Chapter Thirty-Five

"Isent you something," I say to Tahani, smiling as I lean back against the kitchen counter in the condo two weeks later.

"Crap, hold on," she mutters, and then her voice sounds down the line again, more distant than before. "Trent, I"m not having sex with you right now. I"m trying to talk to Mila. And you"re cut off anyway!"

I bite my lip to keep from laughing when Trent protests loudly in the background.

"Is my dad driving you nuts?" Tahani asks me a moment later, her tone rife with annoyance. "I"m going to strangle Trent if he doesn"t give me five minutes to myself. I swear, I can"t even pee in peace!"

"He"s worried about you," I remind her softly, padding on bare feet to the back door and then slipping out onto the deck. The sun is setting, turning the ocean a riot of gorgeous colors. I sigh happily at the sight and lean against the railing on my good arm, enjoying the breeze blowing in from the water and the sense of peace that steals over me.

"I know, but jeez," she huffs, though I don"t think she minds Trent hovering as much as she pretends she does. It"s been a rough couple of weeks for everyone.

Roman and I have been back in the condo since I was discharged from the hospital two days after Guerrero shot me. Until Roman decides otherwise, this is home for me now. We"re still working out the details with my job, but I don"t really mind being here.

Like Trent, Roman"s been a little overbearing since I left the hospital. I only get five minutes to myself when he slips away to take one of the many calls that have come in since we"ve been here.

He"s also had to go back to Los Angeles twice to deal with everything. Both times, he left Evan Arias to babysit me…and then called me almost every five minutes to ensure I was still okay. I didn"t mind. I"ve grown to like Evan over the last couple of weeks, and I get that it"s going to take some time for Roman to calm down and stop being so crazy overprotective.

He"s been having nightmares. Every single time he wakes up in a cold sweat, he reaches for me, his big body shuddering. As soon as I"m in his arms, lying on top of him, he whispers, "Thank God." He clings to me like he"s afraid I"ll disappear. The way his voice shakes kills me every single time.

Finn is making him talk to a shrink. He"s not happy about that, but he"s doing it. He"s also taking some time off. He was cleared of any wrongdoing in Guerrero"s death, but I think Finn"s making him take more time off because Roman and Brady helped Selena Ortega disappear. I"m pretty sure Finn wanted to strangle them both over that.

He told me about Damien showing up at the hospital. I"m glad he didn"t let him back to see me. I don"t have anything to say to him. I said it all when I left. Honestly, I"m a little surprised he showed up at all. I guess things aren"t going well with him and Lizette. Sucks for him. Roman is my emergency contact now. Damien will never show up uninvited again. Thank God.

"Mila? Are you listening to me?" Tahani shouts into the phone.

"Sorry. I was thinking," I confess.

"Are you okay?"

I smile at the worry in her tone. She"ll never admit it, but she"s just as bad as her dad and Trent. She"s bounced back from everything a lot faster than I expected. The first few days were really hard for her, but I think being able to tell Finn about what she overheard helped balance the scales a little bit in her mind.

Seeing firsthand why Roman was so adamant about keeping things from her helped put a lot into perspective for her, too. She now understands why he didn"t tell her about his job, and she understands that it was never about him not trusting her. Roman is working hard to be more open with her about things, and their relationship has improved greatly in the last couple of weeks.

"Mila!"

"I"m fine," I say with a laugh. "Really. I"m just thinking."

"Where"s my dad? Why isn"t he hovering over you?"

"He"s on the phone."

"Oh." Tahani sighs. "Any idea when they"re going to call him in?"

"Not yet." Guerrero may be gone, but a full-fledged gang war has broken out thanks to what he did. There are retaliation shootings almost every day. If it gets much worse, Roman may have to go back to help.

"I"m not sure if that"s a good or bad thing," she mutters.

I"m not sure either, but Roman is here, and he"s safe, so I"m going to take it for what it is and try not to worry too much. If the drugs show up and he has to go back to Los Angeles to help, we"ll deal with it.

"Oh my gosh!" Tahani yells, making me jump. "Your appointment was today. I"m the worst friend ever. I"m going to strangle Trent for pissing me off and making me forget. Why didn"t you remind me? How did it go? What did they say? How"s my little sister doing in there?"

