When With Rome (Perfect Gentlemen Book 1)

by Natalie Gayle

I want to devour, to conquer, to brand her mine. This is me wanting to give into my baser needs, but I have to maintain a little semblance of control. It’s still too soon to let my desires run wild. There’ll be time very soon. First, I need to know she still wants me, trusts me, accepts me.

  The tips of her fingers flex into my shoulder blades, and she wriggles closer against me, wanting more. I slip my hand from her jaw to cradle the base of her head, holding her lips firm to mine. I tease my tongue along her bottom lip, and she sighs into me, opening herself fully as my tongue plunders forward.

  My cock is a solid bar against her stomach, ready, willing and waiting to slide into her. I need her closer to me, under me. With a reluctance I’ve never felt before, I break the kiss and look around wildly for a comfortable place to take this further. The sun is beating in and the balcony, although stories and stories in the air, is still not private enough or comfortable enough. I don’t want anyone seeing Carlene come apart in my arms.

  The way I want to take her and make her mine is something for us alone. Then surprising me, she removes the decision from my hands.

  “Looking for the bedroom?” She gently tugs my hand, coupled with a look confirming she wants me in the best kind of way.

  “Lead on, baby.” And I mean every single syllable of those words.

  The apartment is cooler against my already overheated skin. I can’t wait to get these clothes off, and I’d love a shower at some stage, but I need Carlene more.

  Shower sex, now there’s a thought to hang onto for a little while.

  Carlene leads me down the hall and then turns left through another short hall which opens into a spectacular bedroom; one wall is all windows. She presses a button beside the door and sheer blinds slide into place over the windows. The room transforms from brilliant sunlight, to subtle filtered light—cool and sexy.

  “Love your blinds, Oz.”

  She grins at me and turns into my arms, beside the bed. “I almost didn’t buy this place because of those blinds. I thought they were just a tad too extravagant for me.”

  I laugh and drop a playful kiss on her nose. “Only you would think that, baby. I’m glad you got over your aversion. This place is incredible, and I think we should make use of your bed pronto.”

  She stiffens in my arms before pulling back and sitting down on the edge. I follow her down and sit beside her but turn my body in to face her, prompting her to do the same.

  “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

  Carlene

  What’s on my mind is what we’re about to do…it’s different now.

  “Talk to me, Carlene, tell me what you’re thinking.”

  I try to gather my scattered thoughts. We’ll only get this first once, and if we’re going to try to be together then we need to do things right. Somehow, I need to explain my concerns to him and make sure he understands.

  “I want you to be you when we’re intimate.” I see confusion on his face and realize I’ve probably explained it very badly right from the start.

  “I’m not following you.”

  “Well…when we were together intimately in the States, it was all about you showing me, teaching me, helping me experience new things. It was never about you. It was always about me. I don’t want that to be the case going forward.”

  I watch the surprise register on his face and then a little satisfied smirk replaces it.

  “I’m a naturally giving lover, Carlene. That’s what made me so good at what I did. I’ve always gotten a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction from pleasuring the woman I’m with and making it as enjoyable as possible for her.”

  There is no avoiding talking about what he previously did, and I’m surprisingly okay with that. If I wasn’t, then I would have to accept the fact I’m not okay with me having hired Rome. And that’s certainly not the case. The complete opposite, in fact. There’s certainly nothing sleazy about the way he behaved or made me feel. Exactly the opposite. I felt special and cherished every moment I was with him in the US.

  “I just want you to…” I trail off and drop my eyes from his, suddenly feeling a little unsure.

  “Take a little more? Ask for what I want, perhaps? Don’t worry about it. I can assure you, I’ll let you know what I want. Just like I want you to do the same for me. Can you do that, Carlene?”

  I don’t need to think for more than a moment. “Yes, I can do that.” And I had. Rome had gotten me to this point in the States. I can pick up from there. It’s Rome. I feel totally comfortable, sexy, and safe with him.

  He pulls out his phone, and I feel a frown form on my forehead. What on earth is he doing? Fiddling with his phone is the last thing I expect right now.

  Then he passes it across to me when he locates what he’s looking for.

  “While we’re having serious conversations, I wanted to show you this and talk about this.” I glance at his phone and realize he’s showing me medical test results. When I look up, his eyes lock on mine, and he gathers my hands in his.

  “I had these tests taken yesterday or the day before, given the time change—it’s confusing. I’m clean of everything. I always have been. I’ve never had an STD. I’ve only ever practiced safe sex, and I was tested monthly when I was working. I hadn’t been with another woman for the six months prior to meeting you, nor have I been with another woman since you left.”

  I’m trying to take it all in and figure where he’s going with this. I believe him. I’ve never known Rome to lie. He may have had a contentious job but he’s never shied away from the truth since he knew he could trust me with his secret.

  His thumbs strokes over the back of my hands, and I can tell he’s searching my face, reading every little expression to see exactly how I’m taking his very frank news.

