Page 69 of A Good Girl's Guide to Dominance
I don't even bother searching for an excuse. “Okay. See you tomorrow. Have a good night.”
Jeremiah’s smile makes me happy. Even though Jaz and I aren't on solid footing these days, Jeremiah has been nothing but supportive since the moment we laid eyes on Rome. He has had my back this entire time, always telling me to go for it andreminding me that no one’s opinion on this matters but mine. He has never made me feel bad in any way regarding Rome, and I love him for that. No matter what happens between Jaz and me, I know Jeremiah is a friend for life.
Once he's out the door, I look around to make sure we’re alone before locking the door and going to Rome’s office. He sits behind his desk draped in frustration, his hand on his head as his fingers work circles over his temples. His eyes are closed and I can see that today’s insanity has added weight to his shoulders.
“Headache?” I ask as I enter and sit down on the black couch butted against the wall in front of his desk.
He lets out a sigh. “Something like that.”
“Sorry,” I say, although I'm not sure what I'm apologizing for. “I can't believe how today went. Everything being pulled out into the open … and Sierra … I don't even know what to say. Whatever happened with her? Did she give you an answer?”
“She's staying,” he replies flatly, fingers still massaging his temples. “She apologized to me before she left, and she’ll apologize to you first thing in the morning.”
“Ah,” I reply. Well, that fucking sucks. “Why not fire her?”
“Because if she quits after that speech I gave, she has no leg to stand on when it comes to any sort of litigation. Firing her would probably be fine, too, but I just don't want to risk it. Plus, Sierra is a great VP when she's not distracted by her own bullshit. Hopefully she’ll see clearer now. If not, I’ll do what I have to do.”
I nod along, understanding the move from an employer standpoint, but still wishing he would do the drastic thing just for me. But I know Rome is too controlled for that. He won't let his emotions drive him into a ditch.
“So, can I ask you a question?” I ask, hoping I'm not adding to his headache.
Rome finally opens his eyes as he leans back in his chair as far as it will go. “Of course.”
“Why’d you admit it?” I inquire.
Rome frowns. “Admit what?”
“That we’re together. Even in the face of Sierra’s accusations, she didn't have any proof. If you would've come out and said that she was full of shit, we could still have our business hidden. Now everyone knows and will be invested in our success or failure, and you're clearly not the type of person who likes having a world of people watching your every move. I didn't expect you to do that.”
Rome licks his lips as he looks at me, making me sink into my seat with his glare as usual. When he looks away, I can tell that he’s deep in thought about something.
“Does it bother you?” he asks.
“No,” I reply the second he finishes the question. “I'm a little worried about what people may think about me, but I never liked hiding. I only wanted to do it because I knew you wanted to.”
His eyes find me again, and they’re more filled with emotion this time. “I don't know why I did it. It felt like the right time—like it was the right thing to do. There’s just … I couldn't stand there and deny it—denyyou. I'm not good at explaining it and it makes me strangely uncomfortable to talk about it at all, but I just couldn't stand beside you and tell them that we’re not together—that you don't belong to me when you do. Youdobelong to me, Nia, which is why you don't have to worry about what anyone thinks of you. I’ll protect you, and I’ll fire anyone who disrespects you. All you would have to do is point your finger and that person would be gone. You never have to worry about that.”
“You would do that for me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because …” Rome’s voice trails off, his brain stopping his mouth from saying whatever he was about to. I watch him pullit back, the emotion in his eyes morphing to something more like vexation. His eyes slowly start to move around the room, focusing on nothing at all before he gets up from his chair and comes to the couch to sit next to me. He grabs my hand and looks me in the eye. “Look, I'm not the best at expressing myself these days. I just need you to trust me. Okay? Do you trust me?”
I nearly laugh as I angle my body toward him. “Rome, you're my Dom. I have given myself over to you, and that is not something I would do lightly. You've earned my submission in every way. I trust you with every part of my being.”
“Good,” he says. “Because when I said that I cared about you out there in front of everyone, I meant it. When I said I don't see an ending for us, I meant that, too. As much as I've tried to fight certain feelings for so long, I fucking care about you, Nia. I care about you so much that it scares me.”
“I care about you, too, Rome,” I reply as tears suddenly fill my eyes, surprising me.
A surge of emotion courses through my veins and I feel something that I'm too afraid to say. Rome has been through so much, the last thing I want to do is say something that will be a shock to his already-ravaged system, but not saying how I feel doesn't erase it. It’s there now, like a leech attached directly to my heart, and now that it’s there, it is only going to grow.
As sentiment and passion swell between us, neither of us responds with more words. If I spoke, I would say the thing that scares me most. So instead of talking, I kiss him. A single peck turns into two. Two turns into our mouths pressing together and our tongues colliding, and before I can make sense of my changing world, I’m straddling him. Rome places his hands on each side of my hips, and lifts me off the couch, setting me down on his lap. Our mouths don't separate for a single second as our hands tug and pull at each other’s clothes, desperate to find skin as the temperature in the room skyrockets. Sweat beads on bothof our foreheads, but it doesn't slow us down a bit. We’ve lost control of ourselves and have no sense of our surroundings. All we know is how we feel.
“I want you on top of me,” Rome commands. “Take off your pants right now.”
“Yes, Sir,” I reply, immediately standing and pushing my pants down to step out of them. While I wiggle my way out of the fabric, Rome removes his and sits back on the couch, guiding me to him until the moment I sit down and slide his cock inside.