"Check your texts," I say, laughing again.

Tahani is completely on board with having a baby sister. It"s still way too early to tell what we"re having, but she and Roman are adamant that it"s a girl. So long as the baby is healthy, I don"t really care what we have. I"d love to give Roman another little girl, but a little boy who looks like him would be perfectly fine with me, too.

My hand settles over my stomach at the thought.

"Oh my God!" Tahani screams.

"They found the heartbeat," I whisper, tears welling in my eyes. As soon as I heard that beautiful sound today, all of my worries disappeared. Just like Roman promised, our baby is really okay. He or she is growing.

The overpowering, pervasive sense of relief I"ve felt since hearing that strong heartbeat has been incredible.

"I have no idea how to read an ultrasound," Tahani says, sniffling like she"s crying a little bit, too, "but I"m so happy for you guys, Mila."

"I am, too." So fucking happy. I can"t believe this is actually my life.

"I can"t believe I"m going to be a sister! I can"t believe you"re going to be a mom!"

"Me neither," I say, wiping at my eyes. I"m not sure if it"s the pregnancy hormones or the stress, but I"ve been crying a lot lately. It"s so annoying! And Roman really hates it when I cry. He says I"m too beautiful for tears. I think he feels like he"s failing me a little bit when I cry, but it"s not his fault.

Tahani laughs suddenly. "My dad is going to lose it if you really do have a girl, you know that, right?"

"He"ll be fine," I mumble, though I know she"s right. Roman never got the full experience of raising Tahani, thanks to her mom not telling him that he even had a kid. He didn"t know Tahani existed until she was a teenager. He"s going to go completely overboard if we have a girl. He is so overprotective; it"s honestly a surprise that he let Trent take Tahani home after everything. I"m pretty sure he has Carter and Benson tailing her around the city. No way am I telling her that, though. She"ll lose her mind.

"Are you kidding me? Remember when Trent made me cry, and Daddy threatened to rip his balls off and feed them to him?" she laughs loudly. "Trent was worried he really would do it!"

I giggle at the memory. "Trent"s kind of a badass, too. Roman told me that Trent threatened to break his kneecaps if he hurt me."

"Seriously?" Tahani sounds impressed. "My dad is scary. It"s kinda hot that Trent said that to him. Maybe I will sleep with him today, after all," she mumbles, making me laugh harder.

"Fuck, I missed that sound," Roman says from behind me.

I spin around to find him leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest and a smile on his face. His eyes darken as he stares at me, turning that predatory hazel color that instantly makes my heart pound harder, and my panties grow damp.

We haven"t had sex since I was discharged. I miss having him inside me and all over me. But he"s been so stressed and worried about me that I didn"t want to push too hard. Especially since I still had stitches in my shoulder until today. There was no way he was going to fuck me with those in, so trying to get him to change his mind would have been a losing battle.

I want him, though. Desperately.

His eyes darken further when I squeeze my legs together, trying to relieve the pressure building there. His tongue runs across his bottom lip before he bites into it.

I moan at that telling sign, unable to keep the desperate, needy sound from escaping.

"Are you okay?" Tahani asks, and then she groans before I can say anything. "My dad"s off the phone, isn"t he? I do not want to hear his sex noises. I don"t even want to think about his sex noises. I"m hanging up on you now."

"Bye, Tahani," I whisper, not taking my eyes off Roman.

"Love you both. Bye!"

As soon as I set down the phone, Roman prowls toward me, not stopping until he presses his big body to mine, crowding me against the railing.

"I missed that sweet little laugh, baby," he says then, tilting his head to stare down at me. A gentle smile still plays at his lips, tipping them up at the corners. He runs his fingertips across my cheek before sliding his hand around the back of my head and then into my hair. "I"ve really missed something else, too."

"W-what?" I ask, my voice shaking at the ravenous look in his eyes.

He leans forward and kisses my lips before sliding his mouth toward my ear. "I fucking missed hearing you screaming my name while you"re coming on my cock, Mila."

Oh my God.

I whimper, my legs shaking when a wave of heat blasts through me. My nipples harden, and wetness pools between my thighs.

