by Olivia Deici
And mom? I was worried about her, because she worried about everyone else. She was watching her family fall apart- and to my mom, family was everything.
Izzy righted everything in my world.
I picked up the phone. The caller ID read Marco’s number.
“Yea, bro.”
“Listen. Tony says you said to get to know the Russians better. He's been speaking to one in particular. Said it's good for reconnaissance.” He laughed at the last word, mimicking Tony’s voice.
“I didn't fucking tell him that. I told him the last time we spoke to stay the fuck away from Russians, and that none of them are to be trusted.”
Laughing, he said, “Yea, well, you should see him now. He's practically schmoozing the Russian.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Get it under control, Marco. Without fists. Got me? I'm not bailing your ass outta anything that happens when I warned you ahead of time.”
“Relax, bro. Shit. La rubia ain't put up yet? If not, you gotta rub it out. You're high strung.”
The grip on my phone tightened.
“Marco, you're coming close to crossing a line.”
Lately with Marco, you either got Mr. Wise Ass or Mr. Serious. There wasn't an in-between. Before his wife died, he was the stereotypical loving husband and father.
“Alright. Sorry, Rome.”
“Fine.”
“¿La cosa está sería con ella, no?”
Things are serious with her, huh?
“Yea.”
Silence followed. I bet he was thinking of Jenny.
His tone lost its lightness when he said, “I'll tell Tony.”
“Yea. Listen, keep your eyes on him. I warned him about the Russians and I was fucking clear. I don't like this. Algo está sucediendo.”
Something is happening.
“Got it.”
Everything was clear with Izzy’s building, so I went up. Inhaling when I reached the landing, I walked behind her and wrapped my arms around her middle.
“Feels good,” she murmured. I kissed her neck and she moaned.
“Who needs breakfast when I have you?”
“A man can't live on sex alone.”
I laughed and continued to kiss her neck. The spatula she had in her hand was still suspended in front of her.
“Is that a scientific fact?”
She sighed. “It's a logical one.”
Nuzzling her neck and licking it, I said, “I say we test your hypothesis.”
Giggling, she set the spatula down and turned in my arms. On her tiptoes, she spoke against my lips.
“Eat. It's been nearly twenty-four hours.”
I smiled against her lips. “So your pussy was my appetizer.”
She slapped a hand over my mouth.
I chuckled and bit it. “And it was delicious.”
Her cheeks were red. I plucked a piece of bacon off a plate and munched on it while she looked at me with wide eyes.
“Get used to it baby. It comes in a pair.” I smiled. “A set.”
“What?”
I smirked and her eyes narrowed. “Dirty mouth, dirty dick.”
She shook her head smiling. Izzy brought over the plates and we ate while taking about what we would do that evening. We had intended to go to the movies.
Instead, we made love the entire night.
Chapter 25
Izzy
Since the night he'd taken me out to Cielo, we'd been closer than ever. It had been a month and we'd made love almost every night since. We’d mostly stayed at my place since he said I was a “screamer.” It was something that he teased me with to make my cheeks blush. He said I looked beautiful like that.
Roman’s penthouse was gorgeous and very much reflected the man. Grays and blues with hints of creams, decorated the home. I had cut my hours back some at the clinic and he had cut his hours back at work.
It had been bliss.
I'd never been happier.
Never.
He made me feel so good.
He made me feel special.
He made me feel beautiful.
It scared me, but I was in love with Roman Zambrano. I hadn't told him yet.
I was scared. Terrified, really.
But my love for him was in everything I did for him, in every touch I shared with him. I knew he had feelings for me, but I didn't know if he reciprocated my love.
And I was too chicken to put myself out there.
It was a Friday night and we were lying in bed. We were doing dinner and a movie our way, and our way involved a bed.
He was lightly dragging his fingers down my spine as I was positioned with my torso on his chest. My ear was to his chest and I heard his strong heart beat. It always relaxed me.
“So we never spoke about this, but you never really fired Scot, huh?”
Even my voice matched the lethargy in my body.
He laughed. “No. You came in all hostile like you owned the joint. I needed to knock you down a peg or two.”
“Sneaky brat. You made me feel so guilty.”
His caresses continued. “I know. That's when I knew you were different. Most wouldn't care so long as they achieved their purpose.”
“Did you always want to be a lawyer?”
Roman’s exhale told me all I needed to know. “Hell no. Pop was getting into a shitload of trouble at one point. The cops were hot on him. He paid a shit ton of money to lawyers, and we thought it would be a good idea for me to go to law school. I’d had a clean record and did pretty well in school when I went.”
“Smart were you?”
Kissing the top of my head, he said, “I always managed to wing it without trying. Everything came easy to me. I was just so busy on the streets doing stuff I shouldn't have been doing.”
I kissed his chest. “So you're naturally a genius.”
I loved hearing his laugh. “Whatever you want to call it. School came easy for me. Carlos went to business school.”
