Love Me (The Elites of Cheshire shore #2)

29. Rome

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

rome

I play with the end of Flo’s hair while she continues to draw patterns on my chest with the pad of her finger. We’ve been tangled in each other’s arms for some time, just enjoying the moment of being close to each other. Lying with her like this, sated, with her naked body draped over my chest, is something I’ve fantasized about for years. But now that I’m experiencing it, I realize just how much my fantasies were lacking. There is a lot to unpack about how I’m feeling about this, but I’m not ready to do that just yet. I’m clinging to this moment with her; intrusive thoughts can wait their turn.

“I still remember when you got this tattoo, you know.” She runs her hand over my Mars, god of war, tattoo on my left bicep, my first tattoo.

I tuck the strand of hair I’ve been playing with behind her ear. “I’ve never seen Mom so angry.”

That sends Flo into a fit of giggles. “I’m pretty sure Dante still has the video of Bea chasing you around the house with a wooden spoon.”

It wouldn’t surprise me that my dipshit brother has that video somewhere. She squints, examining another section of inked skin. It’s the first time she’s really explored my body and I like having her full attention on me. “What does the writing say?”

“ Vivere per ora ,” live for now, I reply, my throat thick as she continues. “I got that tattoo after your dad died.” It really put a lot of things into perspective. Live for now, because nothing is guaranteed. Somewhere along the line, we get so caught up in things we need to do for life we forget to do the one thing we’re meant to do—live it.

She slings a leg over my hip, pushing herself up until she is straddling my stomach, the sunlight peeks through the curtains, acting like a halo around her lean body. My dick sits happily between her ass cheeks. She’s seen my chest before, but the way she’s looking at it now, her steel gray eyes are softer, assessing in their perusal. Her messy hair loosely cascades down her shoulders as her keen eyes dissect the messages behind every piece of art I’ve chosen to ink onto my skin, and realization slowly crosses over her faces.

“I wonder who is special enough to get this spot?” she hesitates, and finally asks, pointing to the tattoo I put over my heart; it’s always been hers, so it made sense to show everyone. She lightly traces the two lollipops crossing each other. Her and me. Two people who never really had the chance.

“You,” I reply.

She quirks her head to the side, the corner of her lips tipping up. “Is that why you call me lollipop?”

“No.” I snort. “I call you lollipop because you love to eat those disgusting lollipops and because your hair reminds me of candy.” I lightly tug on a loose strand curled around her breast.

“Hey,” she grumbles, batting my hand away.

“And because you have always been the sweetest thing about my life. I mean, you literally have the sweetest pussy I’ve ever tasted.” She rolls her eyes and swats at my chest, but I bite back my smile when I see her cheeks turn pink, the same shade as her pert nipples.

“Rome, has anyone ever told you that you’re super sappy?”

“Only the people I care about.” I put a bit of pressure on the back of her neck and she bends down, placing her lips on mine.

She pulls away breathless. “I think you’re confusing sappy with romantic. Romantic makes my heart flutter, sappy is borderline cringe.” The corners of her eyes crease.

“Baby, I’m as romantic as they come.”

“See this,” her finger runs over the second tattoo I got for her: é il Sole, la Luna, e lei . It’s the sun, the moon, and her. She doesn’t realize I got it for her. “It’s romantic as fuck.”

“I told you, romance oozes from my pores.” I play it down, not wanting to scare her. But the fact she isn’t running scared right now is a good thing, I just need to tell her that the tattoo is for her.

She lifts the same finger to my lips, silencing me. “See, that’s cringe.” She shakes her head. I bite the tip of her finger and use my tongue to cool the sting.

“Ohhhh, baby, you want to see cringe.” I flip her over, enjoying her little yelp. “Get ready to have the building security knock on our door because of the complaints of hearing you scream my name too much.”

She bursts out into a fit of giggles as I move down her body straight to my favorite candy-flavored snack. “Most of the complaints are going to be coming from your friends, you know that.” She clutches the bedsheets, already getting herself ready. My greedy lollipop.

I lift my head. “That’s what I’m counting on.” I wink at her, being purposefully cringy.

No matter what happens with Deeter Group, I don’t plan on losing her when all this is over. I want this to be official, not just a fake thing for show with Brian. I just need to show Flo that this isn’t fake for me anymore.

I hand Flo her turmeric as she walks into the kitchen, freshly showered and freshly fucked.

“This is the service I could get used to.”

I down my own turmeric shot, because I’ve now somehow joined the turmeric-ginger shot before coffee club, thanks to Flo.

“Someone is sassy the morning after she gets her brains fucked out.”

Her cheeks tinge pink.

