Chapter 53

53

ALAINA

A s Roan left the room, I shook my head to clear it and got up from the cozy comfort of his bed.

Walking over to my bag, I unzipped it and pulled out the special outfit I had bought just for tonight, a delicate black lace lingerie set that left very little to the imagination. It was daring, provocative even. Exactly what I needed for tonight.

As I changed into the outfit, perfectly aware of how vulnerable but powerful it made me feel, I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself down. I wanted to look good for him. Tonight felt important. I couldn't explain why, but it was almost like our first time. Not our first time, but it was our first time in the house—together. Us in the real world, not in the little bubble we created for ourselves.

I took a quick look in the mirror. I fluffed my hair and did my best to look sexy. I pinched my cheeks, giving them a little redness. I wished I would have put on more makeup, but this would have to do. I turned off the lights and turned on the candles next to his bed. It only took me a second to find the remote to turn on the gas fireplace in his room. I was prepared to get hot, so turned it to just flames and left the heat off. We would be making our own heat.

By the time three minutes were up, I was already sprawled seductively on the bed, my heart pounding in my chest. Every nerve ending was buzzing with anticipation.

When the door opened and Roan walked in, his eyes widened at the sight of me. He looked almost dazed as he crossed the room to set down a chilled bottle of champagne on the bedside table. He then turned back to me, his gaze intense.

"Alaina," he breathed out, his eyes roving over me. "You look incredible."

I let out a little laugh. "Thank you, Roan. I was hoping you'd like it."

"Like it?" he repeated, slowly shaking his head. "I don't think ‘like' is a strong enough word for it."

The fire flickered, casting dancing shadows over us as he moved to join me on the bed. His fingers traced lightly over the lace of my lingerie, sending shivers skittering up my spine. "You've always been beautiful, Alaina," Roan said, his voice low and husky. "But you in this? It's a sight I'll never forget."

His hand moved from my lingerie to the bare skin of my stomach, fingers tracing a slow, possessive path upwards. I watched him watch me, his gaze an electric current that charged through me with potent energy. I felt like the sexiest woman in the world.

His eyes met mine, darkened with desire. I tried to steady my breathing.

"Roan," I whispered, reaching up to thread my fingers through his hair.

"Yes?" he replied, leaning down so his face was just a breath away from mine. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards into a grin that made my heart flip.

Before I could answer him or bridge the gap between us for a kiss, he spun me around and with expert hands started unzipping the back of my lingerie, sending a thrill up my spine.

I drew in a sharp breath as Roan's fingers made contact with bare skin.

His hot breath fanned over my neck as he pressed kisses along my collarbone. His hands traveled lower, skimming over the lace edges of the lingerie before finding their way to the small of my back.

I watched as his eyes roved over me with an intensity that left me breathless. I met his gaze, my heart pounding hard against my ribcage.

"I think now might be a good time for you to take off some clothes," I said.

Roan chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "A good time indeed," he agreed, pulling himself back to sit on the edge of the bed. His fingers worked deftly at the buttons of his shirt, one by one revealing the toned expanse of his chest underneath.

I watched him, thoughts racing. I'd seen him shirtless before, had kissed every inch of that taut torso. But tonight felt different, more intense.

Finally, he tossed the shirt to the floor. Roan stood, his gaze steady on mine as he undid the buckle of his belt. His pants soon joined his shirt in a pile beside the bed. He stood there in front of me just in his boxer shorts. I could feel my heart thumping wildly against my chest, the sight of him stirring an insatiable hunger within me. I was wet just looking at him.

"Come here," I purred, extending my hand toward him. His lips curved into a predatory smile, one that promised a night of pleasure and passion. He took a step toward the bed, his gaze never leaving mine.

My breath hitched as he reached for my extended hand, pulling me into his arms. His lips brushed against mine, teasing me with a promise of things to come. I pressed myself closer against him.

His kiss was as intoxicating as the finest wine. His hands roamed over my body, setting my skin on fire with each touch. He quickly pulled away the last of the lace that was covering my skin. As the material fell away, he pulled back from our kiss to admire me.

He kissed me once again, falling over me, the weight of his body pushing me against the mattress. His weight on me was delicious. It felt good.

His lips traced a line of fire along my jaw, nipping at the sensitive skin of my neck, causing me to gasp and arch beneath him. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, urging him on.

He complied with a low groan, his mouth trailing lower to trace the line of my collarbone, moving down to circle the pebbled hardness of my nipples. I gasped as he took one into his mouth, a jolt of pleasure rocketing through me. My back arched off the bed as I clung to him, waves of pleasure coursing through me.

