by Jade Webb
I hear Roman swear under his breath as he unzips his pants and pulls out his heavy cock, hard with need. His hooded eyes continue to watch me touch myself as he begins to stroke the base of his throbbing cock. The head drips with need, and I feel my mouth water with a feral desire to taste him in my mouth. The thought of taking him in my mouth almost sends me over the edge, and before I come apart, I drop to the floor in front of him and take one long lick down his hard shaft. Roman’s hands drop away, falling back against the bed as he lets out the sexiest groan. Licking my lips, I bob my head and cover the head of his cock with my mouth.
With my hands, I pump the base of his cock as I continue to suck, wanting to drain him of every drop. His lusty groans urge me forward and I quicken my pace, needing to feel him pulsate inside me.
His hands dig into my hair and with one last groan, he pulls me away. I look up at him, barely recognizing the dark need swirling in his eyes.
“Daphni, please…” he says.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “Did I hurt you?”
Roman chuckles, and I barely recognize the husky, raspy sound that comes from him. “No,” he says, shaking his head. “But if you don’t stop, I’m going to come.”
I pout my lips and look up at him confused. “But I want you to come.”
Pulling me up, he slides my panties off, sending them to the floor. “Trust me, I do, too. But I want to come with you.”
Sliding farther back into the bed, he pulls me toward him. “I want you to ride me, baby. Take what you need.”
His words send a trail of liquid heat straight to my core. He watches me with hooded eyes as I crawl toward him. I lift my hips, lowering myself over his throbbing, hot cock. Once he enters me, we both loudly groan. Roman’s hands reach up, and he squeezes my breasts.
“Fuck, Daphni. You’re so beautiful.”
I roll my hips and Roman’s eyes squeeze closed. His hands move down my body, gripping my ass and urging me forward. I don’t need any more direction, and I continue to grind against him, his cock throbbing inside me as his base hits my clit with each grind of my hips.
Within minutes we’re both panting with need. I lean forward, my hands on his chest as I continue to ride him, bringing us to the release we both desperately need.
“I’m coming,” I whisper as I fall down on top of him, my lips kissing his neck as I continue to roll my hips, taking him deeper and deeper inside me. A second later, I feel a sliver of electric heat course through me as I bite down on his shoulder, groaning as my walls clench down against him. Quickly thrusting his hips, Roman comes a moment later with a loud groan.
Unable to move, we both continue to lie together, our limbs intertwined. Reluctantly, I pull away and tuck myself under Roman’s arm.
“I’m scared,” I confess, whispering against his hot skin.
I feel his arms tighten around me, pulling me closer to him. “What are you scared of?”
“This can’t be real. The last time I was this happy, something terrible happened.”
Roman pulls me up so that I’m facing him. Even in the darkness, I can see the light reflecting in his clear, blue eyes. “Nothing terrible is going to happen, Daphni. You are allowed to be happy.”
“And what if I lose it all? What if I’m nothing?”
“You could never be nothing. And you will always have me, Daphni. I lost you once, I’m not going to lose you again.”
28
Daphni
“Is this like, some secret, kinky fantasy you’ve always had?”
I reach my arms out and grope around, my eyesight completely gone thanks to the blindfold over my eyes.
“Daphni! Shh!” Roman hisses by my ear. His hands are on my shoulders, directing me. “Okay, we’re at the stairs. Be careful.”
I feel his arms leave my shoulder and he comes in front of me. I take in a long sniff of his cologne and almost feel my insides turn to liquid. I’m not exactly sure what his plan is for tonight, and I’m a bit surprised he’s already introducing blindfolds into our sexy times. Though, I am most definitely not opposed.
At the bottom of the stairs, Roman again comes up behind me and gently guides me through the main level.
“Are you going to tell me where you’re taking me? Because if I’m getting blindfolded, I’m hoping there will at least be some spanking involved.”
“Daddy, why would he spank Auntie Daphni? Did she do something bad?”
At the sound of my niece’s voice, I rip off my blindfold. Standing in the living room is my family, each one looking more mortified than the last.
