by Linda Verji
“Ah!” Her scream was loud enough to echo in the silent restroom. Roman captured it with his open mouth and kissed her hard as with one violent thrust he finally settled completely inside her.
He was in. Hot, heavy and deep in her. She’d never felt so stretched, so filled, so part of someone.
ROMAN HAD NEVER felt so desperate to be part of someone, so desperate to make a woman completely his. He’d dated many women in his lifetime, broken up with just as many. Yet none of those breakups had ever affected him as this one had. Miserable wasn’t enough of a word to describe how he’d felt without April in his life.
Sleeping was a struggle because she haunted his every dream. Waking up was even more painful because then he had to face the harsh reality that she was gone. Seeing her day after day at Tellers yet being unable to pour out his feelings was absolute torture. He’d felt like he was going insane.
After weeks of holding back and trying to keep from telling or showing her how he felt about her, standing beside her as best-man had been too much. It’d broken him.
As he watched Greyson and Snow say their vows, the only thought that kept running in his mind was that that could’ve been him and April. If he hadn’t screwed up so royally, April would be standing in front of Snow, not behind her, and he’d be there beside her, making her officially his. That thought had broken him and slashed the leash that held him back from April.
He couldn’t stay away from her any longer.
When he’d followed April to the restrooms, he had no intentions of making love to her. Following her had been instinctive, driven by the desperation to just talk to her, to be in her presence. His chest had felt tight and congested, like he’d stop breathing if he spent one more second without her in his life.
Nothing had prepared him for the sensual intensity of finally being with her and he certainly hadn’t meant to take it this far, but now that they were here, nothing could pull him back. This is was what he needed; to have her wrapped tightly around him, to be encased in her warm liquid silk.
Damn! It felt good to be inside her. Trembling with both relief and need, he held himself tightly inside her. Reveling in her wet tightness, he waited for her to get used to his length. If he’d known that this what it would feel like to finally have her, he wouldn’t have held back for so long. If this is what it meant to fail at being a good man, then he was okay with being a bastard. If failing was this magnificent, then he wanted to fail every day.
When he felt April’s muscles relax slightly around his cock, he drew his mouth away from hers and lifted his head. He saw himself in the mirror behind her. Who was that man? He looked disheveled and desperate, like a prisoner who’d just broken out of his cell and feared being sent back in. Was that really him? The wild emotions roiling inside him screamed that it was.
He lowered his eyes to April and found her watching him. Her eyes were hooded and shadowed with the same desperate, untamed desire running wild within him. He murmured, “You okay?”
She gave him a silent nod as her pussy contracted around him.
It was all the answer he needed. Lowering his lips back to hers, he slowly withdrew from her. Her insides clung to him and begged him to come back, so he tightened his grip on her ass and stroked back in.
Ah! That felt so damn good. This is what heaven felt like – pure unadulterated pleasure. He tore his lips from her to tuck his head into the crook of her shoulder as he pulled out then plunged back into her sweet tightness again.
“Oh-my- ah.. oooh,” April moaned, pushing him to go even harder, deeper. He pulled back then hammered back in so hard she screamed and shook in his arms.
Ugh! It wasn’t enough. He wanted to possess her completely. He wanted to make her wholly his. With one swift move, he carried her from the counter and pinned her to the wall beside it. Propping one hand against the hard concrete, he pulled back then drove her into the wall.
Holy hell! Roman was in so deep he could’ve sworn he was touching the roof of womb.
Out again. Then in. Hard. Long. Deep.
“Oh… oh… oh… oh.” Her wails matched the rhythm of his brutish, animalistic strokes. He knew he was going in hard, but he couldn’t control himself. Though he was the one who’d started this, it felt like she was in complete control of him, like she was yanking him deeper and deeper into mindless desire.
“Oh… oh… Rom… don’t… stop,” she wailed.
He had no intention of stopping. Ever.
In. Out. Long. Short. Savage. Wild.
The arousal coursing through his veins was like a drug. It intoxicated him, blinded him until the restroom became just a blur of mirrors and marble and all he could see or hear was April. Someone knocked on the door but the rapping sound was too distant for him to give a damn about it. Another more insistent knock, but it disappeared behind the slapping sounds of their bodies meeting and their passionate cries.
“Is anyone there?” the person shouted, but their words got lost in the ringing in Roman’s ears. His balls were tingling now, threatening to erupt. But he couldn’t let it happen – not before her. He fixed his lips on hers and drove even deeper into her, over and over again until her whole body tightened around him and she started trembling.
With his body, he drove her to the edge then tipped her over it. April came with a keening cry. The sensation of her quivering in violent release and contracting around him was beyond anything he’d ever felt and it drove him back. He completely lost all reasoning as pure animal instinct took over. He sped up, sharpened his strokes into a fast rhythm that had only one goal. Get to the end.
He growled when that wonderful welling feeling began. It started in his balls and slowly grew until he was seeing stars and all he could do was clench his jaw and keep thrusting. Over and over he plunged until, with a savage cry, he erupted.
