Only One Night: A Fusion Universe Novel

by Dani Rene

  “Oh, we’re going shopping!” Mia exclaims excitedly. She claps her hands together. “I know exactly where to take you. Come on.” She’s on her feet, and the bubbling excitement is infectious because I glance at the time and realize it’s just after five. Time to close up and go shopping.

  Chapter 28

  Rome

  I've been nervous all day. I don’t know why, but the need to impress Elisabet has taken all my focus. She may be giving me a chance because she feels the same way I do, but I have a feeling if I mess this up, there’ll be no more chances. And that’s something I cannot come to terms with.

  It’s almost time to leave the office. Mia and Camden have assured me that everything has been set up like I requested. I’m thankful they were willing to help me. I guess it was a good thing my groveling skills with Mia had been successful because she’s the only one who would understand what I wanted. And Seduction is a beautiful venue. Perfect for what I have in mind for tonight.

  Shoving away from the desk, I stand and grab my jacket, shrugging it on before I shut my laptop. Picking up my keys and wallet, I head out the door toward the elevator. My mind is still on tonight’s dinner when my cell phone vibrates. Elisabet’s name lights up the screen with a message, which only has my gut-churning.

  I’m convinced she’s going to cancel on me, but when I open it, I can’t help but smile when I find a photo with two pairs of shoes—red or black. The smiley face she’s added eases the tension that’s got a hold of me, and I grin.

  Rome: Put those red ones on because after dinner, those will be the only items you’ll be wearing . . .

  Locking my phone, I head to the car and slip into the driver’s seat. The engine purrs to life as I pull out of the lot and make my way directly to her apartment. I’m anxious, and I need to see her. But mostly, I’m aching to be inside her, to claim her as mine, and to ask her to move in with me. It’s a big step, but if she wants to keep her apartment, I wouldn’t mind, as long as she’s beside me every night and with me every morning.

  It doesn’t take me long to reach Elisabet’s apartment, and by the time I’m standing outside her door about to knock, the twisted knots in my gut tighten. My knuckles rap three times against the cool wood.

  The moment Elisabet appears on the threshold, my breath is stolen. Her long, dark waves have been pinned loosely, causing tendrils of chocolate brown to frame her apple-shaped face.

  Her luminous eyes shimmer, and the black liner only accentuates the color. Plump lips are shining with gloss. Her dress ends mid-thigh, and the soft, satin material seems to hug every fucking curve.

  My mouth waters when I take note of the thin straps over her shoulders that show off the fact that she’s not wearing a bra. I’m speechless for the first time in my life. And it’s all because of her.

  “Hi,” she greets me, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. Her gaze is pinned on me, and I realize I need to say something.

  “Hi,” is all I can manage.

  “Uhm, I just need my purse,” she says, turning to head into the kitchen. I follow like a puppy on a fucking leash. Her hips sway as she walks, and with every step, I can’t stop my gaze taking her in like a thirsty man in need of a drink.

  She picks up the red purse, which I note matches her shoes. Those fucking red shoes.

  “You’re going to kill me before this night is over,” I tell her honestly.

  With a shy smile, Elisabet asks, “Why?”

  I take a tentative step closer to her. The sweet scent of her perfume intoxicates me, and my mouth waters to taste it on her skin. To gently lick every inch of her until I’m drunk on her.

  “Because you look downright fuckable, and dinner is the last thing on my mind,” I tell her honestly. I know it’s going to take a lot more than some dirty talk to get back into her good graces and prove I want her, but I can’t lie to her.

  The pinkish hue on her cheeks turns darker, redder, and I picture every part of her flushed with need and desire. In my mind, she’s writhing under me as I devour her beautiful curves.

  “Dinner first, and then I’ll consider a goodnight kiss,” she tells me with a sassy grin that makes my dick throb against my zipper.

  “I can work with that,” I tell her with a grin and offer her my hand. The contact of our fingers twining makes my heart do stupid shit in my chest. Ignoring it, I lead her out to the elevator after she locks the apartment.

