by Sindee Lynn
Loving a Romano
by
Sindee Lynn
Ebook Edition
* * * * *
PUBLISHED BY:
Passionate Writer Publishing
www.passionatewriterpublishing.com
Loving a Romano
Copyright © 2013 by Sindee Lynn and PWP
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
License Notes
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Books by This Author
Chapter One
Wade Romano sat in his car staring up at the darkened bedroom window of a house he knew well. Leaning his head against the cool glass, he tried to figure out what he was doing there. He should have just stayed at Jake’s and continued drinking until his need to see her had passed.
“Hmph, like that’s been working.” He sighed.
It had actually had the opposite effect. The more he had drank the lower his resolve to stay away from this very location had become, until finally he’d just given in. Behind that darkened window pane was the cause of so many sleepless nights. And of his current dilemma, a hard-on that refused to be ignored or satisfied. Wade had it bad for his oldest sister’s best friend since he had been old enough to identify what the tightening in his underwear meant every time he saw her.
Ashley Morgan had been ruling his world since the first day he had laid eyes on her and he had loved her just as long. One would think he would be used to it by now but these past few weeks of seeing her had been particularly hard. A soft chuckle escaped him at the unintended pun. As an event planner, she’d been tasked by his mother and sister to help plan his birthday party.
A visual image of her came quickly to mind. Her head of dark hair, freshly tinted with burgundy highlights, had been thrown back in laughter over something either his sister or mother had said. Her brown eyes had sparkled with humor. But it had been her dimples that had captivated him. How many times through the years had he wondered what it would be like to stick his tongue in the caramel colored hollow of her cheek? Would she taste as sweet as he had dreamed? A deep sigh moved through him both over the corniness of the thought and the reality of it. Her cheeks were not the only things he wanted to taste. He had been about to make his presence known when she had reached down to get something out of her briefcase and given him a clear view of her impressive cleavage. His dick had gone instantly hard at the sight of those luscious globes. Taunting him with what he couldn't have. His dick twitched against the confines of his jeans at the memory.
Tired of the direction of his thoughts and of sitting in the driveway like some damn stalker, Wade finally unfolded his long frame from behind the wheel. A twinge of guilt over the late hour tried to assert itself but he quickly pushed it aside.
Like a moth to a flame, he often found himself standing on her doorstep at odd hours of night. Most times he just let her assume he was there because he had drunk too much and was unable to make the long drive home. It was just easier. There was no way she was ready to hear the truth, which was that he simply wanted to see her. Be near her even if in different rooms. So he endured the looks of disapproval and on those really rare occasions a lecture about drinking responsibly. But tonight he had been in control of the alcohol and not the other way around. Shoving his hands deep in the pockets of his loose fitting jeans, he bound up the steps.
A wave of dizziness had him reaching for anything solid to help balance himself. “Whoa.” Maybe he’d had more to drink than he had thought.
“Shit,” he cursed aloud.
This was not good. Less than two weeks ago he’d shown up on her doorstep too trashed to drive himself home. He barely managed to make it out of the car and stumbled clumsily up the steps to her door. Saying nothing, Ashley held it open and let him in.
The next morning she lit into him. No way did he want to go through a recap. Wad paced back on forth on her porch in indecision. It should have been a no brainer. Common sense said to turn his ass around, get back in his car and make the ten minute drive back to Jake’s. But it had been six long days since he’d last seen her and then it had only been from a distance. She was leaving his parents’ house as he was arriving. Fearful of a lecture, he didn't stop and talk to her. He missed out on feeling her, however briefly, in his arms for their routine hug.
Damn how desperate and pathetic does this make me? Not wanting to answer his own question, he took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
He ran sweaty palms down the sides of his jeans and tried to calm his breathing. His heart was pounding in his chest so loudly it caused a dull ache at his temple. Too bad he couldn't blame this on the alcohol. Anticipation over seeing Ashley always brought on this anxious feeling. It had been this way for as long as he could remember. The thought of seeing her turned him into a jittery mess and things had only gotten worse the older he had gotten. With age had come the ability to recognize and appreciate the woman she had become. He only wished she would return the favor.
“And what would she see Wade?” So clear was the voice, Wade spun around half expecting to see his sister standing behind him but another wave of dizziness was all he got for his trouble.
He gently shook his head in an effort to clear the voice. He didn’t need to be reminded of how impossible his situation was. It had been weighing especially heavy on his mind as of late.
