Angie nodded sharply, realizing she wouldn’t sleep until she did just that.
“Let’s get to work.” She pointed across the street, watching her trembling hand. “My office is just across Broadway.”
***
Their black fitted sheets had come unhinged from the corners of the king sized mattress some time ago, but neither Val Romanovsky nor Zoey Black had the capacity to give a damn.
“I want to see it, baby. Use your fingers… use your fingers…” Val Romanovsky’s full lips fell open at the sight of his fiancé’s perfectly manicured fingers disappearing inside her pussy, leaving a beautiful sheen on her brown skin as she worked them in and out, shining brighter than the moonlight that spilled into their bedroom windows that night.
Panting, he squeezed his dick in time as he became completely entranced by the sight. His abs tightened, and his toes curled when he gripped his pounding cock hard, pumping it desperately in time with her glistening fingers. “Yes, Zo… let me see you.”
“You like that?” Zoey asked from where she knelt above him, dark brown skin glistening, biting her lip as she swirled her fingers around her clit. Brown eyes taking on a hint of mischief, she reached down and spread her glistening lips open with her free hand.
Val cried out helplessly as she exposed the secret pink cavern that had brought him both great joy, and great misery. His golden eyes became drenched with desire, a dark damage beyond repair, the kind only she could inspire. They rose to meet hers. “Zo, I want to feel you so bad.” As soon as his gaze was on hers, it was back on her dripping center, her wet fingers, the tight, pulsating cunt that belonged only to him. He trapped his bottom lip when the urge to bend her over and take what was his became almost too much.
“Yeah?” Zoey held his eyes, eyes that were vacant of anything outside of the pure desire that now entrenched them, unable to stop her own rolls of pleasure as they travelled her naked body mercilessly. The sight of the love of her life stroking himself below her was beyond sexy. Watching him watch her, enjoy her, nearing completion for her, made her body respond in ways nothing else ever would. It had her dripping for him, without having even been touched. She straddled his thighs, giving him a completely unbridled view of her fingers as she worked herself to a beautiful edge.
“You like watching me, Val?”
“Yes, baby. I love it. I love you.” Val’s face changed, knotted, evolved into something akin to both pain and pleasure, something otherworldly.
Zoey recognized the look instantly. He’d slowed his kneads, paying extra attention to the throbbing head, where a tiny drop of pre-cum shone up at her. She ached to taste it, but was frozen by his beauty. She knew his body better than her own. He was close, and she wanted to watch him finish.
“Are you close, baby?” He gasped. “I’m so close. God damn, you’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Her sopping fingers came to a grinding halt inside her, orgasm forgotten. Her lips curled downward ever so softly.
Startled, Val immediately stopped pumping his dick, which, as close as he was to the first nut he’d had with Zoey in days, was no easy feat. Regret immediately swirled inside him.
“Shit, Zo. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it…” His words slowed to a halt when she fell into tears. He immediately went to her, cupping her face in his hands. “I know how much you hate that word…”
“Then why do you keep saying it?” Zoey cried, tears falling down her face. Her stomach jiggled softly. She looked down at it as it moved, and her sobs intensified. “I’m the farthest thing from sexy in the entire fucking world.”
“Hey.” Val frowned at his highly hormonal wife. Zoey had always been emotional, even before he’d knocked her up, but now that she was pregnant, every little thing set her off. He’d just hit her biggest hot button, the word “sexy”. That word, or any word in the “sexy” family, sent her into an emotional upheaval that there was no coming back from. Val couldn’t pretend to understand it, but he’d been more than willing to humor her, especially if it meant her allowing him inside of her, again. He loved her more than himself, however, and she was the most beautiful thing in the world to him, so words of appreciation still managed to slip through the cracks every once in a while.
“I was about to cum, Zo. I went blind. I didn’t know what I was saying. It just slipped out.”
“I’m going to get fat,” she wheezed.
“You’re pregnant.”
“I hate kids.”
“I know, baby.”
“I was so hot.”
“You’re still hot.”
