Chapter 41
FORTY-ONE
I’m sure everyone in the hallway can hear everything, but right now I don’t give a fuck, not as Rome slams into me deep, my back against the heavy door. My skirt is hiked around my waist, and his pants are down just enough to get his cock out, and for the first time in days, I feel whole.
“You are so fucking hot,” he groans into my neck. “So hot. So fucking sexy. So fucking talented. So smart.” Each thrust is a new compliment, his head buried in my neck as he fucks me. My hands are tangled in his hair, holding on as if my life depends on it. “So fucking mine.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” I chant. “Yours. Fuck, I’m yours, Rome.” The pleasure builds with each thrust, my clit brushing against his pelvis, and when one of his hands tilts my hips so he can get deeper and glide along my g-spot, I gasp.
“That’s it, you’re close,” he groans.
“Yes,” I breathe, tightening around him.
“Fuck, take me with you, heartbreaker. Take me with you and come on my cock.”
“Rome!” I shout, then my fingers are digging into my shoulders as I come, hard and fast, tightening around his cock.
A moment later, I find I did my job as he slams in deep, coming inside of me.
I pant as my head falls back to the door, eyes shut, his low groan pulling out my orgasm until I go limp against him.
“Holy shit,” I breathe as I come down from my high, and he pulls back to grin at me.
“Yeah,” he murmurs, pressing kisses anywhere he can reach before slowly stepping back and moving me toward the bed.
He sets me on it, then moves between my legs, hand gliding up my thigh to spread me wide.
I tighten at the light touch, even though I just came hard.
But I know exactly what he’s about to do.
He hisses out a breath, fingers moving to my center then sliding in.
“Keep this a bit longer,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my inner thigh. “I want it dripping out of you all night until I can have you again.” My brows furrow, and I move to my elbows, confused. Without having to speak, he answers my unspoken questions. “We’ve gotta go celebrate, baby.”
Celebrate, because we closed the case. After getting the information on record from Levi, it took Kevin only about an hour to contact the board and have him formally let go from the race team.
At the same time, Mel was called into Phil’s office and fired, and both Levi and Mel were turned in to the police, since Phil, Rome, and Kevin absolutely plan to press charges.
Not only because of the emotional, physical, and financial toll the duo had on them all, but also to create a paper trail when Courtney runs her press campaign to rehab Rome’s image once and for all.
So yeah, a celebration is in order.
And celebrate we do.
First, we celebrate in a bar with Tyler, Oliver, Demi, and a couple of the other drivers. I drink too much, and Rome sips on just one beer. When I told him he could let go, drink with us, and have a good time—and that his image is safe and sound—he grinned and shook his head.
“Oh, no, heartbreaker. I’m making sure I can remember every single moment of tonight.
We’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.
” That makes me want to leave right then, but Demi and her epic cock-blocking powers decide to tug me onto the dance floor.
I don’t mind, though, because it means a few minutes later, Rome follows, and I learn that the man can move.
Dancing with Rome might be the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced, if I’m being honest.
When we finally get the all-clear to leave, we celebrate again in Rome’s room, over and over, until I pass out from exhaustion and am utterly blissed out.
The ache I feel in my bones the next morning is well earned.
But with this new day comes reality, a miserable feeling in my gut as I realize that the mission is now over.
Thankfully, I don’t get much time to dwell on that, because Rome wakes up and round three of the celebrations continues.
I’m equally as distracted when our whole crew has breakfast together, a bit loud and boisterous, all of us a bit hungover but in the best way.
It feels like a chaotic family, ribbing and laughter in a way I haven’t experienced since arriving, but in a way I know I would do anything to have again.
Rome, Tyler, and Oliver all laugh together, inside jokes coming back as if nothing happened, and my heart feels so damn full.
After breakfast, Rome manages to tug me to his room to fuck me again, as if he needs to make up for the few days we spent apart, before begrudgingly heading to have lunch with his dad.
I tell him it’s fine, that I have loose ends to tie up with Demi, but I secretly, I dread being away from him, knowing it’ll give me time to overthink, to dwell on this new, strange feeling of disappointment that the assignment is over.
I’ve never felt it before, always excited to move on to the next adventure, but for some reason, as I fold up my Heartbreaker tees, I kind of want to cry.
I fight it back, not because I’m still embarrassed about crying, but because I worry that if I start, I might never stop.
I just need space, I tell myself. Space, and maybe a couple of days of sleeping, then reality and common sense will kick in, and I’ll be as good as new.
“What are you doing?” Rome asks that afternoon when he walks into the hotel room.
He looks around, confused and probably a bit shocked.
When in the middle of a case, Demi and I tend to spread out, and I don’t think Rome ever came in here without it being a mess.
But now it’s relatively neat, Demi’s computers are all gone, the murder board has been taken down, and almost everything has been packed up.
I’m sitting on the floor, my suitcase before me as I start to fit everything inside.
“Organizing. Otherwise, it’s going to be such a headache when I get home,” I say, even though I know it’s going to be a headache either way.
“I think I’ll need to ship my Calico Critter house, though.
” He looks at me, clearly not understanding, so I expand.
