Page 52 of Taking What Was His

“Yeah,” Jayden replied.

“Okay. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”

“Okay. Hey, Mom?”

She turned back to him. “What, sweetheart?”

“I really like Roman’s family.”

“I do, too. They all made us feel so welcome.”

“The cousins are really awesome.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” She smiled. “Night.”

“Night, Mom.”

Beth closed her bedroom door, leaned against it, and sighed. She showered quickly, pulled on a nightgown, and dropped into bed.

She had planned to read for a bit, but she already felt herself start to droop from fatigue. She turned off her light and laid down. Her eyes swept the room where shadows and flashes of light danced through the windowpanes from the streetlamps outside.

She rolled to face the side of the bed her husband used to sleep on. She reached out. What would it be like to have someone in bed with her again? She missed that companionship and the feeling of safety having a man around gave her.

It felt great knowing someone a lot stronger than she had her back and would protect her and Jayden. After Rick had died, that was one of the worst things she had to overcome was sleeping by herself and learning to keep her and her son safe.

What she missed the most was cuddling together and falling asleep. Rick wasn’t an affectionate person and had only done that after making love, but she cherished those times.

She tried to picture Roman lying there and smiled. He wouldn’t be the type to keep his hands to himself at night. He’d be wrapped around her, smothering her, and she’d welcome every minute of it.

Sometimes, she had the urge to drag him to bed, and on the other hand, she was hesitant to get that deep into a relationship with him when she didn’t know his intentions.

She guessed he really cared for her, but without the words, she wasn’t sure and too afraid to ask.

Chapter Seventeen

The first available day they’d been able to have lunch wasn’t until that Wednesday. Roman was getting more anxious as the hours passed.

He hated having to go full days without seeing her at all. They talked every night before they went to bed, but it wasn’t enough for him.

If he were sure she wouldn’t run from him, he’d fly her and Jayden to Las Vegas to get married. He knew it was early in their relationship, but he’d known he’d have to have her the moment he saw her across the room that night day after the funeral.

They had done nothing but cuddle and kiss, but the attraction and desire between the two was something he hadn’t imagined existed before.

He stared down at his desk, getting absolutely nothing done as he waited for her to get there.

He stood when he heard a commotion and opened his door to watch her cross the room. She was stopped every few feet, so it was taking her forever.

She looked up when she was a few feet away and smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi, yourself. Come on in.”

Beth set the bag down and then gasped when she was spun around and pulled into his arms.

He smiled at her surprise before he lowered his head and took her mouth.

He groaned and tightened his arms around her and lifted her off the floor as she tried to get closer, and her grip on his shoulders tensed.

He lifted his head and stared down at her and fell a little more in love with her at that moment.