After my confession in the car, Alex drove me home. But from that day onward, he made sure to point out one thing about me that he liked—one thing that was in his words enough. I melted every day when he said it in person or over a text. I melted because I knew how hard it was to rewire old patterns, and he was helping me make another path for me to take. 

I knew I found someone special with him, but what we were still wasn't clear to me. I repeated to myself that we were friends. Friends that did each other favours. The next favour was coming up in the form of Alex's birthday party.

He decided he was going to have it in their club. I was all down for the idea because it meant that I could spend the night in one of the rooms if the crowd became too much for me. However, I still needed to show up. We were, after all, a couple in the eyes of many. That was something I was still struggling with; the eyes of friends and colleagues were now following me, whereas before, they weren't following me at all. 

Social anxiety was sometimes better and sometimes worse. I just hoped that it would all be okay during the party. That my anxiety wouldn't cause a scene and that Alex could celebrate the way he deserved. 

At first, I was a little dumbfounded about what gift to get him. We were friends in private and a couple in public. I didn't know which gift would be too little and which one would be too much for an occasion like this.

After a lot of thought, I still didn't have the slightest idea. But then, one day, while thrifting with Aileen, I found an old basketball jersey. Aileen didn't fail to mention that it was a collector's piece, which Alex would love. So I got it. I decided I would ask my brother to get it signed by some players he knew in the industry. 

I was set on that part of the gift, but it still seemed that just a basketball shirt was too little for me to give it to him, so that's where Nicole came in. The girl knew her jewellery, and she offered me some advice while shopping for a bracelet. 

Alex was determined to host the party on a Saturday. That way, we would have enough time to prepare for it and to recover from it. On the day of the party, Aileen made mine and Nicole's hair, and I put on a little gold dress that came down to my mid-thigs, my back was opened, so I threw a trench coat over it. I matched the dress with gold heels and dainty gold jewellery. Aileen said I looked like honey, with my blonde hair being a similar shade to the dress. 

Once in the club, I saw Alex on the other side of the crowd, talking to his friends. Him being engrossed in a conversation gave me an opportunity to put down my gift at the back. I was planning to give it to him later. Then I slid between his arms, giving him a side hug. I stepped on my tippy toes so I could shout in his ear over the music, "Happy birthday." 

His eyes trailed my silhouette as he took a breath in, "Hey, Little Rosie." 

"Hey," I smiled back at his warm gaze. The nickname coming from his lips made me feel wanted and safe, even though the same words were once used in an unbenevolent way. 

He bent his head down and met me halfway for a kiss. His lips brushed slowly against mine, waiting for me to give him a sign. He did that a lot, never overstepping boundaries, always holding back. But I was tired of him holding back even on his birthday, so I slid my hand around his neck and pulled him closer. 

His arm around my waist tensed, and he murmured against my lips, "Oh, Rosie."

I looked up and saw his eyes fluttering shut. They were a reflection of mine just seconds before. I was never able to look at him while he kissed me. It still seemed like our story was too beautiful for it to be real. 

And then the palm of his other hand found its way around my chin, caressing with his thumbs the soft spot behind my ear. With our eyes shut, we kissed again. Now, with his hand intertwined in my hair and my self-control off, we deepened the kiss. 

The boys around us started whistling, and Alex chuckled against my lips, "You know you look like bottled honey in that dress."

I nodded in response while trying to catch my breath again. I was happy he liked it. I started doing a lot of things because they made him happy, and I wasn't feeling sorry that I did them. I became more adventurous along the way, and I could see now what I was missing. 

Dylan's whistles were soon cut short because Nicole came. She shut him up with a kiss. And I was once again reminded how happy I became in the last couple of months due to my friends. I was happy their relationship was now out in the open. Nicole needed a guy like Dylan; he could keep her steady while simultaneously giving her freedom and support in her hobby.

A song came on, and Nicole's eyes sparkled, I knew it was one of her favourites. "Rose, dance with me. Alex won't mind," she exclaimed as she pulled me by my wrist towards the dance floor and away from Alex.

