Thirty-Seven
“ W hat happened today was insane,” Jeremiah whispers to me as everyone starts to filter out of the building.
Tension sits heavily in the air like smog, made thicker by awkward silence as the day comes to an end and everyone starts their commute home. Only a couple of hours ago, Sierra saw Rome and I kissing in the breakroom and decided to confront me in front of everyone. She was in her bag with her putdowns, clearly releasing built up anger toward me for showing interest in Rome, only for us to find out that she was into him before anyone else even had a chance to be. Rome stepped out of the breakroom like a knight ready to defend his queen, and Sierra hasn't made eye contact with anyone since. Today was a day . Now that it’s over, I desperately want to speak with Rome about what happened—about what he said regarding us.
“Insane is an understatement,” I reply to Jeremiah. “Did you see how fast she left the building? Usually Sierra is one of the last people out the door, but she was speed walking today.”
“Bitch was on her high horse for sure, and rode that thing out of here,” Jeremiah jokes, laughing at himself. “I couldn't believe she went at you like that, and you just had to stand there and take it. I felt so bad for you, but then your bodyguard came out the door like Kevin Costner protecting Whitney. Girl, my jaw was on the floor. He snapped.”
“He most definitely did,” I reply, smiling at the memory of how it all went down. “Then he used it as a moment to talk to everyone about minding their own business.”
Jeremiah grins at me so hard that even his eyes are smiling. “I know you loved that shit. That man defended you and checked the entire office for you. I may not be up on the ins and outs of BDSM, but that seemed very dominant to me.”
I try to push my grin away but end up pursing my lips instead. “Yes, it was.”
I look into Rome’s office and see that he’s still seated behind his desk, and just looking at him makes my eyes light up. He is unlike anything I have ever experienced, making me feel an array of emotions I never touched with anyone else. Feelings that I thought were dormant due to all of my shitty dating experiences have now been brought to life because of Rome. Being with him has tilted my entire world on its axis.
“Okay,” Jeremiah says. He reaches down to grab a few things off his desk before looking back up at me. “I can see that you clearly want to go talk to him from the way you're staring into his office as if I've already left, so I'm going to go. Do your thing , girl. Go talk to your man. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I don't even bother searching for an excuse. “Okay. See you tomorrow. Have a good night.”
Jeremiah’s smile makes me happy. Even though Jaz and I aren't on solid footing these days, Jeremiah has been nothing but supportive since the moment we laid eyes on Rome. He has had my back this entire time, always telling me to go for it and reminding me that no one’s opinion on this matters but mine. He has never made me feel bad in any way regarding Rome, and I love him for that. No matter what happens between Jaz and me, I know Jeremiah is a friend for life.
Once he's out the door, I look around to make sure we’re alone before locking the door and going to Rome’s office. He sits behind his desk draped in frustration, his hand on his head as his fingers work circles over his temples. His eyes are closed and I can see that today’s insanity has added weight to his shoulders.
“Headache?” I ask as I enter and sit down on the black couch butted against the wall in front of his desk.
He lets out a sigh. “Something like that.”
“Sorry,” I say, although I'm not sure what I'm apologizing for. “I can't believe how today went. Everything being pulled out into the open … and Sierra … I don't even know what to say. Whatever happened with her? Did she give you an answer?”
“She's staying,” he replies flatly, fingers still massaging his temples. “She apologized to me before she left, and she’ll apologize to you first thing in the morning.”
“Ah,” I reply. Well, that fucking sucks. “Why not fire her?”
“Because if she quits after that speech I gave, she has no leg to stand on when it comes to any sort of litigation. Firing her would probably be fine, too, but I just don't want to risk it. Plus, Sierra is a great VP when she's not distracted by her own bullshit. Hopefully she’ll see clearer now. If not, I’ll do what I have to do.”
I nod along, understanding the move from an employer standpoint, but still wishing he would do the drastic thing just for me. But I know Rome is too controlled for that. He won't let his emotions drive him into a ditch.
“So, can I ask you a question?” I ask, hoping I'm not adding to his headache.
Rome finally opens his eyes as he leans back in his chair as far as it will go. “Of course.”
“Why’d you admit it?” I inquire.
Rome frowns. “Admit what?”
“That we’re together. Even in the face of Sierra’s accusations, she didn't have any proof. If you would've come out and said that she was full of shit, we could still have our business hidden. Now everyone knows and will be invested in our success or failure, and you're clearly not the type of person who likes having a world of people watching your every move. I didn't expect you to do that.”
Rome licks his lips as he looks at me, making me sink into my seat with his glare as usual. When he looks away, I can tell that he’s deep in thought about something.
“Does it bother you?” he asks.
“No,” I reply the second he finishes the question. “I'm a little worried about what people may think about me, but I never liked hiding. I only wanted to do it because I knew you wanted to.”
His eyes find me again, and they’re more filled with emotion this time. “I don't know why I did it. It felt like the right time—like it was the right thing to do. There’s just … I couldn't stand there and deny it—deny you . I'm not good at explaining it and it makes me strangely uncomfortable to talk about it at all, but I just couldn't stand beside you and tell them that we’re not together—that you don't belong to me when you do. You do belong to me, Nia, which is why you don't have to worry about what anyone thinks of you. I’ll protect you, and I’ll fire anyone who disrespects you. All you would have to do is point your finger and that person would be gone. You never have to worry about that.”
