Feeling abnormally self-conscious, my cheeks become fiery hot. What has Roman said about me to this guy? “Ah…yeah.”
“Holy shit!” In a blur, I’m swept into his arms and my feet dangle in the air. “Am I ever glad he found you again, sweetheart! Our boy’s the happiest I’ve seen him since I met the fucker!”
“That’s…good,” I reply in a weary tone before he sets me back down.
“I’ll assume you’ve got this,” the woman mumbles before sauntering off.
The man offers a bear paw-sized hand and a charming smile filled with pearly whites. “I’m Reggie. You can thank me for keeping him from going off the deep end while the two of you were apart. Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. Never met anyone so heart-broken. He was one drunken night away from jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge.”
Holy hell. Was Roman really that bad off? My stomach burns with guilt.
Shaking Reggie’s hand, I offer a small smile. “You’re the band’s bassist, right? Roman told me quite a bit about you last night. You two sound as tight as brothers.”
“I don’t know if I’d take it that far. I mean, if he’s dumb enough to let you go a second time, there’s nothing sacred between us that would stop me from asking you out.” With a teasing grin, he winks and throws a massive ink-covered arm over my shoulders. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s go make our boy’s day.”
By the time we’ve made our way to the green room, I’m starting to suspect that having Reggie around over the next six months will be a bonus. His outgoing presence puts my frayed nerves at ease. At least I’m feeling relaxed until I’m staring into the beautiful eyes that connect my past with the present.
The sight of Roman holding an acoustic guitar in his lap literally sucks all the air out of me. Transported back to the night I first heard him play at camp, my heart does a series of summersaults.
“Brought you a present,” Reggie tells him with a snicker. “You forgot to mention your girl’s a total fucking knockout.”
Your girl. Why does that label suddenly make me all wet and achy?
Roman sets the guitar down on the couch beside him and grunts at his friend. “She’s too fucking hot for your sorry ass, so don’t even think about making a move.”
Heat blossoms through my body as his gaze drags down to the black lace camisole and wine colored velour blazer that were out of my price range, but Mel had insisted I buy and even threw in her own forty bucks. With the approval written all over Roman’s face, I could kiss her.
And I could easily devour Roman the way his muscles stretch a plain black tank top across his broad chest, showing the start of a tattoo below the hallow of his thick neck. Though he’s wearing a simple pair of torn black jeans, no one has ever made denim look that good. Damp straw-colored hair hangs around his face from a recent shower. All at once I’m imagining what it will be like to get him alone under a stream of water…
Reggie clears his throat. “Well, then, I’m clearly no longer welcome here. I’ll let you two have at it before this room bursts into flames.” His deep chuckles fill the room as he steps out, shutting the door behind him.
“You look good enough to eat,” Roman growls out, rising to his feet and stalking toward me.
“Didn’t realize I had a date with the big bad wolf,” I say in what I’d hoped would be a sexy voice but comes out more of a squeak as he’s folding me in his arms.
“I know it’s only been a handful of hours since I left your place, but I missed the fuck outta you, baby,” he whispers into my hair before burying his face against it and squeezing me in a lingering, possessive hug. It’s like he’s claiming me, making me his all over again.
Oh, god. My entire body becomes one giant live wire of electricity, crackling and sparking with a savage ripple of excitement. I’m transfixed by his masculine scent, the rumble of his sexy voice, and the nest of beautiful muscles flexing around me, but it all pales in comparison to the ginormous hard-on digging into my stomach. Did I simply not realize how big he was because he was my first and it was going to hurt either way, or is it possible he’s grown that much since his teenage years?
Fuck this…I’ve waited five long years to be reunited with this man’s body, and I sure as hell don’t plan to wait a second longer. Leaning back, I wait until I have his undivided attention. The intensity behind his beautiful pools of sea green searing past my eyes and into my soul sends a shiver spiking down my spine.
“My answer’s yes, Roman.”