by Simply BWWM
They would be moving into their new home the next day, and she was excited for that.
She was anxious to have all of the transition between Los Angeles and San Francisco finished soon, as it was beginning to wear on her. She could tell that it was wearing on Emma as well. Everything around them seemed like it was constantly changing and unfamiliar, and she wanted a stable environment for Emma.
They finished at the bank and Cami asked Roman to come up to the room at her hotel so he could feed Emma. He jumped at the offer, anxious to help with his daughter, and a half hour later, they were walking into Cami's room at the hotel.
He looked around at her room, pleased. "I see Janine had you moved into one of the suites here. This is nice. I'm glad you're in a bigger place. I couldn't stand to think of the two of you in the smaller rooms for an extended stay." He walked from room to room. It was essentially an upscale apartment, by all rights. She went to the kitchen and pulled a small bag of breast milk from the freezer, and began to warm it up. "I like it here. It was really nice of you to help us with this suite, but I am ready to be in my own place again." She laughed and shook her head. "I'll miss the maid service, though. It's nice not having to do the sheets and towels."
She winked at him over her shoulder and for a moment, his heart turned over in his chest. The light in her eyes and the glow of all her inner happiness warmed him so much when he was with her. It was like a night and day difference from the world he was so used to, every day.
He did his best to keep thoughts of his time with her out of his mind, thoughts of their intimacy, the feel of her arms around him, her lips pressed to his, and her body connected to his. Those thoughts had to be pushed away. So did the feelings that bubbled up in him when he spent too much time looking at her beautiful face or listening to her soft sweet voice and her lilting laugh.
He walked over to the sofa and sat down with Emma, who smiled at him and patted his face with her little hands. Cami brought him a blanket and helped him situate his daughter in his arms. Emma was excited to be fed and wiggled quite a bit as he lifted her bottle to her mouth. She took to it hungrily and they stared at each other as she ate.
He could not take his eyes from her, loving her beautiful face and incredible sweetness. She drank quickly at first and Cami tried to help Roman slow her down, but she was anxious to eat, and her appetite didn't slow until she reached the end of the bottle.
Cami took it from him and said, "She needs to be burped now. I'll go get you a burping cloth." She got up from the sofa to take the bottle in the kitchen and Roman picked Emma up and laid her on his chest, rubbing and patting her back.
Just as Cami was coming back into the room, Emma threw up all over Roman's shirt, and though Cami rushed to take the baby from him and hand him a towel, it was too late by the time she got to him.
He groaned a little and laughed, and Cami bit her lip. "I'm so sorry!" she said, taking Emma and cleaning her up. "Sometimes she eats too fast and then it comes back up. Poor thing." She got the baby situated and nursed her from her breast just a few minutes longer, as Roman looked on, watching them incredulously.
"It's okay. I'm not worried about it." He shrugged, and he tried to clean it up. Emma fell asleep at her mother's breast, and Cami put her down in her little bed and then walked over to Roman, who was failing at cleaning his shirt.
"Come on,” she said, waving him into the kitchen. "You'll need to get that rinsed quickly."
He followed her into the kitchen. She dampened a cloth and handed it to him, but he only seemed to make it worse as he rubbed away at it, and finally Cami shook her head and said, "Take your shirt off. I'll wash it for you. Come on, before it dries."
He paused a moment, looking up at her from the mess all over the front of him, and hesitated before unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off. She looked away from him as she filled the sink with warm water and soap. She took his shirt and washed it out for him as he stood there watching her.
Roman was unaccustomed to having anyone take care of him, and it was refreshing to him. Standing near her was more than refreshing; it was warming, almost as if he was standing in sunlight on a cool day.
She soaped up his shirt well and then wiped her hands on a towel and looked down at the shirt sitting in the water in the sink. "We'll let it soak for a few minutes, just to be sure. Then I'll rinse it out and blow dry it for you."
He nodded and she turned to look up at him. Her thoughts vanished from her mind as she stood beside him, looking at him standing there with no shirt on, so close to her. His brown eyes were holding hers in a steady gaze, and her heart flipped over as the scent of him took her back to their time on the boat together.
"Thank you for spending this time with me and letting me help you take care of her," he said quietly, watching her. His eyes were focused on hers, but it felt like he was being pulled into her, and he didn't want the feeling to stop.
"Sure," she answered in a similar soft tone. "You were wonderful with her." She smiled a little at him and his eyes dropped to her lips. His heart began to speed up and he could feel blood rushing through him.
"I'm really sorry about your shirt, though,” she almost whispered, feeling the air between them warming considerably.
He shook his head imperceptibly. "It's no big deal,” he replied, his eyes moving from her lips back up to her eyes again.
