Her lips quirk with a playful smile and a tear spills down her cheek. “Are you saying you bought me a piano instead of a ring?”
“Say yes and you can pick out whatever ring your heart fucking desires.” I swipe her tear away, then run the pad of my thumb across the scar on her jaw. “Just please, baby, make me the luckiest bastard on the planet and say you’ll be my wife.”
A little smirk tilts her lips as more tears tumble down her cheeks. “I’d be just as content with matching tattoos, but of course I’ll marry you. I’ll never love anyone else the way I love you, Roman. You’re more than my soul mate—you’re the other half of my heart.”
In a blur she straddles my lap to kiss me, the salty taste of our combined tears filling my mouth along with her sweet taste. I always knew there was a reason we ran into each other her first day of camp. Our fates were set long before my father attacked her in Vegas, making this moment inevitable—or at least I had always hoped.
BELLE
Minutes before Roman and I are scheduled to give an acoustic performance at Leona’s, a bar in Brooklyn Heights known for exclusive performances, we wait in the break room for our agreed interview with a local journalist.
Since Roman asked me to marry him several months back, life has become so crazy that I’ve hardly had any time to worry about the ceremony or reception. I put Aunt Joey in charge of communications with the wedding planner, making her promise nothing would be pink or frilly, and so far she’s killing it. I’m just glad we’re slowly repairing our relationship. I was ecstatic to learn she left Chris the year before after catching him in bed with a coworker. When she came to stay with us a few weeks back, I was finally able to tell her the story of what happened with Roman’s dad. Then I told her that I loved her, and we spent the night crying in each other’s arms on and off for hours over expensive wine.
In all honesty, I couldn’t give less of a shit about the details of the wedding as long as Roman and I are married by the time the night is over. I’ve taken more interest in the honeymoon as it will be the first time in ages where neither of us has a daily commitment, and the way our careers are soaring, it could be years before we have time for another leisurely excursion. Roman told me to choose somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit, so we’re spending ten days in Ireland before spending the next two weeks slowly making our way to the southern part of Italy. But I wouldn’t care if I simply spent the entire month locked in our apartment with my husband.
Husband.
The word alone sends a shiver trickling down my back. I’ve known since my thirteenth birthday that I wanted to be with Roman Stone forever, but now that it’s becoming a reality, life has become surreal, like I’m watching it happen to someone else.
When the door to the break room creaks open, there’s no missing the way the leggy blonde ogles my fiancé. For a moment I wonder if we should call off the interview. I mean how good can she be at her job if she doesn’t know like the rest of the goddamned world that we’re getting married in two months?
Either Roman senses my irritation or he’s just as put off, because he wraps his arm behind me on the couch and pulls me in close, cocooning me in his dark scent and delightful warmth. Entire body humming with arousal, I set my left hand on the inside of his thigh, beaming with the sight of the black diamond we picked out the week before in SoHo.
As the woman offers him her hand, I squeeze his thigh, drawing a faint growl from his throat.
“Serina Wallace. It’s a pleasure to meet you both!”
Flashing her the sweetest of smiles, I offer my right hand when she moves on to me. “So nice to meet you, Serina.”
She takes a seat in the chair across from us, crossing her long legs. She’s attractive and everything, even appropriately dressed for our performance in pleather leggings and a loose fitting blouse. “Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me. I know you’ve been busy recording your new album as well as planning for your upcoming wedding. I’d like to take this moment to officially congratulate you both—I imagine it’s quite an exciting time!”
So she does know. Maybe my man’s charm is just too strong to not react in some way. Can’t say I blame her. Trailing my fingers farther up Roman’s thigh, I nod. “We’re both very excited.”
When I brush Roman’s hardening length with a fingertip, he inhales a sharp breath but quickly covers it up with a cough.
“Let’s get down to it, shall we?” Serina asks, holding a digital recorder in her lap. Her bright blue eyes focus on Roman. “Now that Isabelle has made the decision to join Broken Euphoria, and the band has signed with Hello Nasty Records, has the relationship between you and the guys shifted in any way?”