“Uh, surprise!” Roman announces, sending my sister Gabby into a fit of giggles.
“Oh my God," I mutter as I see the small crowd gathered around me.
“I don’t want him to spank Auntie Daphni!” Isabel cries out as she tugs on my brother’s hand. “Don’t let him spank her!”
Lawrence glares at me and I shrug my shoulders guiltily as I mouth “sorry.”
He bends down to explain that Auntie Daphni was just making a joke and Gabby and Liam pull me in for a long hug. I relish their arms around me, nostalgic for the time the three of us had shared together on my tour.
“While I obviously love seeing you all, dare I ask how you all ended up here in the middle of nowhere?” I ask.
“Roman called us," Gabby tells me, her eyes gleaming. "He wanted to surprise you for your birthday."
I turn to look at Roman, who offers me a guilty smile.
“Oh he did now, did he?" I ask, shooting him an annoyed look in response. While normally I do love my birthdays, and the week-long celebrations that accompany them, this year it just doesn't appeal to me. Getting drunk for free at clubs, dancing on a table, and pouring vodka down stranger's throats just doesn't sound as tempting an option as a night in with Roman and Netflix. God, when did I become such a grandma?
“Well, with everything going on lately, we wanted to be here with you. How are you doing?” my sister asks, her face filled with worry. Typical Gabby, always worrying about everyone else.
I give her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m okay. But I’m glad you guys are all here." I exhale a long breath and square my shoulders. "I actually want to talk to you guys about something.”
I glance toward Roman, who shoots his brow up in surprise. He quickly recovers and offers me a reassuring nod.
“Isabel, why don’t you come and help me walk Shakira?” he asks my niece as he snaps his fingers, calling Shakira. Isabel happily agrees, and bounces out the front door chasing Shakira.
Roman places a quick kiss on my head. “I’m proud of you,” he whispers before slipping out the door.
Once Roman leaves the room, Gabby shoots me a surprised look. “So, you going to explain all that?" she asks, pointing toward the door. "You guys are back together? What happened to Drizzle?”
At the sound of his name, I make a disgusted face. “He’s gone. And yes, we’re back together. But that’s not what I want to tell you about." I gesture toward the empty couches in the next room. "Let’s all go sit. There's something I want to share with you.”
“Daphni, love, we are all here to support you,” Liam says, his body tense as he wraps his arms around Gabby, comforting her as she cries softly against him.
It had taken me almost an hour to finish my story, to tell them of that week in hell with MacArthur, where I had felt my entire world collapse around me. And then another thirty minutes to replay the subsequent seven years I’d spent destroying myself in a futile attempt to convince myself that everything that had happened had simply been a terrible dream.
“Thank you, Liam," I say.
I look over at my sister, bravely trying to push back the stream of tears trickling down her cheeks. I hate how upset she is, but I needed them all to know. I was done being ashamed and hiding from my past. It happened, I survived. Now it was time to heal.
“Daphni, I am so sorry. I never knew. I wish…” Gabby’s voice breaks, and I leap from the couch t
o crouch in front of her and grab her hand.
“Gabby, this isn’t your fault," I tell her.
Lawrence kneels down beside me. “We’re here for you, Daphni. And we love you,” he adds, as he wraps his arm around me.
And his words, despite being so simple, mean everything in this moment. A tremor racks my body and I know my tears are next. I drop my head into Gabby's lap just as the sobs begin to roll through my body.
I let Gabby run her fingers through my hair, offering me her comfort. And when Lawrence wraps his arms around me, giving me his strength, I let him. I let Liam reach for my hand, sharing with me his understanding. I let myself be loved in a way I never thought I deserved. And in doing so, I feel a comfort I never knew I could have again.
After a few long moments, my breath begins to steady and I pull myself off the ground and squeeze next to Gabby on the couch. Covering her hand in mine, I squeeze it. Lawrence perches on the armrest beside me, grabbing my other hand.
“I am so grateful to you all. I know I haven’t been easy these past couple of years, and your love has meant everything to me,” I say.
