Page 47 of Between Us

Sure, there had been other women during the years. Beautiful women the average man could only dream of. But none could ever hold a candle to the little Italian with the soft brown eyes and a smile he was getting more obsessed with each day.

It wasn’t even about the looks anymore, although that was a definite plus. She was stunning in an unassuming way, which made her beauty all the more enticing. But underneath that pretty façade lay an intelligent personality with a tender soul, and that to Roman was as addictive as the best drugs on the market. At least he imagined so. He hadn’t touched a narcotic in his life, which given his background was a feat all in itself.

Beauty and nice personality aside, Roman realized that he quite enjoyed being married to Alessandra and coming home every evening to her waiting for him. After a hard day handling Bratva business, her presence in his life was like a cooling balm to a burning wound. Gentle. Calming.Relieving.

Somehow, she was exactly what he’d always needed but never knew he could have. And now that she wasan intrinsic part of his existence, he never wanted to break the chains tying them together, no matter how nefarious the reasons for which he found himself shackled to her in the first place.

Hand in hand, they headed across the field, past the cows and the backdrop of tall trees keeping them shade. The building Roman had spotted was indeed an old cabin that looked uninhabited. He grabbed the door’s rusty handle, noticing the lock was broken, and gave it a firm push.

“Roman, what are you doing?” Alessandra fisted the back of his T-shirt, trying to stop him from entering.

The door opened easily, and he took a step forward before turning to her. “It’s abandoned. Come on.”

“I’m not going inside.”

“Yes, you are. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

Before she could protest again, he reached out an arm and dragged her to his side.

The sole room inside was scarcely furnished. There was a wooden bed that looked as old as the cabin, a matching table with two chairs, and a stove with a single cabinet hanging above it. The blue curtains covering both narrow windows had some sort of rustic design printed on them that had faded over the years, but other than that, everything else was plain-colored in shades of brown and gray.

“Wow,” Alessandra said from beside him, taking it all in. “It’s definitely abandoned.”

“Told you so.”

She walked over to the table to inspect a few items left there while Roman watched her from his spot near the door.

“Look at this.” She held up a book bound in blackleather.

“What’s that?”

“Looks like an old Bible.”

“Huh.” His gaze moved from the book to her face. “You read French?”

“Not really, I just understand a few words. The cross on the cover kind of gives it away, though.” She smiled teasingly and set the Bible down to glance around. “I wonder who lived here.”

“Probably someone who took care of the cows.”

“Maybe. The bed looks comfy.Not.”

Roman followed her gaze and felt a smile pull on his lips. “Let’s try it out.”

“Ew, no.”

He walked that way and held out his hand. “Come here.”

She made a face that only served to make his amusement grow. “It’s dirty.”

“It’s just a little dust.” He grabbed the blanket and yanked it off, letting it fall to the floor. Thick dust exploded into the stale air and lingered there. They would definitely need a shower after what he had in mind.

When Alessandra hesitated, Roman reached for her, grabbing her waist and walking backward until they both fell on the bed. It groaned under their combined weight, expelling more dust from its ancient fibers.

“What are we doing?” she said with a cough, waving her hand to clear the air around them.

“What does it look like we’re doing?”

She rolled her eyes, her legs straddling his hips and their chests pressed together. “Hmm, I don’t know. Getting ready to leave this place?”

---