Roman: Book 2 (The Hunter Brothers Series) (7 page)

So he wasn’t for
keeps, and it was a momentary passion that would invade my life before fleeing
back to some war torn part of the world to do whatever ‘business’ it was that
he did. It was even more reason to make the most of the moment I convinced
myself quickly, and he picked me up throwing me roughly onto the bed.

In a heartbeat I
was pinned underneath him, mischievous eyes glinting down at me, the
unmistakeable smirk set firm. “Right decision, good girl,” he said as his lips
crashed against mine and I dissolved under that hard firm body, revelling in
the sensations and pushing back that part of my brain that kept asking what the
hell I was doing.

My body had no
such quandary as I relaxed into the slow soft strokes of Romans hands across my
ribs and my waist, moaning softly as he forced his knee between my legs,
opening them up and sending a hot jolt of electricity straight to my core. If
last night was intense I sensed this morning would be no different. He might
not know romance, but Roman Hunter knew better than most just exactly how to
seduce a woman until all thought was gone, leaving only desperation for his
touch.

Carpe Diem had a
lot to answer for. I was never going to a fucking funeral again.

Chapter Four

There was no doubt
that he’d left my body floating in the same ecstasy as he had last night, after
another two mind blowing orgasms. Unfortunately, my head was taking a little
longer to catch up and not allowing me to abandon all sanity at quite the same
rate. I was delirious with bliss, but the methods he’d employed to get me there
still didn’t sit right with me.

“You’re not
exactly chivalrous, are you, Roman?” I said as soon as I’d caught my breath.

“I’m very
chivalrous, Chas. I think you’ll find I’ve allowed you to come first every
time,” he smiled, holding my gaze as I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Can’t you just be
a bit nicer?” I asked as he started laughing, taking me aback with the
unfamiliar sound and pulling me closer.

“If you want nice,
you picked the wrong brother. I should have thought it was obvious I didn’t do
nice,” he said as I swallowed hard, thinking suddenly of Charlie and how his
night with Scarlett might have gone. The thought upset me, and I decided
instead to gather as much information as I could about his not very nice, but
incredibly sexy brother.

“Are you a
mercenary?” I asked as he chuckled softly, but didn’t answer. It seemed to fit.
I sat up, resting on my elbow and gazed across at him. “You must be a trained
killer with all that hardware,” I said as he laughed again and I traced my
fingers softly over his scars. He had certainly taken his fair share of pain. He
said nothing. “Are you any good at it – whatever
it
is?” I raised my eyebrows as he turned a steely glare on me.
Well that had got his attention.

“Yes. Why?” he
asked as I smirked.

“Well, you’ve got
a lot of scars, so you must keep getting hit. I assumed maybe you were a bit
slower than your enemies,” I said, trying to hold a straight face as his eyes
narrowed even further. He certainly didn’t like me questioning his
professionalism in whatever profession it was.

“I can assure you
I am extremely good at what I do, and I’m in a much better position than every
bastard who gave me these scars,” he said seriously.

“How so?” I asked,
wondering if I would finally get him to crack while trying to sound as
nonchalant about it as possible.

“As in I’m still
fucking breathing,” he said as I gasped and turned to face him.

“So you are an
assassin?” I said; trying to close my dumbstruck jaw and once again wondering
what the hell I was doing here.
 

“I’m a negotiator,
Chas, let’s just leave it at that,” he said, sighing gently, but I was getting
somewhere and wasn’t about to stop now.

“What do you
negotiate?” I asked as he turned an incredibly tense stare on me that dried up
my mouth instantaneously and I thought hard about probing any further. I
decided eventually that there was little to lose. He remained silent.

“Are you one of
the bad guys, or one of the good guys?” I asked, changing tact slightly as he
frowned at me and I couldn’t help but notice that the smirk was back.

“That’s a very
naive question, Chas. Everyone is the bad guy if you’re on the opposite side,”
he laughed and I guessed he was right.

 
“So which side do you sit on?” I smiled, still
desperate to glean as much as I could.

“The most
lucrative,” he said as I gasped, my moral dilemma playing out all over my face
as he stared at me for a moment.

“Let me guess,
you’re suddenly laying there thinking what the hell am I doing in bed with a
killer. This man is dangerous and I shouldn’t be here. Killing is wrong and immoral
and I could never like a murderer, much less have sex with one,” he said, holding
my gaze as I nodded mutely. It was exactly what I was thinking.

“Well, baby, let’s
put it another way. My skills were honed in the army where I was sent to war
and people were shooting at me,” he said as I held his gaze.

“Then of course
you have to kill them first,” I said as he smirked, not sure what he was
getting at.

“Then I was in the
Special Forces and we had a job to do; extracting hostages or falling behind
enemy lines where, by and large, people were shooting at me again,” he said as
I frowned.

“Then of course
you have to kill them first, but doing it for money isn’t the same,” I said as
he shook his head.

