She didn’t push my hand away, but her eyes broke contact with mine. She was overpowered and outsmarted. She knew she was in the wrong for letting things get so bad without my help. “Okay.”
I finally dropped my hold and grabbed her suitcase, prepared to take her things to one of the spare bedrooms. “You’re staying with me until I figure this out. You are not to go anywhere without telling me. You are not to do anything without me knowing about it. So, forget about going on any dates or spending time with friends.”
I sat in the living room while she remained upstairs in her bedroom. I needed some time alone, to meditate and release all the anger bubbling inside me. I was so angry at Rome for not telling me, for needing my protection but never asking for it. But I was even more livid with the man responsible for this situation, the one who was stupid enough to think he could haunt my girl and get away with it.
I needed to come up with a plan to get rid of him once and for all.
As much as I would have liked to murder Hank, that wouldn’t work. He was too well-known by everyone in the city to just vanish. I had to learn more about this guy and figure out the best way to dissolve him, to kill his obsession with Rome.
Rome’s footsteps broke my train of thought. She descended the stairs and entered the living room, still in the same clothes she wore earlier. She’d been in her bedroom for hours, probably waiting until my wrath dispersed.
Not gonna happen.
She fell onto the chair beside me, her dress moving up above her knee. She pulled her hair over one shoulder, revealing her slender and beautiful neck. The smell of vanilla immediately struck me, bringing with it memories of our nights together.
I was still angry with her, and I suspected I would always be angry with her.
“What now?” she whispered.
“I’m thinking.”
“You can’t kill him, Calloway. Neither one of us would be able to get away with it.”
The fact that she’d already considered murder made me feel a little better. “I know.”
“This guy is a nightmare. I’m not sure how to get rid of him.”
“Trust me, I’ll figure it out.” I wasn’t going to let Rome be a target any longer. Where she went, I went. And if he came after her, he would have to deal with me. Now that she was beside me and our conversation was relatively calm, I turned my chin and looked at her, seeing her green eyes dark and dormant. I could see the faint bruising around her left eye, the place where Hank had struck her. The image of her fighting him off so she wouldn’t be raped killed me inside. Rome lived a selfless life of helping others. Of all people, she deserved this the least.
My hand moved to her cheek then into her hair while my lips kissed the faded bruise. Her skin felt cold to my lips, not warm from the fire like I was used to. My arm circled her waist, and I kissed her forehead, touching her for the first time in a month. At the first contact, my hands shook. I missed this affection more than I’d realized—and I already knew I missed it a great deal. “Everything will be alright. You don’t need to be scared anymore.”
Normally, she would argue and say she wasn’t afraid of anything. She would tell me she didn’t need me—or anyone else. Her tough persona would come out, her fists raised. But she didn’t do that this time. That was all the confirmation I needed. She had finally reached the end of the road. She was exhausted by the constant battle, knowing Hank would catch her off guard over and over.
My hand moved down her back, gently massaging her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” I wasn’t letting her out of my sight until I knew Hank was really gone. I was excited that I’d get to spend more time with her, but I also loathed the idea because nothing had changed between us. She wanted romance, and I wanted whips and chains. She wanted to get married, and I wanted to be single until my last breath.
My conversation with my mother came back to me, and I pictured myself sitting on that balcony instead of her. No one would come to visit me, not even Jackson. I would have no children to remember me by, to come and read to me. There would be no wife to hold my hand and comfort me, even though she’d know I didn’t recognize her.
But those depressing images didn’t get to me. It was the fact that my life had nothing to show for it. If I lived a meaningless life, I would have a meaningless death. My need for control was irrelevant because I had no control over my own destiny.
“Calloway?”
Rome’s beautiful voice brought me back to the conversation.
“You slipped away…” She still remembered all my expressions like we hadn’t been apart.
“Just…” I didn’t know how to form my answer because I wasn’t entirely sure what I was thinking about. I’d never felt so confused. Before Rome walked into my life, I never thought about these things. But now, I was filled with doubt. “Nothing.”
Rome didn’t press her curiosity.
“I’m glad you’re alright.” I turned my attention back to her, my fingers worshiping her soft hair. I wanted to erase what had happened to her, to end Hank before he had the chance to even look at her ever again. This woman meant the world to me. When she hurt, I hurt. “If anything worse happened to you…” I couldn’t finish the sentence because it was too difficult. Just the suggestion of Hank overpowering her made me sick to my stomach.
“But nothing did.” Her slender fingers wrapped around my wrist, still cold. “That’s all that matters.”
I stared at her lips and ached to kiss her, to feel those soft lips against my mouth. I wanted to roll around on my sheets while I was buried deep inside her. I wanted to feel that connection with her, that powerful voltage that always healed all my aches and wounds. But she and I were still worlds apart.
Rome must have felt the connection too because she excused herself. “I should go to bed. It’ll be nice to get some sleep tonight. Haven’t been able to close my eyes for a few days…”
Probably because she was terrified that asshole would come back to the apartment. “Good night.” I unwillingly released her and watched her walk up the stairs until she was gone from my sight.
