by Joya Ryan
“You’re wet, sweetheart,” he said, then licked madly at my clit. “You like sucking me off?”
“Yes,” I cried to the ceiling. “So much.”
He growled in approval and continued to devour me. Yanking me so close that his whole face was buried between my legs, he ravaged my sensitive flesh. Eating at me like a wild man tasting sugar for the first time.
Tremors surged through my body, and I didn’t even have time to prepare for the orgasm, it just hit me—hard and fast.
I clawed at his shoulders and sobbed his name as wave after wave of ecstasy overtook me. My whole body shuddered and convulsed against him as he didn’t stop, just kept drawing it out.
“Roman…” I said on a strangled whisper.
He slowed his pace, allowing me to catch any breath I could and come down slowly. He kissed my inner thighs all the way to my knees.
I hadn’t really registered that my eyes were squeezed shut and we were on the rug in front of the fire until Roman picked me up. Cradling me into his arms, he walked to the bed and laid me down.
“Look at me,” he softly said, stroking my hair.
When I did, I saw nothing but intense, dark eyes staring back at me. He looked at my face for a long time, as if trying to decide how to say whatever was going through his mind.
Finally, he ran his thumb over my mouth and whispered, “You’ve changed everything, sweetheart.”
Chapter Fifteen
Your approval rating is up five percent,” I said, reading the front page of the paper as I puttered around the kitchen. “Seems a lot of people like you.” I winked at him across the island.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Amy. I’m a likeable guy.” He smiled, and I had to check the urge to sigh.
Seeing him standing there in his steel-gray three-piece suit and dark-blue tie was enough to make a girl want to play hooky. But after spending the whole weekend with him at his house, it was time to get back to the real world. Which I kind of wanted to whine about because damn it, the man had been more open and relaxed in the past forty-eight hours than at any other time since I’d met him. I didn’t want it to end, mostly because I didn’t want things to change.
I opened the fridge and took an apple out of the bottom drawer, along with some turkey and mayo, and set it all on the island.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
I grabbed a knife and bread. “Making you a sandwich for lunch today.”
Leaning against the counter drinking his coffee, he looked so comfortable. Happy to take the morning slowly. The weekend had been beyond amazing. We’d slipped out of the campaign events the second Roman had shaken all the hands he’d needed to, and spent most of what little free time there was lounging around and cuddling. The Giants had played on Sunday, and during halftime we’d had our own little entertainment show.
At some point over the last few weeks, Roman had bought a few outfits and necessities for me to keep at his house, a pleasant surprise. However, I hadn’t been home all weekend, and likely had two roommates waiting to hear the details about that, and how serious my relationship with Roman was. Problem was…I didn’t know what to tell them.
“You don’t need to make me lunch, sweetheart.”
“I like to.” I glanced up at him. “Unless it bothers you?”
“Not at all.”
“Packed lunches are just comforting sometimes. Lauren used to pack mine.” The moment the words left my mouth, I couldn’t believe I’d said them. I hadn’t talked about her, other than to reference the night she’d died, in a long time. For a brief moment, it was nice to remember the good times. Think of her life instead of her death.
I continued to build the sandwich, and Roman set his cup down and came to stand behind me. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he peeked over my shoulder.
“She sounds like a wonderful sister,” he whispered.
I nodded, and tried to fight the sudden sting behind my eyes. “She was. She took care of me when we were younger.”
“I can tell.” He brushed my hair to the side.
“How?”
“Because there is genuine love and kindness in you. I bet Lauren’s influence helped build that. Just by knowing you, I get a glimpse of who she was.”
I choked a little. It was the most incredible thing anyone had ever said to me. I’d only ever thought about how I’d tainted Lauren’s memory. I’d never thought that carrying a piece of her inside me was a good thing. She was still a part of me. A good part.
“Thank you,” I whispered. Looking over my shoulder, I kissed him. “I’m excited to meet your parents and see who influenced you.”
Roman’s smile faded. He released me, walked back around to the other side of the island, and resumed his coffee.
“We’re not alike in the slightest,” he said.
I frowned. “You’re not like either of them? Isn’t your dad a retired congressman?”
“Just because we’re both in politics doesn’t mean anything.”
The tone of his voice conveyed far more than the words themselves. I tried a different approach while finishing the sandwich.
“What does your mother do?”
“A lot less than she used to,” he said in that low voice he used when he was angry. I had no idea why, but apparently the mother route was worse than the father.
“Did she stay home with you growing up?”
He scoffed, although I didn’t get the joke. “Sometimes she did.”
Wrapping up the sandwich and apple, I put them in a paper bag and grabbed a cookie from the nearby jar.
“Well, hopefully my lunches can measure up to hers.” I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. Roman just glared.
“There’s nothing to measure up to, Amy.” He grabbed his bag and quickly kissed me on the forehead. “Thank you for this.” Then he walked from the kitchen.
If I had been nervous to meet his parents before, I was way beyond that now.
“Amy, this is my father, Michael Reese,” Roman said, his voice echoing slightly in the massive foyer. I was at the Reese estate—Roman’s childhood home—and he didn’t look very happy about it.
