Page 87 of The Criminal's Cure
It doesn’t take long for the pressure inside of me to become too much, and it explodes like a fucking gun. I brace myself against Maddie’s hips, pinning her to the counter as I ride out my climax. It hits me so hard that I barely remember my own name as we both fall against the granite. It takes a minute for either of us to gather ourselves enough to speak, but finally, Maddie does.
“You know, the whole sex on the counter thing was hot, but do you think we can move the rest of this upstairs? Like to your bed?”
“I completely agree. This granite is going to murder my back.” I chuckle, sliding off to the side and reaching my hand out to help her down.
“Now you sound like an old man. I just meant I’d like to continue this with a little more privacy.”
“Old man?” I arch my eyebrow, reaching over and slapping her ass. “You’re going to be sorry you said that.”
Maddie grins and starts up the stairs, playfully gesturing for me to follow her. It doesn’t seem like we’re going to bed soon, but that’s perfectly fine with me.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Afterthenightwehad, the sound of my alarm feels like nails on a chalkboard. I’ve got an instant headache and I haven’t even opened my eyes yet. I probably should have reconsidered one or two of those champagnes or maybe the third or fourth round of sex Roman and I had once we got home, because I’m hurting today and I have to be to the hospital in an hour.
I reach out for Roman, but his side of the bed is cold. The running water in the bathroom tells me he's been up for a while. When we went to bed last night, he didn’t elaborate on what exactly he had to do, just that he would be occupied for most of the day. I had a hunch that both of us would be looking forward to a quiet night at home after last night.
The gala was a rush of emotions, and I’m just as exhausted mentally as I am physically. Bits and pieces of the evening run through my mind, including Roman knocking Dr. Bauer out on the cold marble floor of the banquet hall. I could still vividly see Dr. Bauer’s head snapping back with the force of the blowand hear the sound of Roman’s fist connecting with his jaw. Although Dr. Bauer deserved it, it still makes me cringe. I know that that side of Roman exists, but I didn’t like seeing it firsthand. I doubt Dr. Bauer and I will be on good terms after that.
Then there was the confrontation that Roman had with my dad. The sting of my dad’s words is still fresh, but Roman swiftly came to my defense in a way that I wasn’t used to. He defended me; he supported me; he loved me like I’ve never been in all my life and that’s what sticks out to me most of all.
When my alarm reaches the end of the snooze cycle, I reluctantly pull myself out of bed. Reaching for a robe, I slip it over my body. It’s not surprising that I didn’t even end up in pajamas last night, but the morning light makes me slightly more modest.
The bathroom door is cracked open, and as I get closer, I can see Roman leaning against the counter shaving his face. He’s shirtless, in only a pair of jeans, as he hums along to a song playing from his phone. Pushing the door open a little more, I lean against the frame and soak in every detail of his broad, muscled back.
No matter how many times I see it, just the sight of him makes my knees weak. I’ve traced the lines of every single tattoo on his body at least a dozen times, but I feel like I always find something new in his artwork. This morning, it’s a pair of songbirds right at the base of his neck. I’ve never noticed it before, probably because they’re entwined in a larger picture, but they’re stunning. Inside one are the initials RM, and inside the other, NC.
My brow furrows in confusion. The RM is pretty self-explanatory, but the other one is baffling. NC? What does that stand for?
“Are you just going to stand there staring all morning?” Roman smirks at me through the mirror.
I smile, joining him in the bathroom. “I was just admiring how handsome you are.”
“Oh, well, in that case…” Roman sets his razor on the counter and turns toward me. “You are in luck. This is a hands-on, interactive exhibit. In fact”—he reaches for my hand and tugs me forward, trapping me between his knees—“touching is encouraged.”
“Mmm, Idolike the sound of that. But you know that if we start this, neither one of us will make it to work today.“ I smile, reaching up and wiping a bit of shaving cream off his nose with my thumb. Roman lurches to the side, pretending to bite me. He hungrily kisses my neck, dragging his teeth along the skin and smearing shaving cream all over me.
“Roman, stop!” I try to squirm out of his grasp, but the more I move, the tighter he clenches his legs around me.
“Fine. You win. We’ve both got work to do. But I plan on picking this back up tonight.”
“You better. It’ll be the only thing getting me through the day.” I sigh, breaking out of his grasp and picking up a wet washcloth to clean his shaving cream from my neck.
“You know, you don’t have to go back. You could just quit,” he suggests, grabbing his razor and resuming his shave.
“No, I can’t. I turned down the LA position last night, and if I quit this job, I’ll be completely out of work.” I shake my curls out gently. The mascara underneath my eyes and rat’s nest in my hair makes me fully regret just falling into bed last night.
“You can always have your job here back.” He winks. Before leaving, he gives me one last deep kiss. “See you tonight?”
I nod.
“Ernie is going to be at the hospital with you today.”
“Does he have to be? It’s weird having someone hanging around me all the time. I can’t work in those conditions.” I like Ernie, but it’s getting a little old, and it seems like the threats have died down.
“Nice try.” Roman chuckles, playfully slapping my butt. “He’s coming. End of discussion.”
I let out a heavy, petulant sigh and fold my arms over my chest. It’s not really that big of a deal, but with the mood I’m in, everything is going to irritate me today.