We danced, and we drank a little. I knew I didn't need alcohol to be more relaxed, but I did it anyway. Because I felt safe, Alex was nearby, and I could go upstairs if anything went south. After an hour, my feet were starting to hurt, and I motioned to Nicole that I needed a moment to catch my breath. 

I made my way towards the toilets and waited in line. A couple of girls were giggling inside. "They looked so cute together when she came. Did you see her dress, she pulled all the stop signs with that one. I am just confused about the fact that Alex let her wear it. Didn't Laura used to brag about his possessiveness and jealousy?  How many times did she say that they were late to a party because he told her to go change?"

"Maybe he is more secure in his relationship with Rose than he ever was with Laura. But honestly, I never found him to be the jealous type," another girl mentioned. And I knew they were talking about me and my relationship with Alex. Names were a dead giveaway. 

"You know how Laura loved to make things up, she could have lied about this," another girl chimed in her opinion. Then she continued, "Half the guys looked at her on the dance floor, and Alex didn't move a muscle. That doesn't seem jealousy to me."

"Well, either way, he isn't in love with her, or they are too in love to see them," the first one concluded before stepping out of the bathroom only to lock eyes with me. At first, dread slipped into them, but then she raised her head and walked off.  

Others scattered past me like they weren't just talking about my love life in there. My mind was swirling with questions about Alex's jealousy and possessiveness because I didn't see that side of him, and I was starting to wonder how well I even knew him. 

I stepped into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was a little bit dishevelled, but Aileen did a good job, and it still stayed in place. My makeup had a small glow due to my sweatiness from all the dancing. And even I had to admit that I didn't look that bad tonight.

After I used the bathroom, I made my way towards our booth, where Alex was sitting with our friends.

"Had enough dancing?" he asked jokingly as I sat beside him.

I smiled and nodded, "I can't keep up with Nicole. She is something else."

Gray teasingly asked, "So Rosie, where is your birthday present for our birthday boy?"

I rolled my eyes at Gray's innuendo before answering him, "I put it in the back, I asked the waiters to hold it on for me."

I got up and patted Alex on his shoulder, "I am going to get it, don't move." 

"I won't," he raised his hand in a scouts honour and chuckled at my slightly drunk state. 

Once I returned with my present, the booth was full, with the girls being back from the dance floor. I looked around, searching for a place to sit.

But before I could find a spot, Alex took my hand and pulled me on his lap, "Is this for me?"

I nodded and gave him his bag, "I didn't know what to get you, and I thought that maybe a shirt was too little, so I got you two things."

He pulled out a shirt and whistled, his eyes sparkling, "Is this a jersey from the year I was born?"

I nodded, glad he liked it. "Turn it around," I whispered.

He did, and then he blinked a couple of times before saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you.

"You're welcome," I beamed with pride over my gift. 

"Rosie, where did you get him to sign it for me?" he asked, squeezing my hip. 

"Mason works as their team's lawyer, and once he saw him at some event. They exchanged numbers, so he helped out a little," I blushed with the attention of others on Alex's happy face. 

Gray was as interested in the present as Alex, "Show us the present."

Alex turned it around so Gray could see the back. After seeing it, he whistled, "Rose, you really know how to make us look bad."

Alex laughed, "Well, she knows me best after all."

And that sentence alone warmed my heart. "Open the other one, it's not as big as the shirt," I smiled.

He opened the small box with the bracelet, "You shouldn't have."

"But it's your birthday, and you always bring me coffee, so I think you deserve it. I hope you like it," I blabbered on, afraid it wasn't his style. 

His eyes were full of warmth as he put it on and said, "I love it, I am never taking it off."

He put the box and the shirt in his lap between him and me. With his free hand, he pulled my face closer for a kiss while the other one rested on the small of my back. I gave in. While kissing him was still one of the newer things for me, it was nevertheless comfortable. So, I leaned in more; the kiss took its own life. And I was asking myself if it was because of the drinks. That was something I would like to believe.

