“That still doesn’t exactly explain why women are quiet about you.”
“I didn’t date a whole lot. There was another woman I wanted more than anyone else. I was waiting for her to give me the time of day.”
“You’re talking about me, aren’t you?”
“Bingo,” he said.
“Rome, I’m older than you.”
“I know.”
“Don’t you think I’m a little old for you?”
“You’re ten years older than me, Andy. It’s not a great deal of time.”
“But I was your teacher. Don’t you think people are going to find this weird?”
“No. They would find it weird if I was a kid still in high school. Look at me, Andy, I’m not a kid anymore. Is this what you’re worried about?
“I feel like I should let you go. You deserve a woman your own age.”
“Andy, you’re not freaking ancient,” he said, kissing her lips. “Do you want to stop seeing me?”
“No.”
“Then don’t. I don’t care about our age differences. I’ve been wanting you for years. That’s never going to change. You and me, Andy.”
She nodded her head, but he saw she wasn’t convinced.
“I’ll show you,” he said. “With time. You’ll see. Have you always been concerned about your age?”
“No, of course not. It’s just a number.”
“Then see what I see. It’s just a number.” He pulled her in close and kissed her lips. “It will always be just a number.”
****
They shouldn’t have had sex last night.
Andy held the cake in her hands as Rome parked his car. Hers was in the shop and would be for a considerable time, according to Caleb.
Rome had arranged for her car to go to his brother. She’d actually called a tow truck from out of town rather than use Caleb, as she thought it would be weird.
Nope. She was just the weird one.
“Stop being so nervous,” he said.
“It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one sleeping with you.”
He laughed. “No, I’m the one sleeping with you.”
“And no parents. You’re off the hook.”
Rome sank his fingers into her hair, pulling her close and kissing her lips. She released a little moan, and he kissed the tip of her nose. “This is going to be fun.”
“You weren’t wrong about your parents loving Christmas.”
The yard was covered in decorations. She loved it. The glow filled her with warmth.
It was so cold out, but she’d decided to wear a dress, one that fit her body and flared out at the hips. Rome wouldn’t let her leave the house without a jacket, and so he’d given her one, which smelled just like him.
She loved having his scent surround her.
“Are you ready to get this show on the road?”
Andy chuckled.
The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow. To go with her modest dress, she’d worn a pair of boots and some thick tights.
That morning, as she rolled the tights up her legs, Rome had warned her that he found it sexy watching her pull them on. There was nothing sexy about the tights. They were … tights. Still, he liked them, and seeing as she liked him, it was a win-win. What she didn’t want was to be thinking about sex with Rome while in the presence of his parents.
“You’re nervous?” he asked.
“Yes. You know I am.”
He laughed. “Don’t be. They’re going to love you.”
After walking across the snow, they arrived at his parents’ front door. Her nerves were getting the better of her. She was more than happy to focus on the chocolate cake in her grip. It made it a lot easier to deal with.
“I can do this,” she said, muttering the words to herself.
Rome laughed. “They’re going to love you.”
Andy didn’t have any chance for a comeback as the door opened, and then she was finally meeting Jane and Theodore Hard. The infamous couple in town. She’d seen them around and knew they had a bond no one could sever, much to many people’s upset.
They were smiling, and she couldn’t tell if it was fake or not.
“I’m so glad you came. It’s so wonderful to have you here.”
“Andy baked a cake,” Rome said.
She held up the cake.
“Also, she’s nervous. She thinks you’re going to hate her for destroying your young boy’s innocence.”
She gasped and turned to Rome, who smiled at his parents.
Heat filled her face as she quickly looked at his parents. “I’m so sorry.”
“Nonsense. You ignore the boy. We know that he’s been chasing after you for years. It’s about time he acted on it. Now, I will only be angry if he blackmailed you, or has forced you into a situation you didn’t want. Has he done that?”
“Absolutely not,” she said. “Rome and I are together because we want to be.”
The smile was beaming on Jane’s face. “I already know that, sweetheart. Come on, that cake looks delicious.”
Before she knew what was happening, she’d been lured to the kitchen, in doing so, separated from her anchor. Rome was nowhere to be seen and she was alone with his mother. This was it.