  In silence, we take the lift down to the parking lot. I open the door for her, and she gratefully accepts. We don’t talk while I drive to Seduction. We don’t say a word, and with every passing second, I pray to a God I don’t really know very well that she likes what I’ve set up.

  Nerves grate at me once more as we near the restaurant. I want so badly to say something that will fix this, but I know I need to be patient. When I finally pull up to the sidewalk, I exit the vehicle with my mind awash with everything that can go wrong tonight.

  All my life, I’ve been confident. I’ve focused on winning, and I’ve always gotten what I want. Women, money, even properties, but with Elisabet, I’m walking a tightrope. After what I did to her, I deserve it, but a small indication of my love for this woman is that I’m here. More importantly, I want to be here.

  If she were anyone else, any other woman, I would’ve walked away without a care. But she’s broken through barriers I’ve long since hidden behind, and I’m not letting her walk away from me.

  I offer her my hand once more and help her from the car. The door slips open when we reach it, and I can feel the tension and nerves radiating from the woman beside me.

  “Why is it so quiet tonight?” she asks, looking around, noticing there aren’t any other patrons waiting to be seated. But it’s only when we step inside that she realizes the place is empty, except for a table with a candle flickering on it.

  “Surprise,” I tell her, stopping at the booth I booked. The same one we sat at when we had our surprise lunch together. I wanted to remind her of the good times, and that, to me, was the day we really got to know each other.

  “What’s going on?” she questions, looking around as the kitchen doors swing open and Camden and Mia appear. They have big smiles as they make their way toward us.

  “Hello, love birds,” Mia greets, pulling Elisabet in for a hug while I shake Camden’s hand.

  “Good to see you, man. Thanks for setting this up,” I tell him and glance at Mia, who is grinning like an excited teenager at a pop concert.

  She nudges me. “I wanted to see if you could pull it off. Well done, Rome.”

  “That woman,” I say, pointing at Elisabet, “is worth every dollar.” My words are brutally honest. The blush on my woman’s face is payment enough. Just knowing she’s giving me a chance is enough.

  “Dinner will be coming out soon. I have one of my servers working the evening. We’re heading out for our own dinner, but we’ll be back to lock up.” Mia hugs me quickly before placing a hand on Elisabet’s shoulder. Camden follows her out the door, and soon, we’ve got the whole place to ourselves.

  “You had the whole place booked out?” Elisabet questions, and I nod. “I can’t believe it. I mean, it’s extravagant, but I like it.” She smiles, gifting me that one brilliant grin that confirms just how much I want to see that expression on her face forever.

  “I needed to talk to you, to sit down and have no distractions.”

  Once we’re seated, the waiter comes over to bring the wine I ordered for this evening. He fills the glasses with a flourish and leaves us with a smile, disappearing into the kitchen.

  “So, there’s something I wanted to say,” I tell her as I lift my glass.

  Chapter 29

  Elisabet

  He looks so nervous as he holds his glass up between us. I pick mine up and tip it against his. The sound echoes around us. It’s strange and surreal being in a restaurant with no other patrons.

  “I made a mistake. Elisabet, I’m not perfect, I will never claim that, but I need y
ou to know that I’ve fallen in love with you. I’m beyond addicted to you, your smile, your laugh, those beautiful curves, and your intelligent mind. You’re the complete package, and I can’t imagine not being around you.” His voice is low, deep and gravelly, which makes me squeeze my thighs together.

  As much as I want to behave and not jump his bones right now, I know it’s going to be more difficult when he’s being so chivalrous.

  “I want you to move in with me,” Rome finally utters, and my heart leaps wildly in my chest. The drumbeat in my ears is deafening.

  “What?” I choke out the word as shock drips from my tone. “I mean, I . . . That’s a big step, Rome.”

  He nods. There’s a nervous energy emanating from him as he swallows, and I watch his Adam’s apple bob. “I know.”

  I open my mouth to reply, to say yes, but then I don’t. It’s not that I don’t want to stay with him, to be with him every day, but we need time. I know he’ll understand, so instead of saying yes or no, I nod.