His release was like a storm. It raged and carried him to heights he’d never experienced. It tossed him and threw him around until he was devoid of strength. It took everything in him to keep his knees from buckling when he finally came down to earth. Breathing heavily, he held himself against April as the intensity of his orgasm drained from him.
She recovered before him. He felt it in the sudden stiffening of her body against his.
“Roman, let me down,” she murmured and she shifted in his arms.
He didn’t let her down. Instead, he raised his eyes to meet hers. Her eyes were now clear, and instead of desire, panic now reigned freely in them. Eager to get rid of that panic, he started to kiss her again.
“No.’” She averted her head. “Don’t… Please let me down.”
Hearing the panicked plea in her voice, he stood stock-still for a long moment before he lowered her to the floor and let his arms reluctantly fall from her. Freed from his embrace, April turned her attention to her clothes. Without once looking up at him, she dragged her dress back over her thighs and straightened the straps that held it up.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded but didn’t look up at him. “I… I have to go.”
He started, “April, can we-”
But she was already skirting past him, moving towards the door.
“April,” he called out, but she didn’t turn. She didn’t even look back at him as she picked her purse from the floor then let herself out of the restroom and fled. Roman started after her but stopped when he realized that he was still half undressed. With jerky movements and a dawning sense of dread, he straightened his own clothes.
Had he messed up again? Her rushed exit and the way she couldn’t even look at him said that he had. Clearly, she already regretted making love with him. His gut clenched in immediate protest and a cuss rose to his lips. Why did he have to be so impulsive, so rushed? Instead of backing her into immediate sex, he should’ve confessed that he loved her first, given her time to digest that confession then slowly wooed her into loving him again.
Instead, he’d rushed her straight into sex and now she was running sca
red. But he couldn’t let her run. No way. He started towards the door. If there was anything he’d learned in the last couple of weeks, it was that he couldn’t live without April. His life was too hollow, too bland, too miserable without her in it.
It was time to stake his claim on her.
Whatever it took.
CHAPTER 16
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
What was wrong with her? How could she have had sex with him? How could she? On weak limbs, April stumbled from the elevator and headed to the room reserved for bridesmaids. Her fingers trembling, she unlocked the door then pushed it open. Once she was in the dark room, she slumped against the closed door and closed her eyes.
Now that she wasn’t held prisoner by her lust, the cold, harsh reality of the extent of her mistake was beginning to set in. And it was a mistake. How could it not be? She’d been doing so well, working so hard to forget Roman. Yet with a few sorrowful words, he’d managed to make her forget her oath not to get tangled up with him again. With a few kisses, he’d managed to have his way with her.
Weak, weak, weak!
Roman was probably somewhere out there celebrating her weakness. He was probably laughing at how easy it’d been for him to twist her around his pinky finger again when she’d so vehemently claimed that she was over him. This was what he wanted, wasn’t it? Maybe he’d even deliberately planned it.
As if on cue, her phone rang. She ignored it. It rang again, then again, and again until she had no choice but to open her purse and take the gadget out. Roman was calling. Immediately, her heart began racing again and her mouth dried up. What did he want now? To gloat? She swiped her fingers over the screen and ended the call.
He called again.
Go to hell! She ended the call again.
He called again.
I don’t want to talk to you, you bastard. She ended the call.
On and on, he kept calling, and she kept cutting off his calls until her phone, mercifully, quieted. Blowing out a shaky puff of breath, she headed to the en-suite. She made a beeline for the sink and poured cold water on her face again and again until its sting began to calm her shakes. Finally, she stared at herself in the mirror. Apart from the haunted look in her eyes, there was nothing in her face that screamed of her stupidity, no scars to show others that she’d just tangled with the devil and lost. And yet, she still saw her weakness there. How could she be so dumb? So dumb, she hadn’t even demanded that he use protection.
Dumb, dumb, dumb!
Unable to look at herself any longer, she got into the shower. The water washed away the visible signs of sex, but no amount of water could wash away the lingering imprint of his lips on hers. No soap could erase the memory of being pinned against the wall, and scouring her skin almost raw wasn’t enough to scrub the invisible marks of his touch roving her body, squeezing her, loving her…
Ugh! Why couldn’t she forget?
Leaving the bathroom, she reentered the bedroom to find several missed calls on her phone. Several were from Roman but a few were from Vina. Did Vina already know? Her heart pounding with nervousness, April called her friend.
“Hey,” Vina immediately answered. “Where are you?”
“Why?” April didn’t want to divulge her location in case her friend was asking on Roman’s behalf.
“Greyson and Snow are about to head off for their honeymoon,” Vina informed her. “They’re saying their goodbyes.”
“I’ll be there in just a minute,” April quickly said. As much as she didn’t want to see Roman again, tonight was about Snow and Greyson. Her problems could wait until she’d sent them off.
After dressing up, she headed back down to the hall. The moment she stepped into the room, Vina noticed that she was wearing a little black dress instead of the orange one she’d had, but April easily explained it away by saying that she’d spilt a drink on herself.
Roman entered the hall a couple of minutes after April, looking rushed and out of breath – as if he’d been looking for her all this time. His gaze immediately zeroed in her. Her stomach clenched when he started towards her, but thankfully, he was intercepted by his sister, Isis. After that there was no time for him to confront April. The next hour involved a lot of fanfare, laughs and tears but eventually the partygoers shooed Greyson and Snow into a car headed to the airport.
