CHAPTER 32 ROMAN #3
“I don’t give a fuck what your daddy said, Quinn.
I know my schedule better than you do, and I’m not sure what misguided information you are being given, but let me speak plainly and clearly.
You took an oath in blood and you gave it to me freely, so that means your precious daddy doesn’t make the decisions, I do.
I’m the one who will tell you where to be, how to act, who to talk to, and how to behave. ”
My lip curls at her crestfallen face. Fae would never be so weak.
“Right now, I am on a date with the woman I chose, not you, and you will never interrupt us again.”
I don’t wait for further pleasantries. My hand slides down to Fae’s hip, anchoring her against me as I steer us around them and try to get my heart rate back under control.
Taking a deep breath, I chance a glance at Fae, whose light has dimmed slightly in her eyes, I can feel her mind racing as we step onto the dance floor.
‘Make You Feel My Love by Adele’ drifts through the air as I turn her towards me and lift her arms, settling them around my neck before she can overthink it.
My hands slide to her hips and I pull her close so my cock presses against the softness of her stomach as one of my hands drifts towards her bum and gently squeezes it.
It’s probably not gala etiquette, but I don’t care.
Her body fits against mine like something engineered and right now I need her touch to ground me.
Her breath stutters slightly as she realises just how little space exists between us.
“Roman…” she whispers.
“Look at me, Fae.”
Her eyes flick up as she searches mine, they are vulnerable in a way she rarely allows others to see and my heart clenches.
Part of me is content with the knowledge that she is still letting me in but the other is furious that I’ve hurt her.
I knew this would happen, it is why I couldn’t bear to tell her about the ceremony before.
This is what The Company does; it poisons any good that’s left in the world, but I will be damned if it destroys her light.
“My dad just told me,” I begin quietly. Her jaw tightens imperceptibly. “I swear it.”
“About dinner?” she hedges and I nod.
“Yes.”
“I understand duty,” she responds mechanically.
The words scrape in my skull. I don’t like them. I don’t like the acceptance in her tone, or the quiet resignation behind it. Her hands remain around my neck, but I can feel the wall she’s trying to build inside herself.
With nothing left to give, I lean down and kiss her.
It’s different than earlier, almost harsher. There is no gentle exploration and no restraint, just a fire that slides between us that is immediate and consuming. Her fingers tighten around my neck as her body presses into mine, like instinct overrides logic.
A beautiful moan falls from her mouth that I greedily steal, as my cock goes back to being rock hard.
I bite her bottom lip as she kisses me back with even more passion.
Her body wiggles slightly out of beat, like she’s trying to release the pressure and when I pull back, her lips are flushed and her breathing uneven.
Fae’s eyes flicker as that brightness slowly filters back in and I absorb it into my mind’s eye like a fiend.
Her breathing comes out in little pants as her hands curl brushing against my skin.
Soon our bodies cool down and we sway slowly to the music.
Fae’s head tilts slightly, resting near my shoulder as my hands remain firm at her hips and my thumbs brush the fabric of her dress in absent circles.
Our movements are slow as we get lost in the lyrics of the song; my heart thuds at Adele’s words as I gently lift her face back to mine.
Our foreheads press against one another as her eyes grow heavy and soft and I lower my mouth over hers, an inch away so I can feel her hot, minty breath on mine.
“You think I don’t see it?” I whisper, “The way this room feels to you?”
Her fingers tremble slightly as she looks up at me with those doe eyes.
“The whole world on your case,” I continue softly in time with Adele as her breath trembles against my lips. I pull back just enough to look at her again as the chandelier light fractures in her eyes.
“I know you haven’t made your mind up yet,” I murmur, brushing my thumb along her lips, “but I have.” The song continues to wrap around us as I lean in, guiding her face towards mine while her eyes glisten, my mouth hovers just over hers again as I murmur the lyric, “No doubt in my mind where you belong.”
I feel something wet on my finger where I’m holding it and I realise with a start that she’s crying.
It’s not the sad kind of tears, but the kind where emotion spills out and can’t be pushed back in.
Her tears fall silently as I try to catch each one for her and her eyes soften in a way that feels almost dangerous, like she might believe me, and better yet, like she might let herself.
As the music carries us, and the ballroom blurs, and the contracts and obligations and expectations fade into the background, I hold her closer. Unapologetically.
Let my dad see, let Quinn, let Mr. Harlow. Let them all watch.
They can plan dinners and mergers and alliances, but none of it is as important as what I am holding in my hands right now.
Tomorrow, I will do my duty with Quinn. Then I’m going to convince Fae to marry me.