“You know it’s not your fault, right?” I reach out and brush my hand against his. “You aren’t to blame.” I keep my tone low and tentative.
“I don’t think I agree,” he murmurs.
“And why is that?”
He furrows his brow, and his eyes don’t leave the framed photograph. “They loved one another. I mean, look at them.”
I glance back at the picture before returning my focus to him.
“If she loved him, and if he loved her, she wouldn’t have left. I’m the only factor I can think of. I wasn’t an easy child. I begged them to let me play football. I threw tantrums, screamed, and cried if I didn’t get what I wanted. They never fought, so there’s only one explanation. She left because of me.”
Keeping my emotions in check, I take a moment to curb my defensiveness. I graze his jawline with my knuckles before tilting his head so he’s looking at me.
“Listen to me,” I start, trying to keep my voice steady. “You are not the reason she left. I will not speak ill of her even though Ireallywant to. Do you know what children do, Rome? They cry, they scream, and they drive their parents up the wall. You arenotat fault. You don’t know what happened between your mom and dad. For all you know, they weren’t as in love as they seemed. Even if they were in love, even if they never argued, she made the conscious decision to leave you and your dad. She’s an adult, and she is theonlyone to blame. You may never find the answer you’re looking for, but you must start accepting that it’s not your fault.”
He tries to look away from me, but I guide his focus back. “And no, this isn’t me evaluating you. This is me protecting the man who deserves nothing but the best in the world.”
“No one has ever said that to me before, not even my dad,” he mumbles, tears coating his eyes.
“I will tell you every day until you believe me. I will remind you that you are worth everything the universe has to offer. And you are not the reason she left. You never were.”
“I don’t know if I can believe you.” Tears slip down his cheek, and I catch them with my thumb.
“You won’t right away. You can’t undo a lifetime of beliefs in a day. It’s going to take time, but I can promise you that withwork, you will begin to believe me.” I offer him a kind smile before he rests his chin on my head.
“You know, I wasn’t prepared for this. When I saw you in my jersey with bare legs, I planned on taking you in my arms and throwing your fine ass back into bed.”
I snicker and start to soften when his lips tilt upward, showing me his flawless grin. “Sorry, handsome. I can’t help it. Helping people is in my DNA.” I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “Want to go back to bed?”
With a sniffle, he nods and places a kiss on my forehead. “I would love that, but you owe me for both turning me on and making me cry.”
I wrap my arms around his bare waist and follow him back into the bedroom. “Yes, Captain,” I giggle.
We climb back into bed, and I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He runs his fingers up and down my arm, and my eyes start to flutter closed as sleep overtakes my body.
“If I knew the trouble you would cause me, I would have better prepared myself. I’m going to trust you because I know you’ll change my life,” Rome says as he wraps his arms around me, securing me against his body.
Fatigue settles in my bones, and my mind starts to sway.
“And because I’m falling for you, Wildflower. Harder than I want to admit.”
That’s the last thing that registers in my mind before I succumb to exhaustion.
The bed shifts, and I begin to stir. I flop onto my stomach and shove my arms under the cool pillow with a long release of air. I’m about to fall back asleep when Rome squeezes his hand against my belly and inches it downward. He brushes my hair away from my neck and trails his lips along my skin.
“Wake up,” he hums in my ear, and chills run up my spine.
“No,” I whine and shake my head.
“You have a debt to settle,” he says before nibbling on my earlobe. “And you made the grave mistake of falling asleep in my jersey. I need to fuck you, princess.”
Pulling on my hips, he lifts my bare ass and presses his cock against me. I shiver when his finger glides through my folds to my clit, tracing small agonizing circles.
“Do you have any objections?” he growls in my ear.
“No,” I breathe.
“Did I leavetheChrissy Willows speechless? Huh, who knew it was that easy.”