Her cries audibly intensified. The only word that upset her more than sexy, was hot. “You’re trying to hurt me!”
“Never, baby.” He moved every tear that escaped her eyes with quick, easy swipes of his thumb.
“Do you think I’m crazy?” she croaked.
“I know you are.” He continued cupping her cheeks. “I love you regardless.”
“I’m going to get so fat.”
“Aye, aye. Go easy. That’s my future wife you’re talking about.”
Zoey sniffled.
“Baby? Can we please finish?”
Zoey looked down between their bodies where, miraculously, Val had managed to stay aroused, even through her outburst. Looking at him from under her moist eyes, she took the weight of him in her hand, watching his eyes flutter shut.
“This is my dick, no matter how fat I get. Only mine,” she said, suddenly.
“Always.” His eyes fluttered. “It was always yours, Zo. Only you.” A long moment passed before his eyes opened a crack, watching her hungrily. “Please…” He covered her hand with his, guiding it up and down his hardness. “Please, Zo, it’s yours. I’m yours.”
He removed his hand when she began a slow pump, and she relished in the sight of her engagement ring flashing up at her from where she stroked him lovingly.
“I can’t wait to be your wife, Val.”
He didn’t open his eyes. He couldn’t. He could hardly speak. “I love you, Zo.”
With a small laugh, she pressed him onto his back, straddled his hips, and slid his heat inside her, tossing her head back as she sank slowly down.
2
“Drew apologized?” Zoey asked, gaping across the small Xpresso Café table two weeks later, eyes glowing when Angie nodded in response. The small café was full to the hilt. Every table was occupied, and the morning rush had a line full of impatient patrons growing out the door. Outside of the bay window next to their table, hundreds of New Yorkers zoomed by with the kind of unnecessary urgency only New Yorkers could. Zoey leaned deeper into their table, eyes flowing. “Drew Mertz?”
“Yep. Drew Mertz. He apologized and said he was wrong for speaking to me that way. I swear to god, Roman was about two seconds from crushing his damn skull if he hadn’t done it. It was crazy.”
Zoey laughed heartily. Having met Drew Mertz on more occasions than she cared for, she not only believed that he wasn’t good enough for her best friend, but that he wasn’t good enough for any sensible woman with an ounce of self respect.
“Anyway, I’m officially done with bankers,” Angie said, with a shrug.
“All crazy. All assholes. Good call, my friend.”
Angie looked off with a laugh, wondering why her cappuccino was taking so long. “You always told me Roman was the sweetest, gentlest Romanovsky. What I saw the other day was anything but sweet and gentle. I swear, he was about two seconds from crushing Drew’s skull.”
“Roman is quiet, babe.” Zoey’s smiled. “He is very quiet, sweet and gentle.” Her smile suddenly vanished. “Until he’s not.”
“See, you never mentioned that last part. What do you mean, until he’s not?”
“He’s sweet and quiet, until someone gives him a reason. If you try him, you better believe he’s going to give you what you came for. He only has a temper towards people who deserve it.”
“But Drew didn’t try him. He wasn’t really being disres
pectful. It was far from the worst breakup I’ve had.”
Zoey leaned forward on the table, her smile growing. “One time, during summer school, I came home crying, because some guy in class called me ugly. I don’t even remember what this guy’s name was, that’s how insignificant a part he played in my life. Roman was the only one in the house who saw me crying. We passed each other in the hallway, right before I locked myself in my room for the night. He didn’t even say a word to me.” Zoey paused, dropping her head. When she looked back up, her face had come alive. “Angie, I don’t know how Rome found out who this dude was, or how he found him, but the next day at school… this kid’s entire face was fucked up. Black eye, big lip, the works. Granted, the kid never told me it was Roman who’d rearranged his face, but the way he looked at me from that day forward? With pure terror in his eyes? Pretty much confirmed that it was my big bro. Rome never brought it up, either.”
“He sounds insane,” Angie beamed. Insanely hot.
“Like I said, he’s quiet. He moves in silence.” Zoey shrugged. “And he knows you’re my best friend. What’s mine is his, and vise versa. He’s just protective. He’s always been that way.”