When I was alone, I lay back and stared at the blank TV. The woman of my dreams shared the house with me, her bedroom just down the hall from mine. Would I be able to stay in my own room and not slip under the sheets with her? I didn’t have a lot of self-control—not when it came to Rome.
I tried to get some sleep, but it was pointless. I stared at the ceiling in the dark, my hand resting on my chest. I hadn’t gotten laid in a month, and I knew that messed my cycle up. And I knew it had something to do with the brunette across the hall.
I didn’t own a gun, but I didn’t need one. If Hank somehow figured out Rome was here, I could take him down with my own fists. I wasn’t sure how he would even figure out she was in the house. He’d have to be stalking her like he was staring at her through a microscope.
A gentle knock sounded on my bedroom door before it cracked open.
I sat up in bed automatically, my reflexes taking over.
Rome poked her head inside, wearing one of my old t-shirts. She must have taken it with her when she left. I hadn’t seen it around the house in weeks. “Sorry to wake you…”
“I wasn’t asleep.” I stared her down and waited for an explanation.
“Can I sleep with you?” She asked the question as if it caused her pain to say the words out loud. “I can’t sleep—”
“Yes.” There was nothing I wanted more than to have this woman in my bed again. She wouldn’t be the only one to finally get some sleep. I would too. I pulled down the covers and patted the sheets beside me. “Come here.”
She walked to the bed then climbed inside, looking beautiful in my clothes. Her cold body lay beside mine, and she pulled the sheets over herself, surrounded by the warmth my body produced.
The second she was beside me, I grabbed her leg and hooked it over my waist, feeling her smooth skin under my fingertips. My face rested against hers, and the pain immediately stopped.
Just having her next to me made me feel better, made me feel some form of joy. My cock was hard, and I knew she could feel it, but that was beyond my control. I was so hard up for her that my dick thickened anytime we were in the same room together.
She cuddled against my chest and sighed deeply, like she was finally relaxing and drifting away. Her hand circled my waist, and her strands tickled my skin at the slightest movement. It felt like we were four months in the past, when the two of us were better together than apart.
I pressed a kiss to her forehead, feeling my thoughts slip away. “Good night, sweetheart.”
“Good night, Sexy…”
17
Rome
I hadn’t slept that well in four days.
It felt so good.
The second my head hit the pillow as I lay beside Calloway, my lights went out. Knowing I was safe in this castle with the king right beside me, I knew I was untouchable. I could finally let my guard down and get some real sleep.
The next morning, I didn’t want to get out of bed. Not because I was too tired, but because I was so comfortable. The sheets smelled like his body soap with a splash of mint, pure Calloway, and they were so soft to the touch. I missed lying in bed every Saturday, touching the strong muscles all over Calloway’s body.
When the alarm sounded, Calloway turned it off then sat up in bed. His back was to me as he stretched his arms, his muscles coiling and shifting under his skin as he moved.
I wanted to reach out to touch him, but I kept my hands to myself. “How’d you sleep?”
“Like a rock.” He stared straight ahead before he rose to his feet, standing in his boxers. With toned thighs and long legs, he looked like the ultimate definition of what a man should be. “You?”
“Good.”
Without another word, he walked into the bathroom and got into the shower.
I expected him to make a move, to get me naked while I was in his bed, but he didn’t initiate anything. His cock had been hard. I’d felt it pressed against my hip. But sex didn’t seem to be on his mind. He was probably too upset with everything.
I got ready in the other bathroom, and after half an hour, we were both ready to go. Our routine was exactly the same as our old one, and we met at the front door. His driver took us to work, and we entered the building at the same time.
“Maybe I should catch a different elevator?” I asked, not wanting everyone at the office to see us walk in together.
The door opened, and he pointed inside. “No.”
“But what if—”
“I don’t give a damn.” He walked inside and held the door open. “If people think we’re fucking, so what? We were fucking, so it’s not like they’d be wrong. Now get your ass in here.” Calloway stared me down, looking like the devil in a suit.
I didn’t enjoy Calloway’s authority, but I felt so guilty for not telling him the truth about Hank that I complied. He deserved to be angry and protective. I didn’t have any right to take that away from him, so I cooperated. I walked inside the elevator and stood beside him.
He pulled his arm away and let the doors close. Immediately, the elevator rose to the top of the building. Like any other time we were in an enclosed space, I felt electricity prickle my skin. The burn moved through my body, lighting me on fire until I was a brilliant inferno. I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him just the way I used to.
I wished he would give me what I wanted. I wished he would change for me.
The door opened, and we walked into the lobby, everyone seeing us arrive at work together. I turned down the hallway to my office, and he went the opposite direction, heading to his massive office against the back wall.
I got to my office and sat down, suddenly missing him more than ever before.
When the workday ended, Calloway appeared in my doorway, looking just as sexy as he did that morning. His suit was still crisp, and his stubble had grown in over the course of the day. His assistant brought me lunch at midday so I wouldn’t have to go anywhere, and now that he was here, he would make sure I didn’t walk back to his place unaccompanied.