  “Let me think about it,” I finally reply.

  Rome tips his head. “I can work with that,” he tells me with a small smile, and I really look at him. He’s been through so much. He’s been broken and tormented by his past, but yet, he’s here opening himself up to me.

  Fear makes us hide away and not do things that we would like to do. It holds us back, keeping us from living our best lives, but with Rome, I feel like this thing between us has changed him somewhat.

  “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” he asks as he sips his wine. His eyes holding mine hostage, as if he’s roped me in and not wanting to let go. And I realize I don’t want him to let go. I don’t want him to release me.

  I shrug, trying not to portray my nervousness, but when I pick up my wine glass, my trembling hand gives it away. “I’m just wondering how we can move forward without needing to rehash what happened.”

  “We need to, Elisabet. I want to because I need you to know that I love you,” he says, and when he meets my gaze, I see the honesty—raw and true—shining in those light eyes.

  “I love you too,” I tell him. “I’ve known it for a while.” I didn’t want to be the one to say it first, because I was afraid he’d run in the opposite direction. Our agreement was one night only, and we’ve broken it.

  “I didn’t think I would,” Rome says. “I thought I would be gone within a few days. You seemed too adamant not to have this be more than a fling.” He’s right. I was the one who didn’t want to venture down that road. But now, I can’t stop it anymore because I don’t want to stop it.

  “Fear is something that I’ve lived with for a long time, Rome. It was something almost normal to me,” I admit. The waiter brings our starters. The focaccia, along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, is set between us, along with a small bowl of olives and butter.

  “Enjoy,” he says before heading into the kitchen once more, and I can’t help but grin stupidly at Rome.

  “You told me your mother enjoyed food, and that’s where your love of cooking came from. I asked Mia to prepare something Italian for us, and starting with bread and olive oil with the balsamic reduction is what she suggested.”

  “She’s good.”

  “She is, because I know nothing about food, so if anything isn’t to your liking, take it up with her,” Rome teases. His chuckle makes me laugh, and the tension that was between us earlier eases somewhat.

  “You really didn’t have to go through so much trouble, but I’m glad you did,” I tell him, picking up a sliver of bread and dipping it in the oily liquid. The sharpness of the vinegar with the gentleness of the oil makes for a delicious combination. A moan escapes me as I chew, and the darkness that overtakes Rome’s gaze tells me he’s thinking about something other than the food we’re about to eat.

  “If you keep making those sounds, I’m going to have to send our waiter away for a few hours.” Rome’s warning is filled with intent. My thighs squeeze together at the memory of how he makes me feel, how he brings me to orgasm, and how much I’ve missed it.

  “Remember,” I say, pointing at him. “I only kiss on the first date.”

  He tips his head to the side. “So, we’re really starting all the way back at the beginning?” he questions, arching a dark brow at me. “Because if I recall that night we went for dinner, I had you moaning my name for dessert.”

  He’s too right about that. The images that play in my mind don’t help ease the ache that’s twisting low in my belly. I want him, right here and now, but I shake my head and look at my plate, focusing on the bread instead of the hungry gaze burning me alive.

  “This is you making up for being an asshole,” I tell him as I pop an olive into my mouth. The flavors burst on my tongue. Rome shakes his head, then tips it to the side to look at me again. He’s smiling, watching me, but he doesn’t say anything, and I wonder what’s going through his mind.

  “I get that,” he finally says as we finish our starter, and seconds later, the waiter is back with the main course of spaghetti marinara with meatballs. Everything from home is right in front of me, and I look up with tears in my eyes to find Rome staring at me.

  “This is too much,” I tell him, blinking back the salty emotion that threatens to trickle down my cheeks. “How did you know my mother’s favorite meal?”

  “I had a visitor,” he tells me. “I should’ve told you the moment he walked out of my office, but I wanted to surprise you first. Actually, I wanted to impress you, so you’d forgive me.”