Once we broke it off, I felt a little bit adventurous as I proposed, "Put the shirt on so we can see if it fits you."

"You would do anything for me to get undressed," he teased while he started undoing the buttons on his shirt. I giggled, the alcohol and his smug smile making me tipsy with excitement. 

Soon, he was balancing me on one leg while trying to put the shirt I got him over his muscular shoulders. I helped him by tugging it down. He chuckled, his head stuck in the fabric. 

"You're a mess," Nicole exclaimed, but I didn't know if it was aimed at my tipsy self or Alex's fumbling fingers around the hem of the shirt. Alex didn't hear her; he was too busy with keeping me settled on his knee. 

Once he was done putting his shirt on, he smiled at me and asked, "How do I look?"

But before I could answer him, his arms around my waist tensed and lifted me. He settled me on both of his legs, so I was straddling him. Our eyes locked, and the room fell silent. I needed to take a breath because, in the safe space of his arms, I forgot how to. That small notion of my lungs that kept me alive next to him didn't seem as necessary or as important anymore. The only thing that seemed important enough for my mind to take notice was to be next to him.  

His fingers on my thighs drummed to the beat of the music from the speakers, leading me back from the calmness I felt in between his arms and to the reality of him waiting for my answer. His head was slightly tilted to one side, and his eyes were studying my face. 

"Fits you like a glove," I finally answered him. Then I pulled his necklace so we could kiss while the club and the people around us faded into the distance.

My fingers traced his shoulders and interlaced at the back of his neck. The familiarity of him was everything I needed to feel at peace with the risky move of kissing him first. He leaned into me while his fingers intertwined in my hair. One of his hands travelled down my spine, slowly then switching to the beat from the club's surroundings. His fingers were leaving a small map of the rhythm that matched my pulse. 

My mind didn't know what it wanted, but my heart was dancing to the lines left by Alex's hands. I was feeling electricity on the skin where he touched me. Little bolts shot when his skin touched mine. 

Somewhere in the distance, beyond our kiss, one of the girls wanted to go dancing. People were starting to stand up and heading towards the dance floor, but we stayed in our little bubble. His fingertips and tongue had become more adventurous, exploring and turning me inside out in that dimly lit corner of the club.

I felt one of his hands around my butt cheek, massaging it and making me gasp at his sudden boldness. The other hand moved from my dishevelled hair to the side of my breast. His fingertips grazed my hardening nipples in the process, and a moan escaped me. Alex swallowed it with a kiss.

I was intoxicated by his musky scent and the warm tremor his fingertips left on my bare skin. He sat up straighter, giving me more space to spread my legs wider and roll my hips on his lap. Something hard was forming underneath, pressing against my aching clit. I felt a rush of need, and my hands started roaming in his hair. When we pulled apart, we were both breathing hard, still mesmerised and lost in one another. He was flushed, and I was probably blissed out. 

"Should we go dancing?" I whispered while trying to stand up, but Alex's hands kept me firm on him. 

His voice, laced with lust, filled my ears, "Wait a little... I have a situation."

At that moment, it occurred to me that something hard I had felt before was his erection pressing at my thigh. His eyes were tempting me to ask something more, but despite the throbbing in my lower abdomen, I stayed quiet. He wasn't the only one turned on. In the heat of the moment, I might not have noticed how wet I became, how my insides were already clenching and searching for something to be inside me. But once he mentioned it, I knew I wouldn't be able to unsee or unfeel the need building inside me. 

Alex chuckled, "Don't worry about it, it will go away. I guess you have that effect on me. And the dress tonight and a couple of drinks, I just can't help myself not to be attracted to you." 

I must have looked perplexed because he quickly continued his explanation while his fingers grazed my bare arms, "Sorry, too much information, right?"

He lifted his head so his eyes were looking into mine as he said, "You look really pretty tonight, and I bet there isn't a guy in this club that would dare to say otherwise. I had a couple of drinks, and I guess they made me more honest about it." 

At first, I nodded, trying to wrap my head around the fact he called me pretty, but then the alcohol kicked in, and I blurted out, "So you think I am pretty?"

