The pain relief, his gentle touch, a belly full of warm tea, Tom Sawyer and a comfortable shoulder to lean on sent her to bliss town.
A yawn forced her mouth open wide. She rubbed her nose on his soft cotton shirt. He patted her leg and kissed the top of her hair.
“Hey, sleepyhead. Time for bed?”
“No,” she grumbled. Burrowing deeper she murmured, “I like it here.”
“Tell you what. You go put on whatever you’re sleeping in and get ready, and I’ll turn down the bed. When you come back, I’ll give you a back rub to help you sleep.”
“You want me to sleep here? With you? But I thought because…”
“You thought that I’d make you sleep in another room because fucking you into tomorrow isn’t on the menu?”
She jerked at his words. “Ouch. That’s a bit harsh don’t you think?”
“It’s what your overactive brain came up with so save the denials. Here’s something you need to know. Despite what you pick up from cultural depictions of today’s man, I do not always let my dick do the thinking.”
“You have a dirty mouth,” she answered with a snarky chuckle.
“And your point would be?”
She dropped the book and wrapped him in her arms. “I’m okay with dirty.”
“Whew! Good to know I dodged that bullet.”
She reacted without thinking, pressing her fingers to his lips. “No, no. Shh. I don’t want that in my head.”
His gaze softened. He nodded slightly to show he understood. “Sorry. Warrior humor.”
“And I’m sorry for being so…out of my depth with you.”
“Having a relationship isn’t all fuckery all the time.”
She had to laugh. He wasn’t trying to be funny but damn! “Don’t tell me that,” she joked. “I was sort of hoping for some, um…options.”
“Says the woman who was just dozing off and yawning like crazy.”
“Busted,” she chuckled.
“How long does this go on?” he asked.
“You mean having my period? It’s okay to say the words, Roman. I’m not a delicate flower who cringes at the sight of blood or who can’t handle some gritty with my nitty.”
“Oh dear god,” he cried on a burst of laughter. “Gritty with your nitty. Rhiann is going to love you. Get ready for your first fangirl.”
“You like this woman. A lot.”
“Indeed. I thought she was unique. One-of-a-kind. And then I met you. Now I’m sure there’s a whole tribe out there of bad ass babes who I swear to god were put on earth for the lofty purpose of keeping men’s butts in check.”
Good answer. She wasn’t nearly as resistant to Rhiann as she was to that other person.
“What’s she do? Or is she arm candy?”
“Arm candy? Holy mother of god. No! Not at all. Shit, that’s funny, though.” He offered a winking grin. “Rhiann Wilde is a writer. At least that’s what she told me to say if you asked.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means, sweetheart, that she had a good job, a career and a secret life. One day those things crashed headlong into each other. When the dust settled, the career got kicked to the curb and with Liam’s love and support she let her secret life out of the bag. Rhiann collects words like a squirrel gathers nuts. Her superpower is a bad mouth…something you have in common.”
Another good answer. She’d keep probing, but her internal timer just went off. It was time to hit the snore pads.
He stood, effortlessly, with her cradled in his arms. What was this wonderful feeling? She wanted to freeze the moment in time so that she could replay it over and over.
Carrying her into the gleaming white tiled bathroom, he sat her carefully on the closed toilet. His hand lingered on her face, caressing a cheek and lightly tracing her lips. How could such a big man be so gentle?
“We share everything, Carina. Even the bathroom. Don’t try to hide with Matty.”
Aw. He was awfully cute. “Uh, okay.”
“What would you like to wear to bed? Tell me, and I’ll bring it to you.”
Hey, she thought. Hold on a minute. This waiting on her hand and foot was all kinds of interesting. She might like letting his bad self be in charge. His manly psyche would certainly like the chance.
“Can I have your t-shirt?”
He did an adorable double-take and scraped his fingers through his hair. “Um, uh…any t-shirt or one in particular?”
She eyed the long sleeve Henley he wore and inclined her head. “What you have on will do.”
