Page 74 of Worth the Trouble

“Who says you did?”

His statement makes me pause, a foot away from him, knowing it’s his defenses coming up, but still not liking it. Rome is like me in a lot of ways, intent on never letting anyone in. But I saw it in the rain—in his eyes. I felt the truth he’s resisting.

“I disappeared for three days.”

Finally, Rome turns to face me, and I have to crane my neck back to look up at him. The same dark eyes I’ve fallen for every time I’ve looked into them are clouded in something I can’t pinpoint.

“Do you make a habit of that?”

“It’s how my life is.”

Rome nods, his eyes raking me over. I wonder if he’s trying to gauge whether I’ll run again. Or maybe he’ll be the one to do it this time. The thought alone makes me take another step closer.

“But you make me wish that wasn’t the case.” It’s almost a whisper, buried in the crackles from the fire.

“Those are dangerous words to say to a man like me.”

“Maybe,” I agree. “But no more dangerous than the things you’renotsaying.”

People don’t call Rome out on his shit. He uses the fact that he keeps people at a distance as a shield of protection. But even if he tries to hide behind his demons and his ink, he made the mistake of letting me in.

Rome reaches up and brushes my wet hair off the side of my face, sweeping his fingers down my jaw and neck, before pausing with his palm on my chest. “Does your heart already belong to another man, Lili?”

It beats against my ribs, and I wonder if he feels it making music for him. I shake my head slowly. “No.”

“Good.” Rome’s eyes are locked on mine, but his hand doesn’t move. “Because I’ve felt all kinds of pain. Enough for it to make me numb.”

“I know.”

“You’d think it’d be a relief to feel nothing.”

You’d think it would, but we both know it’s not.

“But you—” His hand moves up again, and he wraps it around my throat in a way that only feels comforting with him. Because I want this man to hold my life in his hands and make it worth living. “You hurt like hell.”

His grip tightens, but I don’t flinch. I stare into his eyes and hold my ground.

“So do you.”

Rome’s touch sears, his eyes burn, his presence incinerates.

He leans down until he’s an inch from my face, the dark smirk I love once more making an appearance in the corner of his full lips. “Good.”

With one word, he closes the distance and sinks his mouth to me. He takes my air, my life, my heart. His ink might as well crawl from his skin and seep into my own. Because I’ll never escape him.

He tastes like cinnamon and smells like apples. Fall coming, leaves changing, the air shifting.

Breaking the kiss, Rome looks at me with something wicked in his eyes. “You’re perfect, and it makes me want to make a mess of you.”

I tip my chin up, facing off with him. “You make me want to let you.”

The corner of Rome’s lip ticks at the challenge. “Are you on the pill, sweetheart?”

I nod, knowing there’s only one reason he’d ask me that question.

“Do you trust me?”

I shouldn’t. Ireallyshouldn’t when he’s looking at me like he wants to slice me open and drag his fingers through anything that looks pure. But I can’t help it, so I tell him the truth. “Yes. Why? Are we playing another game of chicken?”

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