Considering how thrifty Roman was, April had been surprised to learn that his wedding present to the couple was an all-expense paid trip to Thailand. Someone had probably arm-twisted him into it, she decided. The man cared way too much about money to be that generous.
As soon as the couple were gone, April said her own goodbyes then headed upstairs to get her small, canvas travel bag. Her plan was to sneak out to the hotel and get home before Roman even noticed that she was gone. And she almost succeeded. Almost!
She managed to exit the hotel but just as she started on the well-lit, concrete-paved path that led to the parking lot, she heard fast footsteps behind her. Even without turning, she knew who it was.
“April.” Roman’s deep voice echoed behind her. “April, wait up.”
Immediately, her whole body clenched in panic and her breath caught in her throat. Her steps sped up in an attempt to escape him but his legs were longer than hers and within seconds he was beside her. His scent and memories immediately assaulted her, bringing up memories of what they’d been up to just an hour or so ago. Working hard not to look at him, she walked faster.
“You shouldn’t be going home alone at this time.” Roman easily kept pace with her. “It’s not safe.”
Even she was impressed with how even her voice was when she retorted, “I’ve been doing it all this time and I’ve managed to survive.”
“Well, you don’t need to. I’m here.” He reached for her bag. “Let me help you with that.”
“No thanks.” She yanked the bag back. “I can manage on my own.”
Tense silence settled between them and only the sounds of their footsteps marred the nights silence. On the outside, April maintained a stoic and impassive façade, but her mind was spinning with frantic questions. What was he doing here? Why was he following her? He’d already gotten what he wanted, proven that she was weaker than she pretended. What else did he need?
Once they got to the parking lot, Roman cut into the silence. “My car’s over there.”
Seriously? Did he really expect her to get into his car? She snuck a sharp glance at him. Despite the darkness that now surrounded them, she could clearly see his face – and it was somber. He was actually serious. Internally guffawing, she turned her attention straight ahead and headed towards the section where the cabs were parked. But before she could reach them, Roman grabbed her elbow to bring her to a standstill.
“Can we talk a minute?” he asked.
“No.” She tried to pull her arm from his grip.
But his hold was firm as was his tone as he said, “Please. Just a minute.”
She puffed out an angry breath as she glared at him. “Talk about what exactly?”
“About what happened.”
“We don’t need to talk about it.” She lifted her chin. “We both know it was a mistake.”
He inhaled deeply before saying, “It wasn’t a mistake for me.”
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means – it wasn’t a mistake for me. I wanted it to happen.” His eyes were grave and uncomfortably intense as they locked on hers. “I wanted to be with you.”
“Fine, you got what you wanted.” She glared at the hand he still had on her arm. “Now can you let me go?”
“April, that’s not what I mean.” He hesitated for a long moment. “What I mean is that I want to be with you. I want to date you.”
For the space of several heartbeats, April stared at him in stunned surprise, certain that she misheard him. When she finally spoke it was in a high, uneven voice, “You’re joking, right?”
“No, I’m not.” He shook his head slowly. “I wa
nt to be your man.”
He had to be kidding, right? But his sober expression and dark eyes said that he really meant what he was saying. She stared at him, first in shock, then in narrow-eyed disbelief. “You want to be my man?”
He nodded wordlessly.
She burst into laughter then. Roman wanted to be her man? Hah! This was too funny for words. Roman? Roman? The same guy who’d called her a gold-digging groupie? Hah!
She could tell that her laughter had unsettled Roman because he was looking at her like she’d gone crazy. His expression was shadowed with concern as he said, “I’m serious.”
“You’re serious,” she echoed his words, then burst into a fresh spurt of laughter. She’d thought that having sex in a hotel restroom was the most ridiculous thing that could happen to her tonight. Apparently, she was wrong because this… this took the cake. And the award for the most ridiculous man goes to Roman Teller. Ha ha! She didn’t even realize that she was also crying until a cold tear dropped from her cheek to her neck.
What the hell? She quickly swiped her arm over her face but another errant tear dropped to replace the one she’d wiped.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” Alarm clouded Roman’s expression and he raised his hand as if to touch her face. “Why are you crying?”
She slapped his hand away and quickly took a step back. “What am I supposed to be doing? Celebrating?” She laughed, but there was a sharp edge to that laughter and it was marred by the tears now flowing unabated. “Hurray! Let’s throw a party. The great Roman Teller has decided to date me, April Merit – the gold-digging groupie.”
Roman frowned. “Why would you call yourself that?”
“It’s nothing you’ve never called me before.”
‘I’ve never-” He paused and shock filtered into his eyes. His voice strangled, he asked, “Javier told you?”
“No, Javier didn’t tell me.” She sniffed and slashed her palm over her wet cheek. “I heard it myself. I heard everything you said that day. I heard you telling him how I was just trouble and only out for his money. Pretty, well-put together despite being poor? A spend thrift? Isn’t that how you described me? So why would you want to be with me?”