What the hell was taking her so long to answer? He had a key but there was something about seeing her all sleep tousled opening the door for him that he enjoyed. He pressed close against the cool wood, listening for any signs of movement. All he heard was silence. He glanced at the closed garage doors and then checked his watch. It was three o’clock in the morning. She had to be home. Where else could she be? He paused not liking where his thoughts were heading but the facts could not be ignored. She could be with David.
Irritation and anger shot through him at the thought of Ashley’s current boyfriend, David Wright. He and his sister didn’t agree on much but they both agreed David was an asshole. Wade hadn’t liked him on sight. As David had given him the once over followed quickly by a look of dismissal, his dislike of the man had run deeper than for any other guy Ashley had ever dated. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know what David saw when he looked at him. It was the same thing most people saw, a spoiled little rich kid. Trust fund brats. The fact had never bothered him as much as it did when reflected in David’s dark brown gaze.
Upset with the possibility Ashley could actually be with him… He couldn't bear the thought. Instead he mashed the doorbell again, this time leaning on it a little harder and longer than necessary. The continuous chimes sounded through the do
or. Any lingering guilt he felt over waking her was gone. Sure he knew it was crazy to be jealous, but he couldn't help it. Numerous men had come and gone over the years and dammit he wanted his chance.
The door suddenly swung open catching him off guard. His head snapped up. All the anger from just seconds ago fled as his hungry gaze took in the sight before him. The look of irritation clearly reflected in her brown gaze did nothing to extinguish the sudden heat taking over his body. He lowered his head in an effort to keep her from seeing the desire spiraling through him.
“What are you doing here at this time of morning Nicki?”
Ugh, she’d used a nick name that stopped being cute when they were little. Nicki was short for his middle name Nicholas. Why did he continue to do this to himself? He should just turn around and go back to Jake’s. There was surely a drink with his name on it and a friendly smile from something with tits and ass to help boost his spirits.
He let out a deep sigh as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. An apology was on his lips for waking her when she stepped back and opened the door a little wider.
“Come on in.”
Chapter Two
Ashley Morgan stepped aside to allow her best friend’s younger brother into her home. A grown escaped her parted lips as she closed the door. She stopped at the hallway closet to get him a blanket as he made his way pass her and to his favorite spot.
Walking into her family room, she almost bumped into the leg hanging over the side of her leather couch. He retracted it to allow her to pass and mumbled what she thought was an apology but she couldn't quite decipher it from behind his arm, which was thrown across his face.
His baseball cap lay on the back of her sofa. She shook her head in disbelief as she stared down at him. It seemed like just yesterday when she had looked up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen while standing in her new friend’s foyer. Wade had been three years old then and she thirteen. In a little over three months he would be twenty-four. Where had all the years gone? It seemed he had grown up right before her eyes. From the chunky toddler she had first met had emerged a gangly kid who seemed to be continuously outgrowing his shoes and clothes.
Ashley didn’t know if she liked the teenager who had been spawned while she and Heather had been working on their master’s degrees but it definitely made for never a dull phone call home to check on the folks. She’d been there for all the ups and downs and in between times to include frantic phone calls from his mother, Maura, looking for an M-I-A Wade, a never ending stream of girls, an unbelievable amount of partying and an exorbitant amount of drinking.
Ashley took a seat in front of the couch on the coffee table, pulling her robe closer around her body. The hardened imprint of her nipples pushed through the thin material making her suddenly very much aware of how little she had on under it. She quickly crossed her arms over her ample breasts and glanced at Wade to see if he had noticed. One bloodshot blue eyeball gazed intensely back at her. The look left no doubt that not only had he noticed but where his thoughts were.
She prayed for strength since she found her own mind traveling down that same dirty road a lot as of late. Though she had a boyfriend there was no denying her growing attraction to him. With each trip she found it harder to get back.
Her gaze fell to his slightly parted lips. Behind them lay the object of so many sleepless nights and countless wet dreams. He stuck out his tongue for her to see. As if knowing where her thoughts were he slowly licked his lips giving her just a glimpse of silver.
“So… what was it this time Nicki?” she asked taking her eyes off him in an effort to compose herself.
Anything to get her thoughts out of places they shouldn't be. Almost immediately she wished she hadn’t asked because she was sure she already knew the answer. It was probably some girl. She frowned. It was always a girl.
“Dana dumped me. Can you believe it? She said I wasn’t giving her the attention she deserved. Whatever the hell that means.”
No ready image of the now ex-girlfriend came to mind. They all seemed to blend together and there were so many of them she had stopped keeping track a long time ago.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” came her automated response.
“Are you really? The one time you met her, I got the distinct feeling you didn’t like her.” He stared at her intently.
