CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
florence
R ome and I sit hip to thigh with not a single sliver of space between us on the short drive home, the silence an indication of how uneasy we all feel. Luca doesn’t look up from his phone the entire time, a smile splitting his face from ear to ear. His reaction is vastly different from the last few times we’ve seen Nora. Dare I say it, he almost looks excited?
“Thank you.” Rome nods to the driver as we exit the side of the car and walk straight into the lobby of our apartment building. He reaches down and curls his hand into mine. It’s a small gesture but, fuck, does it set off a horde of butterflies. The lift doors open onto Luca’s floor, and he bids us goodbye just as the doors close behind him. I’m dead tired; the day has caught up with me, and all I want to do now is curl up in bed and read.
“At least that went better than the family dinner.” I lean against Rome, secretly noticing how quickly his arm curls around my hip.
“Definitely, and Finn doesn’t seem to want to retire from the NFL anytime soon.” He rests his lips against my cheek. Nora made it quite clear that her dad didn’t know that she was attending the dinner, and he definitely didn’t know she brought Finn with her. It was strange. Wasn’t the whole reason to find out who the other proposal was?
The doors open to our floor. “You were really convincing tonight,” he mumbles against my temple. Another zap of electricity bolts down my body. Truth is, it’s starting to become really easy to pretend to be in love with Rome…when you’re actually starting to fall for him. For once in my life, that doesn’t scare me to say either.
“So were you. I especially loved when you licked the whipped cream from my lip.” It made me all hot and bothered in all the right places. Rome laces our fingers together and pulls me out of the lift. A few seconds ago, my body was needing sleep, but now, sleep is the absolute furthest thing from my mind. I pluck at one of the many bobby pins holding my hair in the updo I threw it in. I kick off my shoes and pad farther into the apartment till I find Rome at the kitchen island pouring two glasses of red wine. I grab the stem of the glass and take a sip.
“Mmm, Chianti, my favorite.”
“Mine too.” Rome drinks from his own glass and takes a seat on the bar stool next to me.
We’ve nearly finished half of the bottle, when Rome lifts his gaze. “I think I have a problem?” The little wrinkle forms between his brows as a sinking feeling settles in my stomach. His mind has obviously been going over the events of tonight, and maybe he’s pieced together something Nora or Finn said. I’m almost sad if it’s that he wants to stop our fake relationship when I’m actually enjoying myself and enjoying my time with him.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “What?”
“I need that dress on my floor,” he growls. He crosses the small island and cups the back of my head, making my eyes meet his. “You are a fucking goddess.” He threads his fingers through my hair, loosening more bobby pins from their hold, before his lips capture mine. He slides me across until I’m seated in his lap, all the while deepening the kiss. My fingers automatically go to his crisp white shirt, the top two buttons already undone, the glorious map of his tattoos peeking out from below. Slowly, I slide each of the buttons through the hole and splay his shirt open.
“Rome.” I pull my lips from his, my chest rapidly rising and falling.
“Do you want me to stop?” His entire body tenses, ready to pull away if I tell him to.
“God no. I want you in my bed.”
“That can be arranged.” He grips my butt with his large palms and stands, I wrap my legs around his waist. “But I’d much prefer to hear you scream my name in my bed.” His large strides eat up the distance and the short walk to his room becomes even shorter. Before I know it, I’m being flung backward onto his bed.
“I need this dress off. Now.” He orders me, usually I would have a witty reply, but tonight, I can’t do anything but obey him. I make quick work of tugging the zipper down and unhooking the buttons, letting the fabric pool around my waist. Rome’s lips land on my pert nipple as his hand plucks and twists the other.
“I don’t think I can live a second more without having the taste of you on my tongue.”
The way Rome is looking at me makes me feel more alive than I have in years. “So what are you waiting for?” My reply seems to give him the little push he needed, as he licks and kisses his way down my body. He helps me lift my hips and pull the dress off. This fake relationship with Rome is exactly what I need; he doesn’t push me to say or do anything that goes against my values. I’m actually starting to feel a bit sad that when my apartment is finished, I’ll have to move back home. But all good things have to come to an end.
“Fuck,” he groans when he sees the pastel pink lace thong I’m wearing. One of the ones he expressed he really liked. “If I’d known you had that on underneath, I wouldn’t have been able to concentrate.” He places a kiss on my hip, running his tongue underneath where the lace band is resting.
“Rome.”
“Now it’s time for me to enjoy my ollipop,” he says as he flattens his tongue along my slit and sweeps it up my pussy, a deep moan escapes my chest. Rome releases a satisfied sound. I’ve never been loud in bed, but Rome fucking Venuccio is making sounds come out of me I didn’t think were possible. My legs drop wide as he continues licking and sucking me into oblivion, the rasp of the lace against my sensitive flesh only heightening the pleasure more. He circles my entrance with his tongue and I rock my hips, desperate for him. He inserts a finger, slowly pushing in and dragging back out, the sensation making my head spin. He increases his pace, massaging my walls before closing his teeth around my clit. I tighten my legs around his head in a suffocating hold, and I come. Fireworks explode behind my eyes.
Rome adds a second finger while his other hand glides up my stomach to my chest to pluck at my nipple. “Yes, Flo, I love watching you come apart on my hand.” My breaths are coming in short pants, and my muscles begin tightening from the pleasure overload that is currently happening, but Rome doesn’t let up; he continues licking and stroking.
“That’s it, lolli, ride my finger like it’s my cock.” Rome’s voice is husky. “Fuck, baby, so fucking beautiful.” I run my short nails down his biceps enjoying the angry red trail they leave behind.
“Rome,” I pant. “I-I-I—” I can’t even form words. “I want your cock.”
He removes his fingers. “Look how pretty you are on my fingers.” His eyes hold mine captive as he slides his fingers into his mouth. “Mmmmmm,” he groans, not breaking contact with me the entire time. “My favorite, sweeter than a lollipop.”
I tighten my legs around his shoulders and reach down to tilt his chin up to me. “Am I really sweeter than candy?” I ask. Rome runs his thumb down my clit before placing it between my lips.
“Suck,” he instructs.
I part my lips and Rome places his thumb inside. I close around his thumb and suck as hard as I can, making the tip of my tongue twirl around his finger. Abruptly Rome pulls his thumb from my lips.
“What the fu—” I don’t even have time to finish the sentence as he quickly discards his clothes. His glistening cock is so hard against his belly. My eyes heat when I see the glint of the piercing underneath the tip, a bead of cum forming at his head. I lick my lips, remembering how good it felt last time he was inside me. Excitement buzzes through me. I’m not someone who craves sex, but Rome is quickly turning me into someone who needs it.
“Ready for me?” he asks. I quickly slide the thong off as Rome grabs a pillow from behind me.
“I’m more than ready, I’m dripping for you.”
“Up,” he instructs, and I lift my hips so he can shove the pillow under me.
I waste no time sliding my legs around his hips as he drives into me. He hisses out a breath as I scream in pure pleasure. The pillow completely changes our angle as he instantly hits me in the right spot with his thrust.
“Rome. Yes. God.” I chant the same three words on repeat. Unable to form any other single coherent sentence as his thrusts increase in pace. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold on as he pounds into me, both of us taking the pleasure our bodies crave.
“Flo,” Rome mumbles my name. His cock becomes even stiffer inside me. Rome leans up and takes my lips in his just as we both come together. I’ve never wanted to break my rule on love, but Rome Venuccio is making me question it.