HARD LINE

by Justice, A. D.

  “Deal. Let’s shake on it.” I extend my hand, and she tentatively accepts it after a moment’s hesitation.

  Then I drop one knee on the floor in front of her.

  “Tawnee, will you marry me? Will you promise to stand beside me regardless of how stupid I act? Will you be the woman who snaps me back in line and keeps me from self-destructing? Will you sleep beside me every night, donating your body to the Roman Scientific Study Foundation from this day until death parts us? Will you be my everything for the rest of time?”

  She uses her free hand to whisk away the tears that escape from her eyes. Then she nods enthusiastically. “Yes. Yes, I will, Roman.”

  I reach under the sofa cushion and retrieve the small velvet box I bought during our Paris shopping excursion. While I hold it, she opens the hinged lid and gasps.

  “I can’t believe you bought my ring and proposed in Paris. When did you become such a romantic?” She smiles through the tears that fall freely from her eyes now.

  “Like I said, we can buy clothes anywhere. But an engagement ring from Paris is something to brag about.” I take it out of the box and slide it onto her ring finger. “Perfect fit. Just like you and me, sweets.”

  She slides off the couch onto my leg, and I gently pull her into my arms. “I’m yours, Roman. Always.”

  “And I’m yours, sweets. Always have been. Always will be.”

  She brushes her lips across mine, and fire immediately engulfs us. Within seconds, I’m stripping off our clothes and burying myself deep inside her right there on the floor. Her body shudders and shakes beneath mine. Every soft moan urges me on. Every fingernail scratch down my back only makes me go harder. When beads of sweat cover our bodies and drip from my brow, we find the edge of ecstasy and leap off the cliff together.

  As I stand, I gather her in my arms and carry her to the bathroom. After a long, hot shower, I wrap her in the thick, warmed towel and use a second to dry her off. “I didn’t make your wounds worse, did I?”

  “No, baby. You made me feel better all over.” The peaceful smile on her face makes me proud, because I know I put it there.

  “You called me ‘baby.’ You’ve never used a pet name with me before.”

  “Then I’d say it’s way overdue, wouldn’t you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  After she finishes drying her hair, we retreat to the bedroom to sleep after a long and trying day. The minute our heads hit the pillows, the laptop chimes with an alert. She groans in frustration but checks it all the same. Not knowing what it was about would drive her crazy all night.

  “Is this a joke? Holy shit, Roman! I keep forgetting about the time difference between here and New York. Look at this!”

  She shows me the final settled amount from selling her shares. All I can say is, I’m glad I’m already lying down, because I’d be face-first on the floor otherwise. “That is unbelievable. But I’m thrilled for you, sweets. I mean, what else do you say to that?”

  “You’re thrilled for us, Roman. Not just me. We’re really getting married, aren’t we?” Her tone is uncertain, but I’ll squash that doubt immediately.

  “As soon as possible—just try to stop me. I only assumed you’d want a prenuptial agreement after the recent developments. Oh, there’s one more thing I legitimately forgot to tell you about with all the excitement. Rafael had a fake will made six months ago, showing you left everything to him in the event of your death. But, about eight months ago, he changed his actual will to leave his entire estate to you. So, on top of the shares you just sold, you’re also set to inherit everything else he owns.”

  “Are you kidding me, Roman?”

  “No, sweets, you really get it all. Houses, properties, bank accounts, his holding company—”

  “Not about that! About wanting a prenuptial agreement. After all this time and everything we’ve been through—including today—you nonchalantly throw that comment out there. Have you lost your mind?”

  “I honestly just thought—”

  “Well, stop thinking. You’re not allowed to think for either of us anymore. I’ll handle all of that going forward.”

  “Yes, ma’am. You’ll get no more thinking from me.” I can’t help but smirk. “I’m not trying to be an ass. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect you, Tawnee.”

  “I know you will. That’s why I don’t feel the need for anything else. Some say that’s naïve, but I can live with that. You put yourself in danger to rescue me. You’ve taken care of me, whisked me out of the country, and gotten rid of all my problems. As far as I’m concerned, half of this is already yours as payment for your services. You know, as soon as I have access to the funds.”