“Pleasure to meet you, young lady,” Michael said and shook my hand. He covered and patted it with the other, just like Roman did when he met people.
“The pleasure is mine, sir.” I smiled.
“Getting started without me?” a woman said, her heels clicking and her arms spread as she approached us. I straightened my stance and tugged at the hem of my dress.
“Mother,” Roman acknowledged. His tone was sharp, and his teeth didn’t part around the word. “This is my girlfriend, Amy Underwood.”
“Oh!” She didn’t pause, just walked straight toward me and hugged me tightly.
A small “oomf” shot from my chest, because for a small woman, she had a viselike grip. I was taken a little off guard, but between the awesomeness of getting to meet Roman’s parents and the magic of an anxiety pill, my nerves we manageable.
“I’m so happy to meet you, Amy,” she said, pulling away but keeping her hands on my arms to examine me. Her smile reached her eyes in a true, genuine way that made me happy inside. She was so warm and motherly, I was instantly at ease.
“Amy, this is Regina, my mother.”
“It’s very nice to meet you too.” I smiled.
She looked so polished. Her short, dark hair was simply and perfectly styled, and her expression was kind.
“Well, isn’t this a treat?” she said and looked at her husband, gently smacking his shoulder. “Michael, Roman brought a girl home.” She seemed really happy about that, and leaned in to whisper to me loud enough for everyone to hear, “Roman’s never brought a girl home. You must be very special.”
Her eyes were beaming with joy, and I felt like I was truly welcome.
Michael nodded and smiled. He seemed like a nice enough man. Not overly uptight or brooding, as I might have expected a congressman to be.
“
Dinner will be in twenty. Why don’t you show Amy around? Pick out a room to stay in,” Regina suggested. There was something hopeful in her eyes, but it was quickly chased away by Roman’s glare.
“We’re not staying the night. Just dinner. My secretary arranged the details.”
“Oh, hush.” She waved her hand. “There’s no reason to stay in a hotel when you can stay here.”
“I don’t mind if you want to—”
“No,” Roman cut me off.
I looked from him to his mother, and whatever was between them was as thick as concrete. She shuddered a bit and took a step back, as if burned.
“May I help with dinner?” I offered, hoping to break the tension.
“That would be so nice!”
She acted like no one had said a kind word to her in ages, and I suddenly felt the need to hit Roman over the head. He had a mother who obviously loved him and wanted him around, a luxury of which I was envious. Why was he so rude to her?
“You hired caterers,” Roman said in a bored tone.
Regina shot him a look.
“Yes, but I made the dessert,” she said proudly. “You can help me frost the cake, dear.” She smiled at me.
“I’d love to.”
Wrapping her arm around my back, she led me toward the kitchen.
“I’ll have her back soon so you can give her the tour, Ro,” she called over her shoulder.
“That won’t be necessary,” Roman replied. “We’re leaving right after dinner.”
Regina sighed a little sadly and glanced at the ground. My God, what was going on with Roman? I’d never seen him so off-putting and outright cold.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, feeling the need to apologize for his rudeness. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”
“It’s okay,” Regina said, walking into the kitchen. “This isn’t new behavior.”
I wanted to ask more, ask what the hell happened and why, but I felt out of place, and it technically wasn’t my business.
“That looks wonderful,” I said as we approached a double-layer chocolate cake.
“Thank you. It was my mother’s recipe.” She handed me a small tub of frosting and two pastry spreaders, and we both went to work.
“Is this homemade frosting too?”
“Of course.” She smiled. “So tell me about yourself, Amy. I’m sure your life story has been in the papers by now, but I tend to stay away from that stuff.”
My heart beat happily because actually, it was very nice that Regina had asked me about myself instead of scouring the press and following blogs. It made me feel like a real person who was dating her son.
“I want to hear how my son got lucky enough to have you on his arm.” She winked at me and my chest instantly warmed. A mother’s approval was an amazing thing, even though she wasn’t mine. It was hard not to get caught up in it.
“I’m from Indiana. I met Roman at a gala and he literally swept me off my feet. Well, he took my shoes off, but there was definite sweeping.” I grinned like a fool, happy to get to dish about the man I was seeing with a mother who seemed so happy for him.
“That’s so wonderful. He is a charmer,” she said. “Since he was young, that smile has gotten him almost anything he wanted.”
Oh, I believed that. That thing was a lethal weapon.
“What do you do, dear?” she asked, continuing to frost.
“I work at New Beginnings.”
Regina’s eyes snapped to mine with a flash of horror. She recovered quickly, blinking fast and glancing away, then forcing a smile.
“That’s a wonderful cause,” she said.
I nodded, confused and hoping I hadn’t somehow upset her. With her husband and son being in politics, the anti-drug issue couldn’t be a secret. She was obviously aware, but something in her reaction was odd.
I tried to change the subject. “Roman told me you stayed home with him while he was growing up?”
“He said that?”
Well, sort of, but I nodded anyway.
