Feeling frustrated as hell, he finished off the beer and decided to shower and hit bed early.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“IF YOU DON’T wake up now, sweetheart, you’re going to miss the sunrise. It’s a beautiful view through the porthole.”
Victoria lifted one eyelid and then another. She figured the sunrise wasn’t the only thing she would be missing out on if she didn’t open her eyes, if Roman’s erection poking into her backside was anything to go by.
Smiling, she slowly flipped over to gaze up into a gorgeous pair of dark eyes and delectable lips nearly covered in a beard. “Will you be shaving when you return to DC?”
She could tell her question surprised him. “Why? Is my beard bothering you?”
She knew why he was asking. He had to apply cream to a few beard burns between her legs more than once. “No. I’ve gotten used to it and like it.”
He chuckled. “Thanks, but yes, it will be off before I land in DC. It will no longer be needed.”
He had mentioned last night how glad he was that the paparazzi had left him alone since he’d been in Catalina Cove. She was glad, too. Shifting to her side, she glanced out the porthole. The sun was about to come up. “You’re right. It’s beautiful.”
“Beautiful just like you.”
She thought that he could say some of the nicest things. And do some pretty nice things, as well. When she had arrived home from work yesterday, he had been waiting for her with soup from the Green Fig, one of the new restaurants in town. Victoria had previously met the owner, Sierra Crane, and her beautiful little girl.
Sierra had grown up in the cove and like so many others, had not returned after college. She had landed a high-powered corporate job in Chicago. Now divorced, she was back in Catalina Cove to raise her daughter. Victoria was glad because the woman was using her late grandmother’s soup recipes at the Green Fig and they were delicious. The takeout soup container was a cute miniature keg that kept the transported soup hot.
The minute Victoria had walked into her house, the aroma of the soup had gotten to her, as well as the sight of Roman standing in the middle of the living room. She’d done something she’d never done before. She began stripping off her clothes right then and there. Needless to say, they had made love before eating dinner.
“Did I thank you for dinner yesterday?”
He chuckled as he nibbled around her mouth. “Several times, but you can always do it again.”
“Thank you, Roman.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth to hers. He had such a beautiful mouth. A mouth she loved kissing, and he had shown her how to do so in so many ways. She tightened her arms around his neck as they continued kissing. It was as if the privilege to do this again would be taken away from them and they were making it last.
Suddenly, he pulled away and when she opened her eyes it was to see a pair of sexy brown eyes staring at her. The intensity in his gaze made her feel hot and she released a slow, deep breath.
“Let’s watch the sunrise, baby,” he said in a deep, husky voice.
She nodded. Pulling herself up, she snuggled next to him as they looked out the porthole to see the beauty of the sun coming up, seemingly out of the water, and moving slowly into the sky. Starting today, they would spend the weekend in the middle of the Gulf. After breakfast they would head toward the area where the Mississippi River flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. It was reputed to have the best fishing spots anywhere.
Roman’s chin rested on the crown of her head, and Victoria appreciated being able to share this moment with him. She had shared a lot of memorable moments with him, some that would be etched in her mind forever.
Forever.
Why was she thinking about forever with him? Maybe because that’s where her heart was. Was it? She turned her head to find his delectable mouth right there, and at that moment she needed to kiss him again. As if he read her thoughts, he whispered, “It’s yours to take. Not just my mouth, sweetheart, but all of me.”
All of him...
Why did the thought of taking all of him sound like something she definitely wanted? With him she could be naughty or nice, she could take what she wanted. Is that why she felt empowered? In Roman’s arms, she had become a responsive woman in ways she hadn’t thought possible. He’d taught her how to tell him what she wanted and then went out of his way to deliver. And he always did.
She could feel his hard, solid erection pressing against her and it felt good. Deciding it would feel even better inside of her, she began rubbing her backside against him in invitation.
“Is that your way of letting me know what you want, baby?” he asked while sliding his hand between her legs.
She closed her eyes, thinking just how good his hands felt, and when a finger slid inside of her, she moaned his name.
He leaned in and she felt the warmth of his bare chest on her naked back. He licked the side of her face. “You taste good.”
Roman whispered exactly how he wanted to take her this time, and she moaned at the image that came into her mind—her, on her knees with him behind her.
As soon as they got in position, he ran his fingers through her hair to tilt her face back to him. “The rest of our days spent here together I intend to make things so wonderful for you with me, that when I leave, coming to me in DC won’t be a choice for you, Victoria. It will be a necessity. Either you will come to me or I will come back here to you. I won’t give you up.”
He gripped her hips and entered her, thrusting hard and deep, then went still. She loved the feel of him embedded deep within her like this, opening her wide. She heard the sound of his heavy breathing and knew he was trying to regain control, as well as savor how he felt inside of her. The same thing she was doing.
