20. Tate #3
He stands up, looming over me. For a moment I really do think he’s going to leave me there, tied up and naked from the waist down. But at the last second, he yanks away the knots restraining me, freeing my arms, then tosses me the big, soft cape from around his shoulders.
He blows me a kiss and walks off toward the other guys, giving me enough of a distraction so I have time to slide my pants back on beneath the cover of the cape.
He’s still protecting me, even in little moments like this. I used to wonder if Roman would even give a shit about me, after my stalker was taken care of.
I realize it’s been a while since I’ve wondered that.
When I’m with him, it feels like this is inevitable.
Like no matter how our lives collided, we would always end up like this. Me, desperately in love with him, bound up and craving him constantly, and knowing he finds protection within me, too.
And him, being a dark fucking superhero that he’ll never admit he is.
Roman says he’s a bad person, but I’ve never believed it for a second. He’s never seen me as just another famous name, or a disappointment to the legacy my father built.
Both of us needed freedom from our legacies. And I’m going to carve out a new one, with him.
“Hey! Count me in,” I shout toward the other guys when I finally have my pants zipped up.
“Strip poker. You good with that?” Hunter asks me, grinning as I walk over.
“Trust me, I am very good with that.”
Roman puts his arm around me and pulls me close against him. “Anyone who stares at Tate as he strips down is going to answer to me, though. Be aware of that. All of you.”
He tips my chin upward and kisses me, right there in front of the poker table. A couple of the guys holler and clap, and Ollie lets out a long, triumphant scream.
“So fucking hot,” Ollie says. “Let’s go, boys. New hottest couple in Onyx just dropped hard.”
“Hey, what the hell is that supposed to mean? We’re the hottest,” Niko protests.
“They’re delusional,” Hunter tells Rayne, and I see Weston and Sev eyeing each other like they want to prove us wrong, too.
Noah pops outside a moment later, with Torin’s arms wrapped around him from behind. “What are you guys up to? Strip poker?”
“Yes. Get out here, both of you,” Hunter says. “By the way, Ollie thinks Roman and Tate are the hottest couple in Onyx.”
“Sorry,” Noah says, shaking his head. “My stepbrother literally fucked me two minutes ago, so I don’t think anything gets hotter than that. But also… congrats on finally saying it, Roman.”
“TMI,” Rayne says, but he’s cackling, too. “And what do you mean, finally? Noah, you knew?”
“No, I just have eyes.”
“Winner of the most rounds tonight gets to be the decider,” Roman announces. “Of who the hottest Onyx House couple is. Sit the fuck down, boys. Let’s play.”
We go round after round for the next couple of hours. By the end of it, most of the guys are in their boxer briefs, and Ollie is drunk and proudly completely naked, sitting on Niko’s lap.
Of course, in the end, Roman wins.
Because that’s the man I’ve fucking fallen in love with.
He holds up his fist in the air, pumping it.
“It’s us, beauty,” he tells me, squeezing my shoulder. “We win.”
The other guys heckle, laugh, and protest, but they’re all too happy to care. Soon, Hunter dares Sev to jump into the chilly pool, and he does it, cannonballing into the deep end.
One by one, the other guys get in, and I stick by Roman, who can’t swim due to his injury.
The big city has never felt so far away.
And everything I used to cling to… being a football player, a Landrey legacy, or a fuck-up, isn’t even something that crosses my mind now.
The other day, Roman made an offhand comment that I’m so good at talking to people that I’d be a great counselor, or therapist.
I’ve been chewing on that idea ever since.
It’s something so polar opposite to football, and yet it feels more right every time I think of it. Roman wants to dedicate his life to something in physiology or physical therapy, helping people heal their bodies. And I think I could help people heal their minds.
When I talk about it, he doesn’t laugh it off.
He supports the idea completely.
I can’t imagine going forward in my life without Roman beside me anymore.
“I’m so lucky,” I murmur against him now, feeling his palm move up and down along my spine as we watch Hunter and Rayne whack each other with pool noodles.
Roman’s lips come down to kiss my arm. “No. I’m lucky.”
“Mmm. These guys don’t even know how big your cock is, too.”
He shrugs. “Some of them might have an idea. We’ve lived in this house together for a while…”
I give him a little shove. “Show-off.”
“And proud. Why? You want to brag about me?”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to help it sometimes.”
“I love you,” he tells me. “Don’t ever forget it.”
“I love you so much, Roman.”
He squeezes my ass from behind and we relax, watching the rest of the guys thrashing around in the pool.
I realize that I’ve never felt more at home in my life.
Roman’s possessive of me, protective, and loving in a way I didn’t know was possible. We get to choose the path of our lives now. A clean slate, side by side.
And I know that Roman is the best fucking choice I’ve ever made.