She winked at him over her shoulder and for a moment, his heart turned over in his chest. The light in her eyes and the glow of all her inner happiness warmed him so much when he was with her. It was like a night and day difference from the world he was so used to, every day.
He did his best to keep thoughts of his time with her out of his mind, thoughts of their intimacy, the feel of her arms around him, her lips pressed to his, and her body connected to his. Those thoughts had to be pushed away. So did the feelings that bubbled up in him when he spent too much time looking at her beautiful face or listening to her soft sweet voice and her lilting laugh.
He walked over to the sofa and sat down with Emma, who smiled at him and patted his face with her little hands. Cami brought him a blanket and helped him situate his daughter in his arms. Emma was excited to be fed and wiggled quite a bit as he lifted her bottle to her mouth. She took to it hungrily and they stared at each other as she ate.
He could not take his eyes from her, loving her beautiful face and incredible sweetness. She drank quickly at first and Cami tried to help Roman slow her down, but she was anxious to eat, and her appetite didn't slow until she reached the end of the bottle.
Cami took it from him and said, "She needs to be burped now. I'll go get you a burping cloth." She got up from the sofa to take the bottle in the kitchen and Roman picked Emma up and laid her on his chest, rubbing and patting her back.
Just as Cami was coming back into the room, Emma threw up all over Roman's shirt, and though Cami rushed to take the baby from him and hand him a towel, it was too late by the time she got to him.
He groaned a little and laughed, and Cami bit her lip. "I'm so sorry!" she said, taking Emma and cleaning her up. "Sometimes she eats too fast and then it comes back up. Poor thing." She got the baby situated and nursed her from her breast just a few minutes longer, as Roman looked on, watching them incredulously.
"It's okay. I'm not worried about it." He shrugged, and he tried to clean it up. Emma fell asleep at her mother's breast, and Cami put her down in her little bed and then walked over to Roman, who was failing at cleaning his shirt.
"Come on,” she said, waving him into the kitchen. "You'll need to get that rinsed quickly."
He followed her into the kitchen. She dampened a cloth and handed it to him, but he only seemed to make it worse as he rubbed away at it, and finally Cami shook her head and said, "Take your shirt off. I'll wash it for you. Come on, before it dries."
He paused a moment, looking up at her from the mess all over the front of him, and hesitated before unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off. She looked away from him as she filled the sink with warm water and soap. She took his shirt and washed it out for him as he stood there watching her.
Roman was unaccustomed to having anyone take care of him, and it was refreshing to him. Standing near her was more than refreshing; it was warming, almost as if he was standing in sunlight on a cool day.
She soaped up his shirt well and then wiped her hands on a towel and looked down at the shirt sitting in the water in the sink. "We'll let it soak for a few minutes, just to be sure. Then I'll rinse it out and blow dry it for you."
He nodded and she turned to look up at him. Her thoughts vanished from her mind as she stood beside him, looking at him standing there with no shirt on, so close to her. His brown eyes were holding hers in a steady gaze, and her heart flipped over as the scent of him took her back to their time on the boat together.
"Thank you for spending this time with me and letting me help you take care of her," he said quietly, watching her. His eyes were focused on hers, but it felt like he was being pulled into her, and he didn't want the feeling to stop.
"Sure," she answered in a similar soft tone. "You were wonderful with her." She smiled a little at him and his eyes dropped to her lips. His heart began to speed up and he could feel blood rushing through him.
"I'm really sorry about your shirt, though,” she almost whispered, feeling the air between them warming considerably.
He shook his head imperceptibly. "It's no big deal,” he replied, his eyes moving from her lips back up to her eyes again.
They gazed at each other for a long moment, not breathing, their hearts beginning to pound and he felt as if gravity was pulling him further in toward her. He let it. He began to lean toward her face, close to her mouth, but just as he was about to reach it, she drew in a sharp breath and turned her head away.