“Well, just so you know, seeing him manhandle Drew was extremely hot, and has done absolutely nothing to help ease my infatuation with him. If anything I’m more in love with the man now than ever before.” Angie wouldn’t mind Roman Romanovsky rearranging her face, in any way he pleased. That was how gone she was. Thankfully, she was able to hold back from divulging that to Zoey. “Moral of the story? Don’t work for men you want to screw. I can’t believe what a complete ass I made of myself in front of him.”
“In front of who?” A deep voice chimed in from over her shoulder.
Angie jolted in surprise at the sound of Val Romanovsky’s voice behind her, turning to him just as he leaned down and swept a kiss across her cheek with a coy smile. He moved coolly across the table and slid into the seat next to Zoey.
“Oh, hey Val. Zoey mentioned you might join us. I almost forgot.” Angie was unable to hide her smile. The love in his eyes as he kissed Zoey hello was enough to melt even the iciest heart. Thankfully, her cappuccino was delivered just as Zoey and Val delved into what could only be described as a high school make out session. Angie thanked the server, and immediately took a hearty sip of her drink, pretending to be enthralled by the flower design they’d somehow created in the espresso and foam.
“Mmm…” Finally, Val pulled back, breaking their kiss. He stared at Zoey’s lips a moment longer, shook his head, and then dove into the pastry basket in the middle of the table. He produced a croissant and waved it through the air. “So, what were you saying, Angie? About making a fool of yourself? Sounded like a great story.”
Angie sighed. “As much as I enjoy sharing the little tidbits of my pathetic life with you--”
“And I truly enjoy hearing them,” Val added, smiling as he took nearly half the croissant in one bite.
“We were just talking about Roman ‘protecting my honor’ the other day.”
Val froze in mid-chew.
Zoey shot her a wide-eyed expression, shaking her head stiffly back and forth.
Angie wondered if Zoey was having a stroke. Her eyes flew between the two.
“You saw Rome?” Val demanded, his face suddenly stricken with grief, croissant forgotten.
“Oh.” Realization crashed in. “Oh. Did I say Roman?” Angie asked, trying to recover.
Zoey sighed. It was too late. No way to recover now.
“Yes.” Val was having none of it. “You said you made a complete ass of yourself in front of Roman. I’m assuming the same Roman who’s been dodging my calls for two weeks. The same Roman whose face I haven’t seen at work in two weeks. Who won’t answer his door when I knock. The same Roman who hasn’t seen his mother in a month--who doesn’t have the decency to call her up and let her know if he’s dead or alive. Roman. Roman Romanovsky.”
Angie looked to Zoey for help, but found her friend avoiding her eyes completely, suddenly enthralled by the lemon tart that sat untouched on her plate.
“Yes. He came to me last week. As a client,” Angie clarified.
“A client for what?” Val pressed.
“I can’t really say.”
“Did he…? I mean…?” Val shifted. If it was possible, his eyes grew even larger. “Did he say anything about me?”
Angie’s eyes trailed back to Zoey.
Val’s gaze moved with her. “Did he even ask about me? Or does he just not give a shit? Does he just plan on never seeing or speaking to any of us, ever again? His family who love him? Sounds like a great plan.”
This time it was Angie’s eyes that went wide. “I dunno…”
Impatience clouded Val’s face. “How did he seem? Was he happy?”
Angie lifted one shoulder. The last thing Val wanted to hear was that Roman was happy, and that fact was sure as day. He was clearly struggling without his older brother, and he was now searching desperately for any confirmation that he wasn’t alone in his longing. “He seemed…”
Sensing the weird tone the room had quickly adopted, Zoey turned to Val and smiled softly.
He smiled back, but it wasn’t genuine. His eyes remained troubled. Unfocused. Hearing the name Roman had done a quick number on him. Fast and hard. Straight to the gut.
Zoey took his chin in her hand, forcing his distracted eyes to hers. “Leave her alone, Val. You know she’s not allowed to talk about her clients any more than you’re allowed to talk about yours.”
