A/N As promised in the last chapter of Close to Home, here is an outtake from Rose's POV about her first meeting with Emmett. Hope I did it justice! Thanks for reading! Enjoy!
Outtakes for Close to Home
Chapter 2 - Secret Rendezvous
September 17, 2010
RPOV
Tonight starts out like any other Friday night. When I opened New Horizon a few months ago, I honestly thought I'd hire someone to work Friday and Saturday nights. Little did I know that I'd fall in love with it all.
I love everything about my job. My employees are all great, trustworthy people who work hard every day. The customers are great, too, even if some of them do tend to get a little hands-y. If they weren't, there's no way in hell I'd want to spend every Friday and Saturday night here. Hell, I sort of feel like that chic from Coyote Ugly who owns that bar in New York - the one she practically lives at. New Horizon is my life now, and I spend all my free time here. Sure, I have a lot of guys hit on me, but they're all harmless drunks.
***Flashback to August 13, 2010***
I was running drinks down on the main floor, when I literally stumbled into a short little pixie, spilling the tray of drinks all over her. I swear this girl was the smallest person I had ever seen, and immediately started to wonder who the hell let a child into my club. Yes, the place was an eighteen+ establishment, but this girl didn't look to be older than sixteen. I was sure the state would have my liquor license for this one.
About ready to blow up and fire someone, I glared at the girl before tearing into her. "How the hell did you get in my club?" I expected her to start crying immediately... I mean, let's face it: I can be one scary bitch when I want to be. She didn't, though, and that shocked the shit out of me.
"Look what you did to my dress!" she screamed instead of answering my question. "This is brand new and cost me a small fortune. I hope you plan on paying for it." I had been too dumbfounded at her unexpected outburst to really respond to that in any way. "Well?" She glared up at me, gesturing wildly to her dress, before a tall, handsome blonde came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He had to have been at least six or seven years older than her.
"Relax, darlin'. We're celebratin' tonight; let's not ruin it by arguin' over something as trivial as a dress, okay? Besides, you still look beautiful." The man's southern accent was very prevalent as he tried to soothe the girl. He turned his smile on me and extended his hand in greeting. "Good evenin', Ma'am. My name is Jasper Whitlock, and this is my fiance, Alice Cullen. We're sorry for causin' a scene."
Jasper Whitlock was a charmer, that was for sure, but I couldn't help return his smile. "Rosalie Hale. I own this club," I explain, looking back over to the girl with wary eyes. "Would you both please join me in my office so we can talk more privately?"
They must've sensed that I meant business, because they both nodded their heads and began following me upstairs. Once we were in my office, I closed the door and motioned to the chairs in front of my desk. As Jasper sat down and pulled Alice into his lap, I took my own seat behind my desk.
I know I need to handle this situation carefully, so I take a deep breath and release it to clear my head. Once I'm relatively calm, I address the couple. "Miss Cullen, I'm sorry about your dress. Send me the dry cleaning bill and I'll gladly pay it for you, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask to see your ID."
Without any hesitation, she whips her wallet out of her purse and pulls out her Driver's License. I have to check the date four times... Surely this girl can't be nineteen! There's no effing way!
Almost as if she can read my mind, she smiles widely at me. "I assure you it's real. I'm nineteen... Don't feel bad though, everyone always thinks I'm still a kid. It pisses me off, too!"
I can't help the laugh that escapes my throat at her outburst and I realize immediately that Alice Cullen and I will become good friends.
The three of us end up hanging out in my office for almost two hours, just talking about our lives and everything that's happened to us. Alice explains that Jasper just proposed to her that afternoon, and they're here to celebrate. When I hear that, I quickly call Felix and ask him to have Heidi bring me three shots of tequila. I know I can get in trouble for providing Alice with alcohol, since she's technically underage, but decide that one drink won't hurt.
Heidi arrives with the shots, places them on my desk, and then leaves as quickly as she got here. I know she's probably eager to get back to work. The club is at its liveliest right now, so the sooner she gets back out there, the more money she'll make.
I pick up a shot glass, motioning for Jasper and Alice to do the same. "To new friends and true love!"
"And great sex!" Alice chimed in, making me snort with laughter. We all clink our glasses together and then down the shots.
After another hour or so of talking, there is a knock at my office door. "Come in!" I shout and then smile as Felix pokes his head in.
"Jacob wanted me to ask if you could go back down and help him. Lauren isn't feeling well, so he wants to send her home, but will need help running drinks."
When I look at my watch, I see it's already after midnight. "Of course, Felix. Let Jacob know I'll be down in a few minutes." With a nod, he ducks back out of the office, closing the door behind him. "Listen, I need to get back to work, but I'd love it if you guys came back in sometime. Alice, here's my cell phone number," I explain as I hand her a business card. "Let me know how much the dry cleaning is and I'll be sure to take care of it, and feel free to stay and hang out in the VIP room for as long as you'd like tonight. Is there anything I can get you before I go back downstairs?" After they assure me that they are fine, I make my way back down to the main floor and get to work.
