Enjoying the Chase (SAMPLE ONLY. PUBLISHING SPRING 2014)

Enjoying the Chase - Chapter 5

I grinned, "Well then I'll give these flowers to Rosie if you do." I shrugged and put them on the counter with the bottle of wine.

Anna picked them up smiling gratefully, "Thanks Nate these are beautiful." she hugged me and headed over to get a vase to put them in.

I flicked my eyes to Rosie who was looking at me a little shocked. "What? You didn't think I was a nice guy?" I asked faking hurt.

She smiled apologetically, "No I just..... I don't know." She shrugged and turned back to help Anna put the flowers in the vase.

Ashton looked at me knowingly as he stepped to my side, "I know why you're here so I'm just gonna say this; please don't hurt her. If this is just about sex then be straight with her about it, don't lead her on ok?" he asked looking at me pleadingly.

I nodded innocently, "Chill bud, she's not interested anyway. She already told me she has a man so I've got no chance."

He frowned and looked at me strangely, "She told you that?"

I nodded sadly, "Yeah some dude called DJ, right?" I shrugged not really wanting to talk about him, Ashton must know him because he was the one who asked about him the other day.

A wicked grin spread across his face as he nodded, "Yeah she has a man called DJ, he's..." he looked like he was about to say more but Anna turned round wrapping her arms around his waist which of course caught his interest immediately.

"Let's eat then I'm starving." she suggested nodding to the table. "You pour the wine and I'll get the food. Oh and before you ask me Nate; yes I did make the lasagne myself." She stuck her tongue out at me and I grinned happily. Anna was a really good cook and hopefully it wouldn't all get eaten tonight and I could take the rest home with me to save me from beans on toast or takeout like I usually lived off of.

"Sweet." I slipped my arm around Rosie's waist and guided her to the table, "Muffin you can sit near me and we can save each other from all the flirting those two will do over dinner." I suggested pulling her chair out for her, remembering this time how to behave like a gentleman.

She laughed, "And who's going to save me from all the flirting you're going to do over dinner?" she asked smirking at me.

"Hmm you're right, there's no hope for you, you're screwed." I shrugged making her laugh as I sat down next to her.

The rest of the night went like that, it was fun as it usually was hanging out here but Rosie just seemed to add something extra. We were all laughing all night and she was definitely warming to me. I kept the flirting to a minimum and tried to keep my conversation intelligent and interesting, we actually had a lot in common which I was surprised about. We liked the same kind of movies and music, hell even her favourite book was the same as mine! I'd never met a girl who liked Shutter Island before, the film yeah but no girl I knew had read it before they made it into a movie. Well actually maybe they had but I'd never taken the time to ask them because I was too busy checking them out. Rosie was actually getting scarier and scarier by the second.