ROSES & THORNS

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- A D A M - T H O R N E -

Lance came closer to us and I could see a girl on his arm. I looked closer and saw his sister, who looked a little uncomfortable as her eyes roamed the club.

Only when I looked at her completely did I feel my breath hitch. She looked absolutely gorgeous, even though she hardly had any makeup on unlike those who try to impress me with their fake ass faces.

And before I could say anything, the words had already left my mouth.

"We meet once more, Ms. Edward, and might I say, you look ravishing tonight", I looked at her and kissed the back of her hand. My eyes take in all her features carefully.

We stared at each other until I heard a voice that made her look back with a wide smile on her face, making something tug inside me as a forbidden thought crossed my mind,

I wanted to be the one to make her smile.

But it was gone as soon as it came when I saw Gareth King walking towards us with a big smile on his face as he looked at her, and for no reason, I felt oddly uneasy when he kissed her on the cheek and put his arm around her waist.

Is he her boyfriend?

"Did you miss me Belle? I know you couldn't resist such a handsome face as mine. But don't worry sweetheart, I'm here now." He waggled his eyes playfully at her and she giggled, making a move to smack him probably but he caught her hand and put it on his heart.

"This is where you hit me Belle, right here." He chuckled along with her brothers at her baffled expression, letting go of her hand, but not her waist, and looked at me pointedly.

"Gareth David King, and you must be Adam Thorne, nice to meet you." He sounded polite but I couldn't miss the hint of venom in his words, making me hold back an eye roll.

Fake ass pretender.

"Yes, although I wish I could say the same." I said lazily, eyeing the hand around her waist with a slight frown forming on my face.

"And how do you know Ms. Edward?" I asked, curious to know, but confused at my own thoughts.

Why do I even care?

"That's for you to guess and for me to know." Gareth told me with a smirk and I felt frustrated. I was used to getting what I wanted, but not getting answers made me very frustrated.

"Gareth is my cousin, Mr. Thorne, and a close friend as well." Isabelle suddenly spoke, and I nodded my head at her, thinking hard at how they could be related, until I remembered he was the son of her uncle, Charles King.

"Please, call me Adam, no need for formalities." I told her when she smiled at me, making me feel something I hadn't felt before.

So many women smiled at me, but those all were fake, trying to impress me. But something just felt so right when she smiled and I knew it was a genuine one.

And I could watch her smile forever.

We all shook hands and sat down and I just couldn't help myself staring at her. The men in the other booths of the VIP Lounge would turn their heads occasionally to get a look at her, and I would glare at them and they would turn right back.

I found Gareth King looking at me staring at her a few times and he would glare, and I would just smirk right at him, annoying the hell out of him.

"You look really beautiful tonight Belle." He whispered in her ear, but loud enough on purpose so everyone could hear, including me. She looked at him and smiled when he left to get her a drink.