AllFreeNovel
Share Us
To my surprise, he pulls his hand out from under my skirt and reaches behind me to grab the handle on the passenger door. He leans in, lifting it up before saying, “Then let’s get you home.”
The entire ride is quiet. I’m pissed and I’m regretful. I’m desperate and I’m needy. I want him and I hate him. I’m a damn mess.
Rome has somehow made me crave him. Even when I know I shouldn’t. He’s going to break me, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to put myself back together in the end.
When we pull into the garage, I’m surprised to see that it’s empty. “Where is everyone?” I ask.
“Big John’s Pizza.”
I gasp, turning in my seat so fast I’m surprised I don’t have whiplash. “Wait. For real?”
Rome’s knuckles turn white as he grips the steering wheel. “Yeah. The whole family went out for dinner.”
“So you weren’t lying?” I’m actually surprised. I really thought he was making that up.
“Yes and no.” He lets go of the wheel and opens his door, slamming it behind him. I get out to follow. “They really are there, but I told my dad I wouldn’t be joining them, and he said you told your mom the same.” Rome walks to the door, the tension in his posture evident. I don’t know why, but I just want to see it gone for once. Maybe if Rome could relax, I could stop reacting to him.
CHAPTER 21
ELODIE
Once we’re in the house, the tension between us thickens. Rome turns on a light in the living room, and as I move toward the stairs to go to my room, I feel a hand reach out and grab me.
I spin around to face him, speechless as I wait for him to stay something.
But he doesn’t. I watch as his eyes trail down to my mouth and against my better judgment, I watch his too. I can’t help it. As hard as I try not to look at him—to want him—there is this magnetic pull between us that I can’t resist.
“Where are you running off to?” he asks, his voice raspy and thick.
I gulp. “My room.”
Pulling my shoulders back, I take a deep breath when his tongue drags across his bottom lip and he sucks it between his teeth. “Are you trying to get away from me, Freckles?”
“Maybe,” I whisper so low I don’t know if he can even hear me. His hand pulls me closer and this time, I go willingly.
In the blink of an eye, our mouths crush together. I’m not sure if he made the move, if I did, or if it was a joint effort, but either way, it’s electric.
This kiss is powerful, like nothing I’ve ever felt before. The way our tongues tangle in a messy web of desire leaves me desperate for more.
Rome lets go of my hand to pull me close, his erection pressing into my stomach through our clothes. There is power in knowing what I do to Rome. He may want to hate me, but he can’t deny whatever this is.
His hand moves to the back of my head, caging me against him while a moan slips from between my lips. A subtle growl climbs up his throat and I swallow it down.
Tilting my head slightly, I open and close my mouth to his liking. I wish I didn’t crave more of him the way I do. I wish he didn’t taste so good—like sweet sin with a hint of butter and salt.
My fingers weave through the soft strands of his hair before pulling him closer and taking back some of that control we both desperately seem to crave. His warmth radiates through my entire being, almost as if we’ve become one.
“Rome,” I mutter into his mouth. I’m not sure why I say his name, but there’s an unexplainable urgency inside me. Instead of using words to tell him what I want, I reach down between us, feeling the rough denim of his jeans as my fingers wrap around his bulging hardness.
He breaks the kiss, pressing our foreheads together while we breathe deeply. But no amount of time or space is going to change my decision here. I know what Rome wants, and in some fucked-up way, I want it too. Maybe if I let him take this piece of me, he will stop taking everything else.
“You shouldn't do that,” he warns, but I don’t relent. I keep rubbing him, tormenting both of us further. “Freckles,” he growls. “If you don’t stop right now, you’re gonna regret it.”
I close my eyes and sink into the feeling he brings me when we aren’t trying to tear out each other's throats. It’s dangerous to remove the hate between us because whatever is left is all-consuming.
“Then make me regret it, Rome.”
The next thing I know, I’m being hoisted up. My legs wrap around Rome’s waist and his mouth moves to my neck, sucking and kissing as he carries me up the stairs with heavy footsteps on the hardwood.