They gazed at each other for a long moment, not breathing, their hearts beginning to pound and he felt as if gravity was pulling him further in toward her. He let it. He began to lean toward her face, close to her mouth, but just as he was about to reach it, she drew in a sharp breath and turned her head away.
"Can I get you anything? Would you like a drink?" He closed his eyes and turned his head from hers, breathing deeply and trying to slow everything in him down just a little.
"Water would be nice." he said, his mouth feeling a bit dry. He looked toward the living room and took a deep breath. Nothing he did slowed any part of him. She pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it, and turned to hand it to him, just as he turned to take it from her.
His fingers closed over hers on the glass and heat spread from their fingers to each other. She held her breath and felt her chest tighten sharply. His eyes were locked on hers again as he took the glass from her and drained half of it before setting it on the counter.
She meant to look away from him. She tried, but his body was so close to hers, and she knew just how it felt to be in his arms, to taste his kiss, and to feel him deep in her. The knowledge of all of that kept her rooted to the spot, and locked on him.
Her steady gaze inflamed him considerably and as he set the glass down on the counter, he knew before he touched her that there was just nothing for it, no way he could be so close to her and not reach out to her. He lifted his hand to her cheek and a tiny gasp escaped her lips as he stroked his thumb over her skin.
She turned her face slightly toward his open palm and let her lips brush his thumb, her mouth opening slightly as she did so. It was enough to send a shockwave through Roman, and he didn't think at all, but only reacted as he turned her face to his, placing his other hand on her cheek and lifting her chin.
His mouth caressed hers softly at first, barely touching her skin, and she gasped again and closed her eyes. He pressed his lips gently against hers and kissed her, feeling as much amazement with her as he had on the boat. Her tongue touched the edge of his lips and she kissed him back, slowly and sensually as he drew her nearer to him.
Cami's hands closed on his hips and moved up his bare back as he opened her mouth with his and kissed her deeply. Fire began to spread between them, and everything inside them rushed and crashed as they wrapped their arms around one another and held on tightly in passion's embrace, tasting their lover's kiss and losing themselves in the pleasure of it.
An ache began to spread in Roman's groin and he felt himself grow hard with need. It was no time at all before Cami felt his body solid with desire against her, and s
he drew in a sharp breath as he pressed himself firmly to her and moaned.
Neither of them had been intimate since they were last intimate with each other, and between the long period of time without physical affection and the memories of their long past passion burning brightly in their hearts and minds, their bodies were ravenous for what they felt together.
Her hands wandered from his strong back to his muscled chest, and then she slid them up around his neck and held him close as his hands moved to her waist and pulled her tight against him. Their hungry kisses wanted more than just lips, and they moved their mouths over each other's cheeks and necks. Roman's tongue and teeth left a slow and torturous trail up her neck and to her ear before reclaiming her mouth again.
They drove each other further and further into heated passion and their hands began to touch and feel each other in need. Roman pressed her against the counter and moved his hips firmly against hers, making a soft cry of pleasure escape her as his hand curved over her hip and squeezed her.
She burned with need for him, and her heart beat wildly against her chest, pushing blood through her veins with such force that it drowned out the sound in her ears and the sense in her mind as it warmed her body from her core.
Roman felt as if he hadn't breathed for the whole year he'd been apart from her, and now he was suddenly high on the oxygen of being in her arms and holding her so close to him.
"Cami..." he whispered her name as his lips moved over her skin and his body yearned for hers. “God, I want you!" he said, almost helplessly.
She opened her eyes and pulled her lips from his, looking up at him with need and pain in her eyes. "Stop... Roman, please... we can't do this." She tried to make herself stay back, but then she leaned in and kissed him once more and it ignited the flames in her again.
He kissed her hungrily for a long moment, and then he pulled away from her and whispered hoarsely, "No, you're right... we can't do this." He looked as if he was in pain as well, as he forced himself to take a step back from her, letting his arms fall away from her and closing his eyes to the feel of her hands as they slid down his chest and stomach, and then left his body.
He backed away until he was leaning against the counter opposite her. They stood and stared at each other, their chests heaving breathlessly as their bodies tried to slow down.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to..."
She nodded and looked away for a moment. "I know... me, too. I was going to keep things completely platonic between us, but you were just... so close... and it's just..."
He waved his hand between them. "No apologies. None. We both were taken up in a weak moment; probably just the situation and our proximity to each other... it was just an oops. We know we need to be careful around each other and just try to build on our friendship and leave this kind of thing... alone,” he said, with a sorrowful tone.
She nodded. "I agree. We have a daughter to raise together and none of us can afford to be confused about what we are doing or how we are doing it. We'll just be more careful in the future. That's all." She managed a small smile at him and he returned it.
"Okay," he replied, watching her and wishing in his core that they hadn't needed to stop.