Suddenly he began moving, thrusting into her, pounding his flesh against hers, the sound increasing her desire. He began chanting her name with every stroke and she, in turn, groaned his, over and over. She thought they fit perfectly together as he brought her close to the edge, only to snatch her back again and again. Was he deliberately trying to drive her crazy? If so, he was definitely doing a good job at it. The pleasure she felt from the top of her head to her toes was overwhelming.
“Come for me, baby,” he said, leaning over to lick the side of her ear again. “You come. I come. Let’s do it together.”
As if his words had pushed a button, she felt her body begin exploding and knew the moment his did, too—they were in sync. She felt him release inside of her and knew there was more to come because they had this thing for multiple orgasms.
They both came again. And then, as if he still couldn’t get enough, he helped roll her to her back and entered her again after placing her knees on his shoulders.
“I want to look at you,” he growled.
Their gazes met and she saw him clearly and knew at that moment that he was the man she loved.
I won’t give you up...
His words floated through her mind. She got it now. He was claiming her. Roman was claiming her.
This time when her body exploded, she let out a loud scream, and he quickly covered her mouth as he continued to make love to her. When he finally released her mouth, she let out a guttural groan. Moments later, he collapsed beside her, gathered her limp body into his arms and kissed her face all over.
“You all right?” he asked her softly.
Unable to speak, she just nodded slowly. The last thing she remembered before closing her eyes to sleep was the feel of his arms wrapped securely around her.
* * *
“I TAKE IT you were pretty hungry,” Roman said, watching Victoria scarf down the soup and sandwiches he’d brought along. After making love earlier, he had left her sleeping in bed while he raised the anchor to head out toward the Gulf. Having missed breakfast, they were on the top deck eating lunch and enjoying being out in the middle of t
he water with no other boat in sight.
While at the Green Fig yesterday, he’d also bought a keg of several kinds of soup, including chili, and several types of sandwiches for their sea voyage.
Victoria glanced at him and smiled. “Weren’t you hungry, as well?”
He chuckled. “Yes. You can say that I was.”
She stood to throw away her trash and he couldn’t help but stare at her, thinking Tanner Jamison’s loss was certainly his gain. But would it really be Jamison’s loss if there was some doubt in her mind about which man she would one day truly belong to? The one who was desperately trying to show her with action how much he loved her, or the one currently missing in action, but chosen for her by someone she loved and whose opinion she trusted?
“Isn’t it beautiful, Roman?”
He followed her gaze, and as far as the eye could see, the view was of the beautiful blue, rippling waters of the Gulf. The smell of the sea filled his nostrils and a light breeze ruffled the air. He then turned his gaze to Victoria and saw how that same light breeze was fanning her hair around her face, giving her a stunning look. “Yes, it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful, too, and I want you.”
Needing to make love to her again, he swept her into his arms and carried her below. He didn’t want to think about the lonely days without her, but when they came, he would have this. The memories.
* * *
A SHORT WHILE later Roman and Victoria were back up top. He was at the wheel, maneuvering the yacht through the Gulf waters, and she was there by his side. Not surprisingly, she knew how to operate the boat, as well. But for now, she was enjoying the scenery while he had the wheel.
It amazed him that he’d found a woman who enjoyed doing some of the same things he did. Not only did she like to fish, but she also liked to hunt and camp outdoors. Then there was the other side of her that he appreciated, the side that was compassionate. Last night he’d told her about an education bill he planned to introduce in the next session. She’d told him how much she supported such a bill and was glad someone finally, as she put it, “had the balls to do it,” and hoped it passed. Just knowing he had her backing meant everything.
Regardless of what she thought, she would make a great politician’s spouse. But first he had to convince her to consider becoming a politician’s girlfriend. He would be leaving the cove in a week and hoped she would give him her answer before he left.
“It’s ‘tell me something I want to know’ time,” she said, getting his attention.
He smiled. This was a game they’d started playing the first day they went fishing together to get to know each other better. They were free to ask any question to get an answer to anything they wanted to know about that person. It was fun and had revealed a lot about her to him; he hoped she’d also learned a lot about him. “Okay, what’s your question?” he asked.
“Have you ever had a crush on anyone? And please don’t tell me that, like all my brothers and cousins, Aunt Diamond was your fantasy girl while growing up.”
Roman chuckled. “I could see Diamond being that. She was a very popular actress who was, and still is, beautiful. But no, I didn’t have a crush on Diamond. But I did on Syneda.”
“What! Clayton’s Syneda?”
He laughed. “Yes. But remember I knew Syneda long before Clayton did, since my aunt Nora and my uncle Paul were foster parents to both Syneda and Lorren.”
Lorren was married to her cousin, and Roman’s oldest godbrother, Justin. While growing up, Victoria had thought it was simply wonderful that two childhood best friends, Lorren and Syneda, had married the Madaris brothers, Justin and Clayton. “That’s right. I had forgotten about that. So how long did the crush on Syneda last?”
“All through my teen years. I think it was the golden bronze hair and green eyes that did it for me.”
Victoria grinned. “I think that’s what did it for Clayton, as well. Small world.”