“His father was in DC quite a bit when Roman was young. So it was just the two of us for the majority of the time. He was such a good boy.”
She kept her concentration on the cake, but looked on the brink of tears. I felt like a horrible person. I couldn’t seem to find a single thing to talk about that didn’t upset Regina.
“Forgive me,” she said, running a fingertip under her lower lashes. “I’m just being an emotional old woman.”
I patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“Oh, no, dear, you didn’t.” Clearing her throat she smiled at me before returning to the cake. “Tell me more about you. You said you were from Indiana. Did you come to New York for your job?”
“Yes. It’s technically an entry-level job right now, but I hope to make it more permanent. I’m trying to get a new center built in Arbor Hill.”
“That’s quite a goal.” She sounded truly impressed. “I’m sure it will turn out wonderfully. We’ve been following Roman’s campaign and he has the anti-drugs effort on the agenda. I assume you have something to do with that?” Her voice was soft and held such a sweet hope, it made my stomach twist.
“It’s a team effort,” I said. Of course, I couldn’t tell her about the deal or how he’d gone to my boss and all that, but still, we were a team in this.
“He’s never spoken for or publicly backed an anti-drug campaign. Especially New Beginnings.”
“Really?” I frowned.
She nodded. “I don’t want to intrude, but may I ask if there’s a personal motivation for you in this?”
It was my turn to stare at the cake and hold back tears.
“My sister, Lauren,” I started, glancing at Regina. She stopped what she was doing and gave me her full attention. “She died several years ago of an accidental overdose. She was eighteen.”
“Oh, you poor thing.” She pulled me into a hug, and now I really felt like crying.
Whenever I spoke of Lauren, guilt and horror flashed over me. Roman had just started to dispel the darkness and let in the light, enabling me to remember the good. Now with Regina hugging me, supportive and kind, I felt the weight of the guilt lessen a bit more.
“You are truly a sweet girl.” She squeezed a little tighter.
“Ma’am,” the caterer said, “dinner is ready to be served.”
She released me and smiled.
“Thank you, Mrs. Reese,” I said.
Holding my hands, she said, “We’d better get in there.”
I nodded. As we walked into the dining room she whispered, “I’m so happy Roman has you.”
“Thank you for visiting, dear,” Regina said, and pulled me into another one of her strong hugs. “I want us to meet again soon. Maybe I can come into the city and we can have lunch?”
Behind me, Roman clenched his teeth so hard I could hear it.
“I’d really like that.” I hugged her back and was sadder to leave than I would have expected.
Regina opened her mouth, maybe to try once more to convince us to stay. But when she glanced at Roman, whatever she saw shut her down.
“Well, you two drive safely.” She patted my cheek, and the small endearment made my whole chest feel a little less hollow. My own mother didn’t even care to see me, while Roman’s looked truly upset to watch us leave.
“Son,” Michael said and shook Roman’s hand.
“Thank you for dinner,” Roman said to his parents. And that was it. A cool, short parting marked by cutting politeness and tense undertones.
Roman rubbed my back while escorting me out the front doors, but didn’t say a word. Once we hit the fresh air, I went to take a deep breath, but Roman beat me to it. His chest struggled for a moment, then calmed. It was so quick, I wasn’t sure if it had really happened.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he said and cleared his throat.
He led me to the garden around back. The estate was beautiful. An old, massive home
on sprawling acres of land. The white wood and columns, complete with a wraparound porch, made me envision politicians gathering here to create laws. It looked so picturesque. Trees lined either side of the long driveway, and just past the manicured lawn was a dense forest.
“It’s beautiful out here,” I said.
He held my hand as we walked through the garden, making our way to the car that the driver already had running and ready. The smells of maple and grass danced in the fall air, and I wanted to curl up and take it all in. Yet while I felt free and peaceful out here, Roman looked more wired than I’d ever seen him. Tension and rage hummed from his body.
“What is going on?” I finally said, and stopped to face him.
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
“Wait,” I said, literally digging my heels into the ground. “You haven’t seemed yourself today. Did something happen between you and your mother? Because things are…”
“What?” he snapped.
“Weird. You’re acting weird.”
“You really want to talk about this?” Something in his expression changed. A darkness swept over him and devoured any sign of the sweet Roman I knew. A tremor raced up my spine, but I nodded.
“Yes. I want to know you. What is so bad about this place, about your mother, that you’re acting the way you are?”
He closed the distance between us. His presence surrounding me, taking over the very air I breathed. He ran his hand from my neck down to my breasts, stopping between my legs to cup me roughly. The shock of his attentions didn’t stifle the small moan that slipped out.
“You’re going to need to be naked.”
“What?”
“And in a place of my choosing.” He pinched my nipple through my dress and I gasped. The sting of his touch lingered and spread shivers through my whole body.
“But that’s for when we talk about…”
How to say that which cannot be said? It was like a riddle, and now my skin was burning so badly, crying out for Roman’s attention, that it was hard to focus. But he knew what I meant.
“That deal was made for if and when I had questions about our relationship.” I drowned the urge to air quote the last word. “Not to talk about your past.”
