He had called her the next day, just like he promised. They had a short conversation about nothing in particular, and he told her he would swing by around 7 on Saturday to take her to dinner. Rosalie had never fallen for a guy so quickly before. Alistair was sweet, attentive and so good looking it made her nervous. She could barely wait till Saturday, just wanting to feel his silky smooth lips against hers again. She smiled to herself and she thought of their date. Saturday couldn't come fast enough.
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Looking into the mirror in the hallway, Rosalie checked out her appearance for the last time. He had mentioned he was taking her to a nice restaurant so she had chosen to wear a teal silk dress which was cut perfectly to accentuate her curves. Her waves were pulled back and swept up into an elegant hairstyle and with the slightest bit of make-up, she looked stunning. At 7 on the dot the door bell rang. Rosalie grinned at his punctuality. Opening the door, she bit her lip nervously when she saw him. He was wearing a smart white shirt that bought out the colour of his eyes, and beige pants. He looked effortlessly beautiful. He smiled at her softly and gently pushed her backwards into her apartment. He kept his hands at her waist and then slowly ran them down her body.
'You look amazing, I'm speechless.' He said leaning down and tilting her head slightly so he could whisper breathily into her ear, 'You have no idea what I want to do to you right now.'
She felt shivers run down her spine and her eyes shut slowly and she felt the passion in his words. She felt his tongue trace a line across her jaw and sighed as he began to lightly press kisses along her cheek. Reluctantly she opened her eyes and gently pushed him away. Pouting he began to reach for her again, but she quickly moved out of his reach.
'If I don't stop you now we'll never make it to dinner,' she said, surprised at her own self control. Grinning cheekily at her, he winked, 'Would that really be so bad?'
She rolled her eyes in mock exasperation and grabbed his hand and began to pull him through the door.
She turned to lock the door behind her and suddenly felt Alistair's hands hold her waist firmly and push her against the door.
'Alistair!' she exclaimed.
Facing the door, she could not see him but felt his silky smooth lips grazing the back of her neck. She moaned quietly when he pushed her hair away from her back and began trailing kisses down her spine.
'Alistair... stop...' she whispered quietly, 'We have to go to dinner.' She felt his breath tickle her ear when he spoke, 'Is that really what you want?'
She found herself struggling to answer the question while he sucked gently on her neck and collarbone. He stopped as suddenly as he had started and turned her around quickly. Feeling a bit dizzy she placed her hands on his chest to steady herself. He was looking down at her with a slightly crooked smile on his face and she felt her heart beating rapidly as she looked into his eyes. He took her hands and interlaced his fingers with hers and pulled her towards the doors.
He had booked them a table at an elegant Italian restaurant that she had mentioned she wanted to visit. Touched that he had remembered this, she couldn't help but smile broadly at him as he drove them to the restaurant. He grinned widely back at her and once again, she felt her heart skip a beat. Every look, every touch from him excited her, and she found herself falling head over heels for this man.
Once they had settled down at their table, she looked at Alistair and found him deep in thought.
'Hey... are you okay?' she asked him gently, stroking the back of his hand.
Her words seemed to snap him out of some sort of trance and his lips curved into a familiar smile.
'Sorry I'm fine. I was just thinking about us. I just want you to know I really like you. A lot. And I just wanted to make sure you knew that. Because even though we haven't known each other for that long, there's something about you. And I like spending time with you to getting to know you.'
She could tell he was nervous by the way he seemed to fumble with his words. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his forehead.
'I like you too, Alistair. More then I've liked any guy in a while.' She smiled at him reassuringly and he seemed pleased with her response.
When the waiter came over, they ordered their food as well as a bottle of wine. While they waited for their food to arrive, they carried on a conversation about their lives; work, friends, likes and dislikes. Even though she'd only known him a short while, Rosalie felt like she knew him better then she'd known anyone before. She could read his expressions, and when he felt sad or happy, she felt it too. She felt a bit intimidated, as she had never been this intense about anyone before.
While they were deciding what to have for dessert, a shadow fell over the table, and Rosalie turned in her chair. Looking around, she saw a tall, elegant woman looking down at her distastefully.
'Hi Alistair,' the strange lady drawled. 'Natalie, it's a surprise seeing you here,' came Alistair's smooth response.
Although he came across as nothing but courteous, Rosalie felt his posture stiffen slightly when he spoke to her. He no longer had the teasing friendly tone he had been addressing her with earlier.
'Yes well Jonathan insisted on taking me out for dinner on our anniversary. It's been so long since I last saw you,' Natalie carried on primly, 'And who's this lady that you're with?'
Rosalie felt Natalie's eyes glaring down at her, seemingly unimpressed with what she saw.
'This is Rosalie... a friend. Rose, this is Natalie,' Alistair said quickly. 'A friend you say? I tell you, Katie will be most pleased to hear that you're... making new friends.'
Rosalie felt Alistair prickle at Natalie's words, and she excused herself to go to the bathroom. Pushing open the door, her thoughts began to take over. Who was Katie she wondered. Maybe an ex-girlfriend. Rosalie had not liked Natalie one bit; she felt she was being judged. She shuddered slightly at the woman's cold attitude and hoped that when she went back out, the woman would be long gone. And Alistair had said that she was just a friend. Rosalie felt so confused.
Composing herself, she opened the bathroom doors and peeked out. Seeing Alistair alone once again, she felt brave enough to go back to her table.
When she sat down she saw him looking at her with pleading eyes.
'Please let me explain,' he began nervously, 'I hope I didn't offend you by saying you were just a friend, I mean, obviously you mean more to me then that.'
She raised an eyebrow at him but remained silent.
'I guess I better start in the beginning,' he said, 'Katie was my girlfriend, well fiancΓ©e technically. We were together for 3 years when I asked her to marry me. At the time I thought that was what I wanted but as time went on I began to see her for what she really was. She was selfish and cold and only cared about her own happiness. When I found her in bed with one of her colleges a few weeks later I immediately called off the wedding. But Katie didn't believe that I didn't want to marry her and went a bit crazy, refusing to leave me alone and constantly ringing me. She calmed down after a while, but when she heard I started seeing someone else a while later, she came back, claiming she'd always loved me and how sorry she was. She had always been a bit obsessive but I guess seeing me with someone else brings out the worst in her. Every time I try to date someone else, she tries to ruin my relationships. Natalie, the bitch you just saw, is her best friend, so I didn't want her to think we were together. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'
He looked so sad and broken she felt her heart break a little as well. She reached for his hand and held it tightly in her own.
'What are you apologising for? You didn't do anything wrong, honey. I'm glad you trust me enough to share that with me though. 'I just didn't want you to think that I wasn't acknowledging you as my girlfriend. Which is what you are to me. If that's okay with you,' he added in a hurry.
She smiled at his awkwardness, his cocky confidence disappearing suddenly. He seemed so vulnerable she just wanted to reassure him that everything would be okay.