29. A Claiming – Roman
Chapter 29
A Claiming
PLAYLIST: “YOU ARE THE REASON” BY CALUM SCOTT AND LEONA LEWIS
ROMAN
The reception buzzed around us—laughter, music, the clink of glasses—but all I could hear was the sound of Zoe’s breath against my neck as we swayed under the string lights. My arms circled her waist, pulling her closer, and I could feel the steady beat of her heart against mine. For a man who spent most of his life feeling like the ground could disappear beneath his feet at any moment, this was the closest thing to solid I’d ever known.
Zoe’s head rested against my shoulder, her body soft and warm in my arms, and I caught a faint whiff of the wildflowers woven into her hair. She looked like something out of a dream tonight, glowing in the soft light, her laughter weaving through the air like a melody I wanted to wrap myself in. My wife. I still couldn’t believe it.
I leaned my head down, my lips brushing the shell of her ear as I whispered, “How soon can we get out of here?”
She pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at me, her green eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’re the groom,” she teased. “You tell me.”
“I’m telling you I need you all to myself,” I said, my voice low and rough. “Now.”
Her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile, and damn if that didn’t make my pulse skip. She reached up, her fingers brushing the back of my neck, and her touch was so light, so familiar, it sent a shiver through me.
“We’ve got a whole crowd here to entertain,” she said softly, though her voice had that edge of mischief I knew all too well. “You think they won’t notice if we disappear?”
“Let ’em notice,” I murmured, my gaze dropping to her mouth. “I don’t care. They’ve had you all night, and I’ve been patient. But you’re mine now, Mrs. York. Every inch of you.”
Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, and she bit her lip, a little laugh escaping her. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“For you? Always.”
The music changed to something slower, softer, and I took the opportunity to pull her even closer, my hand sliding down her back. She fit against me like she was made for it, and I felt her fingers tighten slightly against my shoulder.
There was a tension between us now, a slow burn that had been building all day, every look, every touch stoking it higher. I could feel it in the way she pressed closer, her breath hitching just slightly as my hand skimmed the curve of her hip.
The world around us faded, the crowd and the music blurring into background noise. It was just her and me under the glow of the string lights, her eyes locked on mine as if she could see right through me. And maybe she could. Zoe always had a way of cutting through the noise, of finding the pieces of me I didn’t even know were there.
“You’re beautiful tonight,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended. “You know that?”
Her gaze softened, and she tilted her head, her fingers brushing my jaw.
“Roman,” she whispered, her voice warm and full of something I couldn’t name. “I’m yours. You don’t have to remind me.”
That did it. Whatever restraint I’d been holding onto snapped, and I leaned down, catching her mouth with mine in a kiss that was slow and deep and left no room for questions. Her fingers slid into my hair, and I felt her melt against me, her lips parting as if she’d been waiting for this as much as I had. The world tilted slightly, and for a moment, it felt like we were the only two people on the planet.
When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathless. Her cheeks flushed, and I could see the same fire in her eyes that I felt burning under my skin. I leaned my forehead against hers, struggling to catch my breath.
“Say the word,” I murmured, my voice low and full of heat. “And we’re gone.”
She laughed softly, her fingers tracing the collar of my shirt. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Not a chance.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the crowd, and I saw the moment she made up her mind. Her smile turned wicked as she looked back at me.
“Then let’s go.”
I didn’t wait for her to change her mind. Taking her hand, I wove us through the crowd with a quick nod to Rick, who gave me a knowing grin and a lazy salute. Zoe giggled as we slipped past Kat, who was too busy spinning with Landon to notice us leaving.
The cool night air hit us as we stepped out of the barn, the noise of the reception fading behind us. I glanced down at Zoe, her cheeks pink from the excitement, her laughter bubbling over as she stumbled slightly in her heels. I caught her around the waist, steadying her, and she looked up at me with a grin that stole the breath from my lungs.
“Careful,” I murmured, my voice dropping. “I can’t have you breaking an ankle on our wedding night.”
She smirked, her fingers curling into the front of my shirt. “I think you’d survive.”
“Not a chance,” I said, my lips brushing her temple. “I’d be useless without you.”
Her laughter softened, and the look she gave me then was so full of love, so raw and open, it nearly brought me to my knees. I reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, my thumb brushing her cheek.
“You’re everything to me, Zoe,” I breathed, the words coming out rough. “I need you to know that.”
Her hand came up to cover mine, her touch warm and steady.
“I know,” she whispered, her voice full of certainty. “And I’m everything because of you.”
The tension between us snapped like a cord pulled too tight, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. I kissed her again, harder this time, my hands framing her face as I poured everything into it—the love, the desire, the need. Her fingers tightened in my shirt, pulling me closer, and I felt her body press against mine like she couldn’t get close enough.
