I take it and have a sip, then I answer his question. “It was good. Helped Jack make his woman crazy for him. I’m pretty good, I must say.”
Roman snorts and I flip him the bird with a grin. “I am, thank you very much. That woman will be falling all over him.”
“We’ll see. You probably told him to go up and give her a good slap on the ass.”
I giggle. “I did not! I was very charming about it!”
“Sure.” He chuckles.
“I say a good slap on the ass would work,” Johnno says, laughing.
“It would work all right,” Roman grins. “In getting you a smack to the fuckin’ eye.”
I nod, laughing at Johnno when he wiggles his brows. “Maybe that’s what I want.”
“Told you,” Roman says, jabbing a thumb in Johnno’s direction. “Deviot.”
“We’ll get along just fine then,” I give Johnno a thumbs up.
“Yeah, we will. Roman has told me all about you.”
I gape and turn to Roman. “If you told him all our secret stories, I’ll punch you.”
Roman winks at me, giving me a lazy half grin. “Only half our secret stories.”
“He told me about your vibrating drawer.”
I gasp and reach over, slapping Roman who is already laughing. “You did not!”
“It’s fucking hilarious.” Roman chuckles. “Come on, Spoosie. It’s funny!”
“You’re such a knob! I can’t believe you told him that!”
“What I want to know,” Johnno adds, “is what kind of toys you have in there that vibrate that hard.”
I huff and flush.
“She’s got some fancy thing that works the clit only.”
Johnno’s brows go up, and I shoot Roman yet another look. He winks at me.
“I told her any good man can do that.”
Johnno nods and winks, too. “I could do that, darlin’.”
“My god, you two are animals. I need to use the bathroom!”
With a grin, I walk inside Roman’s house and use his bathroom. As I open the door and come out, I see Roman coming down the hall, half unzipped, no doubt about to do the same thing I did. I raise my brows as he continues to drop his pants. He’s drunk, I can tell by the lightness in his step and the easy way he smiles at me. He’s cheeky when he’s drunk. I like seeing that side of him come out.
“I shaved my balls today,” he says, wiggling his brows.
“How wonderful.” I giggle. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Want to touch them?”
“No, no I do not.”
He grins and nods. “Yes, yes you do.”
I slip past him, nudging him as I go. “You feel them for me, tell me how that works out,” I call as I disappear down the hall.
“Okay!” he calls.
I sit back down outside and my phone dings with a message. I look down and see a picture of Roman’s ... balls. I burst out laughing. That little devil.
M – Did you just send me a picture of your balls?
R – Yep.
M – Thanks! Really!
R – You’re welcome!I snort and put the phone away, looking to Johnno.
“He just sent me a picture of his balls, from the bathroom.”
Johnno chuckles. “Yeah, good old boy. He’s got a deviot side tucked in there. Sounds like he met someone awesome when he met you.”
I smile, genuinely. “Aw, thanks.”
“He’s told me a lot about you. You’re important to him. I can see why. You’re a great chick.”
I hold Johnno’s eyes. “Thank you, that means a lot. He’s had a hard time lately, I’m glad I can make things easier for him.”
“Yeah,” Johnno agrees. “He has. That bitch he’s been hung up on has done him no good.”
“No, no she has not.”
“Hope she fucks off soon.”
I nod in agreeance and stand again. “I’m going to grab some water!”
“Cheater!” Johnno calls as I disappear into the kitchen laughing.
Roman steps in just as I reach for a glass. He steps forward, catches my wrist, and quite literally jerks me towards him. I stumble a little bit and then crash against him. He catches me, arms wrapping around me, and he just hangs onto me. I smile and wrap my arms around his waist, holding him back. It’s been a while since we’ve hugged.
“Glad you’re here,” he murmurs.
My heart softens.
In that moment, I know I’m doing the best thing in the world just being his friend right now.
“Me too, spunky.”
He lets me go and stares at the glass I was about to pick up.
“You were not just about to drink water.”
I grin.
He wraps a hand around the back of my head and pulls me closer, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.”
With that, he disappears outside again.
And hope flutters its way back into my heart.
CHAPTER 23
I slap Roman’s hand away.
He slaps mine back.
“Stop it, Roman! This is my food, I will beat you.”
“You’re doing it wrong.”
“Do not make me come over there!”
He grins and slaps my hand again, knocking the spoon from it. It skitters across the countertop before launching onto the floor with a loud clang.
“That’s. It.”
I spin around and lunge at him, swiping the cake mixture that’s on now on my hand over his face. Roaring with laughter, he lunges backwards and hits the counter. There’s nowhere else for him to go. I swipe my hand across his face and he groans, slapping it away while trying to catch me around the waist and push me back. I slam into his chest and laugh even harder.
“You’re such a fucking animal!”
I giggle and swipe my hand across his face again. He catches it and jerks back. Then ... the laughter stops. Our eyes meet. And it’s there. What it is, I do not know. I know he’s still hurting, I know he’s not ready, I know I’m not ready, but there is something. I swallow, and I want to make my eyes go anywhere else, but they just hold his. He reaches down, cupping my chin in his hand, and dammit, I should stop it.
But I can’t.
He tilts my head back and brings his lips down over mine.