Chapter 17
Seventeen
LULU
Idon’t know if I’ve ever felt so … cozy.
I’m surrounded by warmth. My face rests against a hard, warm chest, and when I open my eyes, it’s to see the rest of a tattooed torso in my line of vision.
Rome.
We weren’t touching when we fell asleep, but here we are now.
Cuddling. Actually, that term’s too simple for it.
We’re wrapped up in each other. His arms are holding me against him, and it feels so good.
I don’t know if I’ve ever been held like this before.
I’m not a virgin, but the few sexual encounters I had with just one man weren’t followed up with cuddling in bed.
There was no bed.
My arm is draped over his stomach, and my leg is hitched up high on his thighs. For fuck’s sake, I’m clinging to the poor man like a monkey in a tree.
What if he doesn’t like to be touched?
I guess he would have rolled away from me if that were the case.
He’s relaxed beneath me, breathing in long, deep breaths, obviously still asleep. I want to drag my fingers over his eight-pack abs. Over the ink and the soft, warm skin.
Holding my breath, I ease my head back to see his face.
It’s relaxed in sleep, but he still looks grouchy, with that little line between his dark eyebrows, as if even in dreams something pisses him off.
His full lips are closed. They look like they could do all kinds of naughty things to me, and just the thought of it has my core tightening.
Rome has a good nose. It might have been broken once because he has a bump on the bridge.
Full, dark eyelashes lay against his tanned cheek, and his dark hair is tousled from sleep.
Everything about this man is sexy. His voice. The way his blue eyes watch me as he listens to me. Hell, the listening is sexy. Even though we’ve only had a few conversations, and they haven’t been long or of much substance, I feel like he sees me. Like he wants to know me.
With my eyes pinned to his face, I let my hand drift over his abdomen, and God, if I don’t love the way his smooth skin feels under my touch. Each muscle is defined, and I enjoy exploring each hill and valley up to his chest.
I want to kiss his neck. Maybe bite him there and leave a mark.
Mine.
I mentally shake my head at my audacity. He’s not mine; he’s just being nice to me. And I don’t even really know why. I don’t know how he knows who my father is or why it’s important.
I have a lot of my own questions.
“You’re thinking way too hard.”
I startle at the rough words, but I don’t stop touching him until he takes my hand in his and kisses my palm before bringing them both to his stomach and resting them there.
“How long have you been awake?”
He opens one eye and peers down at me. “Since you started getting handsy.”
I bite my lip. “Not sorry.”
He huffs out a laugh. “I didn’t think you were.”
In the quiet of the next few seconds, it feels good to lie here like this, as if we do it all the time. As if we’ve done it for years and it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Thank you for everything,” I whisper.
“Mm-hmm. Go back to sleep.”
I grin. God, I like this guy. “I can’t. I really do have to go.”
“No.” His hold on me tightens, and he rolls onto his side and hugs me against him. “You’re staying. Go back to sleep, firefly.”
I lean in and press my lips to his chest, and he stills. I couldn’t resist it. It’s right there. And his skin feels good against my lips.
“I have to figure out what I’m going to do, Rome. I don’t know where I am. I guess I’ll go to work tonight and tell them it’ll be my last shift, but I have to walk there, and I don’t know where we are right now or how far away it is.”
I feel his gaze on me and look up to find him frowning.
“You don’t know who I am,” he says as if he’s just now realizing this.
“You’re Rome. A member of the club. Kind of a scary guy, but I’m not scared of you, surprisingly, and you snuggle well.
I sincerely hope you’re not married, but if you brought me to your house, I assume you’re not.
Or she’s super understanding, which would make her a better woman than me because I would haul me out of here by the hair. Anyway. That’s about it.”
He blinks. “There’s a lot to unpack there. No, I’m not married or attached to anyone in any way. Well, I wasn’t. I’m Rome Alexander. Rapture is downstairs, so the commute is pretty short. I own this building. We’re in my penthouse on the top floor.”
My jaw drops.
Oh God.
This is Mr. Alexander.
This is my boss.
Well, technically, my boss’s boss.
And what did he mean by he wasn’t attached to anyone?
“I’m so sorry.” I pull out of his arms, my cheeks flaming from being completely mortified, and roll away from him, then cover my face with my hands. “Oh Christ, I’m so sorry. I am not this unprofessional, Mr. Alexander. Give me ten minutes, and I’ll be out of your way.”
“You’re cute.”
I peek through my fingers and find Rome—I mean Mr. Alexander—lying on his back with his hands tucked behind his head, watching me with humor-filled eyes.
“What?”
“Adorable. Tonight isn’t your last shift, by the way.”
“I could have sworn you were here for the conversation before I fell asleep.”
“I was. You’re safe here, Eloise.”
Eloise. Why does it sound so sexy rolling off those lips?
“I appreciate the offer, Mr. Alexander, but—”
“Rome.”
“Huh?” He sits up and lets the blanket fall to his waist, and once again, my eyes feast on his tattoos.
“You call me Rome. When we’re here, or in the club, or wherever, you use my name. Got it?”
“Uh, okay.”
“Second, you live here now.”
I shake my head, but he takes my face in his hands and leans in to kiss my forehead.
God, he has good lips.
“Are you telling me you’d rather live in that roach coach you called a motel?”
“I only found one roach,” I inform him, but he doesn’t laugh. “No, I hated it there.”
“See?”
“No, I don’t see.”
“I’ll lay it out for you. You’ll live here, in my penthouse. With me. You’ll continue working as a bartender downstairs.”
“Am I being held prisoner?”
He scowls and honestly looks offended. “Of course not. But if you leave the building, you take guards with you. Until I speak with your father.”
“And I’m out.” I pull away and get out of bed. “If you’re speaking with my father, I’m leaving. Absolutely not.”
“Do you think after what he’s put you through, I’ll stand by and let him get away with it?”
“My father is a powerful man, and I will not put you or anyone else in danger, and if one of his goons found me, others are on the way. I have to go.”
He stands and faces me, pushing his hand through his dark hair. “You’re also looking at a powerful man, Eloise. Your father doesn’t fucking scare me.”
He should. He scares the shit out of me.
“I’m not kidding, Rome.”
Suddenly, his face goes hard, and it makes it hard to swallow. Shit, he’s intimidating. “Neither am I, firefly. Those three men you met earlier? The four of us make up the Kings of Vegas. We run this city. Your father sent his man into our territory. For that alone, we need to have a conversation.”
He steps up to me and brings his hand up to my cheek, and it immediately calms me.
“Added to that, he hurt you and threatened you. He’ll pay for that.”
“I left one organized crime household and fell into another. That’s what you’re saying?”
He lets out a frustrated breath. “I will never hurt you. You’re safe here, Eloise. I promise.”
“Why do you call me firefly?”
He leans in, and I think he’s going to kiss me. My thighs press together, and I lick my lips in anticipation.
But then he simply kisses my forehead again.
“Because I can.” He walks away, leaving me feeling cold. “Shelly will be here at seven.”
I scowl. “Who the hell is Shelly?”
“A personal shopper. You need more clothes.”
And with that, he closes the bathroom door, and I can only stare after him.
I’m in an alternate universe.