by L. L. Ash
“I’m not-” I gasped, trying not to come in the middle of my sentence as a particularly strong wave of pleasure coursed through me. “I’m not making demands.”
“You always make demands.” He grinned down at me, pressing his forehead to mine again before kissing me.
He was right. He wasn’t going fast or hard enough for me, him always preferring the gentle lovemaking to the vigorous fucking, but the moment called for it, so I held back my words.
Mostly.
“Well,” I hummed against his lips. “Would it kill you to go just a teensy bit faster? I’m so close...”
Bursting into a laugh, Roman shifted again, moving away from me.
He sat back on his heels before pulling my hips, dragging me toward him.
“Alright, pix. Let’s do this your way.”
After gathering my butt into his lap and framing my legs around him, he helped me sit up until we were chest to chest. Taking me lotus style into his lap, he pierced me again.
My eyes flew up into my head, everything so different and new and ohmiGod amazing.
I held onto him, my skin sticking to his as he held me to him, bare chest touching his as we gyrated together.
“I like this one,” I told him with a groan. “Let’s do it more often.”
He just grinned, shaking his head before removing one of his hands from around me and wedging it between our bellies.
The moment I felt his fingers on that hood piercing, my body burst into a firework of heady bliss.
Purring my way through my orgasm, I dropped my head back as his lips pressed into the tops of my breasts.
Only problem was that finger didn’t stop moving, and I was quickly building up into another drop, just as his climax throbbed through him and into me.
The bobbing sent me over again and I clenched around him, milking him until he was literally shaking with the release, grunting with his eyes squeezed shut.
I took his head in my arms, pressing him to my chest as he recovered, my body still throbbing and pulsing around him.
“You...” He finally breathed, his breath brushing warm over my breasts. “You’re everything, Fae.”
“Well thanks.” I smiled, making him laugh.
He lifted his head and looked into my eyes for just a moment before taking my lips in another brutal kiss.
“Your sass is absolutely one of my favorite things.”
“Well, I’ll bring the sass and you bring that fantastic ass. Then we’ll be set!”
Laughing again, he kissed me one last time before dropping me back onto the mattress and curling into me, sticky and sweaty and all.
“You feel… awesome,” he said eventually, pulling me closer in to his side.
“Well thank you. So do you,” I grinned at him, kissing his nose.
He smiled back before closing his eyes.
I brushed my fingers over one brow as he fell asleep, taking the moment into memory forever.
Chapter Eighteen
Roman
Waking up to her was… I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it until my eyes opened to her freckled face, hair blazing in the early morning light filtering through the blinds.
This had to be more than love. This was consuming.
How we’d get through the awkward morning, I had no idea, but while she was sleeping blissfully, I just laid there and watched as the sun rose up through the window, moving the fire through each strand of hair brushing over her pale, bare shoulders.
Eventually she woke up, looked back at me with a grin.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” she asked in the most adorable sleepy voice. “We could be halfway to an orgasm by now.”
Laughing, I hugged her.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
She gave me a kiss, fucking every single idea of morning breath, then got up.
“I’m really late to work. I need to get to my car.”
I was going to be late, too, but I didn’t care.
Her shop was still new though, and she was the only employee, so it mattered to her.
“Give me a sec to get my clothes on,” I told her, flinging back the sheets before looking around for my underwear.
I settled on a new pair since I didn't know where the last pair landed around the room, then pulled my jeans on next.
Fae had already left the room, probably wandering around the house while I got my boots on and gathered my leather jacket.
Heading out, I found Fae standing in the doorway of my studio.
“You’re so incredibly talented, Rome,” she said to me, looking at me in awe.
“It’s just a hobby.” I shrugged. “Something to fill time outside of the shop.”
“No, this is talent,” she pressed her hand against her heart. “And I expect a real tour next time I’m here.”
“Deal,” I agreed before leading her back into the garage.
Fae headed to the bike, but I shook my head, knowing the ride would be even colder, wetter, and more uncomfortable than it had been last night before grabbing the keys to my Tesla.
While I didn’t mind the uncomfortable ride on my bike, I knew she wouldn’t enjoy it.