  “What visitor?” Even as I ask it, I know who he’s talking about. Marco didn’t tell me he was going to see Rome. But then again, Marco isn’t someone who likes to tell anyone anything.

  “Marco Gianetti,” Rome says. “He told me if I ever hurt you, he’ll find me.”

  This makes me laugh because he told me the exact same thing. “And what did you say?”

  “I told him I’d give him the gun to shoot me with.” Rome shrugs, taking a mouthful of pasta. The red sauce splatters on his mouth, which makes me giggle.

  “Don’t ever say that again,” I tell him while taking the napkin from his hand and wiping his mouth. Our gazes lock, and for a moment, I feel like I’m stuck on a movie set with the man I love.

  It reminds me of those moments in cinema when the hero and heroine finally get together. When they finally admit their feelings and realize that they can’t change course. They’re headed straight for the same goal.

  Rome grabs my hand, holding it against his cheek. “You’re mine, Elisabet,” he says. “And there is certainly no way I’m going to let you get away. But if I ever do something to hurt you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “Are you saying you’re planning on hurting me?” I challenge, but he chuckles in response, shaking his head as he presses his lips to my palm.

  “Never.”

  Chapter 30

  Rome

  The scent of coffee wakes me up. When I open my eyes, I find myself alone in bed, but I can hear Elisabet in the kitchen. Glancing down, I notice I’m still wearing my boxers, then I recall last night. We had an intimate dinner, came back to her place, and we fell asleep holding each other.

  Or rather, she fell asleep while I held her, trying to keep my mind off her ass pressed against my groin. I wanted to tease her as much as she taunted me, but I didn’t. Instead, I enjoyed being close to her. I haven’t really taken into account how much the intimacy of a relationship has changed me.

  Elisabet is mine, and I’m not letting her get away. A thought comes to me as I roll over and grab my cell phone from the nightstand. Opening the browser, I find what I’m looking for. It doesn’t take long for me to make the purchase.

  Just as I’m setting down my phone, she enters the bedroom wearing my shirt and nothing else. Her long, tanned legs have my cock jolting awake at the sight of her, and I can’t stop the groan that rumbles in my chest.

  “I thought you were still asleep,” she says as she sashays over to me to se
t the mug of coffee on the nightstand.

  “The coffee woke me.” I reach for her. Pulling her onto the bed, I grip her hips so she’s straddling me. The heat of her against my cock doesn’t ease my hardening erection.

  “It seems like something besides you is awake,” Elisabet teases as she rolls her hips, which earns her a growl. My fingers tighten on her hips, gripping her so hard I know I’m going to bruise her, but right now, all sense of calm has left, and I’m filled with need.

  “I think you need to take my cock out,” I tell her.

  She offers me a coy smile. “And then what would you like me to do?” Her question is a gasped whisper as my thumb finds the hardened nub between her legs.

  “I’d like to see those pretty eyes looking up at me while you suck me off,” I tell her, still taunting her pussy with slow circles.

  “Oh, fuck,” she whimpers when I press down, causing her body to tremble against mine, and I know I’m not going to last long. I don’t relent, my thumb sending her toward the edge. Her eyelids flutter, and her lips part into an O as she moans when I use my other hand and push two fingers into her. The movement slow, steady, and taunting. I love watching her come apart. It’s the most beautiful sight.

  Elisabet is lost in pleasure when I insert a third finger before I pinch her clit and crook my fingers to find the spot that sends her soaring into the abyss. Her cries of my name over and over again turn my shaft into steel.

  My seeping tip makes a wet spot on the material of my boxers, and it’s worth every drop. I slow my movements until I’m no longer fingering her. When her eyes flick open, and they lock on mine, I see happiness shining in those beautiful green orbs.

  “Well, that was a good morning.” She smiles down at me. Elisabet takes my fingers and presses them to her tongue as she tastes herself from all three digits. Then she leans in to kiss me, and our tongues tangle. Her flavor is like a drug, and I’ll happily take a hit every hour of every day for the rest of my life.