"I know you aren"t healed, but I need to be in you, baby. So goddamn badly, it hurts." He rocks his hips forward to punctuate his words. His erection presses into my stomach, rock hard. "You gonna ride my cock until the neighbors hear you screaming for me?"

"Here?" I breathe, my heart rate ratcheting up another notch at the thought. I want it as badly as he does. More, maybe. "Now?"

"Here," he whispers, his warm breath against my ear, sending a shiver through me. "Now, baby."

"Yes," I say as soon as the words leave his lips. Turning my face toward him, I press my lips to his. My good arm goes around his shoulders, my fingers plunging into his dark locks.

"Fuck," he grunts when I bite his lip and pull his hair. His hips rock forward, pressing his erection into me again before he groans and reluctantly pulls back.

I grumble wordlessly when he grabs my arm, dragging it back down to my side.

"Slow down, sweetheart," he says. "I don"t want to hurt you."

"You won"t." I smile up at him. "Haven"t you learned by now that you"re not capable of hurting me, baby? You always take care of me, no matter what."

His eyes fall closed, a shudder whispering through him. "Fuck," he mumbles, tipping his forehead down to meet mine. "I love it when you call me that. It"s so goddamn sweet."

I kiss his cheek before grinning at him. "You also really like it when I call you―"

He growls before I get the words out, crushing his mouth to mine. He kisses me hard, stealing the words and my breath. One big hand slides around my hip before he squeezes my ass.

When he breaks away this time, we"re both panting. Desire runs through me like a current. I need him inside me soon, or I might be the one who loses control this time.

"You"re so fucking beautiful, Mila," he says, his voice rough. He slips his hands beneath my shirt, placing them against my waist. That little bit of contact makes me moan loudly. "I need you naked."

I help him strip my shirt from my body. After two weeks of him helping me dress and undress, we have it down to a science. My shoulder barely even twinges…and then his lips are on my skin. He presses reverent kisses across my clavicles and over the puckered flesh where my wounds are healing. His tongue dips into the little hollow where my shoulder meets my neck.

I cry out, his tongue sending a jolt through me. Even with the cool breeze whispering across my bare skin, I feel overheated, like I"m going to burst into flame any second. For him, I"ll gladly burn.

"Goddamn, baby. I"ve missed the way you taste." He runs his lips across my shoulder and then up the side of my throat in languorous sweeps. "I can"t even smell peaches without thinking of you. I get so fucking hard every single time." He sets his tongue against the pulse pounding in my throat, those big hands closing over my breasts.

"Roman!" I cry out as a pulse shoots straight to my clit. My inner muscles and lower stomach clench hard. He"s barely even touched me, and I"m already on the verge of coming. My entire body is overly sensitized, his sweet words working through my system like an aphrodisiac.

"I know, baby," he croons. "I know." He strips me bare, whispering against my skin the entire time. He"s sweet and filthy in turns, telling me how much he loves me one minute and then telling me how much he wants to feel me coming on his cock the next.

By the time he has me naked, I"m panting for breath, so turned on that I can"t think through the haze of desire in my mind. It"s been so long since he last touched me like this. Two weeks without his hands on my body feels like a lifetime. I think I"m addicted to how those rough palms glide against my skin.

As the sun slips below the horizon, he pulls me over to a chaise…the same one he spread me out on weeks ago and made me play with my pussy while he watched. Just like then, I watch through heavy lids as he pops the button on his jeans and tugs the zipper down, freeing his cock. He"s rock hard and so fucking perfect my mouth waters.

Wrapping his hand around his length, he hisses and pumps twice. Before I can reach for him, he rips his shirt off over his head and then lies back in the chaise, leaving his jeans on. And God, I love that he"s so impatient to feel me that he doesn"t want to waste a second in removing his jeans. It reminds me of the very first time I saw him with his jeans undone and his cock out…jerking off while I watched from across the room, unable to look away.

"Come here," he breathes, wrapping a hand around my waist and tugging me forward. He picks me up once I"m within his reach, placing me gently in his lap.

My head tips back, a loud moan escaping my lips when his cock bumps against my clit. The dichotic feel of his rough jeans against the inside of my thighs and his smooth skin beneath my palms has me moaning again. I grind against him, but he stills me with his hands on my hips.