There was a slight pause, and then he drew in a long breath that made his chest expand. After that, he pulled the shirt from his waistband and hauled it over his head. When he handed it off, her waving hand missed it by a mile because her attention diverted to his mind-blowingly muscular torso.
Laughing, he bent to retrieve the fallen shirt, stood up and pretended to wipe drool off the corner of her mouth then asked with a smirking grin, “Have you ever had a cat?”
A cat? What the hell was he going on about?
“Some will tell you that cats aren’t trainable. They’re wrong. All you need is a squirt gun. Every time kitty wanders off or gets into mischief, a quick squirt or two brings them right back into line.”
Kelly blinked. Seriously. What was he dithering about?
“You give so much away with your face, Carina. I think it’s adorable. And hot. But you haven’t found your game face yet. The one you’ll need when I get you off in a room full of people.”
Oh jeez. She got where he was going and started to giggle.
“I’m not into toys all that much. Equipment? Yes. Toys? No,” he drawled suggestively.
What the hell did that mean?
“But I think a squirt gun to zap you out of that very sexy trance you fall into might qualify as equipment. What do you think?”
She smacked him on the thigh. “I think if you come at me with a squirt gun all hell will break loose.”
“Promise?”
“Oh my god,” she wheezed through laughter. “You’re even worse than Matty. It really IS a guy thing!”
Pushing him away she said, “Get out. I’m good with sharing a bathroom, but no way am I peeing in front of you.”
“Thank god,” he drawled. “There is such a thing as too much togetherness.” He kissed her forehead and exited saying, “Yell if you need anything.”
Watching him leave was pure man candy. His front was drool-inducing but his back? Impressive. Broad shoulders, tapered waist and an ass begging for attention.
Aieee!
When she finished up and wandered into the bedroom, she saw right away that he’d moved her bags. He was doing that staking a claim thing again.
In the adjoining room, she found him by the window watching Matty sleep. The way he stood and the vibe he put off was protective and loving. Her gut told her Roman was a wonderful role model for the youngster. Just the little she knew about him made her appreciate all the more how important qualities like compassion with a side of honor would be for Matty as he grew.
Shielding him from comparisons or whispers about his parents, especially what appeared to be a complete douche-canoe for a father, was her new worry.
Roman looked up when she came through the door. He raised a finger to his lips. She nodded her understanding.
Creeping quietly across the room, she knelt by Matty’s head. He was sound asleep with a small smile curling his little mouth. She kissed him softly on the cheek and adjusted the blanket.
In all the excitement of the road trip, she hadn’t remembered to make sure he said his gratitude prayers. Damn. Keeping him grounded and aware was more important than ever.
Turning the bedside light off, she gently touched his hair. Roman had moved away, so she glanced about and found him playing with the remote control. Classical music, exactly what Matty was used to, floated in the air.
Satisfied, he dropped the controller and looked at her. His ha
nd came out. She gave Matty a final look and then went to her man. Her fingers touched his, and he drew her in. Kelly studied their entwined hands. Without thinking, she chewed her bottom lip.
Tiny explosions of panic fired off inside her. She’d never let anyone in. Hell, there hadn’t ever been anyone around to be let in. The lack of friends and peers, years of social isolation, and the belief that she was better off that way clashed with one irrefutable fact—she hadn’t ever felt alive or truly connected to the world until she met Roman Bishop.
And admitting that put her in a tenuous spot. It wasn’t easy to acknowledge this need. And why? Because wants and needs made her vulnerable. Vulnerability killed her mother.
The taste of blood in her mouth stopped the frantic lip chomp. She pulled it together with one final thought. Her mom’s vulnerability also brought Matthew James into her life.
Everything had a good and not-so-good side. Her challenge was to cling tightly to the hope that being vulnerable to Roman was the start of something wonderful and not the first step along the road to hell.
He was up at the ass crack of dawn after a sound night’s sleep. And there was a warm, female body wrapped around his in the unfamiliar and slightly uncomfortable bed.
