- 7 3 -

"This place is nice." I comment, looking around the five star restaurant Roman brought us to for dinner.

"It's mine. Yours if you want." He said nonchalantly when my eyes widened slightly as I shook my head.

"That's okay, I'm good." I chuckled nervously, playing with the rings on my hand when he suddenly stands up from his place and brings his chair closer to mine, sitting right next to me.

I raise a brow at him when he puts a hand on my thigh without acknowledging me or my questioning gaze as his eyes scan through the menu.

"What would you like?" He asks when I shrug.

"Surprise me." I say and watch his lips twitch upwards slightly before he gives our orders to a waiter who pours us some wine.

Just as I reach for my glass, it's snatched away from me by none other than the man himself who puts it away from me.

"You've drank too much. I want you sober, baby." He says when I huff lightly, crossing my arms over my chest and pout while he chuckles at me and sips on to his drink.

"The why are you drinking?" I ask with sass.

"I haven't had anything before this." He says when I roll my eyes, leaning back in my seat, thankful for the privacy.

Our food soon arrives and we dig in, me almost moaning from how delicious the food is when a smile takes over my face.

"Who's got you smiling like that?" Roman leans towards me and I face him, our lips inches apart when I grin wider.

"Nothing, really. Just remembering something." I say as I remember about the first time we had lunch together and I moaned out loud at the flavor of the food.

Oh, when things were easier.

We don't take long in finishing our food as he led me out of the fancy restaurant and back to my car, his hand once again on my thigh as he drove us somewhere.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked when he briefly glanced at me and just squeezed my thigh a bit before refocusing on the road.

We drove for nearly another half an hour before we reached a small clearing and I looked around with a frown as he led me out.

"What is this place?" I asked looking around the dark area.

His hand grabbed tightly onto mine and he led me through a few trees and bushes and along a stony gravel path before we reached the edge of a cliff.

I looked around in awe at the view of Rome in front of me at night, lights littering the whole area as a small gasp escaped my lips.

I took a few steps forward, sitting down on the edge and patted the space beside me.

He took off his black blazer, rolling up his sleeves and sat down next to me, his arm winding around my waist and pulling me closer to his chest as we gazed at the beautiful view.

"This place is really pretty." I said after a few moments when he hummed.

I looked up at the sky and the stars that glimmered in the dark, and then at the moon that looked so ethereal.

Beautiful, and so magical.

"Found it on a mission." He shrugged and I nodded, resting my head on his shoulder as we ignored the rising tension around us.

"You left. Again." He spoke after a few minutes of silence when I sighed, nodding slowly.

"I did." I answered, his fingers threading through mine.

"You've been up to a lot of things, haven't you?" He asked when I chuckled a bit and shrugged.

"Yeah, I have. You aware?"

"I'm aware. I just don't care." He said, now looking into my eyes as my breath caught in my throat.

"Why not? They're your people." I asked him, curious.

"Not mine, my father's." He said when I pressed my lips together.

"He's your father." I whispered as his eyes strayed from mine, looking out into the distance as he thought hard before looking back at me.

"He was dead to me when I found of what he did to your mother. And mine." He said.

I gulped, knowing the last part of his statement was not exactly true.

"But still. He's your father, whether you like him or not. He's part of you." I said when he swallowed thickly.

"I am not my father." He said, his voice laced with venom when I sighed, softly shaking my head as I framed his face with my hands.

"That's not what I meant. What I really meant was that you both share the same blood. You must care for him, at least a little bit. I know he affects you more than you show, Roman. I know you." I say gently when his eyes soften.

"I did care for him, but he's past the point of any return. He's done too much damage. To you, to me, to us." He said, his voice thick with emotion.

"I know. I know that, but-.."

"I'd do anything for you, baby, always remember that." He said, cupping my cheek when I smiled softly.

"And I'd do anything for you." I replied and saw his small smile before it faded away and he frowned.

"Anything?" He questioned with curiosity when I nodded, hoping he was getting what I was hinting at.

"Anything at all. I'd kill for you... I'd let go of grudges for you-... I'd save, for you. I'd let go, for you, Roman, all for you." I said, telling him exactly what I meant when his eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"You'd... let him go?" He asked, shock evident in his tone.

"For you, I would." I whispered when he rested his forehead with mine, sighing heavily before shaking his head.

"I can't ask that of you. I could never ask that from you. I'd kill him myself instead." He grunted as I held his hands tightly.