  “If we’re going to do this, be together then I want nothing between us, because there will be no one but you from here out for me. As of now, I’m a one-woman guy, and you have no idea how happy it makes me feel to say that. I want this to be a real relationship in every way. But you need to be comfortable with it, and I can understand if you need time to think about it or if in fact you never get comfortable with it—I’m okay with that. I know it’s potentially part of the price of the job.”

  So sincere, honest, and aware.

  I suck it all in, trying to figure out exactly how I feel. I’d been the only woman Rome had been with in over six months. He mentioned this before, but now it is sinking in and what that means. I need to know more. I need to know everything to be sure.

  “You say I’m the one. How do you know, when you’ve had so many women?”

  His lip twitch, and a little twinkle jumps in his eyes. “That’s easy. But you might not like what I’m going to tell you.” My stomach contracts, and my shoulders stiffen in preparation before I cock an eyebrow at him.

  “I took an assignment a few days ago. We were shorthanded. One of the guys called in sick. Roxie and I had just finished a very frank discussion about my feelings for you.” He lowers his chin and looks a little sheepish before he continues. “I’d gone to great lengths to deny I had feelings for you. Roxie kept accusing me of being in love with you. Then she goaded me into taking a client to fill the roster of guys we needed.”

  “But you said…”

  “I know I did. I picked this woman up, and she started pushing me for sex from the start. I took her to dinner, and I managed to hold off her advances until I could get another guy to finish the assignment. You asked me how I knew. It was so easy. I felt guilty, and the thought of touching another woman made my skin crawl. Her hands on me felt all wrong. I knew there was no way I could go through with it. That’s never happened to me before. I couldn’t get out of there quick enough.”

  I ignored the stab of jealousy at another woman having had her hands on him. His honesty meant much more, and his words made my heart lighten. “You really felt that?”

  He nods vigorously. “I really did. And I can tell you, it was very liberating to know I was
okay with giving myself permission to retire, because there’s no way I can have the woman I love and the job. The job is my past, the woman I love is my future.”

  Love.

  He’s casually mentioned the word in conversations a couple of times. Never before has he come out and said, “I love you.”

  “Are you telling me…”

  “Yes, Carlene. I am. I love you.”

  I’m a little stunned and a lot taken back. His hand breaks from mine and cups my jaw.

  “I’ve known for a while. It was only the last few days I allowed myself to accept it. You’re like no other woman I’ve met, and I’ve met more than my fair share. You’re smart, resourceful, independent, honest, and completely drama free. Plus, you make me need you like no other woman has. I want to spend time with you and not just in the bedroom. I love your company, your smile, your personality. You’re it for me. Take pity on me and put me out of my misery, will you, Oz?” His eyes are pleading with me.

  “I want you to be mine, like I’ve never wanted anything else.”

  Ever so slowly, his words register in my mind.

  He loves me and wants a future.

  This isn’t make believe.

  “This is real,” I whisper more to convince myself than for any other reason.

  “As real as it gets, Carlene.”

  “You really love me?”

  He starts nodding at me. “I really do.”

  A laugh bursts from my throat, and I feel the heat of tears a second before they cloud my vision and begin to fall and make their way down my face.

  Tears.

  I don’t cry, ever in front of someone else.

  My heart feels funny.

  Then I feel swamped with a weightless joy and light. It’s something so foreign to me. Like the sun breaking through the clouds after the rain.

  Rome pulls me into his arms. “Are you okay?” He strokes his hand down over the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair.

  “I’m…(sniff)…just...(sniff)…so overwhelmed.”

  His arms hold me tighter to him, and he somehow rearranges us on the bed so we’re lying down, me with my head on his chest.

  “Baby. I hope that’s good overwhelmed.”

  “The best sort…” I manage between sniffs.

  Is this really happening to me? I never thought…

  I had my chance, and it was over when Phillip died. At least, that was what I’d thought. I’d never let myself hope or wish again.

  Rome gently wipes the tears from my cheeks with the bottom of his T-Shirt.

  “You had me worried there for a minute, Oz. I didn’t think you felt the same. We’ve shared some intense conversations, and I’ve never even seen you cry or even look like shedding a tear.” His voice is tender and soothing

  “I don’t normally cry,” I blubber into his chest a little more, ignoring the need to feel foolish. “I just feel so happy and sort of weird all at once, but in a good way. I’m sorry!” I bury my face deeper into his chest.

  “Hey, Carlene. Look at me.” His hand strokes my cheek, urging me to lift my head and look into his eyes. They’re soft and full of comfort, concern, and what I recognize now as love.

  “It’s okay to cry, baby. You don’t have to be strong with me all the time.”

  “Phillip hated me crying. He said he never understood it.”

  “Well, I’m fine with you crying, whenever you need to. You don’t need to ever hide what you’re feeling from me. I want to know. If you’re happy, I want to see it all. Same as if you’re sad or angry. I want it to be real between us. No masking or watering down of anything we share. The pleasure and the pain. It’s all part of life, and I want to be on your team. I want to be here for you from here on out.”

  He’s offering me the sort of relationship I’ve never had, a true partnership—one where my thoughts, feeling, opinions, wants and needs are truly valued equally.

  “Rome…” I can’t put into words what I’m feeling—the best gift. I brush the hair back from his forehead and try to put into words what’s in my heart.

