by Joanna Wylde
Moving slowly, he boosted me up. I wrapped my arms and legs around him, and our mouths met for the second time that afternoon. This time it was right.
It was still intense.
Rome wanted to fuck me. Bad. I felt it in the restrained tension of his shoulders, and the way his breath caught when I twisted my hips against his. But he also let me take the lead. Not in a passive way, just patient. Our kisses deepened, and the need burned hotter, waves of desire pulsing up and down my spine. My breasts seemed to swell, and my nipples tightened. I tried to imagine what he’d feel like inside me.
Over me.
All that restrained power of his was terrifying, but it was thrilling, too. Rome could carry me around like a doll, yet one word earlier and he’d let me go. He was strong but controlled.
What could a man do to a woman with that kind of control over his body?
I wanted to find out.
“Rome,” I whispered. He stilled, his name hanging between us. “I’m ready to do this now.”
“Thank fuck,” he muttered.
Giving me another kiss, he swung me around and sat down on the couch, my body straddling his. His dick pressed up between my legs, pushing me in exactly the right place. I swiveled my hips, wondering if it’d be slutty to just rip off my jeans and go for it.
Or had the slut ship sailed last night when he’d dry humped me to climax against a wall?
Probably.
Rising to my knees, I slid my hand down between us, our mouths still glued together. Rome moaned into my mouth, his head falling backward as my fingers found his cock through the fabric. Attacking his neck again, I jacked him once, twice, and his entire body shivered.
Then he shocked the hell out of me.
“Stop,” he said, reaching down to catch my hand.
“Stop?” What had I done wrong?
Rome swallowed, eyes dark with desire, but he pulled my hand away. I settled back down over him, wondering if he’d felt this confused when I freaked out earlier.
“We need to talk,” he said, his voice rough. “Remember? We were going to go for a ride and talk.”
I nudged my hips forward, rubbing my jeans-covered clit against the painfully hard ridge in his pants. White hot pleasure ran through me as I tried to think of anything we could possibly talk about that was more important than this. Shit. Stopping was really hard.
But he’d listened to me, and now I had to listen to him.
Talking is good, I reminded myself. Usually women have to beg men to talk. I should be thrilled. Except right now, all I really wanted was to ride him like a cowgirl.
“Last night you said you weren’t in the mood for a hookup,” he said, catching my hips and steadying them. His hands were big, and the message clear.
I sighed, settling back onto his lap.
“I am now,” I replied, frustrated. His cock still pulsed underneath me. Every muscle in his body had gone tense—he clearly wanted this as much as I did, and he obviously wasn’t scared. What was the hang up?
“I need to get something straight,” he said, reaching up to slip his hand around the back of my neck. “I’m not looking for one afternoon with you, or one night. I want more.”
That caught me off guard.
“But I live in Missoula,” I said carefully, even though I knew it wouldn’t be for much longer. Where was he going with this?
“Did you know there’s a road between Hallies Falls and Montana? It’s paved and everything,” he said. “Coincidentally, I happen to own a motorcycle that I like to ride on roads.”
“That’s a long ride just to get laid.”
“You really think I need to go to Missoula to get laid?” he asked. I flushed. “This isn’t about getting laid, Randi. I just want it clear—I’m staking my claim. I missed out the first time we met. I won’t let it happen again.”
His eyes held mine, dead serious.
“Rome, we hardly know each other,” I said carefully. This was crazy. His dick was still hard as a rock between my legs. Maybe he didn’t have enough blood to supply that and his brain at the same time. “It’s nearly four hundred miles.”
“So we’ll visit each other,” he replied, like it was no big deal. Like traveling didn’t take up precious vacation time, money, and effort. Except for him, maybe it didn’t. His family owned all this property, and the stuff down in that shop had to be worth a fortune. Was he actually serious? “We’ll go on that second date, see what happens. I’m not asking you to marry me, Randi.”