“What about Marco and Diego.”
He shook his head. “School of hard knocks.”
“Did you ever do anything to piss your parents off?”
Laughing, he nodded his head. “Fought in MMA comps. Got tattoos. It pissed Pop off.”
“Did it on purpose?”
“Some of it, you bet your ass I did.”
“Acting rebellious?”
“You could say that.”
A few long moments stretched before he spoke.
“Can I ask you something, Izzy?”
I braced myself and I knew he felt it.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, I won't.”
I sighed. Really, I knew this was a long time coming. Anyone else, any other man, and I would've been given the third degree already. He'd been so patient with me. He let me open up to him about things in my own time, but I hadn't really opened up much at all. Roman deserved to know anything and everything he wanted to know about me. The problem was, I didn't know how much I could tell him.
I was scared of so many things.
I was scared my past would come back and destroy me like it had almost done when I lived through it.
I was scared that if Roman really knew who I was, he wouldn't want to be with me anymore.
I closed my eyes. “You've been patient with me. Ask what you want to know and I'll do my best to answer.”
My heart was in my throat.
“Calm down, baby.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “I just wanted to know why most of what we do in this bed is so new to you.”
I sighed. I could tell him 95% of relevant information. The other 5%, I never wanted to think about.
Would he think differently about me if he knew that 5%?
I cleared my throat.
“I dated my fiancé for six years, and he wasn't very experimental in the bedroom. We always had sex in missionary. We never had oral sex or any variation of anything.”
I hoped that would be enough. God, don't ask
anymore.
His fingers continued to soothe me. My eyes were growing heavy.
“Why did you break up?”
I sighed. My brain was relaxing, and when that happened, my tongue followed suit.
“He cheated on me with my best friend. He said hurtful things to me. They broke my heart.”
It was the last thing I remember saying.
Chapter 26
Roman
It was the first time she'd opened up. It wasn't much information, but I sensed she experienced profound sadness. I'd felt her brace herself at my wanting to ask questions. What was it that frightened her? Did she think I wouldn't want her if I knew about her past?
Nothing would make me not want her.
Ever.
I continued to stroke her back and she sighed. A slight smile upturned the corner of her lips, as I looked down at her with her head pillowed on my chest.
I kept asking her questions. With her so relaxed, her defenses were down.
It was a sleazy trick but I was doing it anyway. I wanted to know more about the woman I loved. Something had been bothering me for a long time now. I also wanted to know how she knew Marcelo Fiore.
She said her ex broke her heart? He should have his fucking legs broken.
“So what happened with your ex?”
She sighed and I continued to run my hand down her smooth, soft back. The lighting was low and it made her skin look supple and smooth.
“Elias was my first boyfriend. We were together for six years. We met in medical school.” She yawned and I kept smoothing her back.
“At the end, I could… never reach him on the phone. I barely saw…him. I thought it was…because of our…schedules.”
Her voice was getting softer, and there was more time passing in between words.
“I didn't…notice it was happening with...Hannah, too. I lost two people when… I found them together.”
I closed my eyes imagining the pain she went through.
“What happened after?”
She sighed again and her tone was sad when she spoke again.
“He was angry at me as if…I'd done something wrong. He said… I used him for money. He said…I…was boring in bed. That despite being a doctor… I wouldn't be able to point out a cock in a line up of pussies.”
Fuck, bro. What a dick. That explained the haunted look in her eyes every time I wanted to do something nice for her. That's why she felt she'd have to pay back any kindness with her blood.
Fucking prick.
My hands started to massage her a bit more. She moaned and nuzzled her nose into my chest.
“He was your only lover?”
She sighed in pleasure when I massaged her neck.
“He was my only.”
Shit. That meant she was a virgin at twenty-three? A knockout like her?
“You were a virgin with him? He should've shown you the pleasures of different positions.” I made sure my voice was equally soft so as not to jar her awake.
Her hand made a fist on my chest. Odd. I was massaging her neck with the hand closest to her, so I brought my other hand up to undue the fist she’d made. I massaged her hand, too.
“I wasn't a… virgin… with Elias.”
Her voice was so light, I had to strain to hear it. He was her only lover but she wasn't a virgin with him.
What the fuck did that mean?
“Feels good.”
She murmured that and her breathing was getting more relaxed.
“Izzy, if you weren't a virgin with him but he was your only lover, I don't understand.”
I spoke softly, not wanting to break the trance that had her opening up to me.
“That can't be, baby. You're tired and not making sense. Get some sleep.”
I reached down and kissed the top of her head. Her breathing was even and slow.
“Makes sense, Roman.”
Her voice was hoarse with sleep now.
“How?”
I really wasn't expecting an answer, especially not one that made sense. As soon as she answered me, all questions about Marcelo Fiore vanished from my mind.
“I was…raped…at seventeen.”
I stopped breathing. My eyes shut as a fist closed around my heart preventing it from beating. Then the rage began building up. My one hand kept massaging her and the other clenched at my side. They were opposing images in their manifestation of emotion.
