ROMAN (Lane Brothers Book 5) (12 page)

I kiss her this way for a while, just enjoying the way she keeps pushing her tongue at me as if she can’t get enough. I can’t, either, and it scares me that no matter how hard I suck and lick at her, I can’t get close enough to satisfy the need that’s raging through me.

I’m almost in control when she hops up and wraps her legs around my thigh, her sex and the heat of her body burning me when she starts rubbing herself against my leg.

I lose control after that and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I remember every touch and every time we made love, and this is one of those times where the memory and present meld into one.

I remember the first time I touched her and she rode my thigh to her first orgasm. The way her heat stayed on my skin even hours later while I tried to finish my shift without getting myself killed, because all I could think about was that I needed to get home and get into her as soon as possible.

“Oh, that feels so good,” she moans, dragging her mouth away when the need to breathe becomes too much.

It does feel good and so right that I’m taking the stairs to the loft and laying her down on the bed moments later, my mind and body at odds as I grab her dress and rip it down the middle in one swift move.

I take it all in then, her lying beneath me wearing nothing but a small pair of white panties. Her body is still the same but for a slight swelling at her waist and the obvious swelling of her breasts.

These little changes are what seal the deal for me and turn me into a raving lunatic. It’s physical proof that while we may not be together, we are joined in one of the most elemental ways a man and woman can be joined.

“You’re so beautiful, baby girl. I—”

I stop and clear my throat when emotion threatens to overwhelm me and fall to my knees beside the bed, knowing that I need to get to her now before what little I have left completely deserts me.

Her cry when I latch on to her nipple is a balm to my soul and I make love to her with everything in me, sucking, licking, and nibbling so long that I hear her cry out and start ripping at the sheets.

“More.”

I love this part and I feel myself grin when her hands start pulling at my hair, trying to guide me lower where she needs me most. It’s always like this, and one of the reasons sex with us is so great is that Mel has no inhibitions.

She wants me to make her feel good and she won’t hesitate to let me know what she needs.

“Lick me, Roman. Please. I hurt there,” she pleads.

I obey her because I can’t resist her scent and the heat another moment longer. My eyes roll back and I hear my own groans join hers when I settle between her spread thighs and open my mouth right over her.

She tastes sweeter than I remember—earthier—and the knowledge is so intense, I go wild and start sucking and licking like a starved beast.

Mel is yelling and crying by the time I push a finger into her heat and suction my lips around her swollen bud, sucking and flicking, making love to her sex in the same untamed way I kissed her mouth earlier.

Her orgasm washes over us both when I feel her tense and contract around my finger and I abandon her clit to latch on to her, needing to drown in her taste as much as I need to slide up and into the heat beckoning me.

She comes down and starts pushing my mouth away because she gets so sensitive that it hurts to have me there a moment longer.. By that time, I’m hurting, as well, because I’m so hard. I drag myself up and over her, just waiting for the signal that I can do what I need to do to give us both the pleasure we crave.

Mel, my sweet baby girl, doesn’t disappoint. I have to swallow the lump in my throat when she opens dreamy eyes and smiles up at me as if I just gave her the moon.

“Make love to me, Roman.”

“Oh God, thank you,” I groan, sliding up and into her.

The way I feel when I’m finally home where I belong and filling her completely is indescribable. It’s warm and tight and so good. I feel my eyes cross at the pure pleasure stroking over my length in little contractions that drive me insane with the need to thrust and keep going till I’m empty and spent inside her.

But there’s more, too. I feel whole and at peace somewhere deep inside.

The sex is always great, and I won’t lie and say that it’s not necessary to me, because it is. I need it. A lot. But the emotional satisfaction is just as strong as ever, and it’s that I revel in when she starts moaning again and pushing her hips up to meet mine.

“Roman.”

“I know, baby girl, I know. I feel it, too,” I moan, pulling out slow and easy before going back in just as slowly.

“Ah, yes, harder,” she growls, digging her nails into my ass with a twist of her hips that sends me even deeper and makes my dick sputter with the need to offload hard and fast.

“No, I need to be gentle.” I hold myself in check with the knowledge that she’s delicate and pregnant and—

“I said harder! Please, Roman, please. It hurts inside without you. I need you to take me.” She’s bumping her hips up frantically to achieve the friction she needs.

Her desperation sparks mine and I give in with a yell, thrusting harder and faster when she goes wild beneath me and starts screaming her pleasure into the darkened room.

Her contractions are strong and harder than I can remember them ever being, and it takes all my effort to keep thrusting and prolonging her pleasure before I finally give in minutes later with a groan and pour everything I have into her quacking sex.

My own orgasm is painfully good. We’re both panting and sticky by the time I flip over onto my back, keeping her joined to me as I struggle to regain the breath she just stole.

We lie that way for hours after, and I love every second of the experience, even knowing that she’s not about to relent anytime soon.

What we just shared may not be hearts and flowers and all romance, sex never truly is if we’re all being honest, but now I’m sure that we do belong together, no matter how hard life will be at times.

