Read Into The Sunset: An Erotic Romance Anthology for Free Online

his room, he still burned. He
touched himself, thinking of Rose’s sunshine smile, her vanilla
scent, her cherry lips.
    He knew it was the wrong thing to do, but he
couldn’t help himself. He was falling for Rose.
    * * *
    Don’t think about his chest. Don’t think about
his chest. Think about his broad shoulders and big strong arms and
that trail of hair on his perfectly toned stomach instead. Shit,
no, that wasn’t helping either.
    The knot in Rose’s chest twisted and squeezed.
It had been bucking since Rex had answered his door looking
completely edible. She had taken the minute while he got dressed to
try and calm down. Even holding the thudding in her chest wouldn’t
slow it down. It felt like pins and needles, the first tingle of
life returning to a sleep-dead limb.
    Was that what was happening? Was Rex prying
her heart from its stony tomb? And—more importantly—did she want
him to?
    She was up all night, tossing and turning with
too many questions. When the light in the room turned gray, she got
up, not wanting to stare at the ceiling anymore.
    Her mother was in the kitchen, a cheery smile
on her face, the coffee already brewing.
    “ Rough night?” she asked her
daughter.
    Rose took a moment to look at herself in the
back of spoon. Glassy eyes, bags under them, and crud stuck to the
corner of her mouth. “Yup,” she said. There was no point in lying
after all.
    “ So, what do you think about
changing this place’s name to the Crown of Thorns Ranch and
Resort?”
    Rose smiled as her mother set a cup of coffee
in front of her. It was sweet and milky, just what she needed after
a sleepless night. “Well, we’re just working on getting the
paperwork signed.”
    Lily squeezed her tight before padding back to
the stove to fry some bacon. “You feeling better about Rex
now?”
    If anything, Rose was feeling too good about
Rex. “Yeah, he explained a few things to me yesterday, and I
understand where he’s coming from now.”
    There was nothing but the sizzle and fragrance
of bacon. Rose didn’t relax. She knew where this conversation was
going.
    “ You know, rough as you look right
now, you still look better than the day you flew in.”
    “ Mom, that’s because flying and
airports are awful. It’s not because Boston is awful.” Rose cringed
at her own tone, just like a petulant teenager.
    “ I’m not
saying Boston is awful, just maybe suggesting that it’s awful for you.” Her
mother snuck a peek at Rose over her shoulder. She wondered what
angle her mother would try this time. “You know, that art man from
Kimbell has been asking about you.”
    “ He’s the Director of Research,”
Rose said with a sigh. Alfred Faulk. That man would not be happy
until he’d stolen her from her current job. Part of it was she was
good, but a bigger part the rivalry going on between the two
museums. Her coworkers shared all the highlights from the occasions
when the two institutions crossed paths.
    “ Well, he’s been very sweet. He
promised to book a weekend as soon as we opened and to tell his
friends about it.”
    Rose looked at the back of her mother’s head.
Sometimes she wondered if the two were in cahoots. She could almost
picture Alfred drinking coffee with her parents, enjoying an
argument about politics. “Oh.”
    “ He said to give him a ring when
you’re in town and he’ll give you private tour.”
    She finished her coffee with a scowl. Alfred
always got to make his pitch, because he knew just how to lure her
in. He was king of the dark dusty corners, and made sure each time
show her something stunning. A rare lithograph, a new painting
making a way-stop before it went to the cleaners, a sculpture just
arrived for a show: Rose got to stand in the backroom and admire it
with only the animated Director for company.
    It was too early to call the man. Rose found
something to do in the garden. Over breakfast, she and Rex avoided
looking at each other. Their partnership was sealed with