Page 56 of Shadows of Obsession

Maybe in another life.

It's the only thought that crosses my mind while his hands cup my neck, coordinating the assault on me. His tongue dancing with mine, his touch on my neck, and all the emotions from tonight make me release a sound somewhere between a moan and a sigh. I know we'll need to break the moment to breathe, and when it happens, I feel the need to draw air into my lungs as if I've been underwater for a long time.

And that's exactly how I feel. My head is light and I'm convinced my legs will give out. This man doesn't just kiss, he devours. His lips caress every inch of skin, seemingly trying to memorize this moment.

"Mine," he declares.

Although he says it in an authoritative tone, I feel the note of question in his declaration. And I know it's his way of leaving me a gap in the door to escape if I want, but that's not what I want. Not when my body seems to catch fire when he's near, not whenI only have this feeling of peace when he's beside me, not when, exactly as Anuska said, something in my soul calls to his and fills the void I have.

"Yours! For as long as you want me," I answer while gently taking his face in my hands, because I'm too overwhelmed by insecurities, by everything that's happened to me, to believe that a man like Roman, who is the complete package and could have any woman, would be satisfied with an anxiety-filled bomb who loves Mexican food.

His eyebrows furrow, and he gently touches my lower lip with his finger while whispering, "I know everything going through that head of yours, and I guarantee you just signed a lifetime contract. There's no world where I'll get tired of you."

I realize he's serious from the way his eyes look at me. There's no lie, no betrayal, just adoration, and I don't understand how.

How can such an imposing man, so self-assured and with unlimited resources, want a weak woman like me? Because I am weak. I was weak when I forgave Aidan's first debts, when I gave him more chances in a relationship when I knew I wasn't happy, when I preferred to lie to my parents rather than admit the situation, when I chose to break away from my friends and my life just for a breath of air and peace.

"Just promise me you'll tell me if something changes. Don't let me discover it alone."

It's pathetic what I'm asking, but it's the guarantee I need for my soul. I know how deeply I can fall when I fall in love, and if what I felt for Aidan was love, with Roman I sense I'll be at least a mountain above those feelings.

Roman lifts my gaze, which was trained on his sweater, and aligns it with his.

"I've never brought anyone into the house where my sister sleeps, Luna. I've never killed anyone for a woman, and with you there are already two such moments in the last few weeks, and I certainly haven't lost control with anyone like I have with you. When Anton called to tell me someone broke into your apartment, I felt every fiber in my body wanting to disintegrate just to get there faster. I don't know what the hell you've done to me, and I've given up thinking about it because these moments when you're next to me are the only ones where all the weight, all the fatigue, all the stress disappear. You, your freckles, and that smile you offer so sparingly, I want you exactly where you're supposed to be...in my home."

I'm not the crying type, but I feel my eyes getting wet because his voice is so vulnerable now, compared to the man who was ready to blow Kai's head off when he touched me, that I only want to melt in his arms.

"Okay," is all I can offer him now.

And I would have liked to tell him with more words everything his declaration meant, but after the night we've had I can't give any more. I need to rest, and judging by his dark circles, so does he.

"Can you please sleep with me?" I ask while giving him a peck on the cheek.

It's completely innocent compared to the earlier kiss, but ironically it's the one that makes me blush completely.

He smirks.

"Sure, but not here. In my bedroom. We'll move your things there tomorrow." He takes my hand to guide me to a room that's right next to the one I was sleeping in.

The bedroom suits Roman to a T. Opulent drapes in a cherry color, almost black hardwood floors, and a bed I'm sure is custom-made, as it seems to be ten feet long.

How the hell did they get this bed into this room?

I know normal relationships don't start with "let's sleep in the same bed," and even if nothing sexual is going to happen, I feel awkward.

Wait, did I just say relationship?Is that what we are now?

After a few minutes, Roman comes out of the bathroom wearing only gray sweatpants, and I've never been more grateful for the dim light in the room because the way I'm staring at his abs and what's below them is something else.

I'm downright ridiculous.

"My eyes are up here, love," he tells me in an amused tone, and only then do I realize he's watching me from the bathroom doorway.

I try to ignore all the butterflies in my stomach at the word "love" said in that sexy voice.

"It shouldn't be legal to look this good...and all the tattoos? It's like I pulled you straight from my books," I tell him while getting into bed and covering myself up to my nose with the blanket.

I've never slept with anyone in bed. Even with Aidan I avoided this kind of situation. That's why we never moved in together. The simple act of sharing a bed with someone seems so intimate that I never felt the need to do it with my ex.

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