Page 84 of For The Weekend
The only thing that brings me back is Roman curled over me, his face near mine, his breath hot on the side of my face, hishands massaging my arms and hips and legs. That’s when I realize I’m free to move, yet I can’t.
Might as well throw me back into the ocean, so I can float.
“You okay?” he asks, and I manage a nod. “You did so good,” he tells me, and I nod again. “I’m going to clean you up. Don’t move.”
I couldn’t even if I wanted to, and Roman draws himself up, pulling out of me with a quiet hiss, and drops a smattering of kisses on my neck before leaving me still splayed out on his bed. My body temperature quickly plummets, and goose bumps break out all over my skin. I slowly wiggle my fingers and toes then bend my knees and elbows, working life into my limbs so I can roll to my back. In time for Roman to reappear with a glass of water and a warm washcloth. He carefully swipes the cloth over my face, tucking my hair behind my ears, leaving a kiss on my forehead, then he tenderly wipes it over my most sensitive flesh and places an openmouthed kiss on my throat.
He tosses the cloth in his laundry basket then hands me the water, watching as I drink down the entire thing. Only then does he settle back on the bed, stark naked and entirely too self-satisfied when I mumble, “I think you broke me.”
“Fucked you so good you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”
He shuts off the light and wraps his arm around my waist, settling us against the pillows, and I relax into him. “That was your evil plan all along, wasn’t it?”
He kisses my shoulder. “Anything to make you stay.”
I yawn and close my eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Chapter 24
Eloise
It’s after nine o’clock in the morning in the middle of the week, and I’m elbow-deep in dirty dishwater in the kitchen at Sweet Cheeks when my phone buzzes with an incoming call. Very few people actually call me because those who know me know I don’t answer my phone. So, when I peek at the screen and see my best friend’s name, I frown. She, of all people, wouldn’t be calling me, and a rock forms in the pit of my stomach, my brain spiraling with every kind of possible reason she might dial my number, and none of them are good.
I wipe off my hands and answer. “What’s wrong?“
“Ellie,” she says, voice breaking, and so does my heart.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Can you come over? To my house?” She sniffs a few times, and I’m already on the move, ripping off my apron.
“Yeah, of course. I’m on my way.” I pocket my phone and tell Leonard I’ve got an emergency. He wishes me luck but doesn’t question it as I head out to the front, flying past Morgan, instructing them to hold down the fort untilfurther notice. They salute me, and I run out to the sidewalk, forgetting that I don’t have my coat on until I run headfirst into Roman.
“Jesus fuck,” he grates at the same time I rub at my head, having hit it on the middle of his sternum in my rush to get to Sloane. “Are you all right?”
I rub my forehead and blink rapidly. “Sloane called. Something’s wrong. I’ve got to get over to her house right away.”
His brow furrows with concern. “Is she okay? What happened?”
“I don’t know, she didn’t say. Just that she needs me.” I’m already moving to step around him, urgency propelling me forward.
He puts a hand on my arm, stilling me. “Hey, take a second. Breathe.” His dark eyes search mine. “Do you want me to come with you?”
I’m touched by his offer, but I shake my head. “No, it’s okay.”
“Where’s your coat?”
“I…oh.”
He curls his hands around my biceps. “Sunshine, take a minute. You won’t be able to help her if you’re not in the right frame of mind.”
I nod at his direction and inhale deeply through my nose, blow it out of my mouth. “It’s only that Sloane always has it together, you know? She’s the problem-solver. She’s not…”
He kisses my temple. “I get it. It’s okay. You’re worried for her, and I’m sure you’ll be able to help, but you need your coat. It’s forty degrees out. Where did you park?”
I wince. “I rode my bike today.”
“Eloise.” He sighs. “It’s November. What the fuck are you doing on a bike in November?”