“You would do that for me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because …” Rome’s voice trails off, his brain stopping his mouth from saying whatever he was about to. I watch him pull it back, the emotion in his eyes morphing to something more like vexation. His eyes slowly start to move around the room, focusing on nothing at all before he gets up from his chair and comes to the couch to sit next to me. He grabs my hand and looks me in the eye. “Look, I'm not the best at expressing myself these days. I just need you to trust me. Okay? Do you trust me?”
I nearly laugh as I angle my body toward him. “Rome, you're my Dom. I have given myself over to you, and that is not something I would do lightly. You've earned my submission in every way. I trust you with every part of my being.”
“Good,” he says. “Because when I said that I cared about you out there in front of everyone, I meant it. When I said I don't see an ending for us, I meant that, too. As much as I've tried to fight certain feelings for so long, I fucking care about you, Nia. I care about you so much that it scares me.”
“I care about you, too, Rome,” I reply as tears suddenly fill my eyes, surprising me.
A surge of emotion courses through my veins and I feel something that I'm too afraid to say. Rome has been through so much, the last thing I want to do is say something that will be a shock to his already-ravaged system, but not saying how I feel doesn't erase it. It’s there now, like a leech attached directly to my heart, and now that it’s there, it is only going to grow.
As sentiment and passion swell between us, neither of us responds with more words. If I spoke, I would say the thing that scares me most. So instead of talking, I kiss him. A single peck turns into two. Two turns into our mouths pressing together and our tongues colliding, and before I can make sense of my changing world, I’m straddling him. Rome places his hands on each side of my hips, and lifts me off the couch, setting me down on his lap. Our mouths don't separate for a single second as our hands tug and pull at each other’s clothes, desperate to find skin as the temperature in the room skyrockets. Sweat beads on both of our foreheads, but it doesn't slow us down a bit. We’ve lost control of ourselves and have no sense of our surroundings. All we know is how we feel.
“I want you on top of me,” Rome commands. “Take off your pants right now.”
“Yes, Sir,” I reply, immediately standing and pushing my pants down to step out of them. While I wiggle my way out of the fabric, Rome removes his and sits back on the couch, guiding me to him until the moment I sit down and slide his cock inside.
Both of us moan, our heads falling back until we’re gazing at the ceiling tile. Rome’s hands stay pressed against my hips as I begin to grind on top of him, motivated by the strength in his hands and the movement in his hips beneath me.
“You feel so fucking good,” he tells me, lust hot on is breath. “How could I ever deny us when you've turned my world upside down? You're so incredible.”
I keep moving, riding his cock with more and more enthusiasm as my pussy responds with a flood of wetness. Rome’s hands slowly make their way up my body, squeezing as they go and forcing my shirt over my head. He snatches my bra off like its presence offends him, and lunges forward, sucking my nipple into his mouth while squeezing the other between his fingers. The sensitivity of my nipples makes the entire thing unbelievably erotic, and it spurs me forward.
“God, yes,” I exclaim as I pick up speed, cupping Rome’s head so that he doesn't let go. “Keep sucking it. Please, Sir. Suck it hard.”
“Yeah? You want me to keep going? Say it again, my little goddess. Tell me what you want.”
“Please keep playing with my nipples,” I say for the first time in my entire life. I never knew I was into nipple play, but my eyes have been opened today even though this is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more we could explore in this area, but for now, all I want is his mouth on me.
“Good girl,” Rome praises. “I’ll give you what you want.”
He leans forward again, sucking my nipple into his mouth with an aggressive force that borders on pain. I close my eyes and sink into it, still grinding as my breathing becomes labored.
“Yes. Thank you, Sir. Thank you. Please don't stop.”
Rome moans as he keeps his mouth on my bare breast, sucking hard. For reasons I don't even understand, the feeling of his mouth and tongue on my nipple sends me into a frenzy. I ride him faster and faster, focusing on the feeling of his teeth as they gently scrape across the hardened nub of my breast before clamping down harder.
“Oh fuck,” I shriek as an orgasm sneaks up on me and clutches me by the throat. “Sir, can I … I’m coming!”
My ability to ask for permission is sucked right out of me, but Rome is unbothered, sucking and licking my nipple at the same time as I release all of my stress onto him. My orgasm is high voltage, electrifying my entire body and sending me into uncontrollable convulsions in Rome’s lap. My hips keep moving as I try to prolong the feeling, and just as I'm coming down from heaven, Rome raises his hips and quickly drops them, pulling his cock out of me as he reaches around to stroke himself.
“Oh fuck!” he screams as he fists his cock. Warm cum shoots onto my ass and back, and I wish the feeling of him cumming on me would never stop. It feels so good that I want it all over my body, and just like that, I've unlocked two new kinks in one night.
When it’s all over and Rome and I are getting cleaned up, I realize just how insane this day was. We are no longer hiding our relationship in the shadows, and I have no idea what my relationship with Sierra will be like after all of this. My entire reality shifted the moment she peeked through the window in the breakroom door, but the part of the day that has me sitting on the edge of my seat has nothing to do with that. The biggest shock of the day is something I feel on the inside. Something no one knows but me. I went from hiding my relationship with Rome to concealing something else entirely, and even though Rome and I hold hands as we walk out of Sandcastle together, I'm much more terrified of this new secret getting out.