Page 81 of Roman and the Hopeless Romantic
Her frown deepened, and Roman couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “You can’t complain that I didn’t speak to you for two years and then want me to stop just because it’s something you don’t want to hear.”
The goal horn sounded, and the crowd jumped to their feet, but Roman and Cassie remained locked in their stand-off. “I’m going to kiss you.”
“What?” she yelled over the noise.
“This kiss isn’t about you following therapy orders or wanting to get your first. When I kiss you, Cassandra Carrigan, I’m not going to stop. When I kiss you, it means I love you too, every part of you. Your brain, your anxiety, the way you don’t want to need me, your wild morning-hair, your dead-eyed stare, every stubborn bone in your body. It means I love that you make me work for it, that nothing between us is easy or simple. It means—”
“Roman, you talk too much.” She pressed her lips to his, shocking him into action.
“I had so much more to say,” he whispered against her lips.
“Show, don’t tell.”
“I can do that.” He took charge of the kiss, wanting everything she was willing to give. Cassie could give him the world if she so chose.
But it wouldn’t be easy.
Nothing with her ever was.
He took one hand off the metal bar and leaned over it to deepen the kiss. Hoots and hollers sounded around them—mostly coming from Hadley.
The last hand holding Roman up slipped, and he almost fell back down to the tunnel before catching himself.
Cassie laughed. “Don’t die, Roman. I might be a little sad.”
“Only a little?”
She grinned and leaned away from him. “You have a game to play. Go!”
Flashing her a wink, he hopped back down to the ground. A whistle sounded, stopping play as the goalie covered the puck. Roman stepped back onto the ice to skate across to the bench and the crowd cheered. He gave them a little wave.
“Roman,” Coach yelled. “Your butt is now glued to this bench.”
As Roman took a seat next to Jesse, he didn’t care about the punishment or loss of playing time. His eyes found Cassie in the stands.
It was worth it.
