- 5 7 -

After nearly an hour of driving and me vibing to Taylor Swift on the radio, Roman finally stopped at a clearing with a forest nearby that seemed too creepy to be real. It looked like something out of a horror movie.

Yikes.

I looked over at the man beside me and found his eyes already on me, judging my reaction when I gulped and smiled weakly.

"You aren't planning to finally kill me, are you?" I asked him when he rolled his eyes and gave me an unimpressed look as he got out of the car and rounded to my side, opening the door for me before I could protest.

He held out his hand to me, and I stared at it for a few seconds, then his face, and then his hand again.

"I'm sorry on my brothers' behalf. They can be assholes sometimes, but they're just really protective of me, so I don't think you need to go through with this. How about we talk it out? Or hug it out? Whichever you prefer, obviously." I rambled when he glared at me, which made me freeze in place.

"Or not." I mumbled as I hesitantly took his hand and let him lead me closer towards the forest, which was seriously giving me really bad vibes.

"Rome, I know we've had our differences, and you're a psycho, even though I like you very much, emphasis on very, that doesn't mean I'd follow you blindly into a dark and creepy forest, no thank you." I stopped walking, which made him stop in his tracks as well when he turned around to face me with a challenging gaze.

He looked at me with narrowed eyes and tugged at my hand, but I dug my heels into the ground, standing my ground when he huffed.

"Heather, I'm not going to kill you, feed you to the wolves, or leave you stranded here. Do you trust me?" He asked, and I bit my lip.

"At this moment, not really, no." I replied, watching as his gaze hardened, and I gulped, hard.

Whoops.

"But like my mother said, everyone deserves a second chance." I squeaked out and let him lead me into the dark forest.

Dried leaves crunched beneath our feet as he pushed away bushes and other big plants that kept slapping my face relentlessly.

What did I do to deserve this?

He breezed through effortlessly, as if the forest was bending to his will and granting him access to a clear path and me, not so lucky.

After walking for nearly half an hour, we came to a clearing, and I gasped when I saw what was in front of me as I let my hand slip away from Roman's to look further.

The most stunning pond I had ever seen was directly in front of me. It was about three or four feet below the elevated land we were standing on, and right in front of me, a waterfall fell into the water, making the pond's only sound as it did so.

In the forest behind, I could hear crickets chirping. The moonlight also cast a silver glow on the river, illuminating it and adding to the serene atmosphere as the moon's reflection shone on the water.

Together with grass that rose to ankle height, the banks of the ponds were bordered by flowers of all colours.

I was astounded by the stars as I peered at them because the sky was clear and allowed for a clear glimpse of them.

I felt a warm breath on the back of my neck as a pair of large arms wrapped around me, and I instantly relaxed in the embrace, letting my head fall against his chest as I took in a deep breath to feel the fresh and crisp night air.

"This is so beautiful." I whispered, letting my hands cover his over my waist when he placed a tender kiss behind my ear.

"You like it?" He asked from behind me, and I nodded with a big smile, turning around in his arms.

"I love it." I answered before pressing my lips to his, and I felt jolts of electricity go through my body the moment our lips touched.

My sigh drowned between our kisses as he moved his mouth against mine, his tongue swiping over my lip to ask for entrance, which I granted easily, and I let him kiss me passionately with his tongue exploring every inch of me.

Pulling away for a breather, he rested his forehead against mine as I breathed heavily, trying to control the surge of emotions in me.

"Thank you for bringing me here. I absolutely love it." I whispered before pecking his cheek and saw his lips curve upwards into a full blown smile, effectively taking my breath away as his dimples showed.

Beautiful.

"Your welcome, angel. Come." He said this and took my hand, leading me to a side of the water that was closer to the ground.

I noticed the cloth neatly placed on the grass with a few lit candles to the side and rose petals scattered about. A basket was placed nearby, along with cushions and blankets.

"I couldn't wipe the stupid smile off my face as we both took off our shoes and got comfortable on the blanket as he pulled the basket closer and started taking out various food items from it.

He pulled out chocolate covered strawberries, sandwiches, cookies, brownies, spring rolls, and wraps, along with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Did you do this all yourself?" I asked, shocked at the numerous food items, when he smiled and nodded.

"And you made all the food as well?" I asked him, raising a brow.

"I bought the brownies and cookies and made everything else at home. Had some help." He said, and I smiled, leaning towards him and pecking his cheek softly.

He smiled, and I felt myself melt at how much he was smiling today for me. I watched as he handed me a disposable plate and added one of everything to it before making one for himself as well.

We both relaxed as he sat next to me and ate our food in silence, just admiring the beautiful landscape in front of us.

"How did you find this place?" I asked after a while.

"I found it on a mission a few years ago. I haven't been here in a while and came today." He said so, and I nodded as I munched on my sandwich which tasted amazing, by the way.

"This is amazing." I gushed and saw his grin as he took a bite from his own and hummed.

After eating, we sat really close to each other as he fed me the chocolate covered strawberries.

"Thank you." I said as he fed me another one and I sighed, loving the affectionate side of him.

"Tell me about your mother." I suddenly said after a few beats of silence when his head snapped towards me, his eyes cold and distant, and I bit my lip in nervousness.

Maybe that was too personal.

"Why?" He cocked his head to one side, studying my face intently.

"I just wanted to know what she was like. To understand you better. You never talk about your family." I spoke softly and watched as he contemplated before turning his head to the other side.

Shit.

"But it's okay, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, I completely under-"

"Lilac." He spoke so quietly that I wouldn't have heard him if not for the silence around us.