She got in the side seat when I opened her door, then I dipped into my seat. With the safety and warmth of four metal and glass walls and a ceiling, I drove her into work.
Going into the shop felt a little like making the walk of shame in front of my employees, and Fae was obviously embarrassed. Especially when Freddie, Cambria and Rosie started clapping at us.
“They finally did it!” Freddie called out. “They’re back together!”
The partying ensued in the shop, but Fae was quickly out the door, only taking one moment to collect a kiss from me and murmur that she loved me before leaving to take care of her own business.
“I’m glad my little plan worked,” Cambria said, dusting off her hands as if she’d been the mastermind the entire time.
“Let me guess.” I leaned into the counter. “You lied about scheduling Tanner to get me here alone with her.”
She looked at me with wide, innocent eyes.
Right.
Innocent.
“Thanks. Cam,” I just put out there. “I guess it worked.”
Freddie took her head in his hands and laid a big, wet kiss on her lips.
“You go girl!” he told her, slapping her ass before moving off to his station.
“I don’t know. I think maybe we need some pastries to wake everyone up this morning.” Cambria winked at me. “I know a great place, but you might have to wait a while for the first crop out of the oven.”
I didn’t wait for another suggestion. I didn’t have an appointment for a while, and she was giving me permission to ditch my station and leave the shop to her so I could go back to Fae.
Everything always led me back to Fae.
Epilogue
Fae
Daddy was practically peeing himself.
When I’d invited him and Mom to dinner with Roman’s dad, he went all red and nodded without a word.
It was the first time I went to Sunday dinner in months. Like, nine months. I made it a point not to visit, especially since Roman and I got back together, but John insisted that a girl needed her parents and that they’d come around, so he, with Roman’s hesitant approval, set up a dinner at one of his many restaurants to meet my folks.
“I’m nervous,” I admitted to Roman as we drove to the restaurant, me in the side seat of his fancy car, him looking cool as a cucumber.
“I know,” he told me, glancing over at me as he took my hand in my lap, squeezing it. “But everything’s going to be ok. No matter what happens, you and me are good. We can’t control our parents, and I’m not going to take anything personally. Neither is Dad. I talked to him already. Besides, you need to at least give them a chance to redeem themselves. Maybe they’re not stuck up pricks anymore. I mean, we’ve been together for almost six months and they haven’t said anything yet, right?”
<
br /> I nodded.
“Daddy got all red in the face at your dad’s name, but he didn’t make any demands or anything. So there’s that.”
“There’s that,” he agreed, giving me an encouraging smile.
When we got to the restaurant, Mom and Daddy were already there. I felt Roman take a big breath, hold it for a moment before stepping forward with the exhale before putting out his hand to my father.
“Hello again, Mr. Weston.”
Daddy looked at his tattooed hand for a moment before lifting his and taking it, shaking it firmly.
“I owe you an apology, Roman...”
“I’d rather just...forget it,” Roman told him. “Let’s move on. I think it’s best for everyone that way.”
“Sure,” Daddy agreed. “But I misjudged you, and I was selfish. For that I’m sorry.”
The words exiting my father’s mouth shocked me. Which was why I was standing there with an open, floppy fish mouth when John walked in.
“Rome! Fae!” he said, greeting us first, each with a hug, before turning to my parents.
A hard expression settled on his face, but he put his hand out just as his son had.
“It’s about time we meet,” he told Daddy.
“Dad...” Roman said quietly, but John wasn’t deterred.
“I have to say, I understand,” John told Daddy, and every person in our little group stilled. “I felt the same as you a couple of years ago. But it took me losing my daughter to really understand that happiness is more important than success, and success isn’t measured by money, but happiness. I hope that it doesn’t take you losing your daughter too, to learn that.”
Mom’s eyes were watery, and so were Roman’s as the hostess told us our table was ready.
Roman cleared his throat, clutched my hand, and followed our parents to our private table.
Dinner was awkward, and Daddy wouldn’t meet my eyes, but Mom gave me a couple of smiles that were a little melted with sadness and worry.
“How is the Pixie Dust Bake Shop going?” John asked eventually, breaking some of the uncomfortable silence.