"I love you so fucking much," he whispers when my eyes meet his. His burn bright, emotion and desire dancing like flames in the piercing depths. He"s so damn beautiful, he takes my breath away all over again.

"I love you too," I whisper back.

He leans forward, taking one nipple into his mouth while one hand slips between our bodies, zeroing in on my clit. I throw my head back and groan loudly as his fingers slip through my drenched folds. His teeth close around my nipple, the sharp sting making me jump and cry out.

"You like that," he mumbles against my skin and then does it again.

I rock against him, moaning.

"That"s it, baby. Ride my fingers."

I do, shamelessly rocking back and forth as his thumb slides over my clit, and he nips and teases at my breasts. His name rolls from my lips in a gasping chant. Sweat breaks out on my skin, the ocean breeze sending the fire within me raging even higher.

I come hard, gasping and shaking in his lap.

"So goddamn perfect," he mumbles, his eyes locked on me like he can"t look away as aftershocks roll through me. His face is flushed, his eyes so dark, they"re almost black. That wildness peeks out at me, but he reins it in, his hands gentle against my body as he lifts me up and positions me over his cock.

"Roman," I whisper, refusing to sink down on him yet.

"Mila," he whispers back, that same gentle smile playing at his lips.

"Kiss me."

He does, leaning up to capture my lips with his. One hand tangles in my hair, holding me to him as he kisses me like he always does...like he can"t tear himself away from my mouth. His tongue dances with mine, slipping between my lips before disappearing between his again.

I sink down onto him slowly. He fills me inch by delicious inch until the tip of his cock bumps against my cervix, and we both moan loudly, our sounds mingling in the night air around us. He leans back in the chaise, his lip between his teeth and his arms behind his head as he watches me ride him slowly.

"You look so good taking my cock. God, baby. What are you doing to me?"

His abs contract beneath my palms, the muscles in his arms straining as he fights, trying to keep himself in check. His innate need to take control and dominate me is stamped across his face. So is his desire to take me slow and easy. He still thinks he might hurt me if he lets go.

When will he learn? Since the first time he touched me, he"s been exactly what I need every single time. He"s not capable of hurting me. He never has been. When his hands are on my body, I"m indestructible. If I"m a warrior, it"s because he makes me feel like I can take on the world so long as he"s by my side.

"Fuck me, Roman," I plead, lifting myself up and then sinking down onto him again. "Please. I need you."

He growls softly, his abs contracting again.

"Please."

"Fuck." He reaches out, those big hands grasping my hips.

A delirious cry of pleasure leaves my lips when he lifts me up and drops me back down on him once and then again. He"s careful of my shoulder, taking care not to jar it. His cock hits my cervix, sending waves of intense pleasure through me. It spirals through my system, turning my blood to lava in my veins. My nails dig into his abs, my muscles clamping down around him.

He takes me hard, lifting me up and down his cock so fast I"m dizzy with pleasure. Every hard thrust causes him to buck his hips, pushing himself in even deeper. When he leans forward and sucks my nipple into his mouth again, I scream his name, coming in a powerful rush.

"Jesus Christ," he swears, holding me down on his cock and rocking against me so he grinds against my clit. "I can feel you coming all over me. I want another one."

The hitch in his breath makes me clamp down on him again.

"That"s it, Mila." He bites my nipple before dropping me down on him again. "Scream for me again."

I do, his name leaving my lips so loudly my throat hurts. It shatters the night apart, echoing around us. I buck wildly against him, coming so hard that I can"t catch my breath.

"Fuck, fuck," he chants, his hands hard against my hips as he drives up into me. He"s wild beneath me, fucking me hard and fast. His breath comes in pants and gasps. He drops me down on his cock and holds me there, coming with a shout. My name echoes around us almost as loudly as his does.

I keep my eyes on him the entire time, moaning loudly at the sight of him coming unraveled below me. With his muscles locked tight, his eyes closed, and that lip between his teeth, he"s the sexiest thing I"ve ever seen.

God, he"s perfect.

And he"s all mine.

"What are you thinking about, baby?" he asks me later that night, kissing me on the shoulder.

We"re lying in bed, his back against the headboard and my head on his chest. He has his arms around me with one big hand splayed protectively over my stomach.

