“I think angel is a stretch but thank you,” he admitted with a smile that showed his dimples, still finding it extremely hard to step away from her. She was intoxicating and adorable and he trusted her, he trusted her with his kid who was the most important person in his life–did he really want to risk that? To risk not having her around anymore? What could he possibly offer to her othen than a shag? He was…. He had always been an asshole and he only temporarily wasn’t since the moment Maggie told him she was pregnant until she passed. He couldn’t do this. He shouldn’t do this.
“She really likes you too. She’s always talking about you when you’re not here. She says she wants to decorate houses when she grows up and you can sell them. Something about being your partner or something? I don’t know,” he shared with a little shrug matching her whispery tone not wanting her to leave–this was the first honest and nice conversation he had had all day long and he didn’t want to cut it short.
And then he felt her hand on his arm and it felt good–a little too good and he found himself swallowing hard, staring at her eyes as his flickered to her lips and back to hers. “I’m not tired–okay yes I’m tired but you don’t have to go,” he whispered and thought of making up some excuse, like staying for a drink, chatting up but for some reason–his sleep deprivation more than likely, or maybe he liked her far more than he was truly able to admit to himself–he didn’t. “I like talking to you. I like being around you. Don’t go,” he pleaded, his hand reaching for a lock of her hair and setting it slowly over her ear, caressing her face. “I know this probably extremely inappropriate but I’m dying to kiss you.”
Oh, she hated it when he smiled. He was damn handsome and she couldn’t help but stare. She was well aware of his one night stands and the fact he didn’t do relationships, and Rosa didn’t do one time hook-ups. Especially with her landlords, which he technically was. But did that stop her from slowly falling from him over time? No. She saw through that asshole exterior he had, and she saw a loving, caring and passionate man, who was broken by the passing of his wife.
“She said that?“ she asked, her smile growing. “I have no clue where and how she got that idea, but I would love to have her as a partner. I see she’ll grow up to be an artist. And speaking of, she did a very cool drawing of you and your cafe tonight. I left it on the desk in your home office.“
Putting her hand on his arm was a bad idea that she realized a bit too late. The touch was electrifying and now that she had felt how it was to have her skin brush against his, there was no going back, she now craved more of it. She could almost physically feel his eyes on her, the burning on her skin that they left. Her breathing fastened and she could hear her own heartbeat echoing in her hears. “I, uh...” Rosa knew what she had to say - it was a bad idea and she must go, - but she couldn’t get a word past her lips. There it was again, his fingertips brushed her skin ever so lightly, and it sent shivers all over her body. But what he said next was what tipped the scales. “It is highly inappropriate,” she whispered back, but didn’t move away. She was still trying to find strength to turn around and leave, but there was none. Rosa tried to fight it, even closed her eyes, maybe it would be easier if she couldn’t see him? No. She could still faintly smell his cologne and, of course, there was his hand caressing her face. “Screw this,” she breathed. Raising herself up on her toes Rosa put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down crashing her lips on his.
