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Chapter 7
Sullivan
The momentI hear the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway, my heart does this odd little flip. My nerves are bouncing up and down like a kid on a sugar high. Before I even realize it, I’m sprinting out the front door, eager to see her, to open the door like some starstruck gentleman from an old movie.
And there she is. Romi. She steps out of the car, and I swear everything else blurs away. She looks so effortlessly gorgeous that I momentarily forget the entire English language. Her hair catches the golden rays of the sunset, and her smile—man, that smile could light up a room full of zombies and make them forget they ever had an appetite for brains.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual while grinning like a complete fool.
“Hi,” she responds softly, with a spark in her eyes that makes me want to pull her into my arms immediately.
Unable to resist, I do just that. I gather her against me, feeling the warmth of her body as electric chemistry swirls around us. I tilt her chin gently and cover her lips with mine.
Time unravels, and it's just the two of us in this perfect slice of eternity. Her lips are soft and inviting, and I nibble a little on her juicy bottom lip before sliding my tongue into her mouth.
Her curves melt against me, and I groan as my cock turns rock-hard from the feel of her soft body pressing against mine. My hands slide slowly down her back to cup her luscious ass. I lose track of time and place, losing myself in her perfect embrace.
Finally, lack of oxygen causes us to come up for air, and I chuckle a bit once I’m able to catch my breath. “It’s a good thing I don’t have neighbors," I pant. "Otherwise, we might have given them quite a show.”
She laughs, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Very lucky,” she breathes out and reaches up to wipe her lipstick from the corner of my mouth. “This color doesn’t work for you,” she teases.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I joke back, offering her my arm as I lead her inside, feeling the flutter of excitement for what’s coming.
As we step into the dining room, I’m suddenly grateful for all the time and effort Sinclair wisely nudged me to invest. The candles flicker on the table, casting a warm, intimate glow that complements the rich aroma of spices.
“Holy cow…” Romi trails off, looking around, clearly impressed. “Your home is stunning.”
“I’m glad you like it.” I gesture for her to follow me into the kitchen. “Have a seat and I’ll get you a glass of wine.”
“Thank you.” She sits on one of the barstools and watches as I grab two glasses and a bottle of wine. I pour us each a glass and hand hers to her.
“How was your day off?” I ask as I sip the wine Sinclair recommended.
“It was great, but it flew by.” She watches as I reach into the refrigerator for the marinated steaks and fresh vegetables.
“Days off seem to do that,” I mutter, grabbing everything I’ll need to grill our steaks. “I’m going to start the grill. It’s the perfect fall evening if you want to come out with me.”
She follows me out onto the back patio and watches while I arrange the steak and vegetables on the hot grill.
She laughs, and even the sound is music to my ears. “Wow, your backyard is gorgeous, too.”
“Thank you. I love to hang out back here to decompress. Everyone thinks my job is all fun and games, but it’s actually stressful as hell,” I admit, something I’ve never told my brothers.
“I can see that.” I see the empathy shining in her blue eyes and realize she really does get it. “It must be so stressful to know people could be injured if you mess things up.”
Fuck. It’s like she goddamn read my mind. If she didn’t already own my heart, she would’ve stolen it at that exact moment. I set an alarm on my phone so I don’t turn our food into charcoal, and then I pull her into my arms and cover her lips with mine.
I lose myself as the taste of her flows through me. As I explore her sweet mouth, I forget about everything except my sweet little sassy treat. When the alarm goes off, I reluctantly step back and lay my forehead against hers. “Fucking hell, you’re potent.”
“So are you.” She helps me bring the grilled steaks and vegetables inside. We talk about nothing important while we plate our food.
We settle into easy conversation over dinner. I tell her about my family—the unofficial Midnight royal family of the area, apparently. “My older brother, Sterling, runs the family corporation, Midnight Enterprises. He's got the business savvy and a slightly frightening ability to calculate profit margins in his sleep. Sinclair, my middle brother, is the town sheriff. I'd say he's the law incarnate, but he's actually just a big softy.”
“So, do your brothers still treat you like you’re a teenager who needs to be protected?”
“How did you know?” It’s like she’s back to reading my mind.
“I have an older sister who thinks I’m her responsibility even though I’ve been taking care of myself for years,” she admits, and I realize we have way more in common than I’d originally thought. “Older siblings. You can’t live with them and you’d look horrible in an orange jumpsuit if you murder them.”
