Page 118 of Dark Romeo

I shouldn’t have turned around.

I shouldn’t have asked him to stay.

I shouldn’t have left my window open for him.

“Roman,” I whispered against his shoulder as I drowned in the nearness of him. “What happens next?”

I lifted my head to look up at him. His eyes were furrowed with pain, his beautiful lips pressed thin as he gazed at me. “Sleep,” he managed to croak out.

There was nothing left. Only unanswered questions.

What if…

If only…

The answers were ones that we didn’t want to face. At least not right now.

I closed my eyes. In the complete darkness behind my eyelids, I gained the courage to press further into him. His body burned hotter than anyone I’ve ever met. It seared me to my bones and yet the heat was like a balm to my aching soul. I inhaled his scent of cedar and man, letting it fill my lungs.

I was in the arms of a man who basically admitted to stalking me, a man who threatened to cut someone to pieces with a knife, a man whose presence beside me put me in grave danger from his family, and yet I felt safe.

Safer than I’d felt in a long time.

ROMAN

____________

I was lying in bed with Julianna Capulet. And we weren’t naked.

Well…this was new.

I could do this. I could just lie here with her and not?—

She shifted her leg over mine, her thigh now pressing right against my dick. I stiffened, the awareness flooding down my body. Fuck, I missed her honey skin and soft, warm curves. I reached for her, halting just before I touched her.

Don’t be a dick, Roman. She was attacked tonight. The last thing she needs is for you to attack her too, you horny bastard.

But she asked you to stay. That’s practically an invitation to?—

Keep your damn hands to yourself, you selfish fucker.

I gritted my teeth against the feral desire that gripped me, threatening to break my control. She wasn’t making this easy. What the hell did you even do with a woman in bed if you weren’t fucking her?

Cuddles. I seem to remember one of the women I dated complaining that she wanted to cuddle in bed. How was I supposed to “cuddle” her without crushing her? I carefully placed my arm around Jules. She tucked herself further into the crook of my arm, her soft hair nestled against my chest, smelling like some kind of tropical flower. She sighed, a soft, happy sound. For some reason it made my chest cavity puff up. Damn. This was nice. Real nice. I could get used to this.

* * *

I woke up with a start.

My eyes took a second to adjust to the dim, the touch of dawn only just lightening the window. The strange window. This wasn’t my bedroom.

I became aware of the soft body beside me. Julianna. I was in her bedroom.

Shit. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but she’d been so warm and perfect. I stared down at the sleeping beauty. Her face was soft and completely relaxed.

I realized with a start, this was the first time I’d ever slept beside a woman without fucking her. What the hell did that mean?

Nothing. It means nothing. Now stop thinking and get the hell out of here before she wakes up.

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