“I’m moving back to Hallies Falls,” I blurted out, the words coming out in a rush. “I decided this morning. My family needs me. You think you’ll be getting a nice, safe, long-distance relationship but I’m going to be right here. In the grocery store. You’ll see me and it could get really awkward.”
Rome gave me a funny look. “Seeing each other is the goal, Randi.”
“But how could anything last between us? We have nothing in common,” I said. “Nothing. You like motorcycles and airplanes and bar fights. I like… macaroni and cheese.”
“Randi.” His voice grew serious. He looked down, and one of those little muscles in his jaw flexed. Shit. I’d pissed him off. I held my breath, waiting. Then he looked back up and pulled my head in close until our foreheads touched. “Randi, sweetheart.”
“Yes?” I whispered.
“Baby, I need you to listen to what I say and believe me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Everyone likes macaroni and cheese,” he said, the words slow and deliberate. “If you don’t like mac and cheese, you’re a fucking lizard person, and I don’t sleep with lizards. Not even when I’m drunk. Do you sleep with lizards?”
I gaped at him.
“Randi?”
“No,” I finally managed to say. “I don’t sleep with lizards.”
“Good,” he continued, still serious. “That means we got two things in common. We both like mac and cheese, and neither of us fucks lizards. It’s a start. We’ll figure out the rest along the way.”
I blinked, trying to think of a response.
Nope. Couldn’t think of a damned thing to say.
Rome’s lip twitched. The twitch turned into a smirk, and I found myself holding back a giggle. Lizard people? What the actual fuck? Suddenly his fingers attacked my sides. I giggled, then shrieked as he started tickling me without mercy. I writhed and twisted, trying to escape, but he wrapped one of his giant arms around my back and wouldn’t let me go. I kept trying to tell him to stop, but every time I opened my mouth, his fingers got me again.
To make things worse, his cock was still down there.
Poking me.
I couldn’t stop laughing. Not only that, I was getting turned on again. This wasn’t fair. No one should be this sexy and this strong. He was evil, I decided. Pure, delicious evil.
“Stop!” I finally managed to shriek. Rome raised his arms instantly, ending the torture.
“See?” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. “I’m very well trained. Practically an altar boy. You’d be crazy not to give me a second date.”
I tried to collect my thoughts. Rome was good at this, I realized. Charming. Playful. And when he settled his hands back down around my hips, his touch felt more than sexy.
It felt safe.
I wanted to say yes so bad. I wanted to lean forward and kiss him and tell him that of course we could have a second date. And a third and then someday move in together and maybe even adopt a puppy or something.
Except I still had a giant black eye from last night.
That wasn’t his fault, of course, and it would heal. But I couldn’t see myself going back to the Starkwood Saloon on any of those dates. Rome liked to go there a lot, though. So did everyone in his motorcycle club. They lived a different kind of life than me—one I didn’t understand. I had no right to judge them for that, but I wasn’t sure I could join them, either.
Sooner or later, this guy was going to break my heart.
“Rome,” I
said softly, reaching up to smooth out the collar of his T-shirt. It’d gotten twisted while he was tickling me. I kept my eyes focused on the fabric because I wasn’t sure I could look him in the face. “I like you a lot.”
“Don’t do it, Randi.”
“You didn’t even hear what I was going to say.”
He caught my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“Nobody ever says ‘I like you a lot’ unless they’re about to dump someone,” he stated bluntly. “And you’re not going to dump me. It’s better to stop now, before we have our first fight.”
“You listened earlier,” I whispered. “It’s why I trusted you enough to come up here.”
“And I’ll listen now,” he replied. “If you insist. But then I’m gonna argue with you and it’ll probably get ugly. We might even have angry hate sex. And I’m totally down with angry hate sex—especially since it’s usually followed by hot makeup sex—but this is our first time. It should be sweet. Happy. It should be so fucking beautiful that unicorns dance on the ceiling and my dick shoots rainbows instead of come. We can fight later.”
