Wild Love (Rose Hill, #1)

by Elsie Silver

And now Rosie fucking Belmont has waltzed into the scene with her smart mouth and suspiciously watery eyes. And all I want to do is demand to know who hurt her so I can fix it.

“Rosalie, when have I ever said no to you?” And I just stand here, stunned. I need a ride home from this party. I want to be alone. I need a job. Because try as I might, no matter how big of a dick he’s been, I can’t come up with a single instance of Ford ever telling me anything other than okay.

Some people might think she looks like a hot mess, as I told her earlier. But I think she’s just plain hot. Blazers and high heels all day, then this at night. I think what I find appealing about the dichotomy is she clearly just wears what she wants—what she feels like—and looks good in it all.

She’s the sun, the rest of us are just dumb rocks orbiting her.

“That journal entry is fascinating, but all wrong. I was at home when you called that night. And I broke every speed limit to get to you.”

She might be West’s little sister. She might be my employee. She might be taken. But none of that stops me from wanting her almost obsessively.

“I genuinely don’t give a fuck about his day. My dick is definitely bigger. And I’m not concerned with my likability. I don’t care about him. But I do care about you.”

But if I could buy a public school just to fire that chauvinist piece of shit I would.”

“I definitely don’t hate you, Rosie. Not even close. But I can fuck you like I do if that’s what you need.”

You’re stuck with me. Give me all that bitchy attitude. It just makes me love you more.”

If I could build you a boyfriend like a Build-A-Bear, he would come out as Ford Grant.

“You are worth every fucking penny!” he shouts, arms flung wide. “I’m careful with my money. I’m downright philanthropic. But this? This isn’t a game. I’m in love with you. This is pocket change compared to what I’d be happy to spend on you. There is no price too high to watch this asshole pay for every moment of misery and self-doubt he caused you.”

“Hear this, Rosie. You are worth every penny. Every fortune. Every investment. Every risk. You are priceless to me.”

“Because other people might not love you the way I do. Might not forgive you the way I will. You and I? We’re a team. I kind of think we always have been.”

“I left all safe bets behind, Ford. I don’t want a safe relationship. I don’t want a safe love.” His eyes dance between mine, and I forge ahead. “I want messy and snarky and…” I peek back over my shoulder at the old barn, transformed into a new office, before turning my gaze back on him. “I want a wild love. I want you, even though you make me want to push you into the lake and break your computer and throw paint all over your pristine floors. I want this feeling I have with you where it hurts to breathe when you get too far away, where my skin itches uncontrollably when you look at me. Where thinking feels overrated because we both know nothing and no one will ever feel like this. Like us.”

“Putting up with you is my favorite thing to do.”

“Who wants to go boating? My dad says he’ll take us!” And she says it like it’s the most casual thing in the world. My dad.