With his free hand, Lawrence wipes the tears from my cheeks. "Daphni, let's get one thing straight: you've never been easy. From the minute you were born, you would wake me up in the middle of the night and spend your days torturing me, using Gabby as your sidekick. Still, I wouldn't have it any other way." Looking at me and Gabby, a serious smile crosses over his face. "You two make every day better, and I am so proud to be your brother."
At his words, a comforting wave washes over me. And for the first time, in a very long time, I feel everything will somehow turn out okay.
At that moment, the front door opens with a loud clang and Shakira comes running into the room. I quickly wipe away my remaining tears as Shakira jumps on me, licking my face. A second later, Roman walks in with a sleeping Isabel in his arms.
“She tuckered herself out,” he explains, gently placing her on the small settee. After he drapes a blanket over Isabel, he walks over to me, crouching in front of me.
“You okay, babe?” he asks.
I nod and he leans in, placing a soft kiss on my cheek. Lawrence stands up and claps Roman on the back. “Thank you for inviting us here.” He looks down me. “And thanks for watching over my girl. She’s the world to me.”
I feel my own composure start to crumble again at his words. A lone tear escapes, despite my best efforts. I quickly swipe it away and push myself off the couch. “Okay, well enough of this emotional crap. I want my cake!”
Everyone laughs between sniffles and Roman claps his hands together. “Let’s head into the kitchen.”
Gathered around the kitchen island, we all decide to forgo slicing the cake and instead dig in with our individual forks. One hour fades into the next as we swap stories and laugh. For hours, we talk about everything and nothing. Isabel stirs after a long nap and is quick to join us, grabbing her own piece of cake.
"And then," Liam says, choking back a laugh. "She’s on her tiptoes, this baseball bat in her hand, and she makes her way into the kitchen to fight off some intruder, but it turns out to be this wee little kitten. Not even three pounds." He looks over at Gabby, who is blushing furiously, and winks at her. "At the top of her lungs, she screams—like someone is ripping out every strand of her hair. So I come rushing down the stairs and see her with this adorable little kitten. Right then I lost it!"
Gabby rolls her eyes. "I would like to challenge some aspects of this story."
We all laugh, and I catch Roman's eye as he winks at me, a shared look for just the two of us. At the sound of his cellphone going off in his pocket, he dismisses himself and slips off to the next room as Gabby starts on her version of the story.
After a few minutes, I follow Roman into the living room. I'm assuming it's Annette and Jerry and I want to check in. As I walk through to the living room, I see Roman pacing the room, his head bowed down and his shoulders tense.
“No, Mel. I think it’s a bad idea. She’s doing so well here,” Roman says into the phone.
“It’s just too soon," he adds after a minute.
He throws his hands up in exasperation. “I don’t care about that. You shouldn’t either. She can do the American Music Awards next year for God’s sake.”
At that, I step into the room. “The American Music Awards?” I ask, and Roman turns around to face me.
“Let me call you back,” he says as he quickly disconnects the call. “Daphni—”
“Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?” I ask, my voice raising.
“I’m looking out for you,” Roman snaps.
“You're looking out for me? You're trying to control me!"
"I am not trying to control you, Daphni. But, tell me honestly, do you really think you're ready to go back now? You've been doing so well here!"
"We both knew coming here was a temporary measure to give the police a chance to investigate. Obviously they haven’t been able to do much, and I can’t hide here forever, Roman! I have a career I need to focus on, and performing at the American Music Awards is part of that career.”
“It’s just a job, Daphni. And we both know you don’t need the money.”
“It’s not about the money, Roman!” I say, throwing my hands up in the air in frustration. “This is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life. I’m not ready to give it up because you want to hide out and play house.”
“Play house?” Roman scoffs. “Is that what you think we’ve been doing here?”
I take a deep breath, feeling my blood pressure rising. I don’t know why he’s acting like this and it’s pissing me off. I want him to trust me, not treat me like a child he needs to protect. But instead of rationally explaining that to him, I get defensive.
