“Keep them here,” I grunted, pressing on her wrists to stay above her head. I swallowed, unable to rein myself in. “You want sinful,” I told her, moving my hands down, palms open and ready. “It’d be so easy, Rosie.” My thumbs brushed the swells of her breasts, then played with the puckered peaks over the fabric of her lacy bra before descending again and reaching the edge of her panties. I toggled with the thin fabric, my pulse racing, flying at the thoughts rushing through my head. “I could slip these to the side, and make you feel good. Fuck you silly with my fingers.”
She gasped in surprise—in need—and the sound, the image of Rosie’s parted lips in a pleasure I hadn’t even given her yet, made me so hard that I had no choice but to press myself against her. Pushed my hips right against hers, one hasty, hard thrust, pulling another abandoned moan from her.
“Ah, Rosie,” I grunted again, clasping the fabric of her underwear now, holding on to that last sliver of sense. “What’s an angel like you doing with someone like me?”
A strangled, harsh sound left her lips before she whispered my name, “Lucas—”
“Rosie?” A familiar voice sliced right through the moment. “Hello, Rosie? Are you here?”
I cursed under my breath, my body freezing around hers.
Rosie’s eyelids fluttered shut, and I could see the loss on her face. Loss I fought tooth and nail as I tried to pull myself back together, to cool down whatever was going on in my head, my chest, my pants.
“Hello?” Lina’s voice came again, the distress was obvious in my cousin’s voice. “Jesus, I’ve looked everywhere.”
Rosie’s eyes opened, a grimace twisting her lips. “I am! I’m here! Hey.”
She looked at me and I forced myself to give her the easiest smile I could manage. Then, I placed a kiss on top of her head.
“Finally!” Lina exclaimed, her voice coming closer to the stall. “What happened? You disappeared and I couldn’t find you.”
Rosie’s mouth opened, but no words came out.
“Have you seen Lucas?” Lina continued. “We can’t find him, either.”
I could see Rosie struggling to answer. To potentially explain how she ended up with me in a bathroom stall. To explain why she was half naked and I had the face of a starved man and a bulge pressing against my zipper.
“Aaron is in the restrooms, too, looking for him,” Lina added.
Rosie’s lips kept bobbing, and it became clear to me what she was having trouble with. What I had to do.
Shaking my head, I mouthed, I’m not here.
A frown curled her brows.
“Rosie?” Lina called. “You okay in there?”
I gave her another shake.
“Yeah,” Rosie answered, averting her eyes. “Some guy spilled a drink on me. I was cleaning up.”
“Oh no, that sucks. Did you manage okay or do you need me to get in and help—”
“No!” Rosie yelled, still looking somewhere to my left. “It’s all under control.”
Her cheeks had turned a deep shade of pink at some point. Probably when I’d been groping at her like the desperate bastard I was.
“Is Lucas waiting outside, then?” Lina chuckled. “He’s not hiding in there with you or something, right?”
Rosie seemed thrown off by the comment, and I understood. I really did. Lina had made it perfectly clear how she felt about the possibility of Rosie and me together.
I shook my head for her. Even if I hated to do that.
“No,” Rosie said with a fake laugh. “Us in a stall would be crazy! And stupid.”
My stomach soured at her words, but I picked up the gown from the floor, where it had ended when I’d pounced on her, and I helped her in in silence.
Only when she was dressed and zipped up did she meet my gaze again.
I could tell she was doing her best to hide how she felt about all of this, which wasn’t good, but as much as I didn’t like it myself, I had no choice but to mouth, You go first. I’ll wait.
With a nod, she left the stall and joined my cousin. I heard their steps as they made their way out. Leaving me to my own thoughts while I waited to leave, long enough so I wouldn’t get caught.
Get caught.
Never in my life had I let anybody sway my actions. Never allowed the world, or their opinions, to dictate how I lived. Who I befriended, dated, or fucked. I’d never cared enough. And I didn’t care what Lina would think of Rosie and me.
I cared about Rosie.
About her trust, and about our friendship. I wanted to do right by her. I wanted her to have everything she deserved. Because she deserved everything, as much as that wasn’t me.