by Hunter Rose
It fills me with an overwhelming sense of responsibility – one I fear having. One I don’t feel worthy of having placed on me.
And yet, despite everything going on around us, and all the outside noise, the one thought that I can’t escape – that I don’t want to escape from – is that I love this man. I love him passionately and with every fiber of my soul. I love him so purely and thoroughly that it makes my heart ache with the sweetest pain to even think about it.
“I love you, Scarlet.” His voice is earnest. His bright blue eyes are welling up with tears. “I love you with all that I am.”
I feel the lone tear racing down my cheek before I even realize that I’m crying. “I love you too,” is all I can think to say.
“Yay, love too!” Kinsey giggles, her voice still thick with sleep.
Roman squats down and plants a kiss on her forehead. “And of course I love you, princess.”
I look down at him, watching him interacting with our daughter and smile. He’s been so sweet and so gentle with her from day one, accepting her into his life and into his heart on nothing more than my word that she’s his. He could have demanded a paternity test. He could have threatened to take her from me – God knows his family has enough money to have an army of attorneys on retainer.
But he didn’t do any of that. And by doing what he did, he showed me that he trusts me. That he values me. That he loves me with a depth that’s overwhelming. And I know beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I love him just as deeply.
“Psssst… Scarlet.”
I’m so caught up in my own head that I’m startled when the older lady behind me pokes me in the arm, and her voice cuts into my thoughts. I quickly look back at her, annoyed and ready to give her a piece of my mind. But she gives me a very pointed gaze.
I follow her eyes to find Roman down on a knee before me, a small black velvet bag on his knee. and the single most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen in my life in his hand, presenting it to me with a smile. It’s a gorgeous square-cut sapphire, encircled by a halo of tiny diamonds, all set in a lovingly detailed golden band. This ring looks like it must be a hundred years old. Maybe even older. And yet, it is polished and maintained to look like it was just made yesterday. The sapphire sparkles just like his eyes.
I draw in a sharp breath when I see him kneeling there with the ring. My heart starts to hammer furiously inside of me. There’s an inscrutable expression on Roman’s face as he looks at me. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it’s nervousness. Maybe even fear. Two things I’ve never seen from the man before and it rocks me back on my heels.
“Scarlet, I love you. There is nobody on this planet who makes me as happy as you do,” he starts.
“Wha’ about me?” Kinsey pipes up.
We both laugh and Roman gives her shoulder a small squeeze. “Other than you, honey.”
Kinsey smiles up at me, apparently satisfied with Roman’s amended declaration. He turns his eyes back to me; the ring still proffered to me.
“I don’t care about any of the outside things. They’re all distractions to me,” he goes on. “The only thing in this world that matters to me is you – and Kinsey, of course. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Scarlet. I want to travel the world and have adventures with you. I want to make love beneath the stars like we did in Syria –”
There’s an audible gasp from the people around us, which is quickly followed by the sound of low murmurs and tittering. If he hears them, Roman doesn’t seem to care. He genuinely doesn’t care who knows how much he loves me. In fact, he seems proud to announce it to the world. I bury my face in my hands, laughing and crying, the tears of the purest happiness I’ve ever known.
“I want to make a lifetime of memories with you, Scarlet – and you too, Kinsey,” he laughs softly. “Please say that you’ll marry me.”
I look up at him, my mouth opening and closing like I’m a fish out of water, struggling to breathe. My heart is pounding so hard within me, and my throat is suddenly so dry, I can’t seem to get the words out of my throat no matter how hard I try.
For his part, Roman remains on his knee, looking up at me with a look of absolute vulnerability on his face. He’d laid himself open, laid himself totally bare – for me. He’d put his pride and his heart out there to be judged not just by me, but by everybody around me without thought, hesitation, or care. And he did that for me.
I never imagined being loved by a man this way. This intensely. This purely. And knowing that I am loved like this damn near leaves me as breathless and speechless. I keep staring at him like an idiot, tears sliding down my cheeks, when I feel the older woman behind me poking me in the shoulder again.
“If you don’t want him, I’ll gladly take him,” she says, her voice raspy.
I laugh and bury my face again, and then hear the people around me starting to speak – one at first. Then another. Then another. And before I know it, the crowd around me in the ticket line is chanting two words loudly and lustily – ‘say yes’.
I feel like an idiot. I feel like this isn’t even reality right now. But I nod my head and see the smile practically explode onto Roman’s face. He leaps to his feet and throws his arms around me, pulling me to him, and squeezing me tight to his body. The crowd erupts into cheers and applause that echoes throughout the terminal, which makes me blush insanely hard, so I bury my face into Roman’s shoulder to hide it.
“Yes,” I whisper in his ear. “Ten million times yes.”
“You’ve made me the happiest man on the planet,” he whispers back.
“Wha about me?” Kinsey pipes up again, making us both laugh.
“You both do, kiddo,” he smiles as he picks her up and holds her tightly. “You have both made my life better, and you’ve both helped make me a better man.”
Roman leans forward and plants a kiss on my lips, the roar of the crowd around us reverberating through my body. Even with something as solid as his lips on mine, something that grounded in reality, I still can’t help but feel like this is all just a dream.