“Roman, if you don’t take me back, I’ll get a ride back with Gabby or Lawrence.”
Roman nods slowly, his lips drawing into a thin line. “So, that’s how you’re playing it?” he asks. “Fine, message received. I’ll take you back in the morning.” He tosses his phone to me as he storms out of the room. “Call Melissa back and tell her you’ll do the show. She wants you back in the studio at noon tomorrow.”
I look down at the phone in my hand as Roman stomps out. Part of me wants to follow him, to ask him to trust me and know that I’m making the right decision for myself. The other, more prideful part wants to tell him to go screw himself and sneak out of here in the middle of the night. I’m angry, and I don’t have the best track record of making helpful decisions when I’m angry. I know why Roman doesn’t trust me yet, and if I’m being honest with myself, I know that I can’t blame him for that either.
I re-dial Melissa’s number. She picks up the phone instantly. “Roman, I really need to discuss—”
“Mel, it’s me,” I say, interrupting her.
“Oh, good. Did Roman tell you about the AMA performance?” she asks.
“Yes and about that, we need to talk.” I plop down onto the couch and take a deep breath. “Are you sitting down?”
29
Roman
The entire ride back to Los Angeles is filled with an uncomfortable silence. I can read the frustration radiating off of Daphni as easily, I’m sure, as she can read mine.
Following our fight last night, I had snuck away from everyone using the excuse of a bad migraine. After they left, Daphni had gone back to her room to sleep. We were both upset, and angry at the other for not seeing our side. I have no idea why the hell she would want to go back to the studio, put herself through all of this again when she was doing so well.
And yet here we are, ten minutes away from arriving at the recording studio where she will continue to work on her album, play the dutiful puppet and sing some bullshit songs that don’t mean a damn thing, to put money into the pocket of the man who tortured and destroyed her.
The minute we pull into the parking garage, she leaps out of the car and slams the car door. I throw the car into park and run behi
nd her, trying to catch up before she jumps into the elevator and leaves me down here.
“Daphni—” I start when I catch up to her.
She holds up her hand, cutting me off. Turning to face me, she props her hands on her hips as the elevator doors close behind us. “Listen, Roman, I need you to not say anything right now. I know how you feel, but I need you to trust me.”
I let out a frustrated sigh but don’t respond. Coupled with the frustration is a lingering, dull ache in my side. I’m irritated, exhausted, and in pain. The last thing I want to do is sit in a studio all day and watch Daphni do her song and dance. But, there’s a determined clip in her step, and while I’m not entirely sure what her plan is, I can feel she is about to do something big. So I snap my mouth closed and follow her. The elevator doors open to the floor and Daphni squares her shoulders, takes a deep breath, and marches out.
She makes a straight line for the recording room. Waiting outside in the hallway, Melissa is leaning against the wall, looking down at her phone. She quickly looks up and arches a curious brow when she sees Daphni without her signature pink hair and six-inch heels.
She opens her arms and pulls Daphni in for a hug. “I was so worried about you,” she says.
Daphni nods and gives her an extra squeeze before pulling away. “I’m sorry, Mel. I had some things I had to sort out.”
Melissa nods. “I understand.” She tugs a piece of blonde hair and smiles. “I forgot how gorgeous your hair was. You look so beautiful.”
A subtle pink blush creeps up Daphni’s cheeks as Melissa pulls me in for a quick hug.
“So, are you sure you’re ready to go in?” Melissa asks, her eyes looking down at Daphni in concern.
Daphni stiffens her spine, the smile disappearing from her face. “I am.”
Melissa and I follow Daphni into the room. In the engineering booth, overlooking the recording booth filled with wall-to-wall Persian rugs and a small bench in front of a mic, are about five men, all huddled around a laptop. I feel an instantaneous chill wash over me when I see that, in the center of them all, is MacArthur. Red-faced and wearing a suit that likely costs more than I make in three months, he smiles down at the laptop screen. I fight every cell in my body not to rush him now, even with this stupid cut in my side, and just kill him.