Page 18 of The Professor's Indecent Obsession

Her eyes fill again. But this time, she doesn’t look away.

“I’m going to take care of it,” I promise. “All of it. Your mom. The house. The bills.”

“Roman...”

“I mean it. I’m sending her enough money to pay off the mortgage. To cover whatever she needs for a long time. Your little siblings will have everything they need. And you...” I squeeze her hands, holding her gaze “...you will never go hungry again. You won’t spend another second wondering how you’re going to make ends meet.”

She shakes her head, overwhelmed. “It’s too much. You can’t just...”

“Yes I can. And I’m going to. Because you’re mine, Callie,” I say, low and rough. “And I take care of what’s mine.”

That’s what does it.

She folds into me like she’s been waiting to fall for years. Her arms slide around my neck, her body trembles in my lap, and the sobs that break from her chest this time aren’t sharp or panicked or hopeless. They’re soft. Releasing. Relieved.

I hold her. Just hold her. One hand at her back, the other smoothing through her hair.

She’s quiet for a long time and her breathing slowly evens out, little tremors easing with each pass of my hand down her spine.

Then, barely a whisper against my throat, “Roman?”

“Yeah, baby?” I pull back enough to look at her. Her cheeks are damp, lashes clumped with tears, lips trembling with leftover emotion. And she’s never looked more breathtakingly beautiful.

“Thank you,” she says. Her voice is raw. Thick with the weight of everything that’s happened today.

“You never have to thank me, Callie,” I tell her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’d do anything for you. Anything.”

Her eyes are shining again. “But why? Before yesterday, you didn’t even know I existed, and now you’re doing so much for me.”

“Because,” I say, pulling her in until her lips are a breath from mine, “you’re special, baby. I knew it the second I started reading the stories in your notebook, and it only grew more obvious with each new thing I learned about you.”

She bites her bottom lip, and the gesture is so goddamn sexy. My cock jumps, but I ignore it. It’s not about sex right now. It’s about her.

“I love you, Callie,” I murmur. “It hit me so hard and fast, but that doesn’t make it any less real. I knew the second I saw you that you were meant to be mine. That you were made for me.”

She gasps softly, her eyes widening. “You love me?”

I smile, a warmth spreading through my chest. “So much, baby. More than I thought was possible. You’re in every thought. Every breath. You’re a part of me.”

“I...” she trails off, her eyes bright, cheeks pink. “I love you too, Roman. So much. This feels too good to be true, like a dream, and I’m terrified I’ll wake up.”

“It’s not a dream,” I assure her. “I’m here. I’m real. And you’re never getting rid of me. I plan on spending the rest of my life proving just how serious I am.”

She smiles, her eyes filling with happy tears, and fuck, the sight is like a fist around my heart. I’m fucking helpless for this woman.

But the moment is interrupted by a loud rumble, and it takes me a moment to realize it’s coming from Callie’s stomach.

She flushes and covers her belly with a hand, laughing sheepishly. “Sorry. That was bad timing.”

“Not at all,” I say, laughing as I stand with her in my arms. “We are going to fix that, though.”

I carry her down the hallway before setting her gently in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Leaning down, I press a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“You’ve neglected yourself for too long trying to take care of everyone else,” I say. “But I’m here now. And I’m going to make sure you always have everything you need.”

Her face flushes, but she doesn’t argue. Just watches me quietly as I move through the kitchen, sleeves pushed up, pulling ingredients from the fridge and cabinets.

She stays quiet while I cook, and her silence is soothing. The softest background music to the sounds of pots and pans.

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