Melissa

I am so sex drunk the next morning that when I wake, I don’t immediately dash to the bathroom to brush my teeth the way I always did. I have a few phobias about what I look and smell like first thing after waking, but not this morning.

No, this time I just lie quietly beside Roman and listen to his even breathing as I let the euphoric afterglow of the night’s events wash over me like a cool rainstorm in the desert.

I feel whole again, as if just the physical union and the shared pleasure have put back the puzzle pieces that have been missing all these weeks.

Lon was right after all. I only ended things with Roman because I’m afraid and a coward and too broken still to deal with the fear that will come along with being his. I know that he’ll go off to work and leave me, and all I’ll do till he comes back is worry and wonder if today’s the day I’ll lose the man I love because he’s reckless and fearless and too driven to see the dangers around him.

“You okay, baby girl?” he mumbles sleepily, looking down at me with sated, lazy eyes.

“Yeah. I’m good,” I lie, giving him a weak smile I know isn’t half as convincing as it needs it to be.

Roman sees it and he rears up over me, stroking my cheek softly as he gazes down at me with steady eyes.

“I should have given you more time. I fucked this all up again, didn’t I?”

“What? No! You were perfect, babe, I swear. I just…I’m just feeling a little sad today is all. It’s part of the whole pregnancy. Sometimes I wake up feeling great, and then other days…”

“You miss the chief,” he guesses.

“I do miss Daddy today, but I guess that goes with the territory since it’s—”

“His birthday. Yeah I know, baby girl.” He sighs, leaning down to kiss me tenderly. “You want to play hooky with me today and do something special for your old man?”

I have no idea how to respond to that since I had every intention of locking myself up inside the cottage and just lying on the sofa like a dead lump of grief.

Roman shrugs and I see the pain I feel at the memory of Daddy’s last birthday reflected in his eyes.

“We could go down to the old pond at Farmer’s and fish the day away like he used to do? He took me with him once. It was good. We could just be lazy and quiet all day, baby girl, and remember someone we both loved and lost.”

Just like that I feel some of my melancholy fade and the joy I felt earlier return.

“Sure. You get the poles and I’ll pack a basket?”

Roman smiles softly and I get another soft kiss before he’s up and walking naked to the bathroom.

“Come on, the day ain’t waiting on us and I want to get there before the sun’s out. Don’t forget your hat and sunscreen.”

How do I not love the damn man?

I get up because I have to and go to the guest bath to shower while I plan the food with an eye for what he likes and what I can stomach myself. I won’t think of another negative thing right now.

Today is for Daddy.

***

Roman

She’s overthinking things again, I can feel it as I bump the truck over the little dirt road and start winding my way down to the track that leads to the pond and some of the best fishing water in the area.

Today is about more than trying to win her back. It’s about keeping her distracted and out of the doldrums while also thinking of my next move and whether or not I can really go into retirement when all it makes me feel is miserable and unsettled.

I see Miah’s SUV already parked to the side with him and Jace leaning back and waiting on us. I would never bring my woman out here without at least an hour’s worth of recon to ensure there aren’t any undesirables lurking around. I also still have Lynn to consider, and seeing as my dear old pain in the ass aunt is nuttier than trail mix, I’m not taking any chances.

So I decided to call my brothers and drag them out for the day, no matter how much Miah hates fishing and Jace complained he was missing a good opportunity to knock up his wife.

Once I told them that it’s the chief’s birthday and let on that Mel was feeling a bit down, they were ready to roll. I think they may actually like her more than me at this point.

“Is that Miah and Jace?” she asks, sitting forward with a frown.

“Yea. They’re coming with us.”

That makes her turn to me in confusion and I hold up a hand to quiet her as I park and put the truck in neutral.

“They’re here because I don’t want you unprotected while this op is still unresolved.”

That makes her tense and I curse myself for scaring her when all I want is for her to have one day of happiness where we don’t talk about anything heavy or serious.

“Why? You’re here,” she says softly and I feel my chest expend with pride at the idea that she trusts me so completely with her safety and well-being.

I like that, but I’d be lying if it didn’t terrify me to know that she has that much faith in me.

“I appreciate the confidence, baby girl, but when it comes to your safety and little man’s, I’m willing to take a hit to my pride and ask my brothers for help. Now come on, woman, we’re wasting daylight.”

“Huh.”

“Huh what?”

She shrugs and I see her lips twitch before she starts laughing into her hands, her eyes twinkling up at me like two deep pools of endless gold.

“Roman, babe, don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but I think I prefer your friend persona more than your boyfriend one. Remember that time we were trying to break into the station archives and I asked if we shouldn’t have brought backup?”

“Yeah,” I grumble, hating that I know where she’s going with this.

“You told me that if you couldn’t protect me from a few bad cops, we were doomed to fail anyway.”