I broke the kiss just long enough to scoop her into my arms, earning a startled laugh from her.
“Roman!” she gasped, wrapping her arms around my neck. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying my wife over the threshold,” I said, grinning as I carried her toward the big house. “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”
She laughed, the sound warm and full of joy, and I couldn’t help but join her. By the time I pushed the door open and carried her inside the master suite, the laughter had faded into something quieter, more intimate. The glow of the fire I’d lit earlier filled the room, casting everything in a soft, golden light.
I set her down gently, my hands lingering on her waist as she gazed up at me. Her expression had shifted, the playfulness giving way to something deeper, more serious.
She reached up, her fingers brushing my cheek as she whispered, “I love you, Roman.”
“I love you too,” I said, my voice thick. “More than you’ll ever know.”
The air between us crackled with energy, and I felt the heat of it pull me closer. My hand slid to the small of her back, drawing her against me as I leaned down to kiss her again. It was slower this time, the kind of kiss that unraveled you piece by piece. Her hands moved to my chest, tracing the lines of my shirt before sliding beneath the fabric to rest against my skin.
I pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, my breathing uneven.
“You sure about this?” I asked softly, my thumb brushing her jaw.
Her smile was soft but certain. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
And with that, I let everything else fall away. Tonight was ours, and I wasn’t wasting a second more.
I spun Zoe around, unzipping her dress with shaking fingers and gently pushing it off her shoulders, showering the newly exposed skin with kisses. I kissed my way down her spine, inch by inch, along the path her zipper exposed, loving her soft gasps and moans in response. I growled with satisfaction when her dress pooled on the floor at her feet and she was left in a gorgeous white lace lingerie set.
“You’re gorgeous, baby, absolutely gorgeous.” I murmured the words against her skin as I unhooked her bra and cast it aside, turning her so I could take one perfect nipple in my mouth, and gently tease the other with my fingers.
“Roman,” she gasped, arching into my touch, pressing closer, like she couldn’t get enough. If I had my way, she never would. “God... that feels so good.”
“That’s my whole plan for tonight, baby... I’m going to make you feel good over and over and over again, baby. I’m going to show you just how much I love you in every way I can possibly think of.”
Zoe buried her fingers in my hair, writhing against me as I backed her up, maneuvering her to the bed and gently lying her down on it as I continued to lick, suck, and nibble on her perfect breast.
As I gently laid her down, Zoe reached up, her fingers brushing against my cheek.
“I missed you, Rome, all those years when I was in Miami… I spent all of them missing you, even though I wouldn’t admit it to myself back then,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I paused, my eyes searching hers. I could get lost in those emerald depths every time I look her in the eye.
“Not as much as I missed you, Zoe,” I replied, my thumb tracing her bottom lip. “It’s not just about this... it’s about us. It always has been.”
She nodded, her eyes glistening. “I know. I’ve been running from that for too long… but not anymore, Rome. Never again. I’m yours, now and forever.”
I kissed her then, not with the fierce passion of before, but with a tender urgency that spoke of longing and vulnerability. It was a promise, a plea, a question all rolled into one.
“Zoe,” I murmured against her lips, “I need you. All of you. And I don’t give a flying fuck that we have guests outside who might hear us.”
She smiled, her eyes twinkling with an intoxicating mixture of love and wickedness. “You have me, Rome. All of me.”
I kissed my way down her body, blazing a trail from her lips to her perfect breasts all the way down to her panty line. I growled when my lips met lace and hooked my fingers in the waistband of her panties, yanking them off in one swift, impatient move.
When I moved to bury my face between her legs, Zoe gently tugged on my hair and shook her head at me.
“As much as I love it when you do that, Rome, right now, I just need you. Inside me. Loving me.”
I growled, a sound of pleasure and possession. “Always, baby. Always.”
I stripped and did exactly as she asked, settling between her legs and kissing her again, taking her mouth in a slow, gentle, possessive claiming that was somehow different from every other time that we’d kissed before.
I couldn’t get enough of her, my Zoe. Every touch, every taste, every breath was a testament to our love, our need, our possession of each other. Her hands in my hair, her body arching into mine, it was all a dance we’d been practicing for years, even when we were apart.
I could feel her, every inch of her, against me, and it wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed all of her.
“Zoe,” I murmured, my voice ragged with desire and emotion, “I need you. All of you. Now.”
She nodded, her eyes dark with the same hunger that consumed me. “Take me, Rome. Make me yours. Again.”
And I did. Slowly, I pushed inside her and settled into the perfection of her body wrapped around mine, of being pressed so deep inside her I couldn’t tell where I ended and she began. I took her, not with the fierce hunger of before, but with a slow intensity that left us both breathless and reeling.
It was a claiming, a promise, a plea. It was us, Zoe and Roman, finally, truly together, with nothing left to keep us apart or come between us again.