He rolled his eyes, "Rosie, do you even know how you look tonight?" 

I shook my head and whispered between us in anticipation of what was to come next, "How do I look?"

His following words were tantalising, "You came in that little dress like it was nothing out of the ordinary for you. In my mind, you looked like a dripping sunset. And then you went dancing, and you turned in a dripping waterfall of gold. With every turn you did, I thought you would show something, that something would slip off you, and I would have to beat half of the club unconscious. But you never did, and I never had to do that." 

He went with his hand, the one that was resting on my side boob, through his hair. I whimpered because I didn't like him not touching me. My body was still electrified, and I knew I would need a release in the morning. The sexual tension between the two of us was at an all-time high. Up until now, we were always PG 13 with one another, but I was sensing that was soon about to change. 

"What was that?" he asked, noticing my whine.

All the blood rushed to my cheeks as I whispered, "Nothing."

"It wasn't nothing," he was determined as he sat more upright again, his erection still pressing against my thigh, now only inches away from my entrance.

I took a deep breath in, wanting to move away my thong and remove his belt while he could take care of the sweet release building up in my lower stomach.

He noticed how my eyes became darker, and his hand moved slowly from my butt to my thigh, making its way under my dress. I whimpered, "What are you doing?"

"Just checking something," he gave me a cocky smile promising me nothing good.

"Please don't," I whispered while balancing myself on him with my hands on his shoulders. I knew the moment he would find out that my body was aching for him, that things would be over. Everything we had would be over.

His fingers grazed the insides of my thighs, and I took a sharp breath in as I clutched to his shoulders for support. His eyes did not leave mine while his fingers made their way upward until they landed on the wetness between my thighs.

"Oh my god, Rosie," he groaned as he slid beside the fabric covering me and in between my already damp folds.

I buried my head in his chest, whimpering. I waited for the movement of his fingers that would bring me the sweet release. I couldn't care less about the fact that a hundred people were around us, probably not knowing he was inside me, and I was on the verge of letting go.

He pulled out, and I protested in a haze of wanting my orgasm to come. He licked his fingers, "Rosie, why didn't you tell me?"

I looked at his lips, knowing he could do things to me with them that would bring me over the edge. Just the thought of it made me speechless. I had been picturing him the way I wanted him for some months now. The images weren't something that would let my brain make a coherent answer to his question. 

So I remained colly on him while he continued whispering between us, "Do you see what you do to me, Rosie?" He took my hand from his neck and put it on his chest. His heart was beating faster than the rhythm of the drums in the music blaring around us. I was pretty sure my heart was matching his tempo. 

I gulped, thinking to myself that this would be a long night between the two of us. He then took my palm from his chest to his stomach and even further down until I was covering his hardening cock. "These pants have never felt tighter than this evening while watching you in that gold dress. What do you say, tonight we could take care of each other?" he breathed a sweet promise as he buckled me up. I could feel his hardness beneath me. 

My mind was made up the moment his finger slid inside me just a few minutes earlier. "Where do we go?" I asked.

His expression shifted entirely when he realised I was open to anything he had in mind. In one fluid motion, I found myself standing in my heels before him while he casually discarded his shirt over his shoulder. Together, we made our way toward the back and into the hallway, his hand trailing along my lower spine, inching lower and lower...

As we entered the elevator, the door closed swiftly, and Alex pinned me against the wall, eagerly pressing his lips to mine, his tongue teasingly slipping in and out of my mouth.

Soon, we arrived on his floor and stepped into his suite. Before anything else, he captured me in one last lingering kiss, muffling my moans with his tongue. "I've got you, baby," he whispered against my lips, "I'll take care of everything."

With a single finger, he traced the edge of my dress, letting it fall delicately to one side, revealing my bare breasts. His back tensed at the sight of my hardened nipples. "No bra?" his raspy voice echoed in the room.

"It wouldn't have looked right."

"You'll be the dead of me," he groaned in the crock of my neck before planting soft kisses on my collarbone and then going further down. 