"Don't. Don't d something you might regret later. Never feel like you have to choose between me and your family, Roman. I could never ask that from you." I told him as his lips stretched into a small yet soft smile.

"I could never regret it even if I wished." He said softly.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked, his tone more serious now when I nodded.

"Are you-... are you married? To Ivan?" He asked lowly, his voice dangerous and vulnerable when I laughed lightly and shook my head.

"That was just a lie he and I spun to make our duo more powerful and believable. But no, we aren't married." I said chuckling lightly when he sighed in what seemed like relief.

"Thank fuck." He released a breathy chuckle before shaking his head.

"Had me worried for a moment there, baby." He murmured when I grinned.

"Would that have stopped you from claiming me as yours?" I asked with a raised brow when he smirked.

"I would've kidnapped you if I had to. Because you were always mine, baby. No one else's. Only mine." He said lowly when I smiled and hummed in agreement.

"Ivan did have a tiny crush on me when we were younger, though." I said cheekily and his eyes immediately snapped to mine in confusion and anger.

"What?" His voice was deadly, threatening when I laughed a bit.

"He used to like me, but I was with Igor then, so he never made a move. He did confess though." I said thinking loudly when Roman grunted.

"And did you...?" He trailed off, his voice slightly begging when my grin grew wider.

"Nope." I shook my head and he nodded slowly.

"I also met Igor, by the way." I said after a while when he looked back at me, concerned.

"Did he hurt you? What did he say? I swear to god I'll fucking kill him if he-"

"Relax, Romy, I'm fine, and very much alive, yeah?" I said grabbing his face between my hands when he nodded and smiled a bit.

"I missed that." He muttered when my brows raised up in question.

"Rome. Romy." He whispered and I smiled wide.

"Romy... I missed that too. I missed the guy more than the name, though." I pouted playfully when he chuckled, lightly pecking my forehead that did things to me.

"I love you, baby." He said, nuzzling his nose with mine when I sighed, those three words setting my body on fire and raging a butterfly war in my tummy.

"Now tell me you love me too." He said, looking deep into my eyes when I flung my arms around his neck and grinned.

"I love you, Roman." I whispered and saw his eyes darken as he pulled me closer and grunted.

"Fuck. Say that again." He gritted out when I giggled.

"I love you, so much." I urged when his own face formed a smug smile, his dimples popping out and making him look so utterly handsome.

"I love you too, baby. Feels good to hear that." He sighed, placing kisses on my jaw.

I sighed in content and closed my eyes before his lips planted firmly on the corner of mine.

My eyes snapped open when he pulled away with a slight smirk.

"I love you." I whispered again, my words brushing against his lips.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, angel." He murmured against my lips before crashing them against mine, and it felt like my whole world had been set on fire the moment our lips touched.

My body buzzed with excitement as his hands held me tight and close to him while my own tugged at the hair on the back of his neck as he slipped his tongue inside my mouth.

Both of us fought for dominance before I let him have it, a groan leaving his lips as I bit lightly on his lip and then sucked on it, the sound making me clench my thighs together as I straddled him.

"Your place, or mine?" He asked in between kisses as I breathed heavily while he assaulted my neck.

"Mine." I answered, moaning when he sucked on my sweet spot as he pulled us off the ground and took us back to the car, me still wrapped around him as he made me sit on the hood.

I didn't realize when I was lying on the hood of the car as he hovered on top of me, kissing the life out of me, biting, sucking, licking and kissing my lips, bruising them and ruining me for anyone else.

"We-... We really need to go." I said panting when he nodded, pulling away from me reluctantly as he helped me back up while I fixed my dress that had ridden up and then my hair.

Quietly, we made our way back in the car, his hand holding on to mine as I led him to my place, parking in the apartment parking lot before getting out.

I fished my keys out from my purse and started to unlock my door, his lips starting to kiss from my earlobe to my neck as the lock clicked and I pushed the door open.

He was quick in turning me around and crashing his lips back onto mine in a bruising kiss that left me breathless, utterly speechless and shattered.

We wouldn't have pulled apart if it wasn't for the loud sound as a few spoons fell to the floor and we immediately pulled back, although his arms were still around me as we both looked around for the culprit.

My eyes widened when they met emerald green ones who stared back at me like a deer caught in headlights before a sheepish smile took over her face.

"H-Hi, sorry, I forgot some stuff here." She apologized before looking at the man next to me, her eyes widening in shock that matched Roman's as he looked at her utterly baffled and confused.

"Mamma?" He whispered in confusion when she smiled nervously.

"Hello, Roman. It's good to see you, son."