“Nope.” She winks at me as she makes her way to the bathroom. “I’m sassy every morning.”

I lean down and seal my lips to hers and breathe in her essence. “God, I just want to take you back to bed and never leave.”

She pulls away from me, her eyes full of heat and promise. “As much as that sounds tempting. I can’t. Real life awaits. Besides, I think we both know what will happen if I get back into bed with you. Are you ready for that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that, to become friends with benefits as well as roommates.”

Even though everything she is saying makes sense, I can’t help the way my chest deflates. I don’t want friends with benefits with her. I want it all. I had the girl of my dreams in my arms after the most amazing night, and it won’t be repeated unless I keep our relationship as fake with benefits. But something in me doesn’t want to leave it like that. Florence Liu-Savino is it for me, even if I can only have her for the shortest time, I’m willing to risk it.

“What if I want more?” I ask.

“Rome.” She snorts. “You aren’t ready for more.”

“When it comes to you, I am. I want it all where you’re concerned,” I reply.

“And what if I’m happy with how things are going? Casual friends with benefits. I’m not meant for more than that.”

Ouch, that one hurt. I lift my chin. “You know as well as I do that we would be perfect together, but I respect you and what you’re saying. If you really think this can only be a fake relationship with benefits, I’m going to prove to you it’s more than that. Make no mistake, the next time you’re in my bed, you won’t be leaving. You will be mine. Understood?” I lift one eyebrow, challenging her. I watch the slow bob of her throat, her stony facade slipping momentarily before a smile spreads on her face.

“Oh, loverboy, you really overestimate yourself. It will be a cold day in hell the next time I’m in your bed. If you don’t want to keep this little arrangement as it is, then I’m your pretend girlfriend in name only. I’ll help you get your deal with Deeter Group, but as we’ve clearly shown, we have the fake chemistry to last us a while.” She crosses her arms over her chest, pushing her ample cleavage up. Something hardens in her eyes, but I know Flo. She’s putting her walls up because she’s scared for the first time in her life of actually falling in love.

“I can’t wait until you’re back in bed with me. For you to be mine for real.” I’ve always been overconfident; it’s one of my strong suits, and I can’t wait to watch Florence make her way back to my bed—exactly where she belongs. As mine.

“We’ll see,” she replies. We’ll see, indeed. She’s quietly confident that I will lose interest in her once we sign our deal with Brian. But she couldn’t be more wrong. Fuck what is at stake, I’m sick of denying myself, of putting everyone else’s needs above my own. I want Flo. She’s all around me. She consumes me. I’m a patient man, but now that I’ve got her in my sights, I won’t stop until I have her. She wants me to prove to her this isn’t fake. I hope she’s ready to find out what that means.

“I think you’re forgetting who you’re challenging, baby.”

“Keep dreaming, big guy.” She pats my chest and flounces down the hallway. I shake my head and release a pent-up breath, still not believing that Florence Fucking Liu-Savino was sleeping in my arms. And it was the best goddamn night of my life. Surely, it’s not the last time.

With a freshly printed proposal tucked safely in my Fendi Cettire under my arm, I’m ready for my meeting with Deeter.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” Luca breathes down the line. We’d been going through our presentation on my drive over here. Even though I’m over an hour away, and if I were to say yes, it would be nearly impossible for Luca to get here on time, but I appreciate the gesture.

“It’s all right, it’s my job to get this one over the line. It’s my project. I have to go, I’ve arrived,” I tell him as I reach the entrance.

“Good Luck, Rome. If anyone can do this, it’s you. It’s why you’re the head of Ven Industries.”

A smile tugs at my lips. “Thanks, brother,” I whisper and hang up the call. Tucking my phone into my pocket, I steel my spine and walk straight up to the reception desk.

The receptionist’s gaze doesn’t stray from the computer screen as his fingers continue typing furiously. “Can I help you?” he voices the question in a short, sharp tone.

“Yes, good morning. I’m Rome Venuccio, I have an appointment with Mr. Deeter.” I give him my most dazzling smile, trying to get a warmer response from him. Only it doesn’t work. He continues typing, so I wait a couple of seconds—maybe he didn’t hear me. I repeat, “I’m Rome Ven?—”

He quickly cuts me off, “Mr. Deeter has had to reschedule the appointment today.”

What the fuck? He’s the one who told me to come here today. And now he’s canceling and he waited until I was standing in his office to do it?

I grind my teeth together, tightening my hand into a fist beside my thigh. Tough shit, I’m not leaving the office until I get my meeting.

“Are you sure? I have the calendar invite?” I pull up the meeting on my phone.

“Mr. Deeter has put a note that he’ll contact you when he has another availability.”