He"s always touching or kissing my belly. Every chance he gets, his hand is over my stomach as if he"s already watching over our baby, keeping her safe. He gives me that little boy smile every single time, like I"m giving him everything he"s ever wanted.

"I was just thinking about how Tahani suggested I have a fling when I first got here," I tell him, laughing softly at the memory. "Who could have imagined things would turn out like this when I propositioned you?"

She always told me I deserved someone who would love me unconditionally. Part of me always prayed it would be this man, but I never imagined we"d actually end up here. But my future is clear to me for the first time since I walked away from my dad. Right here with Roman is where I belong.

I"ve never been more certain of anything in my life.

His arms tighten around me and his lips ghost across my shoulder again. "Are you happy, sweetheart?"

"So happy," I breathe, placing my hand over his on my stomach. "I never knew I could feel this way, Roman."

"Like you could float away?" he asks, a smile in his voice.

"Like I finally know what it"s like to have a family," I whisper, staring down at his hand over my stomach. "For a long time, I thought I wanted stability, but I really wanted a place where I belong. I think I"ve wanted it ever since my mom died. With you, I finally know what love feels like. I know what it means to be a family. I have you and Tahani and Trent…and our baby. I have everything I"ve ever wanted. It"s so peaceful, Roman. Thank you for giving that to me."

"Jesus, baby. You"re killing me." He presses his face into my hair, his chest rising on a deep breath before a soft exhalation sends pieces of my hair wafting around me. "Just when I think there"s no fucking way I could possibly love you more, you say something like that, something so goddamn sweet, and I fall a little harder." He presses a kiss to my temple and then leans forward, pulling me up with him. "Close your eyes," he whispers in my ear.

I obediently squeeze them closed.

He shuffles around behind me, and then I hear his bedside drawer slide open. Something scrapes against the side of the drawer, and then he"s lifting me off him with his hands around my waist. Before I can even think to hold on, he"s got me on my back beneath him, my hair spread across his pillow. I feel him rise up over me before he grabs my hand.

A gasp falls from my lips, and my eyes pop open when I feel him slide something I"m pretty sure is an engagement ring onto my finger. I don"t get a chance to look at it, though. My gaze catches on him, and my mouth goes dry. Emotion blazes in his hazel eyes, burning hot as the sun as he stares down at me.

His gaze sweeps down my body, not missing anything before he lifts his eyes to mine and swallows hard. "I"ve wanted to see you pregnant, with my ring on your finger since…fuck, probably since the night you told me you were all in, Mila." He runs his hand down my face and then between my breasts before finally settling on my stomach again. "You"ve been mine since the day I met you, sweetheart. You"ll always be mine."

"You"re mine, too," I whisper, happy tears sliding down my cheeks. "You"ve always been mine."

"I have," he agrees, his voice solemn. "Since the day I met you, I"ve been yours. I"m so fucking glad you feel like you belong with me because my heart goes where you go, Mila. Until the day I die, every breath I take is for you. So long as I"m alive, you will never again have to wonder what it"s like to feel loved. You will never have to be without family ever again. You"re mine, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know how much you"re wanted and needed. How much you"re loved."

By the time he finishes speaking, his voice thick and heated, I"m crying too hard to speak. When I finally look at the gorgeous diamond and platinum ring on my finger, more tears spill down my cheeks. It"s simple and breathtaking at the same time. It"s a little bit me and a little bit him, and I love every single thing about seeing it shining on my finger.

"Say you"ll be mine forever. Marry me, baby," he whispers.

"Yes," I sob, nodding my head furiously. "Yes, Roman."

He gives me a blinding smile, then leans down and kisses me breathless. His tongue dances with mine, his lips moving over mine until I"m dizzy with the taste of him and so fucking in love my heart feels like it"s going to beat out of my chest.

When he finally breaks away, panting for breath, he rains adoring kisses all over my face, drying my tears with his lips. "Mrs. Gregory," he whispers in my ear and then groans softly. "Fuck, I love the sound of that."

I do, too. So damn much.

As he hitches my leg over his hip and slides inside me, whispering it over and over while he makes love to me slowly, I love it even more.

He"s my future. My protector. My everything. With him by my side, I know I will always be safe. I"ll always be loved.

I couldn"t ask for anything more.