  “Shh, baby. You don’t need to say anything. I can see it in your eyes.” Then he touches his lips to mine, and all the feelings running through me amplify. They merge and couple with an undeniable sense of rightness as his lips move against mine, until I can’t contain it any longer. I need to tell him. He deserves to know.

  Our lips part, as I pull back and look into his eyes once more.

  “I can feel it in your touch.”

  I nod slowly, and let the words come forward which will close the door on my old life and herald in the new.

  “I love you, too, Daniel.”

  For just a second longer, he looks at me before he drags me back down to meet his lips. His tongue slips along the line of my lips then inside, in search of mine.

  His hand trails down my spine to cup the curve of my backside and pull me in against the hard length of his need.

  “I need to make love to you, Carlene,” he growls against my ear as his lips leave mine for a moment.

  “Yes!” I breath.

  We are meant to be together in every way.

  Chapter 30

  Rome

  I didn’t think I could possibly feel this happy and this aroused, but I’m not going to rush our first time together. Our much-needed discussion has put the brakes on the baser instincts to fuck. It’s for the best it happened like it has. We’re embarking on a new era, and I want it to be perfect.

  With an iron will, I gently push her from me. “Can I use your bathroom? I’ve been travelling for a day and I…”

  “Of course, it’s just through there.” She motions to the door off to the side. “Forgive me. When I’ve been travelling, the first thing I always do as soon as I get home, is take a shower. I should have offered when we first walked in...”

  I press one last kiss on her lips before I very reluctantly make my way from the bed. “I won’t be long.”

  “There’s fresh towels in the side cupboard, and please, feel free to use whatever you want.”

  When I reach the doorway, I turn back to her and ask, “do you want me to shave?” as I rub a hand over the stubble on my face.

  “No, you’re perfect the way you are.”

  “As long as you think so.” I give her a wink and disappear into the bathroom. Cool tones of mint, teal, and white greet me and the overall effect is crisp, calm, and refreshing. A long white stone bench with two sinks runs one wall. Above the sinks is an equally long mirror with a track of LED lighting. Under the bench is all drawers and cabinetry in a high gloss white.

  I pass the walk-in closet and another door I guess leads to the toilet. All that’s left in the bathroom is a very oversized walk-in shower with multiple shower heads and a large spa bath situated underneath an unusual round window. It looks like a giant porthole, but the view is spectacular. I can see us sitting in there with a glass of wine and enjoying the view.

  Maybe other men don’t notice details like these. I do. After all, it had been my stock and trade for ten years. I made it a point of figuring out all the places for seduction, and I see possibility after possibility in here.

  I grab a fluffy bath sheet from the tall cupboard in the corner and strip off as quickly as I can. I don’t want to be away from Carlene for a second longer than I need to.

  As soon as I step into the shower, I sigh at the feel of the hot water sluicing over me. The pressure is just right and the temperature perfect. I also note the tile under foot is the non-slip type—oh the possibilities for later.

  I find Carlene’s body wash and just as I remember, it isn’t anything too feminine scented. Rather some sort of combination of coconut and lime. I squirt a good handful of the stuff into my palm and spread it over my body in quick swipes. I can take my time later.

  I worked my hands lower to wash around my very hard cock and stroke my hand along my length a couple of times. I’m so hard for her. For the first time in as long as I can re
member, I consider jacking off before I’m with Carlene. I want her too much. That’s never happened. My control is something I pride myself on. It never let me down. But with Carlene, particularly this way, I’ll be challenged.

  Carlene, the woman I love. I want everything to be perfect for her, and even knowing that, I also know she’d be fully okay if it isn’t.

  A hint of movement catches my attention, and I spin around to see her very naked and about to step into the shower stall. Before I have a chance to get my wits about me, she does just that.

  Carlene moves toward me, confident and sexy as hell. “Thought you might like me to wash your back.”

  “You have no idea,” I groan as she reaches for the body wash and presses down on the pump pack before adjusting the taps so even more water rains down and shoots out at us.

  I watch the water pool on her skin and roll in little streams down over the swell of her breasts before following the lines of her tummy and finally dividing to pass over her mound and her legs. So sexy, sensual, and now mine to enjoy every day. There’s something so comforting and exciting to me about the realization.

  Carlene moves behind me and starts to massage the body wash into my shoulders. I can’t remember the last time I had someone take care of me. Her touch is sensuous but also full of love and caring. This is what I’ve been missing out on for years. Time and time again, I’ve given but never really received the way a man needs to receive to feel fulfilled—whole.

  “Feels so good, baby,” I manage as her hands slip to my lower back and over my butt. And it does, feel so good.

  “It still seems as if I’m dreaming, Rome.”

  I reach back and pull her front to my back. “You’re not dreaming, Oz. I’m really here, and I hope you don’t mind, but I have no plans to leave.”

  “I don’t mind at all. I’ve been rattling around in here by myself for so long.”

  “I know exactly what you mean.” I hadn’t been alone like Carlene, but even though I’d been with women, I’ve never connected. I’ve never let myself. It wasn’t part of the game. This is different.