I snorted. “Good.” I sent him a smile, then nudged Roman. “Come on, you giant lug, let’s go pack.”
He sent me a fake salute, gave Dad and Tan a smile, and headed out the door.
Once we were out of earshot, I said, “That went… better than expected, I think.”
“Agreed. I knew he’d put up a fight, but we won him over pretty quickly, all things considered.” Roman smiled at me and lifted his arm up. “Can I?”
I nodded and scooted in, letting him drape his arm across my shoulders. I wrapped my arm around his waist and snuggled in a little. It made me sad to think that we’d be sleeping in different beds tonight, now that we were allowed back home without my dad acting like an ass.
I really, really didn’t want to sleep in my bed without Roman. Especially… especially when we were about to go back to the place where I grew up. I kinda had the feeling I’d be having nightmares tonight and for the foreseeable future.
Going back would be… difficult.
After what happened with Coral, I’d been terrified and hurting, so I’d put all my efforts into training until the grand master trusted me. After that, I was allowed outside of our village when I went on missions or even just to go to the local shops or whatever. I spent as much time outside the community as I could get away with without making the grand master suspicious.
So I really did know the entire territory well.
But that didn’t mean it’d be easy going back.
I glanced at Roman. I thought that maybe… maybe I’d need him tonight.
Biting my lip, I decided to go for it, even though I was nervous. “Um, Rome?”
“Yeah, babydoll?”
My belly flipped like it did every time he used an endearment on me. Before Roman, I hadn’t really thought about it much since babe and baby were thrown around so often and easily by even casual acquaintances, but with Roman, it felt different. It felt intimate.
And I liked it.
“Do you think… well, I don’t… I’m not sure… Ugh!” I sighed and stopped walking, pinching the bridge of my nose. I closed my eyes and spoke without opening them—maybe it’d be easier if I wasn’t staring at him. As quickly as I could, I blurted, “I know neither of us has been home in forever, and I made you sleep on the couch a million times so you probably want your own bed, and I guess I kind of do too, but I don’t care that much because I just kinda only care about maybe having you there with me. Like, I don’t really want to sleep by myself tonight, but I totally understand if you want to, so, like, only if you want, but maybe we could… share a bed again tonight?”
It took me a moment to open my eyes and actually look at him. His expression was somewhat surprised, laced with a good dose of amusement, probably because I just word vomited all over him.
“You want to sleep in the same bed tonight?” he finally asked.
“Uh… only if you want to, yes.”
His grin grew quickly and suddenly, and before I knew what was happening, his lips were on mine. I groaned and raised my fingertips to his face as my heart did somersaults in my chest.
The kiss was brief but full of passion, of affection, and I wanted to sink into it, sink into him.
But Roman pulled back and smiled down at me. “I definitely want to share a bed, babydoll. Yours or mine?”
“I don’t care. I’m fine with either.”
He stared at me for a long moment, then breathed out, “I really want to see you in my bed.”
I smiled, even as my stomach fluttered. “Yours it is, then.”
He gave a nod and another quick kiss, then grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together, and pulled me down the hall toward the elevator. “Let’s go pack your stuff, then we can go up to my room before we have to go to dinner.”
Keeping Roman with me for the rest of the night? I liked that plan. I liked it a lot.
I was surprised to find Remi and Bel at my dad’s condo when we came for dinner, but it was a pleasant surprise. Remi and Tan were brothers, which I supposed kind of made him and Bel my uncles? Or something? I didn’t know. I supposed it was simply easier to say they were family.
Wait.
If Bel was my uncle, and Keryth was Bel’s cousin, what did that make Ker to me? A pseudo-uncle? Ewwww. No. Just… no. Nope.