***End Flashback***
I smile as I remember that fateful night back in August. Even though I didn't see either of them again that night, we have gotten together a few times since. With as much time as I put into the club, I don't really have much time for friends, but Alice gets that. We hang out when we can, but don't worry too much if our schedules don't match up. She's really a sweet girl, but a big ball of energy that's hard to keep up with.
I was excited when she called me at the beginning of the week to ask if I could add a few names to the list for tonight. I haven't seen her in a little over a week, so I hope we can spend a few minutes catching up.
Felix is working the VIP lounge as usual for a Friday night, and I'm running orders for him when he needs it, socializing with the patrons. Everything is going smoothly, and it stays relatively slow until about seven. I just finish dropping off some drinks and turn back to the bar when I'm tackled by the pixie herself. "Hey, Ali! It's so good to see you! Where's Jasper?" I ask as I hug her tightly.
"He's saving us a table over there," she says, pointing to one of the corner booths.
Sure enough, when I look up, Jasper waves at me with a big smile on his face. I wave back and then turn to Alice. "Listen, I've gotta get back to work, but enjoy yourselves tonight, okay? I'll stop by to chat later if I have some time. Oh, and I added that other name you called with today. No one should have any problems getting in."
"Thanks, Rose! You're the best!" She stands on her tiptoes, pulls me down the rest of the way to her, and places a kiss on my cheek. I can't help but smile at her antics as I turn to go about my work.
About an hour later, I get an eerie feeling in the pit of my stomach... you know the one where you feel like you're being watched? I subtly look around as I deliver drinks and see a guy staring at me from the table where Jasper was originally sitting. I don't know what to make of it, so I try to ignore him as best I can, busying myself with delivering drinks and taking orders from tables. Don't get me wrong, attention is not a new thing for me. I know I'm attractive and that a lot of guys check me out, but for some reason, I don't know if I should be flattered or creeped out with this one. I'll have to make it a point to ask Alice if she knows him later.
For the next twenty minutes or so, I avoid his table at all costs because I haven't had a chance to talk to Alice. Luckily, he never tries to flag me down, either, so I'm in the clear. I head back over to Felix after delivering some drinks, and he hands me a margarita and tells me it goes to table five. Shit!The guy who's been watching me has been sitting there all night. Knowing that I don't have a choice but to deliver the drink, I take a deep breath and turn around, immediately relieved that he is no longer alone at the table.
As I start walking toward the table, I notice that the man is engaged in a conversation with the couple sitting there with him. His eyes flick over to me for an instant, and I swear I see panic flash across his face. When I get to the table, I immediately notice the beers in front of the men, so I figure the drink belongs to the lady. Still, I glance at everyone and ask the entire table if someone ordered the drink before directing a smile to the petite brunette, who confirms my suspicions.
After I hand her the drink, I decide to act casual, even though I'm feeling anything but. Now that I'm this close to the mystery man, my stomach is tying itself in knots. I mean, the guy is really built, and I suddenly find my fingers twitching with the need to feel just how defined his muscles are.
"How are you liking New Horizon?" That's casual enough, right?
The girl gushes about how great the place is while her boyfriend nods his head in agreement, but the mystery man hasn't said a word. I'm a little surprised since he's practically been stalking me with his eyes all night. Just when I'm about to excuse myself to get back to work, he speaks.
"It's a nice place. The waitstaff is really hot," he says as his eyes blatantly roam up and down my body, lingering on my cleavage. What the fuck?I can't help the gasp that slips from my lips. This asshole may be really hot, but he's lucky I don't grab him by his balls and drag him out of my club.
"Excuse me?" Surely I must have heard him wrong, right?
Um... No.
"I said the waitstaff is really hot." This time he adds a wink after checking out my body again and I snap. I refuse to let anyone talk to me like that in my club. Hell, no one talks to me like that ever! I'm used to guys being assholes and checking me out, but they're always drunk, so I play it off. Whoever this guy is, he's very obviously not drunk. Without hesitation, I bring my hand up and swing it as hard as I can, making contact with his right cheek. The loud "smack" that accompanies the sharp, stinging pain in my hand is very satisfying.
"For your information, I am the owner of New Horizon, not some toy that you can pick up and then discard when you please. If you need any other drinks, please see the bartender." I direct my last sentence to the entire table before making a hasty exit.
I've had my share of guys hit on me before, but not like this. I'm more humiliated than I've ever been in my entire life. I can't believe that damn imbecile! Who the fuck does he think he is? I know that if I stay out here any longer, I'm going to burst into tears, so I catch Felix's eye on the way to my office, signaling that that's where I'll be.
