“You sure you don’t want to roll the window up?” Roman asks, moisture gleaming on his bare chest as he rakes back the sweat from his hairline into his curls.
I shake my head in response. The space becomes too small with the windows closed. Too compact.
Too trapped.
I feel bad for making Roman suffer through the stifling warmth, but on the way to hell, I can’t be locked in a cage.
But it isn’t so bad. At least we’re the only ones on this single-lane stretch. No cars backing us up, preventing any wind from flowing.
Kicking my feet on the dashboard, I reach for the cooler Roman bought me and pull the hardened ice block from inside.
“You never did tell me what happened to your ankle,” Roman says, nodding his head to my bruised, slightly swollen left lower extremity.
What am I supposed to say?
I was running from my father’s ghost. Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.
“Just stepped wrong.” I know I promised no more lies, but I don’t want to make myself sound crazier than he already thinks I am.
“Do we need to get you to a doctor?”
I haven't seen a doctor since I was thirteen. Dad wouldn’t let me.
Your body will heal itself.
“No, it’s okay. It isn’t my first sprain, or my second, or third. So I’ll be fine.”
Giving me a tight nod, Roman shifts his gaze back to the road.
The high beams illuminate the darkness ahead, reminding me just how alone we are.
Suddenly, Roman shifts the car to the right, stopping on a makeshift shoulder hidden in the overgrown bushes on the side of the road. I would be lying to myself if I said the idea of Roman murdering me on this desolate road didn’t pass through my mind for a split second.
I know he would never. That’s not who he is, but still, the idea was there.
“What are we doing?” I ask, shifting myself in my seat, just barely so my ankle doesn’t fall from its elevation.
“We’re gonna have some fun,” Roman declares, unbuckling himself from the driver's side, exiting the car altogether.
I sit confused as I watch Roman round the front. His tattoos light up under my gaze as he passes through the bright beams. The way his muscles ripple on his way to my side makes my mouth water, and there’s a tingling in my body that has nothing to do with the ice stinging my skin.
My eyes lock on the glistening angel wings forever imprinted on his chest once he gets my door open. Hand out, I place my fingers in his waiting palm and let him pull me from the vehicle.
The air is even worse than I thought as I step out of the car, instantly making me regret the thermal shirt I insisted on wearing.
“I’m still confused. What are we doing?” I ask again, absentmindedly running my fingers through the sweat dripping in between his pecs.
Goosebumps bubble underneath my fingertips, his breath, minty and fresh stuttering as I begin to trace the scars over his heart.
There are moments, just like this one, where I can sink into Roman's eyes and feel forever in his stare. I knew when I was younger, and I know now that Roman is the one for me, and if we can get through this mountainous hurdle, forever might actually be a possibility for us.
Rubbing his calloused thumb along my lower lip, Roman draws my face in, hovering his lips above mine before slowly descending.
Flames lick at my skin as his tongue parts the seam of my lips. The pain in my ankle suddenly dissipates, becoming an afterthought when his hands clench around the curves of my hips, lifting me up just enough to drop me onto the hood of the car.
Excitement thrills throughout my veins when his calloused hands push my shirt up, his gentle fingers tentatively exploring my waist.
“I want to touch you,feelyou… only a little. Please, angel… just tell me if you want me to stop,” Roman whispers, heat and desire coming off him in waves.
