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“Hads and Tucker flirting.”
“No!”
“Yes,” he laughed.
“Proper flirting?”
His grin widened. “I don’t think they realised it. But, I think there’s definitely potential for something there.”
I looked over to where Hadley could have been definitively snubbing Tucker on purpose. In true Tucker form, the guy didn’t seem to notice. That is, if Hadleywassnubbing him. But, my best friend wouldn’t possibly be so shallow and childish. Would she?
Well yeah, probably. That was yet another thing about Hadley’s flirting technique that I just didn’t understand. But, I definitely wanted to know more.
“Tell meeverything,” I demanded with a smile that Mason returned.
There was a knock on my window. Without thinking why there might have been a knock on my window, I rolled my chair away from my desk, my pen hanging from my mouth. I blinked in surprised when I saw Roman crouching on the roof outside in the pouring rain. I cocked my head in question, my smile fading as I saw the dark expression on his face.
I hopped off the chair quickly and opened the window.
“What’s–”
He’d climbed inside and was kissing me like the world was about to end before I knew what was happening. His hands slid up my top and he pulled me close. He was soaked and he tasted like alcohol, but that didn’t stop him exuding a heat that wasn’t just a physical temperature. My heart fluttered in my chest and my stomach tightened.
I pushed him away for a moment. We were both breathing hard. Roman’s face was cold and there were new cuts and bruises on him, but his eyes were so full of…just everything. He moved in again and I only just got my head together to put a hand on his chest.
“Roman, what’s…? Are you okay?”
“No,” he growled, his hands tightening on me.
“And, drinking and fucking is going to help that?”
“Old habits die hard,” he said, his eyes about as hard as his voice.
“I’m not judging you, Roman,” I said softly and I cupped his cheek. He closed his eyes and he leant into my hand.
Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he pulled me to him again. I got entirely distracted for a moment by his kiss and gave him back as good as I got. I was halfway through taking off his shirt – and I was sure one of his buttons ripped off – when my brain stopped me.
I leant my head on his now bare chest. “Roman,” I panted, “this isn’t– Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“Okay. What do you need?”
“I need you to stop talking and kiss me.” His voice was still low and rough.
So yeah, a large part of me wanted that, too. But, I wasn’t sure that was going to help him. It might, but I had to check.
“Roman…how–”
“Because I need…” He stopped talking and groaned in frustration.
“Honesty, Lombardi.”
“Don’t make me say it, Barlow. I want to feel better, not worse.”
“That makes no sense.”
He groaned again and held me close, head bowed against mine. “Why do you always insist on making me sound like a nancy wanker?”
“Well, you just sound like a drunk idiot at the moment. So anything’s a step up at this point.”
“Why do you have to make everything harder, but easier at the same time?”
“You’re still not making sense.”
He grunted. “You’re the only thing that makes sense right now, Barlow. The only thing that makes me feel anything but anger. You’re the only fucking thing in my life that makes anything better. And, I need to feel better. I need you, Piper.”
“I’m here, Roman. I’m not going anywhere. Just, tell me what happened.”
“Nothing.”
“Roman,” I said sternly.
He sighed as his hand ran absently up and down my arm. “Rio and I found ourselves in a…predicament.”
“Are you hurt?”
“I’ve had worse.”
“That’s not what I asked.
“I’m fine.”
I pulled back to look at him and I hated the sadness in his eyes. They were so vulnerable and deep and I was in serious danger of losing myself in them. I lay a hand on his cheek and I could see the desire swirling with the sadness, the need to just lose himself in something good. Whether I was actually something good, I didn’t know. But, he seemed to think so, at least at that moment.
So, I didn’t even think about it.
I had the power to make him feel better.
Even if it was only temporary.
And so help me, I wanted to use it.
I was sliding his shirt down his arms before my lips met his again. His arms wrapped around me and lifted me up. He pressed me into the wall and his lips trailed down my neck.
“Roman…my parents are sleeping down the hall,” I panted.
“Then, you’re going to have to be quiet,” he growled softly and kissed me again.
I’d felt his body on numerous occasions now, but I never got sick of the feeling of it under my hands. He was lean and muscular and his skin was oddly soft. I didn’t know why that was a surprise; I guessed it was just because everything else about him seemed so rough. I also never got sick of the way he twitched and almost-laughed as my hands ran over certain places because it was a little bit tickly.
Only, that night, there wasn’t any almost-laughter. I ran my hand over his abs and he winced.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
He nodded. “Fine.”
“Can I do–”
“Barlow?”
“Lombardi?”
“Shut up, love.”
He pressed himself against me and kissed me again. I ran my hands through his wet hair and hugged him to me.
For all the light I’d seen in him lately, there was something different about him that night; darker, harder, deeper. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it and something about it made me not want to look too closely at it. I wasn’t sure if that was because I’d find something I didn’t like or something I liked too much.
He grabbed hold of me tightly and swung us around, backing me up to the bed. He knelt on it, keeping a firm hold on me as he lay me down and followed. Before I was lying flat, he pulled away only enough to get my jumper over my head, then pulled me down the bed so my hips were more in line with his.
Roman had never been so dominating and I flushed just realising I didn’t hate it. I never thought I’d be in for anything I would consider even semi-rough. But it seemed, when it came to Roman, I was in for anything. A part of me knew that was probably not healthy, but I couldn’t help it; I was completely convinced that Roman could do or suggest anything and I’d feel safe with him.
His kiss was like lightning, his touch was like silk, and I felt entirely encircled in protection. It was ridiculous; Roman was in a shit and I was supposed to be making him feel better. But, he soothed every ounce of tension I didn’t realise I was holding in.
As he undressed me and I returned the favour, I just stopped thinking and got swept up in the reciprocal comfort we seemed to give each other. The guy knew how to heal me and – as he lost himself in me – he seemed to heal a little too.