She turned and pulled his shirt from the sink and let the water drain away, then rinsed it off. He walked into the living room and stood beside Emma's little bed, looking down at her, as Cami walked past him and took his shirt to the bathroom. He heard the blow dryer come on and run for a long while.
He didn't know how they had fallen back into each other's arms the way they had, but he knew for their delicate situation to work, it could not happen again. Cami, running her hair dryer back and forth over his shirt, was thinking precisely the same thing.
She got it mostly dry and brought it out to him. He thanked her and pulled it back on, buttoning it as she turned away from him, and busied herself with Emma's diaper bag.
Roman closed the last button and reached for Cami's shoulder. He turned her and she slowly looked up at him, confusion and a hint of sorrow touching her eyes.
"It's going to be okay. We're just in a strange situation, that's all. We'll work through this, and we'll do it together. No apologies and no worries. We have a beautiful daughter that we created, and we are going to raise her as loving and devoted parents, and as really good friends. We can do that for her and for each other." He smiled at her.
His confidence and kindness unraveled the tangled knot of stress and emotion in her stomach, and she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his chest.
"You're right. We can do this. We'll figure it out." She smiled a little again and then let him go. "Thank you so much for all that you've done for us and all that you are doing. It's so appreciated."
Roman nodded and took her hand, walking to the door with her. "It's absolutely my pleasure."
He hugged her tightly again and then with one last longing look in his eyes, he turned and walked out of the door, closing it softly behind him.
He went home and went inside the house, only to walk straight into Agnes who looked at him with hawk eyes from head to toe. "You look like hell. What have you done to your shirt?"
Roman was in no mood for dealing with his mother-in-law. "I spilled something on it earlier and tried to wash it out." He began to walk toward the staircase to go to his room, but she kept talking to him.
"You know, you're a lucky man to have a wife like my daughter in your life to help you out. You certainly couldn't do anything without her. It's a good thing she's such a smart and beautiful woman, or you'd never get a chance to meet anyone like that Senator she brought in for you.
“You're damn lucky to have her. If you were half the man you ought to be, you'd show her some appreciation for everything she does for you." Agnes snapped at him and he stared at her as she turned and headed out of the front door.
"Please don't come back," he whispered to the closed door. He couldn't believe she thought her daughter was the reason that the Senator was even involved with them in the first place. He continued up the stairs to his room, showered, and changed his clothes.
He was sitting outside by the pool later that evening when Denise walked out to talk to him. She sat beside him in a lounge chair and looked at him with consternation.
"I can't get Carmen to call me back. I know it's because you offended her at the party and now I have to work extra hard to get back into her good graces again!" She scowled at him.
He lowered his brow at her. "Why don't you leave her alone and wait for her to call you?" he asked, certain that Carmen would share his thoughts and suggestions.
She shook her head adamantly. "No! I don't want her to think that I don't care if we're friends. She has to know that I mean business and that I'm her best friend."
Roman shook his head and looked away from her.
"I've decided to go another route to get to her, and that's to go through Edward. Maybe he can help her understand that I'm serious about our friendship." She glared a little.
"She ought to consider herself lucky to be friends with me, after all, she was just his nanny; she was just hired help and she was screwing him on the side, so he felt obligated to her and he married her. I can't imagine why; she's not even white like him. Most of the other ladies in society are just nice to her because she's the Senator's wife, but me... I really mean it.
“I'm trying to be friends with her and support her, even though she's just really a nanny and from a lower class of people. You would think she'd be grateful to me for sacrificing myself like that for her, and she would want to spend some time with me. How else is she ever going to shine?"
Roman stared at his wife in disbelief. "You're kidding! You think she's married to the Senator because he felt obligated to her? He loves her! It doesn't matter what color her skin is, Denise, all that matters is that they fell in love!" He felt anger building up inside of him and compounding with every passing moment.
"What are you talking about
, saying that she should be lucky to have you as a friend? Wasn't it you who was just saying recently that we needed to be friends with them so other people would look up to us and see how important we are? It sounds to me like you already feel that important and you think she should be looking up to you for social importance!"
Denise scoffed and shook her wild red curls. "That's not what I'm saying at all! You're putting words in my mouth like you always do! By the way, Mother told me how awful you were to her when you came home this afternoon, and you think that you've done all the work bringing the Senator in for business and to buy that stupid boat! How dare you! You know damn good and well that it was me that did all the work with them and brought them in!"
She stood up in a huff and stormed off muttering about how ungrateful he was and how she could do so much better than him any time she wanted to. The door closed behind her and he leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
He was trying to remember why he married her at all, and then visions of her as they had been when they were hot lovers came back to him and he remembered exactly why he had married her. Then he knew that the biggest reason he had married her was no longer a factor, and he searched, without result, for a reason to still be married to her.