I stare at the receptionist, rooted in place, blinking. Never in my life have I been treated with such dejection. I’m Rome Venuccio, damn it. I run my tongue along my teeth, standing here is becoming pointless, and I’m seeming more desperate by the second.

“Right, well, thank you for your time.” And wasting mine. I offer a tight smile and turn on my heel. I need to come up with a new plan. Fuck, if I didn’t need Brian’s port so badly, I would’ve abandoned this project a while ago, but Ven Industries needs this for our growth. And from Dante’s latest update, he’s making a lot of progress with Kadelburg. It’s going to be difficult if we can only implement half of our plan.

My heavy footsteps eat the paved concrete underground car park as I make my way to my office. The hour-long drive increases my frustration and anger, I’m practically vibrating with it as I step into the lobby. The grim set of my face means not a single person bothers me or even smiles in my direction, probably from fear I’ll snap. And they’re not wrong.

I make my way to my office; the sight of the closed door has my tense muscles relaxing. I need to sit in the quiet and think. But mostly, I don’t want to see Luca yet and watch his ever-present, easy-ass smile fall from his face when he realizes I’ve once again fucked this whole thing right up. Failing is one thing. But failing my brothers is another level, one I can’t handle. I close the door with a soft click. I stop dead in my tracks when I turn around and see Flo lying on my brown leather couch, her pastel lilac hair floating around her like a halo. Luca leans back in my chair, his hands over his head as the next photo pops up on the wall.

Where the fuck did he get a projector from? There are so many questions running through my head, but this one seems to be the most persistent.

“What if we spend a few days here?” Luca says.

“Hmmm…” Flo taps a finger to her chin. “I’m totally in for a Bora Bora getaway.”

“Rome?” Luca questions, just now spotting me waiting by the door. I quickly shake off my mood, relaxing my rigid posture.

Flo huffs. “Yeah, Rome always makes holidays fun. But we need to invite Dante too.”

A smile tugs at my lips, my pulse thuds against my throat. “Thanks, lolli.” She startles, sitting up on the couch, her tanned legs falling from the arm and landing on the floor. An adorable blush creeps up her neck.

“Rome, you’re back.” Luca is shocked to see me.

“I am,” I reply, not giving away a single indication of how badly it went.

“I’m guessing it didn’t go so well, then?” Luca asks as I place my bag down on the chair before making my way to the drinks cart and pouring myself a generous amount of my usual celebration scotch. I guess I need to get better at hiding things, because Luca saw through me way too quickly. Although there isn’t much to celebrate, except for the fact I was able to keep my cool, I throw the drink back, letting the warmth burn through my veins.

“You would be correct.”

“What did he say? Does he want amendments, we can work with that.”

“He doesn’t want amendments.” I run a hand through my short hair—why the fuck did I cut it? I desperately need the strands to tug on today.

“So then he’s just being difficult?” Luca searches my face, trying to decipher why exactly I look like someone left a bag full of shit on my doorstep and I accidentally stood on it.

“Luca, he took difficult, made a map, and hid it in a fucking overgrown forest. I would love to work with difficult, at least then we could have a meeting instead of canceling it when I’m sitting in the fucking lobby.”

Both Luca and Flo stare at me with mouths wide open.

“It’s not working.” I exhale my pent-up aggression, rubbing the corner of my eye.

“I thought showing him we were in a ‘relationship’…” Flo inputs, and my stomach sours at the way Flo air quotes that part. “We were proving you guys aren’t just bachelors extraordinaire. What more can he want.”

“I don’t know, but he’s playing with us, I guess he’s found out that we worked out the other proposals are fake, and we know Finn doesn’t want to inherit shit. But why set up a meeting just to cancel it last minute? It makes no fucking sense.” I slam back the rest of my drink and pour another.

“Maybe you need to do more to make him believe you’re actually in a relationship.” Luca shrugs his shoulders.

“And how do you propose I fix that? Because I’m shit out of ideas, and we’re about to be out of time.”

Luca stays quiet for a few seconds, sharing a look with Flo, like they are communicating telepathically, mulling over whatever little genius idea he is brewing.

“Nanai,” Flo blurts.

“Nanai?” both Luca and I question in unison.

“How well do you know Brian’s schedule?” Flo rolls her lips together.

“I mean, short of getting Sav to hack into their system to get an hour-by-hour report, fairly well. We have a couple of mutual events coming up.”

“Why don’t we crash it with Nanai? I mean, what screams family more than her?”

I purse my lips. “What are your plans next Sunday?”

She whips out her phone and checks her schedule. “So far, nothing.”

Not anymore. We have a date.