"Ah," I moaned as he unexpectedly grazed my nipple, his lips soon claiming it as he removed the other side of my dress.

"Alex," my voice brimmed with urgency as the heat between my thighs intensified.

Once he stepped back, my dress pooled around my feet, leaving me in nothing but my gold thong and heels. His hand ran through his hair, his eyes ablaze with desire as he stood before me.

With deliberate movements, he removed his shirt, revealing his chiselled physique underneath. I could see his abs tense as he tried to regulate his breathing, yet the hunger in his eyes matched my own.

"Let me take care of you," he murmured, dropping to his knees before me. I nodded, even though I wasn't sure if he could see me. He untied my thong from the sides, leaving me standing only in my heels.

Gently, he traced the curves of my nipples with his fingertips, each touch sending tremors through me. "Alex, please," I whimpered, yearning for release.

He slid a finger inside me, threatening to unravel my composure. But then, he lifted one of my legs onto his shoulder, then the other, pressing me against the door.

Slowly, he licked me, eliciting a moan as my eyes fluttered shut, savouring the moment. His sucking intensified, sending waves of pleasure coursing through me and filling the room with my cries. His mouth worked against my wetness, drawing out whimpers and sweet exclamations, my pleas for him to quicken the pace.

As a familiar sensation began to build within me, I knew I was close. "Alex," I locked eyes with his dark gaze, "Yes, honey," his husky voice dripped with lust.

"Alex, I'm close. Please," I pleaded, and he met my gaze, his lips capturing mine before delving his tongue inside me, his grip on my hips tightening. Gasping, I felt my body reaching its peak.

My cries echoed in the room as my orgasm washed over me, leaving me trembling against the door. Gently, he lowered my wobbly legs to the floor and stood, towering over me. His hands traced a path of electricity down my ribcage, following the contours of my body.

I could feel his arousal pressing against me through his pants, signalling it was my turn to reciprocate. So, I sank to my knees and undid his belt and zipper.

His pants and boxers soon joined my dress on the floor, revealing a sizeable erection that took me by surprise. I swallowed nervously, unsure how I would accommodate it in my mouth. He tilted my chin upward, meeting his gaze. "You don't have to do this," he whispered, desire evident in his voice.

I swallowed again, determination flickering in my eyes. "But I want to."

"Okay, we'll take it slow," he reassured me, "open your mouth."

I complied, and he leaned closer, his palms resting against the door. I took him in my hands and into my mouth, eliciting a hiss from him as I looked up.

"Sorry."

"No, just... you drive me wild, Rosie," he attempted to steady his voice, "you don't even realise it."

My hands encircled him, working up and down. He moaned, "Rosie, please don't stop. Just don't," his forehead pressed against the door.

I alternated between caressing his balls and stroking his cock, feeling him grow fuller in my mouth, filling my throat as I moved up and down on him. His groans filled the room, his plea for release evident in every grunt. "Rosie, I'm close. I need to... please, stop."

Gently, he withdrew from my mouth, a furrow forming between his brows. "I don't want to finish if it's too much for you."

His restraint was commendable, but I craved all of him, not just the pleasure he gave me. "Alex, please, let me take care of you like you did for me," I met his gaze from the floor. He nodded, allowing me to take him in once more.

As I worked around him, his release filled my mouth, spilling over my breasts. I tried to capture every drop, but it was overwhelming. Still leaning against the door, he looked down at me.

"Rosie," he murmured, "Rosie." His hands found their way around my waist again. Gasping, I yearned for him again and again.

Soon, he silenced my moans in his bed, his hard cock providing a pleasure I hadn't experienced in ages. The party downstairs was a distant memory as our cries and whispers filled the room, our bodies merging in ecstasy.

When we finally ran out of condoms, exhaustion claimed us. I slept in his arms, his hand wrapped around my waist, his head nestled in the crook of my neck, keeping me safe. I liked to believe we wouldn't regret that night. After all, we were intoxicated, maybe not just with alcohol, but with each other as well.