“Are you finished?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe. He crossed his arms over his chest, his watch gleaming in the light.
“Yeah…” I saved the email I was in the middle of writing and put my computer to sleep before I grabbed my purse. I went to his side, knowing our leaving together would confirm everyone’s suspicions that we really were together.
But there was nothing I could do to fight it.
We walked out together, two feet in between us the entire time. We made it to the car, and the driver drove us back to Calloway’s house a few blocks away. His neighborhood was silent compared to the commotion of the rest of the city.
We walked inside, surrounded by privacy once again. I immediately slipped off my heels and left them by the door, knowing I would wear them the next morning. They hurt my feet every single day, but they were so cute that I couldn’t part with them. Plus, I got them for a really great deal.
Calloway undid his tie and left it hanging around his neck, just as he used to do when we came home together. He darted into the kitchen and opened his liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle of his favorite scotch.
I figured he would start up the habit again.
He pulled a glass from the cabinet just as I grabbed the bottle off the counter. “None of this.”
He stared me down with lidded eyes. “We aren’t seeing each other anymore. I can do whatever the hell I want.” He reached for the bottle.
I stepped back and kept it out of his reach. “You’re better than this. I know you are.”
“I take a shot to shake the edge off. Doesn’t make me an alcoholic.”
“But it makes you dependent on it.” I unscrewed the cap then held it over the sink, threatening to pour it down the drain. I knew it was aged and expensive, so tossing it would really piss him off. But he didn’t need to turn to alcohol every time there was a bump in the road.
He glared viciously at me, his anger palpable. “Don’t you dare.”
“You can keep it for social occasions.”
“We both know I don’t have any friends.”
“Then maybe you should make some.” I put the cap back on then returned it to the cabinet. “I’m gonna trust you not to drink this when I’m not in the room. Can I trust you to do that?” I placed my hands on my hips and watched him, knowing whatever answer he gave would be the truth. He’d lied to me before, but for some reason, I still trusted him.
He eyed the cabinet before he looked at me again. His jaw was clenched with irritation, and he didn’t keep the annoyance out of his expression. “Yes.” He grabbed the glass sitting on the counter and returned it to the cabinet. He shut the door then leaned against the counter, his arms across his chest.
Now I didn’t have to keep an eye on him. “Thank you.”
He nodded.
“I’m going to shower…” I turned away from the kitchen, wanting to remove myself from the searing heat between us.
“I’m not done talking to you.”
I turned around, annoyed. “You think you can boss me around now?” I put up with it for a few days, but I was growing tired of it.
“Yes. I’ll boss you around as much as I like.” His blue eyes were no longer charismatic, but a little frightening. “We need to get to work on Hank. Perhaps you want to do that before you shower. Up to you.”
“Get to work on him, how?”
“I need you to tell me everything about him. I want to know where he lives, what he looks like, if his parents are divorced—everything. The more information I have, the easier this will be.”
I didn’t want to talk about Hank—not now or ever. But there was no way around it. I knew Calloway needed that information, not to kill him, but to destroy him. “Okay.”
We had dinner together at the table, dead silent and tense.
Calloway sat across from me, his forearms exposed in his t-shirt. St
rong and powerful, he looked like a Roman soldier who could tear down an army all on his own.
“Can I ask you something?” I whispered.
He stopped eating and looked me square in the eye. “You know the answer.”
I hoped that was a yes. “How’s your mom?”
His eyes flinched like he didn’t expect the question. “She’s good. I saw her on Saturday.”
“She’s a sweet woman.”
“Yeah…” He spun his fork around his pasta but didn’t take a bite. “She remembered you.”
I heard the words but struggled to absorb them. “What?”
“She remembered you,” he repeated. “She asked where you were.” He chuckled, but the laugh was full of pain. “Never remembers me, but somehow, she remembers you…”
“She did? What did she say?”
He set his fork down and pushed his untouched plate away. “That you were lovely.”
To my own surprise, my eyes watered. I knew Calloway struggled with his mother’s illness. Every time he visited her, it caused him so much pain. She was his mother, but he could never be her son because she didn’t remember him.
“She told me to knock off my promiscuous ways and settle down. It’s ironic because I can’t remember the last time my mother gave me a lecture. It was nice, in a strange way.” He leaned back against the chair, one hand resting on the table.
“I don’t know what to say…”
“There’s nothing to say, Rome. It just seems like you have the same effect on my mother as you do on me…on everyone.”
It was a sweet thing to say, and it made my insides tighten with butterflies.
“Sometimes I wonder if she’s right…”
“Right about what?”
“Right about you. That I should give up my lifestyle for you.” He looked me in the eye as he spoke. “I’ve been miserable without you. The idea of being with anyone else literally makes me sick. I have the freedom to put someone in chains, but I don’t want to…because I only want you. I haven’t slept in four weeks because it’s not the same without you beside me. Every day, I wonder what you’re doing while I’m home alone. I think about you constantly, wondering if you’re thinking about me.”
Black Diamond (Obsidian Book 2) Page 17