“Oh, it’s going well,” I admitted. “Rome has helped me really pull the loose ends together and it’s running smoothly. I even hired someone to come in and help in the mornings. She makes amazing breads, so we’ve added sweet buns and rolls to the menu, along with the cupcakes, cookies and brownies.”
“That’s wonderful!” He grinned. “You’ve found success pretty quickly, I have to say.”
“Probably because I had a great realtor who got me an amazing spot.”
He winked at me.
It was our little secret.
Not long after Roman and I had broken up, John had called me and asked if I still needed help finding a spot for my bakery. Even though I had broken his son’s heart, he was willing to help me succeed.
Evidently he figured we’d get back together soon, so he didn’t want to be an asshole who was flippy-floppy to what he referred to as ‘his future daughter-in-law.’
When Roman had found out, he’d smacked his dad on the arm, then hugged him.
They had a...complicated relationship.
“How about you, Rome? How’s your shop?”
Roman looked surprised by the question.
“It’s...it’s good. We were actually just featured in Ink Magazine a couple months ago, and they did a whole four page spread about the shop. Got pictures and everything.”
“Wow!” His dad smiled. “I’m...I’m proud of you, Rome. You’re really making your dream come true with that place.”
Roman just blinked for a few seconds, in shock at his father’s words.
“Th-thanks, Dad… I’m happy.”
My parents watched with sharp eyes at the conversation between father and son, taking it all in.
“I’d love it if you got into the family business...but...”
Roman laughed now.
“I know, I know.”
“Well, I have to leave it all to someone to run after I’m old and dead.”
Roman rolled his eyes, then stood up.
“On the tails of that, Dad, I have an announcement to make.”
All eyes turned to me.
Holy hell, he made it sound like we were having a baby. Which were so totally weren’t.
I should know.
Roman stuffed his hands in his pocket and stood silently for a second, then he turned to me with glossy eyes and a nervous smile.
Dropping to his knee, he yanked his hands out of his suit pocket and looked up at me, holding up a ring box.
“You knew this was coming,” he said first.
So incredibly romantic…
“I love you, pix, and you know there’s nobody else on this planet I want besides you. So let’s cut the bullshit, and let’s get married.”
Talk about the worst proposal of all time, except I was sitting there grinning.
His hands shook a little as he looked up at me, an expectant look on his face as he held up the ring.
It was a huge rock on a thin gold band.
I just laughed.
“You struggle with romance, don’t you?”
“Sometimes,” he agreed, grinning.
“Fine. I guess if I didn’t marry you, I’d have a lie tattooed on my hip.”
Yep, a little pink heart with the word Italian etched into it sat on my hip, and he kissed it almost every time we got naked together.
“So much sass,” he chuckled.
“Sure, Italian. I’ll marry you,” I told him in just a whisper before kissing him.
Claps surrounded us as our parents gave their approval, and the sound brought me back from what was quickly turning into a lust-filled haze.
The lust could wait. But only until we got home.
Or to the car.
We’d have to see how long dinner lasted.
John was grinning, the most enthusiastic of the group as he heartily clapped for us.
“We need champagne!” he called out for our waiter.
A big bottle of bubbly meandered its way to our table and we all drank with rounds of congratulations and talk of a wedding within the next year or so.
“Too far away,” Roman shook his head. “I don’t want to wait any more than six months. You ok with that, fiancée?”
I nodded in agreement.
“A summer wedding sounds nice,” I told him, and he grinned,
A couple months away, max
“Summer?” Mom gasped.
I nodded vigorously.
She sighed and turned to my father.
“Guess I better get started tomorrow.” She sighed resolutely.
Everyone laughed, including her.
Ok, so maybe it would all be ok. Maybe Mom and Daddy would be ok. At least, I hoped so.
But I didn’t really blame them. This whole thing started out with a fling and turned into a ring.
Talk about a whirlwind.
Anyway, it couldn’t have turned out any better, and as I looked up into my fiancé’s eyes, I saw the future there, laid out in happiness and sass and cussing and babies and tattoos and cupcakes.
What a beautiful future it was.
END