I did say that but give me a break. Our relationship was shiny new and I took the unintended slur on my manhood personally. At that stage, I was still cocky and thoughtless and I thought I had nothing to lose.

I know better now.

“I was an asshole.”

That gets another laugh and she winks at me with a grin.

“See?
Friends
is definitely better. You’re not so hard.”

“Baby girl, I’ve been hard as a fucking brick since that day I laid eyes on you.”

“Oh shut up and behave yourself, Lane. Now come on, the daylight’s wasting.”

***

The day was so nice that I hated having to pack up when the sun started sinking and Miah pointed out that Mel was starting to flag where I had her sitting on a blanket in the shade while I pretended to fish and Miah kept cursing with every hour that passed without a single bite.

I hated taking her home to her cottage and kissing her good-bye while my brothers watched from the windows like a bunch of little old ladies, and I actually heard Ma squealing from all the way over there.

More than anything, I hated walking away when all I really wanted to do was throw her over my shoulder and bring her to my bed where I want her. She’s slept here, in this very spot where my head now rests, and yet I’ve never seen her here.

I’m still cursing my own stupidity an hour later when I hear my door crash open and a little ball of trembling terror lands right on top of me with a cry.

I recognize her scent immediately and I spring into action as fear and adrenaline start pumping through my veins so hard, I have to shake my head to dispel some dizziness.

“Baby girl?”

“There…was…” She’s breathing heavily and I hear her teeth chatter even over the sound of my door hitting the wall as Miah comes running in in a pair of shorts and his bare chest.

“What the fuck is going on? Mellie? Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he demands.

Mel is still trembling, but I manage to hit the light and keep her steady so I can get a good look at her. She’s pale and her eyes look wild and glassy with fear, ramping up the surge of energy trying to crawl out of my skin.

“There was someone in the cottage. I heard the door click open and I saw…” She starts shaking harder and it takes a lot for me not to go on a rampage before I settle her and go find whoever scared her near to death.

“Breathe, baby, just breathe and take it easy. You’re safe here with me. I would never let—”

“I hid in the crawl space beside the dresser and I saw…he had a freaking rope and a syringe. I think he was going to try and drug me,” she snarls and I see my Mel’s eyes flash with violent anger.

“Baby—”

“Nuh-uh, Lane, do not try and tell me to calm down. The only reason I made it out of there is because I shimmied down the stairs on my hands and knees while he was looking under the damn bed. Thank you, Jesus, Jared showed me the hidden panel leading to the tunnel, because there was another person outside, waiting to get me,” she hisses, punching my pillow before breaking out in tears.

“I should have gone for the gun and shot both their asses!”

I’m not even listening at this point as I look up and meet Miah’s eyes with a hard glare of my own. All I can think is that my girl was all alone in the cottage, a place that should have been safe and yet wasn’t, while some fuck snuck onto our land and tried to kill her.

“Get Jared and go take a look. I’ll stay here with Mel.”

My words earn me a strange look from them both and yet I don’t give a shit right now. She’s scared and upset and she needs me. I swore when I was lying in that hospital bed that I would always give my girl what she needs.

I’m not breaking this vow. Not again.

Miah nods once and storms out and I feel almost sorry for whoever was stalking Mel. If they’re not gone yet, Miah won’t let them survive the night.

One thing about my brother is his undying loyalty to family and I can damn guarantee that if he gets pissed off enough to threaten me with bodily harm if I ever hurt Mel again, he’s raging mad at whatever animal intended to lay hands on his little sister.

“Jared! Get your ass up, bro. Someone went into the cottage and tried to grab Mel.”

He’s yelling loud enough to wake the dead, and I hear Jared curse before they start pounding down the stairs and I hear door bang open.

Stealth would be wasted now anyway since they likely already know that she escaped them, and I highly doubt either Miah or Jared are capable of it with the way they’re feeling anyway.

“Roman?”

I snap back to attention and pull her closer with a curse.

“It’s okay. I got you.”

Mel pushes away and shakes her head once before I see a lone tear track down her cheek.

“You were right and I should have listened to you. You said this wouldn’t be over if you left that last man standing, and now…you need to find them all, Roman. You need to find them and end this before our baby gets here.”

She’s so scared she’s willing to tell me to go on even though I know she’s terrified of what will happen if I go after the last few stragglers. I hate that.

Mel should be strong and sarcastic and insulting at times like these. Hell, she told her own father to suck it up and use a tampon when he got anxious about stuff, and she’s threatened to shoot anyone who so much as looks at her funny.

This Mel who cries and looks defeated is not my girl, and I swear to God I will kill whoever broke her. And then I will build her snarky ass back up, even if it means listening to insults for the rest of my life.

“I’ll get them all, baby girl. I promise. Now hush up and let me hold you. I almost lost a century, you scared me so bad.”

She snuggles closer and I hold her until I feel her stiffen and cling closer to me.

“Roman?”

“Yeah, darling?”

She sighs and pulls away to get beneath the covers, then points to the door.

“Go get them.”