His hand traveled down my body, tracing over every inch of me until they found their destination. A small cry escaped my lips as he touched me there, his fingers gentle and teasing. I squirmed against him, the sensation too much and yet not enough. It felt too good.

Two of his thick fingers pushed inside me. I cried out, doing my best to muffle the sound. But Roan stilled for a moment, looking up at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "No," he murmured. "I want to hear you."

There was something so powerful about the way he looked at me then. It was raw, unabashed desire that had my heart hammering. His fingers began to move again, setting a rhythm that had me gasping and gripping the sheets beneath us.

His thumb found the sensitive bundle of nerves above where his fingers teased. I arched off of the bed with a cry of pleasure, muted, but enough for him to be satisfied. He watched me, lips curved and eyes dark, as he brought me closer and closer to the edge.

Just when I thought I couldn't take much more, his mouth replaced his hand. The new sensation was enough to send me spiraling over the edge. My legs shook as waves of pleasure washed over me. He didn't stop until every last tremor had subsided.

A moment later, he was over me, pushing inside my slick sheath until we were both moaning with pleasure.

When he collapsed beside me, I didn't think I could be any happier. He pulled me into his arms. I nuzzled against his chest, inhaling the scent of him.

"I'll sneak out to the guest room in a minute," I murmured sleepily.

"Okay."

The next morning, I stretched out in Roan's huge bed, enjoying the luxurious comfort of the soft sheets and the warmth that lingered from the night before. It was early—I assumed. I told myself I could snuggle with him a couple more minutes. Then I would make my way to the guest room.

Just as I was about to close my eyes again, I noticed a small figure at the foot of the bed. Blinking, I opened my eyes fully to find Rafe standing there, grinning like mad.

"Morning, Ms. C!" he chirped.

I jerked the blanket up to my neck and nudged Roan awake.

"What?" he groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"We have company," I said.

When he finally focused on Rafe, we both stared at him, uncertain of what he was going to say next.

"Does this mean you're making pancakes for breakfast, Dad?" Rafe asked, his grin widening. "You always make pancakes when Ms. C has a sleepover. Should I grab the chocolate chips?"

Roan and I couldn't help but burst into laughter. I sat up, pulling the blankets around me a bit tighter. Roan leaned over, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead before turning to Rafe.

"Alright, buddy," Roan said, chuckling. "Get the pancake mix too and I'll be down soon."

"I'll take Beau out!" Rafe whooped in delight and dashed out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.

As the door shut behind him, Roan let out a chuckle and turned to me. "Well, I guess we don't have to worry about telling Rafe now," he said, a wry smile on his face.

I giggled and nodded. "Kids are a lot smarter than adults give them credit for. He probably figured this out way before we did."

Roan shifted to face me, his expression softening. "Are you okay with this? I mean, him knowing and everything?"

I reached out, placing a hand on his cheek. "I'm okay with it, but are you? Are you freaking out? Because you have a tendency to freak out."

Roan shook his head slowly. "I'm okay with it too. I just don't want to push too much too quickly. We should stick with the plan, take it slow."

I leaned in and kissed him gently. "We'll take it one step at a time. Rafe's already on board, and that's a big part of the battle."

"Yeah," Roan agreed, pulling me closer. "You're right."

With that settled, we got out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Rafe was already making a mess with the pancake mix. Beau was sitting patiently at Rafe's feet, hoping for a stray piece of anything to hit the floor.

"Alright, Chef Rafe," Roan said. "Let's make some pancakes."

I watched them work together, feeling a warmth in my chest. This was what I had always wanted—a sense of family, of belonging. And seeing Roan and Rafe interact like this made my heart swell with happiness.

"Ms. C, can you get the chocolate chips?" Rafe called out, his hands covered in flour.

"Sure thing," I replied.

As we cooked and chatted, the kitchen filled with laughter and the smell of fresh pancakes. It felt so natural, so right, and I knew that this was where I was meant to be.

After breakfast, we decided to spend the morning together. We took Beau for a walk in the park. Rafe was doing his best to take care of him.

I looked at Roan, my heart full. "I'm feeling good, Roan. Really good. I love spending time with you and Rafe. It feels right."

He smiled, a look of relief crossing his face. "I'm glad to hear that. I love having you with us, Alaina. And I think Rafe does too."

"Yeah, I think so," I agreed. "But like you said, we'll take it slow. Let things develop naturally."

Roan nodded, taking my hand in his. "Exactly. We'll make this work."