I was grinding my teeth.
“Who?”
It was the only word I could manage to get through my teeth.
I received no answer.
Izzy fell asleep listening to the very heart that beat, and broke, for her.
Chapter 27
Izzy
I woke up and stretched. I felt really good. I had fallen luxuriously asleep with my head deliciously pillowed on Roman’s chest, and him massaging and running his hand down my body.
I just felt so good with him. He made me feel happy and loved. He looked out for me, something not even Elias did. Sure, he’d cared some, but not like Roman dotes on me. And frankly, I liked it.
Speaking of my ex, I remember Roman asking a question last night and I gave him a brief response. I guess he had been satisfied because I don't remember anything else after that.
The smell of bacon hit my nose and I smiled. He was cooking for me. Surprisingly, this man knew how to cook. After going to the bathroom and freshening up, I padded on bare soles to find him in my kitchen, shirtless. He only had jogging pants on, with Dezi resting his head on Roman’s bare feet.
I took a moment to stare at him. He was magnificent. His tattoos were beautiful. Some were colorful and others were done in straight black ink. Some spots on his chest and back were without tats. When I asked him about that, he said those were reserved places he would fill when the time came.
His muscular back was taught and tight. I loved running my hands over its broadness as well as the eight pack he had on his abdomen.
I walked over and stood behind him, wrapping my arms around him.
“Good morning,” I murmured as I kissed his smooth back.
He brought my hands up, leaned down, and kissed them. “Good morning, princesa.”
I laughed. He'd started calling me that not long ago. I loved his nicknames for me.
“Sleep well?”
I kissed his back again before answering. “Yes. Wonderfully warm and happy. What about you?”
He was quiet for a moment. I stepped from around him and watched as he stirred breakfast potatoes.
My favorite. I never met a potato I didn't like.
“You didn't sleep well?”
There was something in his eyes when he looked at me. They were shadowed, and that hadn't been there before.
“What's wrong?”
He reached over and laced his fingers into my hair, bringing me close for a kiss. His lips were soft. He pulled away a scant inch.
“My head was busy.”
I brought my hand up to the side of his face and he closed his eyes briefly. My hand went to his forehead.
“Feeling ok?”
He laughed and grabbed my hand, bringing it to his lips.
“I'm feeling fine, Dr. Laurenti.” He paused for a moment. “Actually. I have an itch that's intense and needs some crazy scratching.”
I laughed and raised up on my tiptoes to kiss him.
“You're funny.”
“I'm also horny.”
My lips tilted to one side. “You're always horny.”
He shrugged and turned back to the pan. “With a woman like you around me, Iz, be glad I don't have you chained to a bed twenty-four seven.”
Laughing, I grabbed plates and went back to the stove. “I'm sorry I fell asleep on you. I know you wanted to talk.”
The look he aimed my way was startlingly serious. What was wrong with him?
“What do you remember?”
That was a funny question. “You asked me about why everything in bed was new to me. The
n, I fell asleep.”
His look was pensive.
“That's it, isn't it? I'm sorry. You wanted to ask me more questions and I fell asleep.”
He grabbed the plates from me and served eggs, potatoes, asparagus, and bacon.
“There's nothing to apologize for, baby. I just wasn't able to sleep much. Not that I minded, either. I had you in my arms. And if my eyes couldn't close to send me into dreamland, I had the next best thing.”
I took the plates and walked over to the kitchenette table.
“What's that?”
He came behind me and wrapped his arms around me. I moaned in pleasure. It felt so good to be hugged like this by him. I felt his lips next to my ear.
“A beautiful princesa to look at.”
I turned into him and rested my head on his chest. I was working myself up to tell him. Even if he didn't feel the same about me, my heart was bursting with love and demanded I tell him.
I looked up at him and found him studying me. I brought a hand up, and my thumb smoothed his cheek and moved to his lips. Our eyes were locked and it was now or never.
“I love you, Roman.”
The change that came over his face was astounding. His eyes literally sparkled and the dimples in his cheeks were deeper than I'd ever seen them. His palms rested on either side of my face and he leaned down to me.
“Izabella Laurenti, I love you, too.”
My lungs were literally unable to take in oxygen.
“Really?”
He laughed and pulled me into his arms. My feet were hovering over the floor as he hauled me up.
“Yes. I love you, baby.”
His kiss was demanding, carnal, seeking. He picked me up fully into his arms and strode to my bed.
“What about breakfast!”
I couldn't keep the laughter out of my voice.
“I'm wanting you for breakfast.”
Chapter 28
Izzy
“I don't have much time for lunch, but this was a nice surprise. I love Chinese.”
He smiled at me as he set the bags of food on my desk.
“Honey garlic chicken?”
His dimples deepened. “Of course. I know what my baby likes.”
I think he's discovered my sweet tooth. I walked up to him.