When I get inside the small refuge, I slam the door shut and throw myself into my desk chair. I will not cry over that arrogant asshole. He is absolutely nothing!
I spend five minutes telling myself that over and over again. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry. Just when I'm about to lose the battle, there's a knock on the door and then it creaks open. Dammit! Why can't Felix just leave me the fuck alone for ten minutes? Is that too much to ask?
Not having patience to control my voice, I snap at him without looking up from my desk. "What the hell do you need, Felix?"
A throat clears and I quickly realize its not Felix. I'm going to kill whomever it was for telling this dick-wad where to find me! Ugh! I just want to scream right now!
"Um, it's not Felix." At his words, my eyes snap up and skewer him with my glare. I don't care if I'm making him squirm. The asshole deserves that and so much more.
"What the hell are you doing in my office and who told you where it was? I'm gonna fire him." I didn't think it'd be too smart to admit to murder right now.
He gets a look of determination on his chiseled face and pushes the rest of the way into my office. "Look, I came to apologize, okay? I don't know what got into me before and I'm sorry. It's just that I've never been face to face with a woman as beautiful as you. I hope you can forgive me." My heart melts a little as I take in his sincerity. It's obvious that he feels bad about what happened, but can I really let him off the hook that easily? My body says a resounding 'Hell Yes!' while my mind is screaming 'NO!'
Before I can completely work out my internal dilemma, he offers his hand. "I'm Emmett Cullen. I think you know my sister, Alice."
Well I'll be damned. "You're Alice's brother? Well, that explains a lot. Why the hell didn't you say so?" I accept his hand and smile at him. His grip is strong, yet gentle at the same time. I get the feeling that this behemoth of a man is really just a big teddy bear at heart.
I realize it's my turn to apologize, so I do. "And sorry about before. I can be a real bitch sometimes. I've worked my ass off to get where I am today and it rubs me the wrong way when people don't give me any credit. What you said tonight was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I should never have slapped you." It was only bits of the truth, but I didn't want to explain why his words had actually set me off. How do you tell a total stranger that you felt an immediate attraction to him?
Emmett looks like he's just about to say something when the little Pixie storms into the room, apologizing profusely to me for her brother. While she's glaring at him, I smile widely. These two really have a lot in common.
"See! Like I said, it explains a lot," I tell Emmett, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Alice it's fine. Your brother and I were just talking. I've had one hell of a night and what was probably supposed to be a compliment, ended up setting me off. I was just apologizing to him for slapping him." Again, my explanation wasn't completely true, but she didn't need to know that either.
I watch in silence as Emmett tries to get rid of his sister, but she's really not taking the hint. Finally, after a bit of bantering, Alice leaves the office, and I can't keep the grin off my face. As an only child, I've always found the banter between siblings to be endearing.
I don't realize the smile is still plastered on my face until Emmett speaks. "You should smile more often."
Caught slightly off guard by his words, I can't help but ask, "Oh yeah? Why's that?"
"Because you're absolutely breathtaking when you do."
I can't help the shocked laughter that escapes my lips at his declaration. If he had been this smooth when he'd first spoken to me, we wouldn't be here right now. Then again, maybe that's not such a bad thing.
"I like you, Emmett Cullen. You make a really shitty first impression, but you're not so bad after all, are you?"
The knots in my stomach are back as I look up at the goofy grin on his face. "Does that mean you're willing to give me a chance to redeem myself?"
God, the things this man is doing to me without even realizing it! I've never felt a physical yearning to be closer to anyone than I do with him, and suddenly I have an idea. Silently, I rise from my chair and walk around my desk to the door, closing it. I can't explain what I'm feeling, I just know that I'm dying to kiss him, no matter how badly he fucked up tonight.
When I turn back around to look at him, I know he can see the look in my eyes. "They say you can tell a lot about a person by they way they kiss. Do you believe that, Emmett?" Please take the hint!
Shy, incompetent Emmett seems to reemerge, but its more endearing now than anything else. I feel a sick sense of satisfaction knowing that I'm affecting him this way. Not wanting to wait another minute, though, to feel his lips on mine, I take complete control of the situation. "Oh stop your babbling and just kiss me already!" I feel like I'm gonna combust if I don't establish some sort of physical contact with this man, so I throw my arms around his neck and pull him down to meet my lips, kissing him with everything I have in me.
He seems shocked at first, and he just stands here, but after a second, he starts kissing me back. I swear my body is about to combust when I feel his arms wrap around my waist and pull me flush against him as his tongue works its way into my mouth. When he guides me backward, pinning me between him and the door, every coherent thought I have disappears. All I know is that I want this man, and I want him now.