Before I could respond, he pulled me in close for a long kiss. His other arm still held my hips tight across his, and he flexed upward. I felt him right in my core.
Rome had just beaten me, fair and square.
Either I could argue about hypothetical relationship incompatibilities, or I could enjoy hot sex with a man who was not only gorgeous, but very into me. And it wasn’t like he didn’t have standards. He’d been very clear—no lizards.
I’d already had one fight today. I didn’t need another.
The kiss ended, although his hands had started roaming around my body. I shivered, ready for more.
“So where are we going on our second date?” I asked.
Rome’s hands tightened.
“Thank fucking God,” he said. “Second date starts now.”
In an instant, he’d flipped me flat on my back, his legs still firmly between mine. The expression on his face was pure triumph. My hands reached for my jeans but he was already there. It took all of two seconds for him to rip them off. He didn’t waste any time on himself, either, tearing his fly open and fumbling with a condom.
“Let me help put it on.”
Rome shook his head, still smug.
“Yeah, I’d last about two seconds if you did that.”
Another minute and he was on me, catching my arms and pinning them up and over my head with one strong hand. The other reached down between us, sliding around my clit before slipping a finger in to make sure I was ready. Yeah, that wasn’t going to be a problem. Bucking my hips, I demanded more.
Rome found my entrance and slowly pushed inside. It’d been a long time since I’d slept with anyone, and while a part of me just wanted him to slam it home, another appreciated the consideration. Every inch stretched me to the brink of delicious pain. The man was almost—but not quite—more than I could handle.
He watched my face the entire time, eyes dark with possession and deep satisfaction. He’d been telling the truth—Rome truly wasn’t looking for a quick fuck.
There was something almost terrifying about that.
Terrifying and thrilling.
Then he started moving faster, and I felt a familiar pressure grow deep inside. He had a knack for bringing his pelvic bone down against my clit with every stroke, pausing every third or fourth time for a quick grind. I squirmed against him, feeling almost desperate as the waves of my orgasm started to build.
God, it was almost too much.
Rome surrounded me, overwhelming me. All I could see or smell or feel was him, covering me, stretching me, carrying me toward the end. There was a sense of inevitability and purpose in his movements, and my heart strained.
He was doing all the work, but I still couldn’t catch my breath.
Then he let my arms go. Bracing with one hand, he brought the other down and around my waist, somehow lifting my pelvis into his for a deep, hard grind.
I exploded, eyes closing as my world filled with stars. Waves of pleasure rolled through me as I spasmed, and then he was coming, too. I felt his cock pulse as he collapsed over me, his face falling into my shoulder.
We lay there for long seconds, catching our breath as I tried to process what’d just happened. That was the best second date I’d ever had in my life.
Chemistry. Pure chemistry.
I’d felt it when he’d kissed me. I’d known we’d be incredible together. But Rome wanted more than sex—he wanted me. Whatever this was, it was just the beginning.
Damn… Maybe moving back to Hallies Falls wouldn’t be so bad after all.
I’d never seen a unicorn in Missoula. Not even one.
Chapter Nine
“So how was it?” Lexi said, smirking as she grated cheese for our special macaroni. “Did you do anything stupid?”
I thought about my afternoon with Rome. After that first explosive time together, we’d gone slower. He’d kissed every inch of me, driving me crazy with his tongue until I thought I might die. Then he’d done it again.
“Probably,” I admitted.
“And how many times did you do this stupid thing?”
“More than once, not that it’s any of your business,” I said, stirring the pot. We liked to start out with the packaged stuff as the base, but over the years we’d added extras. Sour cream, sharp white cheddar. When the budget was flush, I’d spring for some parmesan across the top. Special macaroni and cheese was the shit. “But I do have something to tell you. Something important.”
“What’s that?” she asked, setting down the cheese. I glanced toward the living room, making sure that Kayden wasn’t listening. The kid had his earbuds in and he was busy playing Minecraft. I took a deep breath, then hesitated. Once I told her, I was committed. Was I ready?