  I shake my head. “I’m not interested in an IOU. But I will take an ‘I do’ as payment.”

  “Consider my debt paid in full, then. Because I’ll ‘I do’ you so many times, you’ll have a permanent smile on your face.”

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m wide awake now. What do you want to do?”

  “Let’s go wake up all the guys. They need to call everyone back home and start making plans to join us in Gay Paree. Do you have any idea how many more clothing shops there are here? It could take weeks before we work our way through them.”

  Not exactly what I had in mind, but also not a bad idea.

  “There’s only one clothing shop I want you to go to. The rest of the time, you won’t need any clothes.”

  “Oh yeah, and where’s that?”

  “A bridal shop for your dream wedding dress.”

  “What kind of ceremony do you think we should have?”

  “I don’t think. That’s your job, remember?” She swats me with the pillow, and I laugh. “Sweets, listen. Most guys don’t care about that. I’ll show up where and when you tell me to, and I’ll be happy to wear whatever you pick out. Except one of those Arab dresses. I have to draw the line there after the past few days.”

  “I promise—no thobes, headdresses, or anything related. I can’t wait to see you in a custom-tailored Armani tuxedo. I bet you’ll look so hot.”

  “I can’t wait to see you in absolutely nothing all day, every day, on our honeymoon, because I already know for a fact you look hot in your birthday suit.” I waggle my eyebrows at her, and she rolls her eyes at me. “Time for a confession, Tawnee. I know you’re not a materialistic person—you never have been. But I questioned how you would ever choose me over Raf. I knew I’d never be able to give you the finer things like he could or take you on trips around the world on a whim.”

  “You give me what he never could, Roman. I can feel you when you’re near. Electricity runs through me when I simply touch your hand. You’ve offered all of you, holding nothing back from me. My soul recognizes you as its mate. You’re the other half of me.”

  “You’re the best part of me, Tawnee.”

  Now that we’re unable to sleep, we get dressed and share all the wonderful news with our friends who have had our backs every step of this journey. After we pop the cork on some champagne and toast our announcements, the guys contact our friends and family at home to fill them in. They’re all excited to start making travel arrangements to join us on a European tour. When we finally head back to our room, we stand in the window, staring at the Eiffel Tower lights as they twinkle against the night sky.

  “Roman?” she whispers to me, though her back is flush against my chest.

  “Yeah, sweets?”

  “If I ask you to give up something for me, would you resent me for it later?”

  “I highly doubt that, Tawnee. How could I ever resent you? Tell me what you want.” My curiosity is piqued.

  “I want you to quit your job. We’ll have more than enough money—neither of us will ever have to work again.” She turns to face me, searching my eyes for an answer.

  “What do you want to do with all our time if neither of us works?”

  “I want to be the voice and an advocate for those women in the Saudi prisons. How can I e
scape and never think about the ones who are still stuck in there? They’re probably facing worse punishment because I got away. I’ll have the resources to build a platform for awareness of their plight and to help stop the inhumane treatment. That’s what I really want to do, and I’d love to have your help with it.”

  “You’ve got me, sweets. I’ll be right beside you every step of the way. I have one condition, though.”

  “And that is?”

  “You’re never going anywhere in the Middle East again. Ever. Travel to that area of the world is strictly off-limits unless we have the entire US military as an escort.”

  “Agreed. You don’t have to ask me twice.”

  We both know she’d never be safe there, and I’m not willing to risk her life for anything, no matter how noble the cause. I’m just glad to hear we’re on the same page. Otherwise, I’d have to look into investing in building a house with secret rooms, hidden passages, and interesting dungeon furnishings to keep her in until she came to her senses.

  Epilogue

  Tawnee

  About an hour outside of Paris, we found the most gorgeous castle, complete with a moat, and beautifully manicured adjacent grounds.