Without even really thinking it through, I start to unbutton his shirt, only to be thwarted in my efforts. I immediately feel the sting of rejection, but it doesn't last long as Emmett tries to explain himself. "Rose, as much as I want this right now, we can't. You should be worshipped. You deserve to be treated like a queen. You're beautiful and I know you can feel how much I want you right now, but I want more than just sex. I want to take you out on dates and open doors for you. I want to do this right if you'll let me."
Can this man really be real? His words make me melt, and I find myself kissing him again. I can tell he's struggling with what to do, but I don't let up and soon he's kissing me back. With the top three buttons of his shirt undone, I reach to pull it over his head, and this time he doesn't stop me. I trail my fingers over his well-defined abs and move to the button of his jeans.
Grabbing my hands, Emmett looks me in the eye. "You're sure this is what you want?" he asks. All I can do is nod, but it seems to be enough, because he releases his grip again and I go right back to work on the button. When his pants are pooling at his feet, I reach down and palm his dick through the thin material of his boxers. Holy shit, he's well endowed!
I can't wait any longer, so I engage the lock on the office door and lead him to my desk. I feel like I'm at war with myself; my body is telling me to keep going, but my brain keeps screaming at me to put a stop to this.
Pushing Emmett down into my chair, I tell my inner voice to fuck off and free him from his boxers. I drop to my knees in front of him and suck his cock into my mouth before he can stop me. Dammit, he's huge! I'm so glad I don't have a gag reflex, because this would be impossible if I did.
I deep-throat him, groaning when I feel him start to thrust into my mouth. I can tell he'll never last like this, and I don't plan to walk away unsatisfied, so I quickly pull off. "Oh no you don't. You're gonna fuck more than my mouth, Big Boy."
Thankful I keep the condoms used to restock the bathroom vending machines in my desk, I pull one out. In one fluid motion, I rip the package open with my teeth and then slide the rubber down his cock. "You're a little overdressed, don't you think?" Emmett asks with a smirk on his face.
I know he's probably hoping I'll strip down with him, but there's no way I'm gonna have time. I'm surprised we haven't been interrupted already to be honest. Instead, I lift my skirt up over my hips, revealing my skimpy g-string. His eyes drink me in as he moves to lower the panties. I'm dripping wet at this point and I know he can smell it when he leans forward and inhales deeply.
God, what I wouldn't give to feel his man's tongue reap havoc on my pussy! I feel a gush at the simple thought, but realize quickly that we don't have time for that, either. Not willing to waste any more of what we do have, I push him back in the chair and straddle his lap, impaling myself on his cock in one fell swoop. "Fuck!" Emmett hisses out.
"Oh, I plan to," I respond before slamming down again. He's so big that I can feel myself stretching to accommodate him, but it's a delicious, burning feeling. With my hands on his shoulders for leverage, I continue to ride him hard and am rewarded when he grabs my hips and starts meeting me thrust for thrust. I've never been so thoroughly fucked before and I'm loving every second of it.
The moment his cock hits my sweet spot, I let out a scream, unable to hold it in. He continues to thrust into me while I pray that the music in the club is loud enough to drown out the sound so no one comes to check on us. With a few more thrusts, I find myself falling into a beautiful oblivion while my pussy clenches down on his cock. My orgasm is enough to push Emmett over the edge too, and I feel him twitch inside me as he releases his seed into the condom.
Completely out of energy, I collapse against his chest and he holds me there, gently rubbing my back. After my breathing returns to normal, I pull away from him. "Fuck that was nice." I know it's the understatement of the century, but my brain isn't fully functioning right now.
I extricate myself from him and smile to myself when he groans as his now flaccid dick slips out of me. "That was better than nice. It was amazing."
I can't disagree with him there; it was absolutely amazing, but I need to get back out and check on the bar, so I step back into my panties and slide them up my legs. Emmett hurries to get dressed, and I can't help but watch him. If someone would have told me that I would have fucked this man in my office tonight, I would have told them they were crazy, yet here we stand.
When he's dressed, he stands and meets my gaze, taking in my smirk. "What?" he asks cockily.
I explain to him that I've never done anything like this before, and that I'm drawn to him in a way I can't explain. I don't know anything about him except for the fact that he has the power to break me, because he already holds my heart. Please don't make me regret it!
After he fervently tells me that he would never make me regret my decision, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me deeply. When the kiss ends and we're both breathless, he admits to feeling the same draw that I am.
After some parting words and an agreement to meet for coffee at one, I brush my lips against his and whisper a 'Thank You.' It's the only thing that feels anywhere close to expressing what I want to say, and yet it's not nearly enough.
Once he's gone, I silently plead to whoever is listening. Please let him be real and not break me. I don't know what I would do if that happened.
A/N Well? What'd you think? Please leave me a review to let me know! Thanks! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!