"Can I get you anything? Would you like a drink?" He closed his eyes and turned his head from hers, breathing deeply and trying to slow everything in him down just a little.
"Water would be nice." he said, his mouth feeling a bit dry. He looked toward the living room and took a deep breath. Nothing he did slowed any part of him. She pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it, and turned to hand it to him, just as he turned to take it from her.
His fingers closed over hers on the glass and heat spread from their fingers to each other. She held her breath and felt her chest tighten sharply. His eyes were locked on hers again as he took the glass from her and drained half of it before setting it on the counter.
She meant to look away from him. She tried, but his body was so close to hers, and she knew just how it felt to be in his arms, to taste his kiss, and to feel him deep in her. The knowledge of all of that kept her rooted to the spot, and locked on him.
Her steady gaze inflamed him considerably and as he set the glass down on the counter, he knew before he touched her that there was just nothing for it, no way he could be so close to her and not reach out to her. He lifted his hand to her cheek and a tiny gasp escaped her lips as he stroked his thumb over her skin.
She turned her face slightly toward his open palm and let her lips brush his thumb, her mouth opening slightly as she did so. It was enough to send a shockwave through Roman, and he didn't think at all, but only reacted as he turned her face to his, placing his other hand on her cheek and lifting her chin.
His mouth caressed hers softly at first, barely touching her skin, and she gasped again and closed her eyes. He pressed his lips gently against hers and kissed her, feeling as much amazement with her as he had on the boat. Her tongue touched the edge of his lips and she kissed him back, slowly and sensually as he drew her nearer to him.
Cami's hands closed on his hips and moved up his bare back as he opened her mouth with his and kissed her deeply. Fire began to spread between them, and everything inside them rushed and crashed as they wrapped their arms around one another and held on tightly in passion's embrace, tasting their lover's kiss and losing themselves in the pleasure of it.
An ache began to spread in Roman's groin and he felt himself grow hard with need. It was no time at all before Cami felt his body solid with desire against her, and she drew in a sharp breath as he pressed himself firmly to her and moaned.
Neither of them had been intimate since they were last intimate with each other, and between the long period of time without physical affection and the memories of their long past passion burning brightly in their hearts and minds, their bodies were ravenous for what they felt together.
Her hands wandered from his strong back to his muscled chest, and then she slid them up around his neck and held him close as his hands moved to her waist and pulled her tight against him. Their hungry kisses wanted more than just lips, and they moved their mouths over each other's cheeks and necks. Roman's tongue and teeth left a slow and torturous trail up her neck and to her ear before reclaiming her mouth again.
They drove each other further and further into heated passion and their hands began to touch and feel each other in need. Roman pressed her against the counter and moved his hips firmly against hers, making a soft cry of pleasure escape her as his hand curved over her hip and squeezed her.
She burned with need for him, and her heart beat wildly against her chest, pushing blood through her veins with such force that it drowned out the sound in her ears and the sense in her mind as it warmed her body from her core.
Roman felt as if he hadn't breathed for the whole year he'd been apart from her, and now he was suddenly high on the oxygen of being in her arms and holding her so close to him.
"Cami..." he whispered her name as his lips moved over her skin and his body yearned for hers. “God, I want you!" he said, almost helplessly.
She opened her eyes and pulled her lips from his, looking up at him with need and pain in her eyes. "Stop... Roman, please... we can't do this." She tried to make herself stay back, but then she leaned in and kissed him once more and it ignited the flames in her again.
He kissed her hungrily for a long moment, and then he pulled away from her and whispered hoarsely, "No, you're right... we can't do this." He looked as if he was in pain as well, as he forced himself to take a step back from her, letting his arms fall away from her and closing his eyes to the feel of her hands as they slid down his chest and stomach, and then left his body.
He backed away until he was leaning against the counter opposite her. They stood and stared at each other, their chests heaving breathlessly as their bodies tried to slow down.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to..."