisfaction moving through her body.
Reluctantly pulling from her, he took care of the condom before grabbing some tissues to wipe moisture from her folds. Assisting her to a seated position, still perched on his desk, she looked around at her scattered clothing.
“Wow. I’ll never look at this office the same.”
Barking out a laugh, he quipped, “You? Hell, I don’t know how I’ll ever sit at this desk and work without getting a hard-on just from this memory.”
Grinning, Rosalie blushed as she sat up, considering which article of clothing to go for first. Zander snagged her bra and dangled it from his fingertips. Shooting him a pretend glare, she took it, quickly fastening it on.
Pouting, he leaned over to kiss the tops of her breasts, saying, “Hate to say goodbye to these beauties.”
“Well, you won’t be missing them for too long,” she teased.
After they both straightened the rest of their clothing, he reached out, taking both hands in his. “Were you serious? About moving back in?”
She heard the wistful hope in his voice and nodded. “Yes, but not tonight.” Seeing his smile drop, she rushed to explain. “I’ve got to get my lessons in order this weekend while you’re working, because I’m subbing on Monday and Tuesday. And, I know Miss Ethel said she doesn’t mind me leaving, but I’d kind of like to have a few more days with her.” Reaching up to cup his stubbled jaw, she admitted, “She’s kind of become a mother to me too. Or maybe like a fairy Godmother.”
Nodding, he agreed, his gaze warm on her. “Sounds familiar.”
“How about if I move back in on Wednesday? If you take that day off, we can have the whole day together.”
Leaning down, Zander planted a sweet kiss on her lips, his heart full. “You got it, princess.”
Walking her to her car, he waved goodbye as she drove down the street before moving back into Grimm’s. The bar was packed with the Saturday night crowd, but it appeared his staff had things in hand, despite his absence from the floor. He stood for a moment at the hall entrance, his hands on his hips.
Zeke passed by with a grin splitting his face. “All’s well, Zander?”
“All’s right with the world,” came the easy reply. Making his way around the room, he relaxed slightly seeing the patrons having a good time, his servers hauling drinks and making tips, the bartenders keeping the crowd at the bar happy, and Roscoe and Zeke in place. Roscoe had moved to the back, giving Zeke his turn at the door. It was much noisier in the back, but they said they preferred it to the door, which was more boring. Whatever…as long as we’re covered.
No bachelor or bachelorette parties—thank God. While Grimm’s was full, it was a calm chaos. Groups sat at tables or the bar, couples danced in the back.
Lynn walked toward the back, her arms laden with two trays full of drinks. A man was shoved by another and knocked into her. With a scream, she fell forward, trays and glass crashing onto a table full of patrons. Pandemonium ensued as Lynn landed on several seated customers whose chairs tipped over, screaming in surprise.
“Fucking hell,” he cursed. “There goes the peace.”
By the time he pushed his way to the back, Roscoe was bent, assisting Lynn from the floor.
Zeke was coming from the front, while Zander grabbed the two men. “Time to go, assholes,” he seethed, shoving them toward the door.
Walking back inside, he quickly scanned the room. Lifting eyes to the heavens for a second, he sucked in a huge breath. Moving into action, he assisted customers up, apologizing while promising free drinks. Several had wet clothes and he offered to pay their cleaning bills as well.
Lynn stood to the side, her eyes filled with tears. Charlene threw her arm around her, leading her toward the staff room. Thankfully he had just hired some new servers for the busier nights, so they jumped in, sweeping up the glass and mopping the floor. Roscoe moved the chairs back into place, his affable personality soon having the customers laughing at the commotion. Within ten minutes, the bar was set right and everyone was settled in with their drinks, listening to the music.
Jerking his head toward Zeke and Roscoe, he motioned for them to follow him to the back hall. “Seems the two drunks were fighting over a woman who had no desire to be around either of them. As a precaution, walk every female customer to their car—every single one.”
With chin lifts from the two, he headed to the staff break room. Stalking over to Lynn, he pulled her into a hug. “So sorry, honey. I want you to call your husband and see if he can pick you up early.”
“I’m fine, boss, really. I was just embarrassed and my wrist hurt a bit when I fell. But it’s not broken, or even sprained. I just landed funny.”
Looking at his watch, he said, “We close in half an hour. Lynn, you stay in the breakroom until your husband comes to pick you up.”
An hour later, the bar was closed and everyone was ready to go home. Zeke and Roscoe had escorted all the female customers to their cars as they left, just as requested. Seeing everyone leave, Zander and Zeke locked up the bar after counting the till and locking the deposits into the safe.
“You okay, man?” Zeke asked.
“Yeah,” he replied, clapping his friend on the back as they approached their trucks. “Just a helluva way to end a night that started out so well.”
With a laugh, Zeke waved goodbye and Zander climbed into his truck, wishing it was Wednesday already.
32
“Rosalie?”
Not recognizing the man’s vo
ice, she hesitated, Zander’s cautions ringing in her ears. “Uh…who’s calling, please?” she asked.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to catch you off guard. This is Rafe. I’m a brother…well, friend of Zanders—”
“Yes, of course,” she replied, her nerves jumping as she remembered the conversation she overheard. “This is Rosalie.”
“Listen, I owe you a huge apology,” he confessed. “I know you heard the things I said to Zan and I never should have doubted you or his feelings for you.”
“No, it’s fine. Really, it is. After I thought about it, I realized you were right. I was dependent on him. And if we were to ever have a normal relationship, I needed to be autonomous and he needed to not have any guilt. Your opinion just forced us to both realize we needed to take a step back and give us some time.”
“Wow,” he said, the relief evident in his voice. “I felt terrible when Zan told me that you had left. He said you were staying with Miss Ethel?”
“Yes, and it’s been wonderful. My parents have both passed, so she’s been good for me to connect with.”
“I’m glad and I’m sure she’s loved having another woman around, as well.”
Uncertain what to say, she picked at a piece of fluff on her sweater, her nerves taut.
“I’m glad I got to apologize before meeting you,” he said. “I care for Zander and I’m starting to understand what you two have. I wish both of you all the best.”
“Thank you,” she gushed. “You mentioned meeting me…are you coming home?”
“Yeah, it looks like my contract here will end sooner than I thought and I’m heading back to Richmond to spend some time getting in touch with my roots and to decide what the hell I want to be when I grow up.”
A laugh erupted from her, recognizing the humor Zander always claimed Rafe exuded. “Well, I’m sure Miss Ethel will keep you straight.”
“You got that right,” he agreed. “I’m hoping to get out there this week, so I’m looking forward to meeting you.”
Zander_Heroes at Heart Page 20