“Yes. I got over her once I went off to college. Imagine how I felt when I came home my sophomore year to discover my godbrother Clayton was going to marry my dream girl. I thought Clayton was the luckiest man in the world.”
“I think he thought so, too. He still does. There’s never a dull moment around those two. I like Syneda a lot. She’s a lot of fun. In fact, I think all my male cousins hit the jackpot with the women they married. And I adore my sister-in-law Ivy, as well. She is just what Nolan needs.”
He nodded. “Now what about you? Have you ever had a crush on anyone? And please don’t say it was movie actor Sterling Hamilton. He was Spring and Summer’s crush for years.”
She shook her head. “No, it was a boy in my fifth-grade class named Thomas Bellamy. I thought he was so cute. But then his family moved away, and I never saw him again.”
She paused and then said, “This time next week you’ll be back in Washington.”
He nodded. “Yes, I will be.” He wanted to ask if she’d made a decision yet about them, but didn’t. He didn’t want to rush her, but more than anything he hoped she would agree for them to continue what they’d begun in Catalina Cove.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
TANNER WISHED HE could call himself all kinds of fool as he crossed the parking lot to Evans’s Gym, but he couldn’t. He could no longer let his obsession with Lyric get the best of him. He didn’t give a damn that his fixation on her was so out of character for him. The only thing that concerned him now was his sanity. There still were a lot of things that weren’t clear in his mind, but the one thing he desperately understood was that had to see Lyric again. And he had to see her today.
It had taken several mind-twisting and gut-wrenching days to accept that his attraction to her wasn’t normal; to accept it was too intense, too time-consuming and taxing on his brain to be ignored. This thing with Lyric was totally different and he needed to know why. And the only way he could figure it out was to see her again.
It was Sunday and the gym didn’t open until noon. It was only ten. He had been prepared to sit in the parking lot and wait those two hours for her to arrive. When he’d seen her car, that meant she was already inside, and he was grateful for that.
The entry to the gym was locked. He peered through the glass door and didn’t see anyone at the counter, and the lights were off. So he rang the doorbell then shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and stared down at his feet while wishing so many questions weren’t flowing through his mind. What if she wasn’t inside, but was at one of the nearby shops? Then, what if she saw him and wouldn’t let him in? What if—?
“Tanner? What are you doing here?”
He jerked his head up and there she stood. Lyric had opened the door and for a moment he couldn’t speak. All he could do was stand there and look at her, taking in the beauty that had become a permanent fixture in his mind.
“Tanner?”
He tried to retain control of his mind. “I need to talk to you, Lyric.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What about?”
“I’d rather not discuss it out here. May I come in?”
She seemed to give his request some thought, then said, “Yes, come in.” Stepping aside, she beckoned him to enter and then locked the door behind him.
“I took a chance in coming here,” he explained. “I hadn’t expected you to arrive this early.”
“I worked serving breakfast at the homeless shelter this morning until nine. It made more sense for me to just come here instead of driving all the way back home. I just made a pot of coffee, you want a cup?”
“Yes. Thanks.”
She didn’t bother turning on the lights, and he followed her through the door where the exercise equipment was and then down a hall to a small office that had her name on the door. He tried not to notice just how good she looked in her gym clothes, but did so, anyway.
“This is my little cubbyhole, so to speak,” she said, gesturin
g at the small room. “It’s where I take care of miscellaneous things.”
She went behind her desk and sat down. “So what do you want to talk to me about, Tanner?”
He didn’t know where to start since he’d never done anything like this before. He closed the door and leaned against it. “I needed to see you again.”
Her brow furrowed. “Why? I think you made it absolutely clear I was an OD.” At what had to be his surprised expression, she said, “I told you about my brother and that I know all the codes you players use to categorize women.”
Yes, she had said that.
“Why this need to see me again? And if I recall, I made it pretty clear you were an OD to me, as well.”
He didn’t like her reminding him of that.
“So what’s the problem, Tanner? You want to upgrade my status or something? If so, I’m not interested.”
He frowned. “Could we dispense with the talk of codes and statuses, please?”
“Then I don’t know what you want from me,” she said, glaring at him. “You can’t just waltz in here when we’ve both made it pretty damn clear it was just that one day for us. That’s all I wanted and all I was prepared for.”
He hoped she didn’t mean that. Especially when he knew he wanted more, although he hadn’t been prepared for it, either. The moment she had opened the door and he’d seen her, he’d known. She was the woman who had gotten under his skin so deep that he doubted anything could get her out now.
“Monday was a game changer for me, Lyric. After having you, I figured my desire for you would disappear. But it didn’t. I’ve been thinking of you a lot. Day and night. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Memories of our time together are constantly on my mind. I remember all of it, not just the sex.”
He paused a moment to rub a hand down his face. “I keep thinking about the flight over to Crystal Beach and back, our conversations, the picnic. I had no idea you could become an ache I can’t get rid of. I’ve never had these feelings for a woman before. Nothing even close.”
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