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8
ROSEMARY
It takes me a moment to remember where I am the following morning as I look around the unfamiliar décor of Alex’s hotel room. The soft sound of his breathing next to me floods my brain with memories of last night. I shift to stretch and feel the tight ache between my legs from our late-night activities continuing into the early hours.
I have to pee, but Alex’s heavy arm is draped over me, holding me in place. Even in sleep, I like the idea that he doesn’t want to let go of me. The allure of his protective hold on me loses some of the charm when my bladder screams at me to get up.
Shimmying out from under his arm, I do a less than graceful dismount off the bed. I grab his shirt off the floor and put it on as I pad quietly to the bathroom to get some relief.
When I come back out, I grab my clutch from off the floor and pull out my phone. I’m startled when I see multiple voicemails from Cynthia and text messages from Roman. I listen to the voicemails. They start calmly with her telling me not to worry about the incident with Regina Stewart. But as each message continues, she sounds more and more panicked.
“Someone said they saw you leave with a man they didn’t recognize. Where are you? Please let me know you’re okay.”
“Shit,” I grumble and hang up the phone.
Alex’s head lifts up from the pillow, his eyes still droopy with sleep. “What’s wrong?”
“My mom thinks I’ve been kidnapped. Never mind the fact that I’m not a child.” I grab my panties from the floor and pull them on.
Thank goodness I had the sense to lay my dress over the chair, otherwise I would be doing the walk of shame back to the Davenports in a wrinkled mess. A wrinkled mess that they spent a fortune on.
I pick up Alex’s pants and throw them at his head.
“Ouch!” he mumbles into the pillow.
I crawl up onto the bed to him and kiss my way up the sinewy muscles of his back to his ear. “If you don’t get up, my parents will likely call all their powerful friends to have a SWAT team bust in here.” I tug at the sheet on his waste and smack his bare ass.
He jumps, and moans, “Again.”
I laugh. “I’m not kidding.”
Alex rolls over and sits up in bed. He watches me as I pull on my dress.
“What?” I ask, struggling to pull the zipper in the back that last two inches.
He chuckles. “I’m just thinking how much more beautiful you are in the morning.”
I give up on the zipper and lean down on the bed. “That is so sweet.” I give him a quick peck on the lips. “But seriously, we have to go.”
The elevator door to the apartment opens up. We don’t even have to step off the lift to see Dad on his phone pacing back and forth. Mom rounds the corner, and sighs in relief when she sees me.
“She’s back, Scott!” she yells over her shoulder and runs over, pulling me into a hug. “Where were you? Why didn’t you call?”
The urge to tell her that I’m a grown woman and I don’t have to check in is silenced when I realize they’ve never had to be worried about me before. Whether they realize it or not, they are getting to live out a moment they missed when I was younger.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I wasn’t thinking.”
Dad comes over and pulls me into his arms too. “We thought the worst.”
“I had that run-in with that reporter and I panicked.” I don’t bother to explain what else happened last night. It’s clear what happened since we are both in last night’s clothes. “I’m so sorry that I told that woman who I am.”
“You don’t have to worry about it.” Cynthia waves her hand. “Your father was quick on his feet and gave the press just enough information to explain the situation to their satisfaction.”
“We should have just been honest from the beginning,” Dad adds. “I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to hide you in any way.”
My throat tightens, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Thank you.”
I pat the rose charm on my neck and I realize why they gave me a necklace. I think it’s so I can always keep them close to my heart. But I don’t need a reminder, they are already a part of me and I am of them. So much has happened and so much has changed since I first arrived here. It seems impossible the connections that we made, but I guess when you are connected by blood, anything is possible.
