Page 33 of Resisting You
I caught Rosa’s scent as she pulled a small orange out of her bag and started peeling it. I couldn’t help but smile as she took a bite of her favorite snack despite the fact that we’d just finished dinner. I imagined the sweet taste of oranges on her lips if I kissed her, thinking of how I would pin her naked body to the bed as I kissed my way down her neck.
“Noah?”
“Hm?”
Dammit. I really needed to get my imagination under control. When I brought my attention back to Rosa, she was staring back at me, curiously. As though, she was studying my expression, trying to read into my deepest thoughts.
“Are we making a horrible mistake doing this?” Rosa’s soft voice sounded suddenly fragile in a way I’d never heard from her before.
“I can’t really answer that for you. All I can say is that for me, no this isn’t a mistake. Being married to you, even fake married, could never be a mistake.”
She blinked slowly, looking up at me.
Holy hell, she was beautiful.
And sweet.
And smart.
And sitting so, so close to me.
I wanted to taste her—just one taste.
Unable to keep away from her, I leaned in, lifting my hand to scoop a curled, black tendril of hair away from her temple. I fully expected her to flinch, or pull away.
But she didn’t.
In a move that was so uncharacteristic of Rosa, she did the opposite and tilted her head, nuzzling into my hand, before blinking those large, dark eyes up at me.
“You really mean that, don’t you?” she asked. “That being married to me couldn’t be a mistake.”
“Of course.”
Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips in a quick swipe.
Jesus. I was teetering on a dangerous ledge here with her. I wanted so badly to claim those lips. Mywife’slips.
But I also knew I shouldn’t. Not when Rosa was this vulnerable. And not if I was in this for the long game—to winRosa’s heart. A kiss tonight would feel so, so good. But she’d end up regretting it. And maybe resenting me tomorrow.
So, as the scent of oranges surrounded me, her eyes fluttered closed and as she parted her lips, tilting them up to me in an offering. I leaned forward and gently kissed only her forehead. “Good night, Rosa.”
Her eyes fluttered open and she pulled back, blinking up at me for a split second. Her momentary confusion receded into a soft smile and two pink splotches heated her cheeks.
“Oh. Um. Yeah… good-goodnight.” Ducking her gaze, she stood quickly and dropped the orange peels into the garbage. Then she haphazardly tried to gather her things to push them into the bedroom.
Shit. I’d embarrassed her.
“Rosa,” I called, stopping her just as she crossed the threshold into the bedroom. She paused, spinning slowly over her shoulder to look at me, one hand still resting on her rolling suitcase.
“It can’t be me,” I said.
Her brows slanted and she tilted her head in confusion. “What can’t be you?”
“I can’t be the one to kiss you,” I clarified. “You know where I stand. I’ve been asking you out for years. I want to kiss you. Youknowthat. At any minute of any given day, I want to kiss you. So if we’re going to kiss… it can’t be me. Initiating it. It has to be you.”
She was silent for a long breath before she gave a single nod. “Noted.” Then, she disappeared into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
The following day,I woke up early the next morning, rolling out of the pull-out couch bed. As quietly as I could, I slid the bed back into the couch’s frame and placed the cushions back on. Then, I slipped into the bathroom and changed into gym clothes.