Inhaling deeply, he breathed her in before his eyes cranked open. Mmm. Yes. Waking up with a sweet sexy pixie sprawled on his chest was all kinds of awesome.
She’d been restless after finally drifting off. Amazed that sleeping together was as satisfying as the other things they did together in bed, he’d been more than content to hold her close and rub her back until sleep eventually claimed her.
He liked that there weren’t previous experiences with men to mess with her head. It made showing her how special this relationship was and how much he cared for her an adventure and not a chore. The truth was it turned out to be quite enjoyable.
Relaxed, happy and oddly at peace, Roman lay there and took the moment in. There was no question in his mind that he’d found her…
What he felt was different from before. Shit, it was worlds different. He’d regret losing Vanessa and their child every day he lived, but what they said was true after all. Life does move on, and if he was going to commit himself to this, it was time to send the past packing. Kelly deserved nothing less than one hundred and ten percent of his attention, so he vowed this would be the last time he’d think about the bad stuff. He’d retain only the sweetness and move on. With Kelly and Matty. As a family. A rather immediate and shocking family, but considering the rest of his unconventional life he had to concede the point, why the hell not?
She stirred slightly but didn’t wake up. Good. He liked how it felt to wake up with her even if the surroundings were stripped down and basic. Plus, it gave him more time to think.
Today was going to be busy, and at the end of the day they’d be in New York, at his home, and a new chapter in so many lives would begin.
He’d put his foot down when Liam attempted to badger him into an immediate face-to-face with Kelly as soon as they landed. There was no fucking way he was going to fast-Freddy her. Roman counted it a small victory when he persuaded him to back off and agree to wait until the following day.
Since the very suggestion of a private plane set her off, he’d been tiptoeing around the subject. There wasn’t a lot she could offer as a counter-argument when the legal documentation problem came up, but that didn’t mean she was happy about being boxed in.
At this point, he was praying she woke up in a good mood and didn’t give him too much shit. Matty was going to be enough of a handful.
A low groan came out of her mouth. The warmth of her breath skittered across his skin. His damn cock reacted. Being a somewhat smart guy, he’d wisely slept in his briefs. Temptation and morning erections being strong influences, he’d decided to err on the side of caution. And a good thing too, because one of her legs was wedged between his thighs. All it would take was a slight shift in position, and he could slide inside her.
“Ergh. Ugh.”
Uh oh. That did not sound good. Not when her eyes hadn’t even opened yet.
All of a sudden she shot up, pushed off him and plopped on her butt where she sat cross-legged and slightly hunched. He immediately got moving and slid to his feet next to the bed.
When she finally looked up, he had to hold back a laugh. She resembled the victim of a hurricane. Her hair was everywhere, and by everywhere he meant everywhere. Some was sticking straight up, but mostly she looked like a cartoon character after putting her finger in an electric socket.
The corners of her lush mouth turned down in a scowling frown. There were dark circles under each eye, and her body language screamed misery.
Grabbing a pillow, she scrunched it up and folded it against her stomach. Then she glared at him and whatever smile he’d been fighting withered under her baleful glower.
The look she spared his way-too-obvious erection almost singed his flesh.
Oookay, then. Hmm. He didn’t have a chance to say a thing before she muttered, “Shut up.”
Not knowing what the hell to do or say, he opted for silence and waited for whatever came next.
The pillow went sailing through the air when she scooted to the side of the bed and stood up. Yanking the hem of his shirt down, her pursed lips and fierce scowl reminded him of an outraged prude.
“Things you need to know,” she whined after an unsuccessful attempt to calm her hair. “Day two sucks.”
Then she stomped off toward the bathroom and shut the door.
Well, the good news was that they’d found a way to communicate important stuff. He knew what to do and sprang into action. As he snuck into Matty’s room to check on the still sleeping kid, he finally laughed.
