Page 74 of By the Letter

He shifted his body so he was half over me, pressing me into the back of the seat. His hand braced next to my head, caging me in. I should have felt intimidated, but I felt safe in the cave Roman had made for me with his body.

“You don’t have to be nervous with me, Goldie,” he uttered so gently my body responded. My heartbeat slowed, allowing me to take a full, deep breath. “There’s my girl. Now, tell me what you want.”

I closed my eyes. There was no way I could say this with my eyes open.

“You, inside me.”

His exhale was a stuttering, messy thing. “I can give you that. I would fucking love to give you that.”

My eyes fluttered open, unsurprised to find his burning into me. “Okay.”

After a beat, his mouth stretched into a grin. “You had to bring this up before the game, didn’t you? No way you want to skip it and head back home?”

I shook my head, smiling back. “No way.”

“Christ.” His forehead dropped to mine. “Well, I guess we’re going to have to hope the anticipation doesn’t kill me.”

My toes curled in my sneakers.Let’s hope.

Chapter Twenty-five

Shira

Bea was glued tothe game—and not because she was particularly a fan of the sport.

“Were you aware of the thighs on these men?” she asked no one in particular. Then she raised a brow at me. “Clearly,youwere aware.”

I bit into a breadstick instead of answering her. Not that she was waiting around for one. She’d already turned her attention back to the field. It wasn’t a far stretch to look at Ben in his skimpy shorts and assume Roman must have looked exactly the same when he’d played.

The one time we’d been naked together, the room had been dim, and my mask had obscured my vision, so I hadn’t been able to fully take in all he was.

Maybe I’d get to…perhaps even tonight.

My stomach dipped dangerously. Getting caught up in what might happen later would only make me too nervous to enjoy what was happening now.

The Mountain Lions’ stadium was beautiful, the box luxurious. Roman had made sure the food and drink spread was extensive. There were waiters standing by to serve us, but he’d personally filled my plate and kicked Nate off the leather couch so I’d have the best seat.

Everyone is eating, chatting, mingling, and watching the game. The only hiccup had been Adrian. Tonight was our first time meeting, and he didn’t seem overly thrilled about it, but I tried to reserve judgment. I knew what it was like to be seen as cold when I was shy, though I doubted Adrian was. He seemed to have no problem making conversation with Clara and Jake. Even Bea had almost made him smile. But me? He’d shown little interest beyond a few calculating stares.

Clara wandered over and sat down beside me. “Are you ready for your surprise?”

I put down my breadstick and wiped my mouth with my napkin. “I don’t know. Am I?”

“It’s a good surprise. I won the auction for the cabin in Breckinridge. You, me, and Bea are going next month for your babymoon. We’ll eat, spa, and relax. What do you say?”

“A babymoon?” My eyes immediately started burning, which was unacceptable. If I cried at a rugby game, I’d probably be banned from the sport for life. “I don’t know what to say. I love the idea. Are you sure you want to use your prize on me?”

“Absolutely. I bid on it with you in mind. The house is huge. If you want to invite more people, you can, or we can keep it a girls’ weekend.”

“Let’s just keep it the three of us.” I bumped my shoulder against hers. “Who knows how long it’ll be before we can do something like that again, you know?”

“That’s what I was thinking. Girls’ weekend it is.” She patted my belly. “The end of one era and beginning of another.”

A shadow fell over us, then Roman’s voice rumbled next to my ear. “You’re going on a trip?”

I turned my head, my nose almost colliding with his. He was leaning over the back of the sofa, too close for me to decipher his expression.

“A weekend in Breck next month,” Clara replied.

---