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It's going to be a success. Usually, this would elicit a warmth in my chest that pride brings. That swell of short-lived happiness at seeing something great come together.
And it still does. But those moments in the past when I thought I was happy; they were nothing compared to today. To the cozy fucking log fire that’s happily glowing away in my chest at the look on Rose’s face when she saw the balloon. It’s official. I’ve entered sappy as shit territory. And I couldn’t give a fuck. I like it here.
She wraps her arms around my waist, hugging me as she watches Seth, the balloon pilot, do his checks.
I hold her to my side and kiss the top of her head. It’s been two days since I spent the night at the cottage with her, two days and two nights. And all I’ve wanted to do is be with her, even though I’ve had a lot of meetings, and late-night commitments taking care of other business. But I’ve spent both nights—when I did finally make it back to the estate—with Rose in the cottage. I told myself I should let her sleep. Keep away and not wake her. Yet both nights I found myself knocking on her door, my heart lifting into my throat when she opened it and smiled at me. We never even shut the front door the first night. We had sex up against the door frame. Wild, gasping—can’t get her panties out of the way fast enough—sex as we grabbed at each other, trying to get as close and as deep as possible to one another. Last night she answered the door with no panties on at all… And we made it as far as the stairs.
“Looks great, doesn’t it?” Jasmin comes to stand next to us, folding her arms over her chest as she looks up at the inflated balloon.
“It does,” Rose agrees as Logan comes to join us, standing with his hands on his hips.
“You were right about making the logo bigger, Dax.” He purses his lips as he looks at the giant black S and E logo on one side—the trademark Silver Estate’s logo.
“This is new?” Rose’s brow wrinkles as her gaze stays transfixed to the balloon.
“Um, yeah.” Jasmin snorts, stopping abruptly when I catch her eye and shake my head.
Rose looks up at me curiously.
“It’s been planned for ages.” I shoot Logan a death glare as he coughs the wordbullshitonly loud enough for me to make out.
I don’t know who’s fucking worse, him or Jasmin.
The two of them watch me with smug smirks on their faces, and I scowl back.
“You want to try it out before the guests arrive?” I arch a brow at Rose as she turns to me, her mouth dropping open.
“Um… y-ye-yes! Oh my God, Dax. Are you serious?”
“Deadly.” I slide my fingers between hers and walk us toward Seth and the balloon, ignoring the gleeful whispers between Jasmin and Logan. Jasmin was ecstatic when she found out what I had planned.
The two of them chuckle and I hear them high five.
Fuckers think they’re funny.
“Hey.” Seth smiles at us as we approach. He’s a decent guy from what I can tell. The only local qualified balloon pilot I could find. He usually does this sort of thing for events with his own balloon. But the offer of an upgraded truck and trailer and a new balloon, as long as it held the estate’s logo, and he was happy to come to a deal about some things with me. One of which is taking Rose up today.
“Good to see you, Seth.” I shake his hand and then look at Rose. “Rose, this is Seth. Seth, this is—”
“I’m Rose.” Rose takes his hand and beams. If I wasn’t convinced that bearded mature guys in plaid shirts aren’t Rose’s type, then I might be bothered by just how fucking radiant her smile is for him. But as nice a guy Seth is, I’m sure it’s the giant silver contraption behind him that’s got her so excited. Either that or I’m going to have to learn to pilot a balloon damn fast by myself when I hurl him overboard.
“It’s amazing! I bet it’s incredible up there.” Rose grins as she accepts Seth’s invitation to go closer to the basket, which is lifting away from the grass where it’s tied down.
She runs her free hand over the wicker, her other still holding mine. She squeezes my fingers in hers and looks up at me, her eyes bright with pure, untainted excitement.
Heat swells in my chest and I pull her into my side and dip my nose to her ear. “You ready?”
“Yes.” She turns and plants a fast, breathy kiss to my lips, not caring who might see. But I don’t give a shit. My staff aren’t stupid. I’ve been holding her hand for the last hour while she watched Seth set the balloon up. Besides, I like the way it doesn’t even register with her to act any differently when we are in public, compared to when we are in private.
Rose Jacobs is mine, and I’m more than happy for the world to know it. At least, this part of my world. The other part—
“Do we climb in using that?” Rose points to a fold-out plastic step to one side of the balloon’s basket.
“Ah, yes.” Seth goes to retrieve the step, but I’ve lifted Rose into my arms before his hand even touches it.
“Dax.” She giggles as I place her on the edge of the basket, her long legs draping over the side in those black suede over-the-knee boots that have kept my thoughts occupied for many lonely nights.
“You better be wearing panties underneath that skirt when I swing your legs over,” I growl in her ear. The idea of anyone seeing anything of hers makes the blood boil in my veins.