  “This is perfect for a wedding, Roman.” I can’t help but gush over the towers, balconies, and turrets lining the 52-bedroom, genuine 1500s French chateau-turned-hotel.

  “Sweets, you know we can’t officially get married here unless we’ve been a resident for thirty days. Refusing to leave France after an extended vacation does not meet the residency requirements.”

  “I know, spoilsport, but it’s still fun to pretend.”

  “Gerald and I are into the pretending, too. He pretends to be the big, bad wolf, and I pretend I don’t want to be eaten.” Liz walks by and blurts out way more personal information than I ever need to hear.

  “Liz, come on. Keep that shit to yourself.” Silas shakes his head and sticks his fingers in his ears. “I think my ears are bleeding.”

  “Let me tell you something, Silas Steele. You and Shadow are both just jealous because you lost the chance to experience your reverse harem fantasy with me. Gerald is my main man now, and we’re not into sharing. We’re devoted to each other, and there’s nothing you two can do about it.”

  Shadow mumbles under his breath beside me. “I don’t know whether to congratulate Gerald or have him committed for a psychiatric evaluation.”

  Silas steps up to my other side and mutters, “Never use the words pretend, role-play, prophylactic, or flogging around Liz. It never ends well.”

  “So, Liz, you never told me how you ended up dating Gerald.” I’m not letting these guys off the hook that easily. I love how she makes them squirm, even if I think she’s crazy, too.

  “Well, sweet pea, it was like this. Blake, Rebel, and Bull brought him home to the Casa de la Steele. That’s fancy language for the Steeles’ house. Anyway, you know someone stabbed him in that third world country over there.”

  “Liz, Dubai is far from a third world country.” Noah stops her. “They’re very wealthy.”

  “Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was saying someone stabbed Gerald, so they brought him to Miami so I could patch him up. You know, these boys can’t exactly do their job without me. While he was on the mend, Gerald and I had a lot of time to talk. He couldn’t give me a good explanation for why he’d been single for so long.

  “He finally said it was because his wife had died, and he was afraid of getting hurt again. So, I took my flogger and whacked him across the back of the legs with it. He screamed out, ‘That hurt!’ and I told him it was supposed to hurt.”

  “Naturally.” Where the hell is this going?

  “That’s when I explained to him that regardless of whether he loves again, he’ll still get hurt. He’ll still feel pain. There will never be a time in his life, while he’s alive, that he can escape all pain. Then he finally understood me.”

  A time in his life… while he’s alive? Is there a time in his life when he’s dead? I can’t ask these questions because I’m genuinely afraid of the answer.

  “After that, I put the flogger away until he was ready for it. But when he asked for it on his own, that was a beautiful thing. I knew then he was ready to love freely and not worry about getting hurt. That just freed us up for so many other possibilities. Ball gags, whips, chains—I don’t even know what some of those toys are called. Doesn’t make them any less fun, though.”

  When I glance around, all the men have their hands over their ears and are running—running—away from us. The women are all wiping away tears of laughter. And Gerald, sweet Gerald, is standing next to Liz with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen anyone wear.

  There’s a man in love if I’ve ever seen one.

  We continue our stroll around the castle before piling back into the stretch limousine. I’ve felt a little guilty for enjoying all the spoils of our victory so extravagantly. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s that we only have one life, and the best we can do is live it to the fullest.

  “Please, sweets, for the love of all that is holy in this world, can we go back to Miami now? I’ve loved every minute of the last three weeks I’ve spent with you in France, but I’d love some time alone with you. Completely alone. Locked in our own home. Tell you what—I’ll even have a moat built around it the second we get back, complete with a drawbridge that only I have the access code to open.” Roman pleads with me, keeping his voice low enough so the rest of the crowd can’t hear.

  “Okay, I suppose we have been away for a long time now. If the others are ready to go back, we can alert the pilot and head home tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Have I told you how wonderful and sweet and beautiful and precious you are today?”

  “Yeah, I think that’s what I heard you say right about the time you ran away and left me alone with Liz.”

