Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
He cupped her face and kissed her lips, hard. Rome needed to silence her for himself to speak.
“Will you stop?” he asked, in between kisses.
“I’m giving you an out. I’m telling you, you don’t have to worry about … any of it.”
He laughed.
“Beth, baby, you’re carrying my child. You’re living with me and no matter what, we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.” He’d never been one for romance. He’d not needed to be, because there hadn’t been a single woman who meant anything to him. He didn’t need women, but when it came to Beth, she was everything.
“Shit, look, I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right.” He rubbed his temple. “I don’t even know what to fucking say right now.”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“I do … love you. I love you more than anything.”
“Rome, please.”
“No, hear me out. I get it. I’m not good with words and all that shit. I get that. I’m not great at this, and it’s because I have never had to be.” He ran a hand down his face. “Women fall over themselves to be with me.” And he saw her withdrawing from him as soon as he said that. “No, please, wait, just hear me out. I get that I’m not good at this. I’m not good at any of this, but … I don’t want anyone else but you. I’m not saying this because I have to. I don’t know if you realize this or not, but I never do anything I don’t want to do, and there is certainly no one on this planet who can make me do anything.”
He stroked her cheek and knew he was making a mess of this, and that hadn’t been his intention, but it seemed he kept failing.
“But, when it comes to you, you’re the only person I want to be with … the only person I care about. You’re who I want to see in the morning. Who I want to be near. I could have worn protection, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to feel your naked pussy wrapped around my cock. You’re the only person I want to see, and to be around, and grow old with. I know this all started out as a way of you saving your brother, but it has become so much more.”
He saw the tears in her eyes, streaming down her face, and he didn’t want her to cry.
“Please don’t cry.”
“I know,” Beth said.
“You know?”
“About Ben,” she said. “I know, and I feel … I don’t care. Does that make me a terrible person?”
“I didn’t kill him,” Rome said, feeling any chance of a future with her slowly ebbing away.
“I know,” she said.
“How did you know?” he asked. He had been very careful about keeping that news from her.
“You left the information on your desk. I saw it, and I … called your cop informant. He told me everything.”
Rome knew he was going to have to talk to his informant. He’d told him not to reach out to Beth, and that he would handle everything.
“You had him cremated,” Beth said.
“I was going to wait for the right time to tell you,” he said. “I didn’t want you to be stressed or worried, or freaking out.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You know, Rome, I’m starting to think you’re quite the guy. Yes, you have the whole dark, dangerous, and a little cruel, thing going on, but I also believe you’re sweet, loving, and will make an amazing father.”
He’d never had anyone feel so positive about him. Staring into her eyes, he knew, like he had some time ago, that Beth was rare, and he had to do everything in his power to keep her.
“Marry me,” he said.
The smile on her lips melted his head. “I thought you were never going to ask.”
She went onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. “Yes, I will marry you, and yes, I want to spend the rest of our lives together.”
“I can’t change,” he said. “This is who I am but I will do everything in my power to protect you and our children.”
“Rome, I’ve not asked you to change, and I don’t want you to. I want you to be exactly who you’re meant to be.”
And with that, she stole his heart for good.
Epilogue
Ten Years Later
Beth tilted her head back and enjoyed the feel of the sun on her face. It felt so warm and comforting, but then, Rome had surprised her and the kids with an unexpected trip. Back home it was snowing, which she loved, but she also enjoyed getting away with her husband and family.
Hands wrapped around her stomach, she leaned back against her man, her partner, the best person she had ever known.
It wasn’t lost on her that she found this dangerous man who’d traded her body for her brother’s life, to be the best man for her. They had been married ten years and had three children, with a fourth on the way.