But if it is, it’s a dream I don’t think I ever want to wake from.
36
Roman
I wake up with the sound of the ocean flowing through the open doors, the scent of salt heavy in the air around us, and Scarlet’s warm, naked body, pressed against mine. I relish the feel of her firm, yet soft flesh pressed to mine. I don’t know that greeting a new day gets any better than this.
My gaze drifts over her shoulder to the framed picture of the three of us at Disneyland from a couple of weeks ago and feel a happiness and contentment that’s been rare in my life. And I feel a sense of peace that’s a first for me. That’s what Scarlet does for me, though. I feel like I’m a better man around her. At the very least, I’m a hell of a lot calmer.
I feel her stirring in front of me, and I wrap my arm around her waist, kissing the back of her neck gently. She murmurs and pushes her body back against mine – wiggling that perfect, sweet ass against my stiff cock.
“Mmmmm… well good morning to you too,” she purrs.
Scarlet reaches behind her and slips her hand beneath the sheet, getting a firm grip on my cock. She starts to work her hand up and down, her thumb swirling over the head and playing with the precum that’s seeping out.
Clearly, I was wrong – there is something that can make the start of a day even better.
Pushing her hair to the side, I lean forward and kiss her neck, moving lower and giving her shoulder a little nip that draws a breathy moan from her. She keeps jerking me off slowly, tenderly, swirling the sticky precum around the head of my cock.
I feel myself growing impossibly hard as she strokes me and turns her head. I lean forward and kiss her, relishing the feel of her tongue sliding along my lips. She starts to roll over, but I keep her where she is, on her side, and press myself against her. I cup her breast from behind, gently kneading the flesh as I run my thumb over her stiff nipple, drawing a soft moan from her.
I lift her leg slightly and press my throbbing cock against her opening, already hot and slick with her juices. I part her velvety folds with the head of my cock, her wetness making it easy to slide my length into her. Scarlet moans as I pierce her, burying myself all the way to the hilt inside of her. She presses herself back against me, urging me to fuck her.
Our bodies melding together, I roll my hips slowly, pumping myself into her in a smooth, steady rhythm. We do our best to keep our voices low, lest we be overheard, but our soft moans blend with the crashing of the waves, creating an erotic music together that fuels our passion.
I slide my hand down and rub her swollen bud as my cock slides in and out of her wet core. She lets out a sultry moan that urges me onward. I roll my hips harder, pushing myself even deeper as I slide my hand up and gently squeeze her throat.
“Harder,” she whispers, gripping my wrist.
I do as she commands and squeeze harder as I fuck her. Scarlet’s moans of pleasure are growing louder, and she writhes against me, pushing her ass even harder against me, lifting her leg higher, taking me into her dripping wet pussy even deeper. I feel my own excitement rising as I pound myself into her again and again.
“Yes baby,” she gasps, gripping my wrist even more, urging me to squeeze even tighter.
Her face is red, and her moans are breathy, but her body is moving with a passion-fueled excitement I can’t deny. I rub her clit harder and slam my cock into her from behind, gripping her throat tight. I feel her entire body grow stiff. A moment later, she grabs the pillow and buries her face, her shouts of pleasure lost, muffled in the fabric.
She spasms hard as I keep thrusting my cock into her, fucking her through her orgasm, reaching deep inside. I feel the muscles inside of her gripping my cock, making her even tighter, and I feel my own climax building. My breathing becomes ragged and my movements erratic as she pushes me to the brink. She turns her head to watch me, a salacious smile on her face.
“Fill me with your come, Roman,” she gasps, knowing her dirty talk turns me on. “Fuck me harder. Shoot your hot come into me. Give it to me, baby.”
I’m pounding my cock into her, the slap of our flesh ringing loud, and my own groans of pleasure filling the room around us. My entire body grows taut as I reach the pinnacle. Scarlet squeezes me with her inner muscles, milking my cock, which sends me crashing down the other side. My cock throbs in time with my heart as I blow my load inside of her, shooting streams of my seed deep within her.
I pull her to me as my cock continues to pulse for a moment. Every last drop of my come fills her up. We lay there together in silence for several long moments, each of us content. Happy.
“I could get used to mornings like this,” she finally says.
“Oh I certainly hope so,” I respond. “Because I’m already used to them.”
She laughs and rolls over, kissing me gently. When she pulls back, she’s got a smile on her face and a look in her eye that melts my heart.
“We need to get up,” she tells me.
I laugh softly. “Not what I was expecting you to say.”
“And here I never thought you’d be a cuddler when we first met.”
“And I never thought you’d be the ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ type. I feel so used.”
“Get used to it, baby,” she winks, reaching around to slap my ass. “You’ll service me when I command.”
“Okay now that I can get used to,” I laugh and pull her to me again.
“But right now, we have to get up,” she repeats. “We have a big day.”
I cock my head. “We do?”
There’s an enigmatic smile upon her lips as she nods. “Indeed, we do.”