Women! Who can figure it out? The comparison was hysterically amusing. After slam fucking for hours, she appeared fresh as a daisy. But this? Roman snickered to himself. His hat was definitely off to the fearsome power of a woman’s cycle, ‘cause that shit left marks!
She crawled back into bed and pulled the covers over her head. What a lousy time to get taken down by her damn period.
Bloated, uncomfortable and fending off a major case of the bitches, she wanted to curl up and die. Whoever decided that putting women through this shit every thirty days was the way to go needed an ass-kicking.
The only thing she had going for her at the moment was the time. It was barely six thirty, which meant she had a guaranteed hour until reporting for Matty duty.
A hand touched her shoulder, and the bed dipped. “Honey? Here. Sit up a minute, okay?”
She slammed the covers back with a pissed off grunt and snarled. “Don’t wanna.”
“Now, come on. Don’t be difficult.” He lifted her upright with an arm around her shoulders.
She couldn’t believe how easy it was to pout at him. “Feel like shit.”
“Yeah, I got that,” he murmured. Putting two tablets in her hand, he motioned with his head. “Upped the ante. Think you can use the extra oomph.”
Swallowing the pills took extra effort and half a bottle of water. She looked at him miserably and gathered her fright wig hair into a bunch. “What time do we check out?”
“Couple of hours. Don’t worry. It’s not like the plane will leave without us. When we get there, we get there.”
“Silver lining after all,” she muttered harshly.
Roman’s deep chuckle and cheery “Now see?” made her even grumpier.
“Matty,” she said in a barely audible voice.
“Covered. When he gets up, I’ll take him downstairs for breakfast. And whatever you want, I’ll bring back to the room.”
“He can’t have sugary cereal.”
“Yeah, I know,” he drawled. “Been paying attention. I promise he’ll drink milk.”
She gave up. What was the point in issuing instructions? He had a damn answer for everything. Snarling “Oh, fine!” she threw herself down on a pillow, assumed the fetal position and hauled the covers back ove
r her head. “I want oatmeal. The lady at the front desk said there’d be oatmeal.”
Roman’s amused chuckle was audible through the blankets.
“You got it, babe. Oatmeal it is.”
If she could kick him in the shins, she would. Just because.
If there were a Guinness challenge for the number of times a kid said ‘Wow,’ Matty would win. Starting with the run-of-the-mill road hotel, free breakfast, through the check-in procedure at the private plane terminal and as they crossed the tarmac was one amazed wow after another.
Liam, being perfectly aware of Roman’s preferences, hooked them up with a large-cabin Gulfstream roomy enough for a dozen people. Far from overkill, it was however pretty obvious that it was more plane than three people needed.
The pilot, an affable guy calling himself Captain Nemo, made a huge fuss over Matty. Not only did he present the kid with the standard wing pin, but he also took him into the cockpit and let him say hello over the com system. He also laid down the aviation rules.
No yelling.
No running.
Seatbelt on when instructed.
Matty was awestruck.
Kelly? Not so much.
You’re all set folks,” he told them after pointing out the galley stocked with their selections and the entertainment options. “Flight time about six hours. It’ll be night time when we arrive.”
After some more pleasantries, he saluted smartly and went about his business.
Roman got them strapped in and comfortable. Both of them were wide-eyed and nervous, so he started rambling.
“Normally there’d be a flight attendant, but I’m an old hand at this. Know my way around a galley,” he assured them.
Matty asked if there was a bathroom. Kelly played with the cuffs on her sweater and said nothing.
Take-off was uneventful. For him. He’d done this too many times, so his reactions were, meh. Once they were safely in the air, and at cruising altitude, he started moving around the cabin. In the galley, he unwrapped a charcuterie board, a fruit platter, and a couple of mini-milks that got shoved into an ice bucket. The sight of Bologna folded in tidy logs made him smile. So did the enormous selection of teas in a trendy little burlap bag. He was relieved to learn that his friend had being paying attention. Liam was using his damn head for a change.
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