“There’s no way it’s fitting in a suitcase, and I don’t want it to get damaged. ”
“Home?” he asks, clearly stuck on that single word. “You’re… You’re leaving?” I give him a small smile and lift a shoulder, trying to play it casually despite the knot growing in my stomach.
“Well, yeah. Mission’s over. That’s how this works, after all.
” His brows furrow, a wrinkle marring his handsome face.
Out of habit, my eyes travel to the spot in his eyebrow scarred.
Knowing now that Levi was behind this mess, it makes me want to hate the small imperfection, but I like the reminder of our first kiss.
“But… Monster Smash,” he says. The reminder has my chest aching in a way it’s done every time I’ve thought of leaving the place that has unexpectedly stolen a piece of my heart.
But as always, I push it away, reminding myself that this is how every assignment goes.
I come in, get comfortable, and then I leave.
That being said, even I can’t delude myself into thinking this time isn’t different. This time, I found a piece of myself, fell in love with this sport, the people, and the circuit.
“It was a mission,” I say with a lift of my shoulder, hoping he can’t see past the facade. This conflicted feeling is just because of the friends I met here, because I fell in love with Rome here. Nothing more. “And now it’s over.” That last one is more of a reminder to myself, if I’m being honest.
His tongue runs along the inside of his bottom lip, unsure and anxious. I find myself fighting a smile. It’s not the right time to bask in it, but god, I love that he shows me his real feelings so easily, without having to work things out.
When he speaks again, I understand where the nerves were coming from.
“And what about us?” he asks, the words spilling from his mouth without intention. Nerves spike, and my brows furrow.
“I mean… I thought we agreed that we’d figure things out.
Unless…” Maybe he doesn’t want to be with me now that things have cleared up.
Maybe he doesn’t want to be involved with a Maven, or maybe he wants to focus on Indy, now that he’s on the road back to the circuit.
But those nerves die quickly when he shakes his head.
“No, no. Of course. Of course, we’ll figure things out,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m not giving up on us, of course not. No matter where we are, we’re going to be there together. I just… I can’t believe you’re going to leave.”
“Well, you’re going to be leaving soon, too,” I say with a soft smile.
While I don’t know the full extent of his conversation with his dad today, I know that at breakfast he mentioned going back to Indy within the next two weeks.
Kevin was already in contact with the board to tell them the news on Levi, and that they needed someone to race in his place as a lead driver.
It seems that they’ll be able to bring Rome back on, ending his suspension.
“But… you belong here,” he says, gentle and confused. I give him a soft smile, trying to hide the way his words twist at the unfamiliar doubt in my chest.
“I had fun while I was here, but it’s time for my next adventure.” There’s a moment of silence, and I fold a shirt, needing something distracting, needing something to keep my hands busy, but they’re still with his next words.
“Or you could have more of the same adventure. Make this your new adventure. I think you should consider staying, Lana. I know Phil would be more than happy to have you come on full-time.”
“I don’t think that’s what I’m meant to be doing,” I say, trying to keep my voice neutral.
I’ve spent the last few weeks being more open with Rome than I’ve ever been with anyone, and I’ve loved it.
But right now, it means I have to work twice as hard not to give him any hint of doubt brewing in my chest.
“It is, and you know it. God, look at all the women you’ve inspired.
Look at the change you’ve made with the guys here.
You earned their respect and beat them at something they’ve been working at for years,” he’s frustrated, though I know it’s on my behalf, not at me.
I nod all the same, agreeing with his points and countering with my own.
“And I also opened the floor for a new woman to come in and do the same. I’m glad I was able to make a difference outside of solving this case.”
“Lana—”
I set the shirt down and stand up, wanting this conversation to be over. I can’t be content with these outlandish ideas. It’s not an option for me.
“What does it matter, Rome? You’re not going to be here, so it’s not like I’m leaving you.
In fact, unless I have another far-off assignment, I’ll be closer to you.
” In between races, I found out he’ll be at his home outside of Philly, which is barely an hour from my place outside of Hudson City.
Another small way that makes it feel like we were meant to be.
“And in between assignments, I can come travel with you, go to your races, watch you do what you love most of all.” His jaw tightens, his arms crossed on his chest, annoyed that I have good points.
But he doesn’t know I have had these same arguments with myself over the last few days.
I’ve repeated them over and over, trying just as hard to convince myself.
I step closer to him, hating any unnecessary distance between us, and set a hand on his cheek, giving him a soft smile.
“It’s what I do, Rome. This is all part of it.
I come in, I spend some time as someone new, and then I get to have fun with some other adrenaline high.
” With a sigh, he reaches out, putting an arm around my waist and pulling me to him.
“That’s what you want? To go?” His tone is defeated, but I maintain my soft, airy look and smile.
Then, I lie.
“It is. I’m the Chameleon, after all.” There’s a moment of hesitation when I wonder if he’ll go with it, before he lets out a deep sigh.
“But you still want to be with me, right?” he asks, almost nervously, and I grin wide before looping an arm around his neck.
Then, I tell the truth.
“More than anything, Roman. I could be anything and anyone, but at the end of the day, I’ll always want to be your girl.”