“What for?”
“Can we go inside?” I ask instead.
“Niamh, talk to me.”
“I lied, Roman. I didn’t have a staff shortage. They didn’t need me. I chickened out, okay?” I finally meet his eyes, expecting outrage, disappointment — something — but all I’m met with is amusement.
“Okay.” His head cocks as he studies me. “So what do you want to do?”
“I want to make up for it.” I say, my voice catching a touch, guilt making my stomach roll, but then I sigh, “I’m scared.”
Admitting it to Ashley is one thing, admitting it to Roman? It feels like I’m baring a part of my soul, opening myself up to be vulnerable.
Placing the bottles down, he steps closer and lifts his hands to my face, cupping it gently as he tilts my face up so I can meet his eyes.
“Lift your hand and put it on my chest, Niamh.” He orders softly. “Over my heart.”
A breath stutters from my lips as I do as he asks, laying my palm flat over his left pec and immediately feel how hard his heart is beating. It’s fast and strong, fluttering against my palm. My eyes drop from his to my hand as if I can see it, the way his heart is pumping.
“You feel that, sweetheart?” He dips his head to meet my eyes again. “That’s whatyoudo tome.The moment I heard you pull up, my whole body reacted, and I haven’t been able to come down since.Youterrifyme.But it isn’t the type of fear I want to run from, it’s the type I want to chase. Fuck Niamh, you make me feel alive and it scares the hell out of me.”
He’s scared too.
“And every time I look at you, I find it nearly impossible to look away. And when I kiss you, all I want to do is keep doing it, keep tasting you, hold on and not let fucking go. I’ve been alone for an awfully long time. I thought that’s what I wanted and then I married you.
“So I get it, baby, and you can keep running if you want to, I’ll chase. I’ll keep chasing.”
My heart thuds inside my chest, and my fingers curl a little against his bare skin, slightly biting.
“You feel right, Niamh.”
He feels right too.
You deserve to be happy, Niamh.Ashley’s words ring in my head.
I thought I was happy, or as happy as I could be, but looking back on this past year, maybe even longer than that, I’ve been stagnant. I’ve watched the world keep moving while I stand still, doing nothing, going after nothing. I just existed, but I haven’t lived.
I haven’t lived for a long time.
The swimming at the falls was the spark of color in the mundane until Roman showed up and asked me to marry him. Ever since, little sparks of color have popped up, they’ve bloomed in the shadows, in parts of me I thought would never see the light again.
Yes, I am terrified of whatcouldhappen, but how will I know if I don’t take that risk?
“Kiss me,” I demand.
“Thought you’d never ask,” He grins before he closes the little gap between us and slams his mouth to mine.
It feels different from all the other kisses, it feels like a claiming and a promise. With his hands cradling my face, he angles my head further back, deepening the kiss while his tongue seeks entry. He tastes like whiskey and honey, so damn warm and addictive I’m chasing it when he pulls away.
“If we continue, Niamh, I won’t stop.” He rasps, eyes turning dark.
“Then don’t stop,” I breathe heavily, my body aching with how tightly I am strung. “I need you.”
His eyes widen slightly, but he doesn’t hesitate for long. In one swift move, his hands are on the backs of my thighs and he’s hoisting me up until I have no choice but to wrap my legs around his hips.
“Your ribs,” I gasp.
“Fuck my ribs,” He growls, using my breaking away from his kiss to drop his mouth to my throat. Goosebumps erupt over my body as he licks and kisses over my pulse point, the sensation of it throwing my body through a loop. It feels so fucking good. My stomach tightens, and warmth blooms between my legs, a moan slipping from me.
