Chapter Six

One night, six months after I'd arrived in L.A there was an intangible shift in my relationship with Rose.

I went to my cottage after dinner, as I usually did. I took my hair down and rubbed at my scalp to relieve the tension headache that had been building since lunch. I ran a bath and slowly stripped off my clothes. I'd been lying in the steaming water for a while when there was a soft knock at the door. I frowned, lifting my head.

"Can I come in?" It was Rose.

I heard the front door open and close and I sat up, frozen. My heart went into panic mode as I searched for a robe or towel to cover myself.

"Izzy?" She called softly.

"I'm in the bath." I called out, my voice breaking annoyingly.

I heard footsteps and immediately sunk back down under my rapidly dispersing bubbles.

To Rose this wouldn't be awkward. We were both women and she didn't know I was gay.

Shit.

"Can I come in?" Rose asked.

I hesitated. "Um, yes, but be warned, I'm naked." I joked, sinking down even lower until my chin touched the water.

There was no reply but the door opened slowly.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late." Rose said, coming in. "But I have the best news and I had to share it with you."

I stared at her, why did she have to be so goddamn beautiful?

"Oh?" I replied, "What is it?"

Rose sat down on the small seat beside the window and crossed her ankles casually, her expressive blue eyes filled with excitement. She wore a long white robe which made her look like an angel.

Fuck.

"I have a confession to make first." She said, biting her lower lip mischievously, her eyes sparkling with laughter.

I stared at her, mesmerised.

"I sent your manuscript to Richard Brandon's office."

I gaped at Rose and my belly filled with knots.

"You didn't." I whispered shell-shocked.

"I did... and... he loved it!" Rose said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I knew you'd refuse and... I knew this is what you wanted."

I felt tears well up in my eyes and I blinked rapidly to try and stop them from falling. Roze smiled at me, the wide beautiful smile I was in love with.

"Thank you." I told her, realising that this was the strangest conversation I'd ever had while naked.

"You're welcome." Rose said softly.

Was it my imagination or did her gaze drop to the water? Oh no! My bubbles! I didn't want Rose to leave, so there was no choice, I'd have to brave it.

"I'd better get out." I said, sure she would leave.

But she stunned me by handing me a towel from the cupboard behind her instead. I took the towel and slowly stood up in the rapidly cooling water. My entire body was humming with electricity as I allowed Rose, my secret crush, my boss, to see me naked for the first time.

There was a deafening silence in the small bathroom and all I could hear was my own runaway heartbeat thundering in my ears. The air seemed to have been sucked out of the small space and I drew in an unsteady breath. My nipples hardened as a deep excitement built inside me. I knew Rose was straight, but my body didn't care, my pulse flew wildly and my belly fluttered.

Rose was a confident woman, poised and naturally elegant. I felt slightly intimidated by her on a daily basis and yet I couldn't get enough. I wanted to worship her, quite literally. At a shrine or better yet on my knees. Her gaze was unwavering as she watched me and not for the first time I wished I could read her mind. I wrapped the towel around myself tightly and stepped out of the water, pulling the plug as I went. The gurgle of the water rushing down the drain broke the loaded silence.

"So, you're happy?" She asked and I had to think carefully of what she meant.

Oh yes, the manuscript.

"Yes, I'm very happy. But I can't quite believe it yet."

I raked the damp hair off my face and made it into a messy bun on top of my head, my arms raised, the towel threatening to fall.

Ro watched me closely, her pink tongue playing with her front teeth briefly which made my most private of places throb spontaneously. I knew it was just one of her character defining habits but it made me wish for things I really shouldn't be thinking about at all.

She smiled at me, her soft lips lifting ever so slightly, her truly remarkable eyes staring at me with just enough intensity to make my belly flutter once again.

"Well, you better believe it, you have a meeting with him on Monday." I stopped my movements and gaped at her. Today was Friday.

"Monday? But I'll never be ready by then!"

Rose got up and came towards me. She was taller than me so I had to look up at her and my heart once again flew on unsteady wings.

"I'll help you be ready by Monday and you'll do fine."

She absentmindedly reached for a tendril of hair I'd missed while putting it up. She fingered it briefly before tucking it behind my ear, her touch lingered along my ear lobe sending gooseflesh spilling out across my entire body.

"You have to fight for what you want in life, reach out and take it, no matter what the obstacles are." Ro murmured.

I swallowed hard and nodded in agreement, unable to reply.

I wanted her.

More than anything or anyone I'd ever wanted in my life.

But she was unattainable.

And married.

To a man.

I felt insignificant suddenly, not nearly enough for a woman like her.

Suddenly, she walked away from me in a swish of fine white linen, her slender hips swaying provocatively. She was poetry in motion. And I was so fucking in love with the way she moved.

"We'll work on your presentation tomorrow. We will have the house to ourselves because David will be in France." She told me when she reached the door.

I was suddenly filled with nerves. I would be alone with Rose. I'd have to control myself and hide the potent attraction I felt towards her.

It was getting harder every day to stop watching her every move so blatantly, because my gaze was drawn to her no matter where she was. My body seemed to follow hers, I moved when she did. I must always be in alignment with her, I was a strange alien moon orbiting its bright planet.

I nodded again, the cat clearly had my tongue.

Ro smiled at me and left, the door shutting behind her with a soft click. I exhaled and collapsed onto the chair she had vacated moments before. Her warmth was still there in the fabric and tried to absorb it by snuggling down into it. Her scent hung in the air and I breathed it in deeply. I truly was besotted. I'd just have to hide it, because there was no way I was going to walk away from this job and my new life.