She draws in a ragged breath. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to come up with a plan to see each other as much as possible and we’re not going to stress about it, okay? We’re going to enjoy the time we have with each other right now,” he says, drawing her to his side. “So, if you don’t mind,” he says, climbing over her, “there’s something I’ve been meaning to do.”
His weight lands on her and he’s warm, and large, and perfect.
“So,” she pants when his hand slides down to graze her over her shorts. Her hand flies to his roots when his tongue finds her neck and massages in sweeping circles. “Can I call out? Please—don’t make me go.”
He laughs into her side, pulling the skin of her neck with his teeth before sucking gently. “When have I ever made you do anything, huh? You’re too stubborn,” he murmurs, running his fingers over her faster.
“Roman,” she sighs. He groans into her neck, pushing his hips against her, and then he’s saying how much he missed her as he generously swipes, finding a rhythm that has her gasping and pulling his hair as she breaks.
When she can breathe again, he pushes her onto her stomach, working her shorts down over her thighs, and then his own, and then his weight is pressing down on her at a torturous pace, his hands tangling with her own to force them above her head.
“Despite what you think, Jahlani,” he says, his hips driving impossibly slower, “I’ll never get tired of this. I’ll never get tired of you.”
“Roman.”
“This is everything,” he says, his hips moving harder. And it’s not long before she’s unraveling, her fists clenching as she ignites, her moans muffled into the pillow.
“Shit. Jahlani,” he groans, tensing above her. “Shit.” His forehead drops against her back as he breathes heavily. He drops several open- mouthed kisses to her back before he moves to her side, pulling her close again.
Jahlani shuts her eyes, her body still trembling as she soaks in his presence next to her. And then, after almost drifting asleep again, she tells him she reallydoesneed to go to work and gets up, feeling lighter than she has in months.
EPILOGUE
It doesn’t come easy for Jahlani. The distance. More often than she’d like, they go days without speaking, their schedules not aligning, him missing her phone calls, her being stuck in an important meeting. Every few weeks, when they finally get a hold of each other, she tries to end it. It’s ridiculous, honestly. Most attempts are futile—he ignores the comment or changes the subject.
And every day, she loves him even more for it.
“No.”
“No?”
“Roman.”
“Jahlani.”
She props the phone against her toaster and folds her arms.
“It’s too complicated. Lucy is still in and out of the hospital, the time zones are ridiculous. We barely see each other,” she says to his pixelated face.
He yawns, stretches, then nods. “We’re doing this again?”
Jahlani scoffs, raising her hands, her mouth twisting.
“You’ll find someone better than me. Someone who can meet you halfway?—”
“Okay. So we’re doing this again.” Roman shakes his head, setting his phone down in front of him. She can see Lucy, the painting she bought for his bedroom hanging in the background. “I don’t care if you meet me a quarter of the way. I’ll be there. Also—you look beautiful.”
Jahlani throws her head back in frustration, blinking at him through the phone. “What if you start to resent me?—”
“I love you.”
“What if I start to resent you—” She begins pacing in front of the camera, waving her hands.
“You’re in love with me too.”
“What if the distance is too much and you need it then and there?”
