It doesn’t take long to make a simple stir fry. But when I see her eyes light up at the first bite, I make a vow to myself to always do whatever I can to make her happy.
To show her how loved she is.
To give her the life she deserves.
The best life.
Chapter Eight
Callie
The plates are rinsed, and I’m curled up on the couch with a blanket over my lap. My eyelids are drooping, my limbs heavy, almost like this is the first time I’ve been able to relax fully in a while.
Roman comes back into the room, shirtless now, his jeans riding low on his hips. He pauses in the doorway and just looks at me for a moment. There’s something gentle in his eyes. Something fierce, too.
“Come shower with me, baby,” he says, quiet but sure.
He holds out his hand, and I take it without hesitation. He guides me up the stairs, flicking on the bathroom lights, turning the water on. I watch him quietly, not speaking. There are no words right now.
He turns and reaches for the zipper on the back of my dress. A slow, careful drag. It slides down, baring my skin, the fabric falling loose around me. He doesn’t stop until the whole dress pools at my feet. Then he turns me to face him, his eyes raking over me.
The way he looks at me makes my body flush, warmth unfurling in my stomach. Like I’m the only woman in the world. The only woman he could ever want.
His fingers skim my sides, his touch making my breath catch, goosebumps rising on my skin. He cups my face and brings our mouths together, the kiss achingly soft. My lips part on a sigh, and his tongue sweeps inside.
I melt.
He reaches behind me, unclasping my bra before sliding the straps down my arms. Then his hands are sliding into the waistband of my panties, pushing them down until they are around my ankles. I step out of them, kicking my discarded clothes to the side. The whole time, his mouth never leaves mine.
His tongue explores. Dips and strokes. His kiss is patient and unhurried, as if we have all the time in the world. As if he could do this forever and be perfectly content.
When his mouth finally leaves mine, he doesn’t pull away. Instead, he drags his lips along the line of my jaw. Nips the tender flesh of my neck. Sucks my earlobe between his teeth, nibbling just hard enough to make my pulse race.
I reach out, unbuttoning his jeans, pushing them down his hips. He lets me, kicking them off when they pool at his ankles. He steps out of his boxers too, his cock springing free, thick and hard.
Then he scoops me up, his strong arms cradling me, and I’m weightless. Breathless. He settles me down on the edge of the counter and his hands find my knees, gently prying them apart.
“The shower can wait just a little longer,” he growls against my lips. “First, I want to do things to you that will get you dirty enough to need it.”
He kisses his way down my neck, my chest. He takes a nipple into his mouth and sucks, rolling the other between his fingers.My back arches, and my fingers sink into his hair. He nips the tight bud before moving on to the other.
“You’re mine, baby,” he groans, cupping both breasts in his hands and squeezing them together. “Every inch of this gorgeous body. You know that, don’t you?”
I nod, and he gives each nipple a little bite.
“Say it,” he demands, voice a low growl.
“I’m yours,” I breathe.
“That’s right,” he rasps. “Mine.”
He kisses and sucks his way down to my stomach, over the soft flesh that I’ve always been so self-conscious of, but that seems to make him crazy. He presses his face there, kissing, worshipping, and it sends a rush of heat between my legs.
I’ve never felt so beautiful. So wanted. So desired.
“Roman,” I whisper.
He looks up at me, his eyes hot and dark.