Page 52 of Rebound
“My feet hurt, so I’m going to head back up,” Jules says. Pulling me closer, she whispers in my ear. “If you don’t put this man out of his misery, I won’t speak to you for a whole day.”
“You’re going to let a man get between us?”
“Girl, go play pretend with someone who hasn’t watched you fawn over photos of the two of you kissing.” She smacks my butt lightly, making me jump, and then disappears into the crowd. I follow her blonde head until she reaches the stairs leading up to the VIP rooms and luckily, Reese and Holden are coming down the stairs so they meet her halfway.
“Boyfriend?” Lawyer Guy asks, an eyebrow raised, head tilted towards Roman.
“A fan.” I glance up at Roman and even in the dark, I can see the amusement flickering in his eyes. “I did promise him a dance.”
Roman’s hand flexes on my back, fingers pressing into my skin. And there’s the flutter in my lower belly, the pulse between my legs. My hand in his, he tugs me onto the dance floor, and we’re swallowed by people. Roman’s hands settle low on my hips, our bodies pressed so tightly together we might as well be naked.
“A fan?” He questions, leaning down to be heard over the music. “Please consider my reputation and sensitive ego. At least stalker made me feel like I was doing something with my life.”
“Being a stalker is a lot of work and commitment. Are you sure that’s something you want?” It’s what I want.
Not for Roman to stalk me because I prefer my stalkers to be fictional. I want commitment and safety. And by his own admission, that’s not something Roman’s interested in.
“Blossom, you make work and commitment sound like a burden, like I already don’t spend half the time thinking about you and the other half watching your every move.”
Is it hot in here or is it me? I’m suddenly so thirsty and I don’t think water is going to be enough to quench this thirst.
“You should be careful. You’re heading into obsession territory.” My voice is low because I’m not sure I can speak any louder than this, though I’m sure Roman hears me. The world grows hazy beyond him, the lights and sounds of the club distant distractions. The only thing that matters is that our bodies fit together, our hips moving with the beat of the music.
Roman laughs lightly, the sound lacking humor. “I appreciate the warning, Blossom. But it’s already too late. My whole life is nothing but an obsession.”
He pushes me away, twirling me around until my back is pressed to his front, my ass meeting his groin. It fills me with a strange sense of satisfaction that I’m not the only one who’s breathless and aroused.
There are people pressing in around us, but we might as well be in our own bubble. Resting my hands on top of Roman’s, I writhe my hips against him.
Tilting my head back, I rest it on his shoulder, turning my head so my lips brush his ear. “That sounds stressful and dangerous.”
“What’s a little danger when the reward is getting to be near you?” Roman places a kiss below my ear and sucks lightly. Shivers chase down my spine and I let out a little moan. “You should be worried, though. Because there will come a day when I’ll break. I’ll stop playing this game and you’ll know exactly what it feels like when you push a desperate man too far.”
I…I… what is happening? I need to sit down. I need air. I want to kiss this man and forget all the things that everyone thinks I should want. I want to push him too far and let his control break. My pulse is pounding between my legs and in desperate need, I let a hand trail down, gently skimming it along my thigh.
“You’re such a bad girl, Blossom,” Roman’s whisper is harsh in my ear. He grips my hand, his knuckles brushing against my inner thigh, and even that small touch is enough to set me off.
“Roman,” I whimper, scratching his jaw with my teeth. He shudders behind me, his jaw clenching.
Taking my hand, he pulls me off the dance floor and I’m not entirely sure where we are going until we end up in the back of the club where the restrooms are.
Roman pulls us into a dark alcove that’s closed off from the club, where no one will be able to see anything, and pushes me against the wall. He rests one hand on the wall beside my hand as he leans down, his lips hovering over mine.
“Now’s your chance to back out, Blossom.” I tilt my head back, trying to find his eyes in the dark. He’s not touching meanywhere, yet I feel his presence pressing into me everywhere, settling hot and heavy along my skin.
I wait for the doubt or worry to rise, for my sanity to return and remind me that this is the man who has a group of women showing up to his every game and calling themselves the Maddox Maniacs. A few of whom he’s slept with, I’m quite sure.
My sanity doesn’t return. Because this is exactly what I want. What I’ve wanted since the moment I kissed him on my wedding day. There’s also the fact that I’ve never been able to resist him, not even when we were kids. That dark hair and those hazel eyes have been haunting me since I’ve been old enough to form memories.
Even now, tension stretches thick between us, pulling taut the ties which bind us together. I’ve never wanted to not resist something more. I cup his jaw, arching up to bite his bottom lip, tugging lightly. “Thank you for the offer, but I want to keep playing.”
Roman growls, lowering his head until his mouth connects with mine. Sparks shoot through my veins as soon as our mouths meet. Roman moans, his hands dropping to my waist and pulling me closer against him until our bodies connect.
Until this moment, I hadn’t realized how desperate I’ve been to feel his mouth on mine again. Some restless part of me sighs with relief and I don’t want to take the time to examine it because it’s going to tell me things I don’t want to hear.
Even with all the urgency charging between us, Roman doesn’t rush the kiss. His mouth is soft against mine even as he goes in hard. I part my lips, inviting his tongue to tangle with mine. He tastes like chocolate and bad decisions. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I push my hands into his hair. It’s as thick and soft as I remember, and I want to keep running my fingers through it.
“I’ve been dying to kiss you again,” Roman murmurs on my lips. “Your perfect fucking mouth is all I’ve thought about for months.”
