He Loves Me Not (The Hawthornes of New York 1)

“I love your dad,” she adds.

That sends both girls to their feet on the couch. They wobble and tumble on top of us.

Giggles abound as I try and hold them up so they don’t roll onto the floor.

“We love Binanca too,” Georgie screams. “From here to eternity.”

“You said it right.” Dora lunges forward to hug her sister. “You said eternity.”

“I’m saying it too.” I chuckle. “This right here is for eternity, B.”

“For eternity,” she agrees. “That sounds perfect to me.”

***

I cradle Bianca against me in my bed as we both come down from the high. We made love tenderly and slowly after the girls fell asleep in their room.

“You’ll stay the night.”

“That doesn’t sound like a question, Roman.”

“It’s not. I’m telling you that you’re spending the night.” I run a hand over her back until it’s resting on her bare ass. “You want to.”

“I do,” she says quietly.

“Spend every night here.”

That sends her back half a foot. Her eyes lock on mine. “What?”

I know she heard me, but I repeat it so there’s no question. “I want you to move in with us.”

Squinting, she studies my face. “We should talk to Georgie and Dora about it.”

“I have,” I admit. “Last night. I asked them how they felt about the idea.”

“And they said?” she asks impatiently.

“They said that they want you here.” I don’t know if she’s ready to hear what I’m about to say, but I promised her honesty, so I let it out. “They asked if you’re going to be their mom.”

A silent sob wrenches her body forward. “Roman.”

“I know it’s a hell of a lot to digest,” I go on, “I’ll understand if you need time, but just so you know, I want it…”

“I’ll do it.”

I sit up. “You’ll move in?”

“My lease is up at the end of next month.” She touches my chest. “I can slowly bring my things over before then.”

“I’ll help.”

“We’re really going to do this?” Her gaze flits over my face. “We’re going to be a family, Rome.”

“We already are.” I move to kiss her. “I love you.”

“I love you,” she whispers.

I tug her closer and kiss her gently before I flip her over so I can show her just how much I love, want, and need her.

Epilogue

6 Months Later

Bianca

“These daisies came for you.” Paige whips a beautiful bouquet of daisies from behind her back. “There’s a card too. Roman is romantic, but you know that.”

I do know that.

He’s been sending me flowers every week. At home, he’s constantly hiding chocolate bars with secret messages for me to find.

The one I discovered two days ago in the nightstand drawer was a reminder that he loves me endlessly, completely, and forever.

I kept that message as I do every single one.

Paige hands the flowers to me before she backs up. “I know the drill. Close the door on my way out.”

I laugh. “Thanks, Paige.”

“Thank you.” She smiles. “For once again reminding me that true love may be waiting for me at a bar somewhere in this city.”

Paige swooned when Vivi and I filled her in on my love story with Roman. She was in tears before I got to the part about Rome knowing my father.

It brings tears of joy to Vivi too whenever we talk about it.

“You’ll find him one day, Paige.”

“I believe that,” she says. “It’s hard to be patient, but if the payout is anything close to what you’re experiencing, I’m happy to wait it out.”

With a wave of her hand, she walks out of my office, shutting the door behind her.

I rip into the envelope that’s tucked into the bouquet.

I smile when I read the card.

Meet me at Bow Bridge in Central Park today at 6 PM.

I glance at the screen of my phone.

“I need to hurry,” I mutter to myself as I scoop up the daisies, my purse, and phone.

I take off out of my office with a smile on my face.

***

As soon as I approach the bridge, I see the man I love standing there.

He’s dressed in a three-piece gray suit that matches the skirt I’m wearing. He opted for a dark blue button-down shirt this morning. I chose his tie. It’s light blue with a thin thread of red running through it.

He’s gorgeous.

His hand jumps into the air as he sees me nearing him.

I up my pace the same way I always do when I’m about to kiss him.

Once I’m in front of him, I grab his tie, tug him down, and plant one right on his mouth.

He groans through it. “What the fuck did I do to deserve that?”

“It’s what you did last night,” I whisper as people dart past us.

“You tasted like heaven.” He kisses me again. “I’ll get another taste tonight.”

His gaze drops to the bouquet of daisies in my hand. “You brought the flowers.”

“I’m going to put them in water at home.”