What could she say? He was probably right. In the past few years, as the number of girls he had felt compelled to introduce her to increased, her distaste for all of them had been instant. It prompted Heather to ask on more than one occasion if she thought anyone was good enough for “her Nicki”. It wasn’t that she didn’t, it just wasn’t what he was bringing home.
“Since she’s no longer in the picture, it really doesn’t matter now does it?” She looked away from those piercing eyes.
“Yeah well it was doomed before it began. Sorry I woke you,” he said with a half grin on his handsome face.
“It’s no big deal. Are you sleeping down here or coming upstairs?”
As she stood, Ashley realized how her innocent question might sound. She glanced down to see his raised eyebrow. Her insides begged him not to ignore it while her brain tried to work quickly for a possible rebuttal.
“Does that invitation include your room?” He asked a little above a whisper.
A soft sigh escaped her. She raised her hand and ran her fingers through her hair but moved it behind her back when she noticed the slight trembling. Breathe, she told herself. Even that small task seemed impossible as the heat of his gaze caused her insides to tighten.
Could he somehow see she was nearly naked beneath her robe? Did he know moisture was threatening to run down her legs as her body responded to the desire filled gaze staring back at her? She had to think and fast. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at him as she prayed for rational thought not to fail her now. It was too bad he never made this offer when he was sober. Ashley paused but refused to think further on the thought. Sure she would have to deal with it and all the other odd places her mind was venturing with regards to Wade but later. Much later…when he wasn’t lying on her couch looking oh so tempting. A deep breath of frustration escaped her parted lips. Sometimes it was damned depressing always doing the right thing.
“It does if you’d feel more comfortable sleeping on the floor,” she said trying for a nonchalant tone.
It almost hurt to watch the flames of desire go out in his eyes before he lowered his head. Her insides screamed no but her heart knew it was for the best.
“No thanks. I guess I’ll stay right here in my usual spot if you don’t mind.”
“I can’t say I blame you.” She offered him a tentative smile as she tried to bring back some sense of normalcy.
Giving in to her sudden need to touch him, she leaned down, brushing the hair away from his forehead.
“Do you think you'll need an extra cover or anything?”
The cool grip of his fingers closed around her wrist before lifting her hand away from him. She tried not to feel hurt by the action.
“No that’s okay. I think I’m plenty warm already.” His eyes met hers once more.
Gone was any hint of the desire she had seen displayed in their depths a few moments ago. A feeling of disappointment came over her and she tried to pull out of the grip he held on her wrist but his fingers didn’t give.
“Don’t go just yet. Can't you stay with me a little longer?”
The request took her back to a simpler time. Looking down at him she didn’t see the twenty something young man he was now but the little boy he’d been when she used to baby sit him. He would look up at her with those bright blue eyes and a smile that melted her insides every time. Feeling his thumb softly caressing the underside of her wrist brought her back to reality. Her eyes almost closed against the feelings he was invoking. She allowed the touch for a moment longer before pulling gently from his grip, thankfully this time he allowed her freedom.
“Then have sweet dre
ams of me,” she whispered before hastily leaving the room.
Standing just outside her living room she couldn’t help but wonder what kinds of dreams a twenty-three year old Wade would have of her and would they be as steamy as she sometimes found her dreams of him?
Chapter Three
Thoughts of Wade continued to plague Ashley as she checked the locks and set the alarm before heading upstairs. The feelings he invoked still made no sense to her. After all she had known him practically all his life. Lately things were different between them. Hmph, who was she kidding? Things had been changing between them since he turned eighteen taking him officially out of little boy status and headed straight to the helluva sexy man category.
Though try as she might to keep him the three year old she had first met, her wandering mind sometimes just refused to see him as that little tow headed boy who used to follow her around. No amount of denying could change the fact she found him attractive.
She paused midway up the stairs, her hand gripping the rail to keep her balance. It was the first time she had allowed herself to admit even that small fact. She found Wade Romano attractive. How could she not? The whole damn family was gorgeous, from the oldest, her best friend, Heather, who was Wade's half-sister down to the youngest.
In her opinion Wade had gotten an overdose of gorgeous. Sexy washed off of him in waves. At six feet five inches with a slender frame, it was easy to take him for just another awkward skinny guy upon first glance. The gracefulness with which he carried himself always caused one to stop and stare. Years of playing sports had layered his body with light compact muscles. His dark chestnut hair begged a woman to run her fingers through it and framed an angel’s face. He had the typical olive complexion denoting his Italian heritage. Add in eyes that could change from Carolina blue to the color of sapphire when his emotions were at their highest and it all made for a sinful combination. The look in those eyes came back to her now. It was a very tempting package. Hell one would have to be blind not to be affected by the mere sight of him.