She slips from the bed, and I watch her body with desire, ready for another round, as she steps into the bathroom. At the doorway, she turns around at me and smiles.
“If you’re a good boy and get up now, we can have another quickie in the shower,” she purrs.
With a smile on my face, I leap from the bed and follow her in.
We’re sitting on the back deck, watching Kinsey play in the sand below, cups of coffee in hand. It’s a warm morning and will probably be pretty hot later, but for now, it’s pleasant. I look over at her, and she’s still got that enigmatic smile upon her lips. I lean my head back on the chair, relishing in what being happy – I mean truly happy – actually feels like.
“So what exactly is so big about today?” I finally ask.
She glances at the time on her phone and tips me a wink. “You’ll see.”
I laugh. “Well, just let me know when this big thing happens, so I don’t miss it.”
“Oh, you won’t. Trust me,” she responds cryptically.
We relax on the deck for another half hour or so, when the doorbell rings. I look over at her as I start to get to my feet. She beats me to the punch, though, and is already on her feet, heading through the doorway before she pauses and looks back.
“Stay. Be a good boy and stay,” she says with a laugh.
I give her a sultry smile, pointedly looking at her ass. “Do I get a treat if I’m a good boy?”
She giggles and shakes her ass for me. “Maybe. I guess we’ll have to see.”
I stay where I am, my curiosity growing exponentially by the second. I hear voices at the front door but can’t make them out. I’m tempted to go see who’s here when I hear the sound of the door closing, followed by footsteps heading into the living room. When I see my Scarlet round the corner – quickly followed by my parents – I’m on my feet, a feeling of trepidation blended with anger rushing through me.
I narrow my eyes and glare at my father, all of those old emotions rising to the surface once more. It’s been a couple of months since our last – and as far as I was concerned, final – confrontation, but the sharp edge of that bitter anger hasn’t dulled one bit. I lock eyes with my father and feel the shock run through me when, for the first time in my life, he lowers his gaze first. There’s almost a look of shame etched into his features – something I know can’t be right. My father has no shame. None. It must be a trick of the lighting.
Scarlet leads them out onto the back deck, and I stand, giving my mom a tight hug. Kinsey flies up the steps and crashes into my mom, both of them squealing and laughing together like two old friends.
“Why don’t we all have a seat?” Scarlet offers. “Kinsey, can you do me a favor please, and go play in your room for a little while?”
A look of disappointment crosses her face. Scarlet gives her a kiss on the top of her head, looking down at our baby girl.
“Just for a bit,” she smiles. “The grown-ups need to have a talk.”
“Pretty sure there’s nothing left to talk about,” I mutter.
“Roman,” both Scarlet and my mother admonish me in unison – nothing like being smacked down by the two women I love in stereo.
“You can show Grandma Marjory your room when we’re done out here, okay? I promise,” Scarlet offers.
Kinsey’s face brightens. “Okay,” she chirps and bounds off to her room.
Scarlet disappears and runs to the kitchen, leaving me alone with my parents. I slump back in my seat, saying nothing. The air crackles with tension as I glare at my father who, strangely enough, refuses to meet my eyes.
“How are you, sweetheart?” my mother breaks the ice.
“I’m fine. We’re fine,” I respond. “Glad to have you out here finally. Speaking of which, why are you here? And why didn’t I know you were coming?”
“Because you can be every bit as stubborn and pig-headed as your father, dear,” my mother says, as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world.
“I don’t understand –”
“Your mother and I have been talking ever since we left Chicago,” Scarlet chirps brightly as she steps out onto the deck. “And we decided it was time.”
She set a tray down on the table loaded with coffee and pastries. I look around, my confusion only deepening as my anger co
ntinues to rise.
“I can’t believe you’ve been talking to my mom –”
“Oh, calm yourself, Roman,” my mother cuts me off. “We’re all family now. I know you haven’t had the best example, but families do talk. Now, let’s have coffee like civilized people.”
She gives my father a meaningful look as she says this, and he looks away, clearly uncomfortable. It strikes me that the anger and haughty arrogance I usually see etched into his face isn’t there. The moment is silent and tense as we all fix our coffee. Scarlet places a pastry onto dishes and passes them around to each of us. I sit back in my seat and take a sip of my coffee, looking between my mother and Scarlet, wondering what in the hell is going on.
“Why do I feel like this is an intervention?” I finally begin.
“Because it is, dear,” my mother explains. “One that should have happened long ago.”
“I agree,” Scarlet adds.
My mother takes a dainty bite of her pastry and washes it down with some coffee. She favors Scarlet with a smile and then turns to me.
“Now then,” she starts. “After how things ended back home, Scarlet and I knew if we left it to the pair of you stubborn fools, we’d never see each other again. And family is more important than anything.”
Scarlet turns to me and takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Kinsey loves your mother, and I think being around her grandparents would be a good thing.”
I know Kinsey loves my mom. She’s hardly stopped talking about her since we got back home. I figured we’d have her out here, since the idea of going back to Chicago wasn’t something I particularly relished. I just wasn’t expecting it to be so – soon.
“I don’t disagree,” I tell Scarlet. “But I –”