"What?" I asked when he looked at me, his eyes holding so much emotion I felt my breath hitch.

"Lilac. That was my mother's name." He said, and I took his hand, interlacing our fingers together.

"She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She had the most beautiful green eyes and shiny dark brown hair, and she used to smell like lilacs." He said, and I smiled, squeezing his hand in comfort to let him know I was here for him.

"She loved to garden, and like her name, she loved lilacs. I remember I used to pick those for her every day from the garden until she told me it hurts the flowers when we break them. That they were only to be admired from afar." He said, gazing at the pond distantly as my heart hurt for him.

I knew first hand what it was like to lose a mother and I knew the pain was something that could never go away.

Because a mother is irreplaceable, no matter how awful she might be, she always holds a certain place in a child's heart that no one else can fill.

"She had the most beautiful smile, such a bright personality that didn't dim even in this ruthless world. She lit up our worlds." He smiled ruefully, and I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"She sounds wonderful." I whispered, and he nodded, gulping.

"She was." He looked at me with a soft smile on his face that made him look much younger than he was and more relaxed.

"She would've loved you. Just like I do." He said, and I felt my breath hitch at his words.

Did he just...?

But he didn't say anything else. He only gazed at me with longing and a certain glint in his eyes that I couldn't figure out what it was. I released a small breath when he stood up and took me up with him.

"Let's take a dip, yes?" He asked, holding my face up by my chin, as I drowned in his beautiful green eyes.

"I-I'm not wearing anything under this shirt." I muttered quietly and watched his eyes darken.

"That's okay, baby, it's nothing I haven't seen before. I'll turn around if you want." He said amused and my cheeks reddened at his words as I averted my gaze and nodded shyly.

He chuckled, pecking my nose briefly before pulling away from me as we both turned around with our backs to each other to strip.

I heard water splash from behind me and briefly looked over my shoulder at Roman, whose bare back was to me as he pushed his hair back from his face.

Hot.

Taking a deep breath, I stripped down to my underwear and slowly lowered myself into the cool water, a shudder racking up my body, but I quickly jumped in to get over it at once.

I shuddered at the cold water and let my body get used to it as I slowly went over to Roman just as he turned to face me and I drooled at the sight of him.

His torso and arms were covered in beautiful tattoos, his tanned skin glistening under the moonlight and his muscles flexing with every movement he made.

His gaze travelled over me, but thankfully I was mostly covered by the water that reached nearly to my collar bones.

He smiled briefly, which eased my nerves, and I smiled back in return when he splashed a little water on me, making me gasp.

"You didn't just do that." I warned and saw his smug smirk, so I also splashed as much water as I could on his face.

When I looked at him with a triumphant smile, it fell just as quick when I saw his deathly expression, but also hinted at the amusement that danced in his eyes.

"Rome." I warned, moving back a bit when the corner of his lips tugged upwards in a mischievous smirk as my heart thumped loudly in alarm.

"Roman." I warned again, holding my hand out in front of me protectively when he lunged for me and I squealed, turning my back to him, but he was quick to catch me.

He swung me in the air, a loud laugh leaving my lips as he threw me back into the water, knocking the air out of me as I rose to the surface and gasped for air, pushing my hair back from my face and glaring at him with a scowl on my face.

I saw his tongue dart out and lick his lips as his eyes darkened at the sight of me.

He circled me like a predator after its prey before taking my hand and pulling me flush against him so that our chests were touching.

I gasped at the sudden contact, my hard nipples pressing up against his bare chest as I placed my arms around his neck.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" He whispered huskily, and I felt my face heat up at the compliment.

"Thank you." I whispered and saw his lips tug upward as his hands travelled the length of my back all the way down to my ass before he picked me up and my legs wrapped around his waist.

My chest was pressed up against his, so he couldn't see me, thankfully, since I was really nervous for some reason.

"You have such a beautiful soul. And I want it all." He whispered against my lips like a dark promise that made my heart beat wildly in my chest before he crashed his lips on mine and kissed me feverishly.

I responded immediately, my hands tugging at his hair as he pulled me impossibly closer to him, our bodies wet and flushed, but for some reason, it wasn't enough.

Even as his tongue explored my mouth and his hands squeezed my ass, his hard length poking my thigh, it wasn't enough.

I wanted him closer, I wanted all of him against mine, I wanted us to fuse together, and it was driving me crazy.

He assaulted my neck and sucked on my sweet spot, making me moan before his lips connected to mine once again in a frenzy.

"Rome." I whimpered as he nibbled on my lip, our eyes connecting when I took a deep breath and stared head on into the dark abyss.

"I want you." I whispered and saw his pupils dilate, the moonlight falling on his perfectly chiselled face that made him look like a literal god as his eyes scanned my face for something.

Anything.

"Please, I need you." I said in a desperate plea, resting my forehead against his when he sighed.

"Whatever am I going to do with you angel?" He whispered, his hands around me tightening.

I placed my lips against his and kissed him slowly, taking my sweet time as he carried me out of the water.

I buried my face in the crook of his neck as he took us towards the blanket, sitting down with me in his lap, straddling him.

"Are you sure, baby?" He asked, and I nodded.

"'I'm sure. I want you." I whispered, feeling his hot breath fan my face before he connected his lips against mine.

But this time he did it more gently, slowly, and sensually, as if he were savouring every moment with me.

He took his sweet time as he nibbled on my lips, kissing me with all he had and yet with nothing at all as I sighed into the kiss.

We had all the time in the world.

At least for now, and he would take full advantage of that.