Roman (Raleigh Raptors 2)

He glared down at me but remained silent.

I waited, daring him to argue with me.

But he didn’t, so I slowly backed out of the bathroom, and didn’t loose a breath until I’d rounded the corner and locked eyes with Roman as he came out of the locker room, his duffle slung over his shoulder.

“Teagan?” He asked, his eyes concerned as he read the panic on my face. “You okay, babe?”

I nodded rapidly and grabbed his hand, hauling him down the hallway and darting into Nixon’s private shower. I thanked the NFL gods that Nix had left it unlocked.

“What are we doing?” Roman asked, his tone softening as I locked the door behind us.

“I need you,” I admitted the truth, panic still racing in my blood. I crushed my lips on his, siphoning off the love and heat and everything that was Roman to quell the tidal wave inside me.

I couldn’t let Rick win.

“I’m here,” he said against my mouth but took my face in his hands to draw my gaze. “What’s wrong, honey?”

Roman deserved to know how terrified I’d been at the simple thought of Rick intentionally hurting him…but I also deserved the chance to hold my own, to handle it on my own, and not use him as a crutch to solve a problem.

The idea, the images that flashed in my head when Rick rattled off his threat? I didn’t want to admit it, but it shook me worse than him sneaking up on me in the lady’s room. Because Roman…he was my everything.

And right now, I needed more than anything to feel him, love him, hold him. Needed to ensure my mind and soul that he was here and strong and wouldn’t be tainted by the darkness of my past.

“Do you trust me, Roman?” I asked slightly breathless.

“You know I do.”

“Then make love to me right now,” I said, my hands running over his body. “Please.”

A deeper understanding flashed over his features—some unspoken bond between us coiling and raging as he interpreted the panic racing right next to my need for him. And he didn’t blink before he hooked his hands underneath my ass and lifted me, spinning me to press me against the door.

A few breaths later, my leggings were gone, and he was burying himself deep inside me. I clung to his shoulders, completely at his mercy as he took me against the closed door. As he held my gaze and claimed my mouth, my body, my soul. As he pushed me farther and farther out of my panic, out of my fear, out of my doubt, and closer and closer to the pure love and empowerment that came with him.

God, he was incredible as he held me effortlessly, thrusting his hard length inside me until my eyes rolled back in my head. Until my toes curled and electricity shot down my spine. Until I shook around him as I flew apart, as I shattered and screamed his name.

“Teagan,” he sighed my name after he’d came too. He grazed his lips over mine, his eyes searching, loving. “Are you okay?” He asked, content to hold me like he could do it for the rest of our forever.

I leaned my forehead against his, my breath ragged from the way he’d claimed my body.

“I am now,” I answered honestly.

Roman smoothed my hair away from my face, something in his eyes searching for a truth I wasn’t ready to give him. Because if he knew what Rick had threatened…

I swallowed hard. I wouldn’t let that happen.

It was my turn to protect Roman.

And I just hoped like hell I was strong enough to do it.

17

Roman

The roar of the crowd fed my adrenaline as we lined up on the sixty for the snap. We were down, it was the fourth quarter, we had seven minutes to go, and this was our fourth down. We needed this, and we needed it badly.

Winning this one would put us first in our division and bring us into the New Year, holding a spot for the playoffs, and it was all on me.

I was pure energy on that line, my body humming with anticipation and ready to explode.

The ball snapped.

My feet flew, passing by Nixon only long enough to take possession of the ball. I tucked it securely into the cradle of my arm, then ran my ass off.

There. I spotted a linebacker and dodged his lunge, feeling the brush of his fingers along my arm as I made it past the line.

Baker appeared ahead at my left and threw a block to their cornerback that got me through another five yards, managing to stay on his feet just ahead.

Their safety rushed at us as my world narrowed to the breath in my lungs, the turf beneath my feet, and massive pumps of my legs, propelling me down the field. We’d secured a first down, and that end zone was calling my fucking name.