For a moment, Val looked deeply betrayed by Zoey. He accepted her soft kiss of apology with a grumble.
“I need to get back to work, anyway.” He pouted, fishing enough money from his pocket to pay for everything and tossing it on the table. Standing, he fingered his jacket up from where it was slung across the back of his chair. He met Angie’s eyes. “Tell Rome I say hi, since he’s forgotten how to answer the phone for his family who love him. Tell him I hope he’s proud to know that his mother sits at the window before every Sunday dinner, staring at the driveway, waiting for his sorry ass to pull up--”
“Val,” Zoey warned.
“I’ll tell him,” Angie said.
They watched him go to the door, turning his body sideways to squeeze past the morning rush line that now curved around the block. The bell above the door rang out as he exited.
Angie watched him breeze past the window next to their table, shouldering nearly every person he passed with frustrated eyes. When he was out of sight, she turned back to Zoey, fighting a grin.
“I’m sorry,” Zoey said. “You’d think him and Roman were the secret sibling lovers the way he gets all misty eyed whenever his name is brought up.”
“You didn’t have to push him out the door.”
“I didn’t push him out the door. He looks for any excuse to bounce and go back to work. Roman was his right hand man, and Novsky’s hurting without him.”
Angie frowned. “How is Roman able to stay away from work for so long? Doesn’t he need the money?”
“They run a real estate empire. Roman has properties in every major city, ten in Manhattan alone. His estate portfolio exceeds 10 million. He could never go back to work again, and his great-great-great-grandkids would still eat. They stopped working for the money a long time ago. Now they work for the love of the company, but Roman never loved Novsky the same way Val did. And now that he doesn’t even feel like a real Romanovsky, he loves it even less.”
“That must drive Val crazy.”
Zoey almost laughed. “Did you see him? When the guys first went into business, they agreed it was Novsky for life, but Rome always had one foot out the door. It’s too bad, because he has a brilliant mind, the company is in trouble, and they need him. I’ve sat through enough Sunday dinners to know how mad those guys are at Rome. That’s why I know there’s nothing you could’ve said just now to make Val feel better. The only way he’ll be satisfied is when Roman finally come
s home.”
“But Roman still talks to you, right?”
“It’s different with me. I’ve always been the black sheep of the family.”
“Literally,” Angie smiled playfully.
Zoey stuck her tongue out at her before smiling down into her coffee. “Little orphan Zoey. I think Rome feels like he can level with me. The other guys have no real way of understanding what he’s going through.”
“So his solution is to disappear forever?”
“You tell me. He probably said more to you in one consultation than he’ll ever say to me. Yeah, we talk, but I can tell he holds back a lot. I guess he doesn’t want to risk me taking it back to the family. He won’t accept comfort or help. He’s so desperate to stay strong. It’s changing him. He’s different now. I don’t want him to be different.” Zoey frowned down into her, still untouched, lemon tart. “I hate that he’s hurting.”
Angie’s eyes went wide as tears fell from Zoey’s face, wetting her pastry.
“Are you crying?” Angie beamed.
“I’m pregnant.” Zoey looked up at Angie with a new fire in her tear-filled eyes. “I’m emotional, okay? I can go from zero to crazy in less than thirty seconds. You think Val just flew off the handle? You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
“Jeez,” Angie grumbled, tugging a few tissues from the dispenser at the end of the table and offering them to Zoey. “Pull yourself together, woman. We haven’t even cleared the first trimester.”
Zoey blew her nose into the wad of tissues Angie had just handed her, earning her dozens of disgusted looks from many of the patrons in the cafe, including Angie.
“Hey, Zo? I know you’re pregnant, and I love you, but… you’re being really disgusting right now.”
Unmoved, Zoey shoved some of the tissue into her runny nose, squinting as she gave it a good swirl. “Is Rome okay, Ang?”
Angie finally looked up from the soiled tissues, got serious, and answered honestly. “I don’t think so.”
Claiming Roman Page 2
