Page 88 of Sundowners
“I can taste it,” he said, licking at my lips. “It’s not…weird. I thought it would be weird. It’s not.”
“It’s you, Roman. It could never be anything but perfect to me.”
He pulled me into his arms as he rolled us over onto our sides.
“You’re amazing, Roman. Who you are, what you do, how youfeel. I can’t believe I almost let you go.”
He pressed his lips together. “Yeah, what was that about?”
We laughed together, and Rhonda hopped back up onto the bed next to Roman, nudging him with her nose before she lay down with her chin resting on his ribs.
“It was about me being desperate,” I said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, or you,” I said, petting Rhonda. “I’m sorry, girl.”
She yawned and closed her eyes.
“I get it, Creed. I do. But please, promise me, swear to me you won’t do it again.”
I lifted my hand to his cheek. “I will be by your side for as long as you’ll have me. I just hope it doesn’t get us both killed.”
He kissed my hand and placed it on top of Rhonda’s head. “Me too. Now, let’s get some more sleep before I take that ass again. Fuck, Creed. I can’t believe I almost letyouget away.”
“Let?” But I was too tired to argue with him. I couldn’t imagine a world where the two of us weren’t together like this, never wanted there to be such a world.
I just hoped to hell we could be enough for each other to remain safe.
We woke later to the sound of Rey banging around in the kitchen and Rhonda whining at the door.
“I suppose I should take her out,” I said, sitting up.
“No, you stay in bed,” Roman said. “You don’t have any clothes, and I kinda like that.” He pulled the covers up and grinned. “You’re looking better too. That nasty bruise is way better.” He’d been quite unhappy with me when he’d seen the wounds from my accident. He’d muttered something to the effect of being glad the idiot bike was gone.
“Sexual energy is probably the most powerful of all,” I said. “Makes me strong.”
“You mean I reallyshouldkeep you in my bed? Sounds good to me.”
I fell back on the pillows with a laugh. “It certainly feels good to be in a real bed. I’m too old and spoiled to be sleeping in bushes and parks anymore.”
Roman paused with a shirt in his hand. “Don’t do that again, please?”
I held up my hands. “Okay. Besides, it’s colder here than it was in San Francisco.”
He pulled the shirt over his head and laughed. “You mean back in 1968? You were really there?” He sat on the bed next to me while I stretched my arms over my head.
“I was. Handing out flowers in Golden Gate Park, singing and dancing naked—”
“And trippin’ balls?”
I pushed at his knee. “Yes, we dropped acid and smoked a lot of weed. It was a wild time, all right?”
“I bet. You know I want to hear it all, right? All of your stories, the good and the bad. Maybe I’ll make that a requirement before you get clothes.”
I liked this bossy side of Roman a lot. It was nice not to have to be the one in charge. I was willing to let him take care of me…for a while. It made him happy, so I’d go with it.
“I want to hear all of your stories, too,” I said, reaching for him.
He leaned down to kiss me, and probably would have crawled back into bed if it hadn’t been for Rhonda’s insistent bark.
“That’s my cue,” he said, and he sprang from the bed. “I’ll see what Rey’s banging around about and get us some breakfast going. Stay there and look pretty, would you?”
