ROSES & THORNS

- 5 0 -

For now. 

Rose turned her head and looked at me with her eyebrow raised. I grinned at her immediately, as if I wasn't just planning to kill the man in front of us.

"What?" I asked her and she sighed, turning to face Lucas.

"How can we help Lucas?" She asked him.

"I.. yes well... Mr. Thorne, your father is calling for you downstairs. He says he has to make an announcement." He spoke and I nodded my head at him.

"Tell him I'll be there in a few minutes." I told him.

"Yes but-..." Lucas started and I closed the door in his face, sighing and turning to Rose with a grin on my face. 

"Now. Where were we?" I asked, pulling her towards me by her waist and holding her tightly.

"We were on our way downstairs." She spoke and I groaned when someone knocked on the door again.

"No. Just a few minutes." I told her.

"Come on Adam." She tried to push me away but my grip only tightened around her, and knocking was heard again.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." She said and I sighed, pulling away and placing a kiss on her forehead before opening the door.

"What?" I snapped and Lucas backed away.

"Uh.. Your father is growing impatient. He is saying-.." I cut him off by taking Rose's hand and pulling her out of the room and leading her down the stairs.

"You're so rude." She narrowed her eyes at me and I looked away from her, leading her into the ballroom where my father stood with a champagne glass in his hand.

"Ah, the man of the hour!" He spoke and I rolled my eyes, heading to him.

"You called?" I said, looking at Rose who was talking to some guy we met coming in. 

Who is he anyway?

"Yes, but I'm here, not there." My father said and I looked at him.

"What?" I asked him and he started speaking about something work related that flew over my head as I glanced back at Rose who was now laughing at something the guy told her and I narrowed my eyes at the two. 

What's so funny it made her laugh that much?

I heard my father sigh and I looked at him running a hand over his face. 

"Did you listen to anything I said or were you too busy planning on killing the lad talking to your girlfriend?" He asked and I glanced at him briefly before my gaze went back to her.

"The latter." I told him straightening up when Rose came to me and smiled.

"What's so funny about that guy?" I asked her and her eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." I told her and looked at my father who threw a smirk my way. 

"You were saying?" I asked him and he shook his head, trying hard to control his laughter. 

"Nothing son, I'll just announce it." He gave me a wink and clinked his glass, all attention coming over to him.

"This is going to be interesting." Aidan spoke as he walked over to my side.

"How so?" I asked him and he smirked at me.

"You'll see bro." He glanced between me and Rose before briefly smiling mischievously.