  “There’s a standing rule with this group. I’m not proud of it, but I have to live by it.”

  “And that is?”

  “It’s every man for himself when it comes to Liz. If you fall, it’s up to you to get yourself out of there on your own. That’s the only time we’d purposely leave a man down behind.” He smiles and winks, but I know every one of these men would take a bullet for her.

  Though they won’t take a flogging from her.

  “Hmm, I’ll have to remember that. It may come in handy one day very soon.”

  The smug smile disappears from his face, and it’s quickly replaced by a concerned, haunted stare. Now it’s my turn to smile.

  “As fun as this vacation has been, is everyone ready to go back home?” Roman asks the group.

  “Ready when you are. This has been an amazing vacation, and we appreciate your generosity so much. I think we all needed this time to relax and unwind.” Brianna, Noah’s wife, grabs his hand and squeezes. “Noah works way too much. I’ve tried to get him to slow down and not take so many cases.”

  “I was actually hoping this group would take on a different type of case—one everyone can take part in. But I don’t want anyone to feel pressured. This isn’t a tit-for-tat. Only join if you’re sincerely interested.”

  “Tell us. The suspense is killing me!” Chaise, Bull’s wife, bounces in her seat.

  “Roman and I have plans to start our own nonprofit organization to work to help end human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. It won’t be easy, but I feel very strongly that we have to try. Even if all we can do to start out is put public pressure on our government to stop doing business with them, or levy economic sanctions against them until they stop their travesties against women and the other minority groups they target. After seeing it firsthand, I can’t turn a blind eye now.”

  “I’m in, Tawnee. You know I was an investigative reporter. I can dust off my writing skills and start publishing scathing articles about their mistreatments.” Brianna reaches over and grabs my hand, showing her support.

  “That’s a great idea. Bri. I�
�ve worked in human resources for years. I can help you with setting up your nonprofit and writing the bylaws. When we’re ready, I’ll be right beside you on Capitol Hill to make our case.” Chaise adds her hand on top of Bri’s.

  “While we’re at it, I’ll chime in. I’m a nurse, and I’ll use my medical expertise to help in all sorts of ways. I can detail what happens when they deny women healthcare. I can help examine those who have escaped and document their injuries.” Heather, Rebel’s wife, puts her hand on top of ours.

  “I’m still a Hollywood movie director and an actress. I will use my public voice to affect change. Count me in.” Elle, Shadow’s wife, plants her hand with ours.

  “My sister and I have a variety of special skills. We can get all the information you need, and no one will ever be the wiser.” Kira, Silas’s wife, adds her hand.

  “I’m an author—I’ll be glad to write a book about it, get on the interview circuit, and get more people involved.” Savannah, Nick’s wife, joins her hand with ours.

  “I’m Liz. I’m a superspy and a force to be reckoned with. I’ll put those men in their places—under my feet.” Liz places her hand on top.

  “I’m feeling all the girl power in this vehicle. Tell you what, I’ll just kick whoever’s ass tries to get close to you ladies. Consider me your full-time bodyguard.” Roman kisses me on the temple and squeezes me to him.

  “The rest of us are with Roman. We’ll carry your purses and kick asses, too. Just point us in the right direction, and we’ll do what you need us to do.” Noah grins, content to pitch in wherever he’s needed.

  “Thank you, all of you. I don’t know how far we’ll get, but every little bit has to help. Right?”

  When we get home, I immediately start planning our wedding. It’s been a long time coming, and we’re both finally ready to make that leap. Since Roman and I first met in Miami, and so many of our pivotal moments occurred at the beach, that’s where I’ve chosen to have our wedding. It seems fitting to make our new beginning match our original one.

  I’m wearing a sexy backless mermaid dress with thin spaghetti straps. The scalloped top meshes perfectly with the beach theme, and the white lace chiffon sets the tone for an elegant evening wedding. The length is perfect to wear my jewel-embellished barefoot sandals, with the strap extending down the middle of my foot and looping over my toe. Roman is wearing a white linen suit that fits him perfectly.