Yes. Yes, I was.
“I’m moving back to Hallies Falls,” I told her. A flash of excitement crossed her face, then she clamped it down, wary.
“That’s not funny,” she whispered. “Don’t say that unless you mean it.”
“I’m moving back to Hallies Falls,” I repeated, the words slow and steady. “I’ll give notice when I get back home. Even if I don’t get that job I interviewed for, there has to be something I can do around here. We’ll stay in this apartment until I make some money. Then we’re going to find something better. I promise.”
Lexi crumpled, flying into my arms and hugging me so tight I could hardly breathe. “Thank you. Thank you so much! It’s been so hard here. I can’t even tell you how hard.”
“I know.” Rubbing her back, I thought about all the years I’d spent taking care of the kids while Mom was out partying. She’d usually held down a job, right up to the day her back blew out. I had to give her credit for that. But I’d still been the one cooking dinner, scouring thrift stores for clothing, and making sure everyone got their homework done.
I’d done well, too. Aiden and Isaac had both graduated high school, and they were building real lives for themselves.
Lexi and Kayden deserved the same chance.
“Please tell me this isn’t about Rome,” she whispered, the words muffled. “I know you like him, but he’s going to be trouble—you came back from your first date with a black eye. He’s going to break your heart and then you’ll leave us again.”
I thought about my afternoon with him, wondering if she was right—not about me leaving them. I’d made my decision. But the whole broken heart thing… That could definitely happen.
But it wasn’t like he’d made any promises—he just wanted me to give it a chance. I wasn’t used to taking chances. Taking chances meant taking risks, and most of my life had been damage control. Doing the right thing. Being the grownup. And now I had a lot more adulting ahead of me.
Having a little fun along the way might just save me.
“This has nothing to do with Rome,” I told Lexi, and it was the truth. “I’d already decided this morning. I’m going to
try dating him, but I’m not counting on anything from him. My priority is us. You, me, Kayden, and Mom. But let’s not tell Kayden yet, because it could take a while. I have to give notice and deal with my apartment and stuff.”
Lexi pulled back, revealing dark streaks of mascara running down her cheeks. She looked just like she had years ago, when I’d caught her playing in my makeup. Back then, she’d been crying because she’d thought she’d turned into a beautiful princess.
Then Aiden told her she was an ugly clown.
I’d wiped her cheeks and told her how wonderful her life was going to be. How someday, she’d be prettier than anyone Aiden had ever seen, and she wouldn’t even need makeup.
I’d been right, too. Lexi was gorgeous under all that shit, even when she was crying. I just wished she still believed what I’d told her. She didn’t need makeup to be beautiful, and those boys who liked her push-up bra would never understand she was supposed to be their princess.
That’s why you’re moving back here, I told myself. Someone needs to remind her and Kayden how wonderful they are, every day.
“You have to make me a promise, though.” I reached up, wiping at her cheek with my thumb. I’d miss my life in Missoula, but I’d missed this, too. Being with my people.
“What?”
“Use that two hundred bucks to buy something special,” I said. “Something fun. You’re too young for a push-up bra. You should enjoy being a kid while you still can.”
“You can’t tell me what to wear,” she snuffled defiantly, then dropped her head down on my shoulder, starting to cry again.
“I know,” I whispered. “Never forget how much I love you, okay?”
“I love you, too, Randi. I’m so glad you’re coming back to us. We’ve missed you so much.”
“How do I look?” I asked Mom. I wore a little black dress that had bare shoulders and enough skirt to flare up as I spun around.
“You look beautiful, even with the black eye,” she said, smiling at me. Wow—someone was in a better mood tonight. She sat on the couch, playing cards with Kayden, looking so healthy you’d never think she’d had an asthma attack that morning. Then I spotted the glass on the coffee table… Ah, that explained it. Rum and Coke always cheered her up. “Lexi, you did a great job on her hair. I swear, kiddo. You got a gift. I still think it’s missing something, though.”