27. Chapter Twenty- Five
Chapter Twenty- Five
Xena
O nce Roman arrives at the hospital, we leave in a hurry after signing the release papers. We walk out hand in hand, no words spoken between us, just the quiet comfort of being together. As we make our way toward the truck, I run my thumb gently over his hand, letting myself soak in the feeling—the overwhelming love that fills me to the brim.
We pull into the familiar driveway, the sight of it flooding me with memories. "Roman, thank you," I say, squeezing his hand.
"Never thank me. You’re my very reason to breathe. Without you, there’s no me, Xena Bean," he says, his big, tattooed hands cupping my face as he crashes his lips into mine. My lip's part, and his tongue slips inside, dancing along with mine, claiming me, devouring me, worshiping me. His tongue twirls and flicks, a dance as old as time.
"I love you," I murmur, pulling away slightly, our lips still touching. He smiles.
"And I you."
We kiss again, and within seconds I’m straddling him, fucking Mariah Carey "All I Want for Christmas," playing in the background as we make out. When we pull away, we’re breathless, his hardness pressing against me, and I’m soaked. "Let’s get inside," he says, cupping my ass and giving it a squeeze.
I don’t hesitate, and soon we’re out of the truck, walking hand in hand through the door. My eyes go wide as I take in all the decorations—the house is clean, homey, festive. My arms wrap around his neck again. "Thank you for breathing life back into me," I whisper.
He just pulls me into the living room, guiding me toward the family portrait on display. The shelves his father always wanted to fill with pictures are now lined with our history—us. The tears wreck me. "When did you do all this?" I ask, my voice trembling.
He shrugs casually. "I became a real problem after I woke up," he jokes, but the emotion in his eyes says more.
"I’m serious. My injury wasn’t as bad as it looked. Once they stopped the bleeding and stitched me up, I signed myself out. I hate hospitals," he replies, moving behind me to help me out of my coat. His arms wrap around me, his chin resting on the top of my head. "I thought I was going to lose you that night," he whispers. "Never again, Xena. Ten years away from you was enough for me."
I nod, my heart too full for words.
His hands slide down my waist, tugging down the sweatpants he brought me earlier, then moving up to pull off his sweatshirt from my body. "I love you, Xena. You’re my gift today and always," he murmurs, his hand tracing the curve of my bare skin. Heat pools in my stomach, goosebumps rising under his touch. The fire crackles behind us, and the Christmas lights twinkle softly.
"Fire, Christmas lights, and..." I trail off as I inhale the familiar smell of chicken noodle soup, my favorite. "You really did all of this for me."
"I told you, you’re my gift. I’ll always take care of you, even if I break you. I’ll always put you back together," he whispers against my skin. The clothing on his body feels like a barrier, too much between us. I need to feel him now, to unwrap my gift.
He must sense it because just as I turn to face him, Roman helps me undress, and I crash my lips against his. My hand finds the spot where he was injured, and I freeze for a moment, but he stops me.
"No, don’t," he says, his voice husky. "Don’t stop. I need you. I need this."
So, I continue, my hands exploring, memorizing every inch of him. My love. My Roman—my tormentor, my stepbrother, my fucking Christmas gift. His hand cups my neck, deepening the kiss, as if he’s trying to merge us into one being. "Merry Christmas, baby," I whisper into his lips before surrendering myself to him completely.
He pushes me against the wall, the lights flickering around us, dancing like our tongues. His erection presses into my stomach, and my hand wraps around his length, needing to feel him. The warmth of him—my gift—because it means I’m still alive. We’re alive, and we’re together. Perfectly imperfect.
His fingers tangle in my hair, holding me in place as our chests heave in sync. Our ragged breaths are the only sound in the room, the world outside fading away, leaving just us in this perfect, chaotic moment. I grip his length tighter, my heart racing, my body aching for him. He nips at my lip, and I moan, the sound swallowed by his mouth. Our chests heave in sync, our ragged breathing the only sound in the room. The world around us melts away, leaving only the two of us, lost in this Christmas moment. My gift is giving me life, and I'm determined to take it all in.