Chapter 374
Chapter 374
We sat in silence for a moment, both of us breathing in the salt and the quiet.
“When do we leave?” Savannah asked suddenly, “I don’t want to go. It’s so beautiful here p>
“Me neither.” I leaned back on my palms. “There’s too much noise waiting for us outside this place. And I love it here p>
Her eyes gleamed with mischief. “Maybe… we could return here after I have the baby p>
I turned to her, eyebrows raised.
“It’d be a wonderful place to raise a baby,” she said, cheeks flushed from excitement. “Don’t you think p>
A smile tugged at my lips. “Sounds beautiful p>
She squealed–actually squealed–and clapped her hands before flinging her arms around me. “Thank you! Thank you,
I kissed her cheek. “You’re welcome, baby p>
Roman p>
She peppered kisses across my jaw, my neck, my cheek–fast and soft like butterfly wings–before her lips finally brushed mine. This kiss wasn’t rushed. It lingered, warm and wanting.
My fingers found her waist, itching to hold her. Her hand slid into my hair, tugging softly, sending shivers down my spine. Her mouth trailed down my throat, the warmth of her breath curling against my skin.
I wanted her. God knows I did,
But my mind–damn it–wouldn’t stay where it was supposed to. It kept clawing back to Paula’s words. To my father. To buried corpses of truth. To fear. To shame.
My chest squeezed painfully. If I can’t be fully here with her… then I don’t deserve to touch her like this.
Savannah tugged my shirt up and I caught her hand. “Baby… stop.” The words scraped out of me, rough and unwilling. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to say.
She blinked up at me. “Why p>
I swallowed slowly. “I don’t want to do this when my mind isn’t all the way here. I’m… distracted. I’m sorry, Sav. I really am p>
Her hand slipped out of mine. She withdrew like she’d been burned. “Oh. Of course. I understand.” She cleared her throat, cheeks flushing. “God… that was embarrassing p>
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Chapter 374
“Hey.” I reached for her. “No, it’s not. Don’t say that p>
She forced a thin laugh. “Yeah. Well. I guess I should go get some sleep.” She gestured backward toward the house. “I’m tired p>
“Now?” I asked, hating how desperate it sounded.
But she was already standing, brushing sand from her legs. “Yeah. Good night, Roman p>
“Good night, my love,” I said softly.
She leaned down, pressed a small kiss to my forehead then turned and walked back toward the lit–up house.
I watched her disappear inside and exhaled a broken breath. “Fuck,” I muttered. “I’m such an idiot p>
Right then, my phone rang. It was Reese.
I picked up. “Reese p>
“What’s up with you?” Reese snapped. “You sounded off in your text p>
“A lot,” I muttered. “Father did a lot more damage than we know p>
He let out a harsh breath. “That son of a bitch. Tell me p>
I stared at the house Savannah had vanished into, guilt still clawing at me. “He murdered a man because he was in the way. A father. A good man. Someone who tried to stop him from trafficking young girls. Girls, Reese. Women. He killed him for standing in his way p>
A beat of stunned silence.
Then Reese hissed, “Fuck. This is messed up. That really happened p>
“Yes.” My voice dropped. “And I don’t think she’s lying p>
“When are you coming back? Tomorrow? I can’t wait to talk to him and he better start talking fast or I swear-
“ We’ll come back the day after tomorrow,” I interrupted. “I want to spend tomorrow with Sav. I need to make up for today. It must have
taken a toll on her. ”
His voice softened slightly. “Alright. And Penny? Should I tell her anything p>
Despite everything, a small smirk tugged at my lips. “Yes. Tell Penelope that Roman says hello p>
Reese laughed darkly. “She’s going to lose her mind p>
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“Good,” I muttered.
But as I stared at the house again–at the faint light through the curtains, the shadowy outline of the room she’d disappeared into–my
chest tightened all over again.
I needed to fix this. I needed to fix us. And tomorrow… I would.
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.