The Bachelor (Chandler Brothers 1)

“We.” She would have swallowed, but her mouth had grown dry. She could barely speak, but she managed. Some things were too important. “Where’s home, Roman?”

“Wherever you are, Charlotte.” Those incredible blue eyes stared into hers.

She blinked, unable to believe this world traveler had given up imparting world news to settle in D.C. and Yorkshire Falls. With her. She shook her head. “You can’t give up everything you love,” she told him.

“I can’t give up you. It was hell being a couple of hours away in D.C. I can’t imagine anything more long distance. I’d die of loneliness.” He grinned.

“Don’t get carried away.” She caressed his cheek and held his face in her palm. “But I want you happy. I never want you to resent me or the choices you made.”

“You said it, sweetheart. They’re choices I made.”

Before he’d even had Charlotte’s okay, she realized. He’d taken concrete steps toward changing his life. He’d already quit his AP job, already taken another. All without a firm commitment from her about their future. He’d made choices he wanted to make, she realized now. And though he hadn’t mentioned children or the coin toss, Charlotte knew Roman well enough to know he hadn’t made this decision because of a bet or out of family obligation. Instead he’d followed his heart.

Just like she’d been ready to follow hers, she thought, taking in her open suitcase. The silly bet had become a moot issue for her before he’d ever returned.

“Washington’s the best compromise I can come up with,” he said. “You’ll really like it during the time you’re there and Beth can run Charlotte’s Attic when you are. I found an apartment, but if you don’t like it, we can pick something else there and buy or build a house here. And the best thing is that there’s an easy flight into Albany that should work for us both. If you’re willing.”

“And if I’m not?” She had to ask. Had to know he’d be doing this anyway. Because if he planned to go back to his AP job if she turned him down, they didn’t stand a chance. Charlotte held her breath and waited.

“We have many awkward run-ins for the rest of our lives. I’ve made my choices, Charlotte. I want them to include you, but they’re final either—”

She cut him off with a sizzling kiss that had been too long in coming. His tongue met hers and he thrust deep inside her mouth, taking possession, letting her know she was his now and forever. She felt the words and the thoughts in every movement he made. And though she’d started as the aggressor, she soon found herself in the opposite position, flat on her back, clothes on the floor, and Roman devouring her with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I realize we have details to work out.”

“They can wait.” Her breaths came in sudden pants.

He struggled to divest himself of his shirt while she unzipped his jeans and wrapped one hand around his thick, hard length.

“God.” The word came out a sharp exhale. “Give me a second or I’m going to explode.”

Charlotte laughed and let go, not wanting to ruin the fun before it began. Was this the lifetime she had to look forward to? she wondered as she watched the man she loved undress. Suddenly a commuter-type relationship didn’t seem half bad. Not when it involved Roman.

Just as suddenly, she was able to understand her mother a bit more. Why she’d held on to the man she loved despite the distance and her own inability to move with him. Perhaps she and Annie weren’t so different after all, and perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing, Charlotte thought.

Roman resettled himself on top of her, then reached for the bowl of ice cream. “Remember I said I was hungry?”

Charlotte tipped her head to one side, unrestrained desire in her green eyes. “I remember promising to feed you,” she said, a sassy note in her voice.

He dribbled the melted ice cream down her skin. The cool liquid had her belly quivering and she felt the need pulse low and deep between her legs. “Ah, yes.” She let out a low moan. “Rick was right, you know,” she said to Roman.

“About what?”

She met his molten gaze. “I do love you.”

“I love you too.” And he proceeded to show her how much, starting with the ice cream that had pooled on her belly. He took a warm lap with his tongue. The heated contrast to the cold ice cream caused her stomach to ripple and her legs to quiver, as need built inside her.

And as he bent his head to take care of that need, Charlotte thought that she could indeed handle Roman’s kind of life. For the rest of hers and beyond.

EPILOGUE

Charlotte lay naked on top of white sheets. Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, but privacy wasn’t an issue. Their hotel room was on the fifteenth floor, with no other high buildings surrounding them. As Roman studied her, he was struck yet again by the beauty she possessed inside and out, as well as his complete and utter good fortune.