“Why, Chas?
 
I got paid by the army, I wasn’t doing it for
free,” he said as I gasped. Surely he could see the difference.

“Because you were
risking your life for Queen and country, to do the right thing and not just for
profit,” I said as he laughed softly. I wasn’t amused.

“I never kill just
for profit and I always believe I’m doing the right thing, but it’s irrelevant
anyway. Who says I was ever doing the right thing; in the army, the SAS or now?
Killing is wrong, full stop, but when you cross that line, all it comes down to
is your set of belief systems. There is no absolute truth. The Taliban believed
they were right to kill me; that I was the enemy and they settled their
conscience that way. I did the same. When push comes to shove, right or wrong
is just an extension of your beliefs, not a universal truth. I fight for
capitalism, democracy and the concept of freedom because that is my culture and
I trust in that system. Just because you dress a killer in a uniform under the
control of a Government, it doesn’t automatically make it right to take a life.”

I guess he was
right and I was a hypocrite. I wouldn’t have had the same quandary if he was in
the army, I would have had none, and I thought about it for a moment as he rose
from the bed and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door and leaving me
laying there and realising that the answers to my questions had only succeeded
in making him more of a mystery.

I tiptoed across
to the bag, checking the door and unzipping it quietly to get another look,
rifling through his equipment and praying that I didn’t inadvertently fire one
of the damn things. Six guns in total. Why the hell did he need six guns? He
only had two hands. I wasn’t sure what kind they were; I’d never seen one in
real life.
 
I started to zip it back up,
wondering if I’d just shared numerous orgasms with some kind of hit man,
freezing as I heard the door open, scrambling to my feet as he stood there in
the doorway, glowering at me.

“Get in the
fucking shower,” he said as I pouted, slapping my arse playfully as I walked
past him into the bathroom and suddenly smiling as he manoeuvred me under the
hot jet of water, gently stroking the hair from my face. “Curious little thing,
aren’t you?” he said as I laughed, loving the wet dark hair soaking in thick
tendrils over his face as I just stared, wondering if I’d ever get used to the
perfection of his imperfection. I traced my fingers slowly across his scars.

“You’re beautiful,
Roman,” I said as he shook his head, cupping my face in his hands and kissing
me gently.

“I’m not
beautiful, Chas. If you could see inside my soul you’d know that,” he replied,
holding my gaze as his eyes filled with the deep, dark torment I’d noticed
yesterday.

“But you are,
inside and out, sweetheart.”

“Be careful. That
was verging on nice,” I smiled as he pulled me close in a tight embrace, loaded
with affection that made my heart sing and my mind wonder if I hadn’t made the
right decision after all. He lathered me with soft shower gel, turning me to
face the tiles as he massaged shampoo and conditioner into my hair, caressing
me so softly it was hard to believe this was the same person. He turned me around,
positioning me under the hot spray until I was clear of foam and squeaky clean,
kissing my lips gently as I ran my hands over his solid pecs.

“Now get out or
I’ll be forced to fuck you again,” he said, trying to hide the smile that was
playing around his mouth as I rolled my eyes and started to laugh, thinking I
might just have witnessed Roman Hunter being playful and it was strangely
endearing.

The thought was a
welcome one, but I wasn’t certain I could face another onslaught. He already
had me reeling with his unique back and forth style of aggression and
affection. Any more and my head would be spinning like a cyclone. I needed
perspective and I wanted a moment, stepping out of the shower and forcing my
eyes away as he started to clean that solid frame.

‘Move, Chas’ I
urged my feet, smiling inwardly as I wrapped a towel around myself and finally
left.

I went to my own room
to get ready, hearing the door shut ten minutes later as I watched his tall,
muscular frame sprinting up to the house through my window and sighing loudly.
I wasn’t certain I’d done the right thing, but I wasn’t about to beat myself up
about it. Some temptations were impossible to resist and it wasn’t as though I
had anything to lose. I was single and Charlie was back with Scarlett. I’d
known it as soon as I heard about that text, wondering if that had influenced
my decision to fuck his brother. There was no point analysing it now, what was
done was done and every muscle in my body was reminding me of that very fact.

Chapter Five

I followed him up to
the house when I was ready, taking my time and wondering what the hell my
sister would make of my clandestine little tryst with the prodigal brother. She
was sitting in the kitchen, nursing a coffee in her hands, smiling as she
looked up at me. “Where is everyone?” I asked as she glanced across to the
giant double doors.

“They’re all in
the lounge with their lawyer; he’s going through the will.”
 

“Is Roman with
them?” I asked as she nodded.

“Lucas came to get
him; it seems he was mentioned after all.” I pulled up a chair beside her,
pouring the muesli from the box on the table.

My exertions had
left me absolutely starving. I could have murdered some bacon, but it looked as
though rabbit food was my only option right now. I added the milk and grabbed a
spoon, shovelling it down my throat as she stared at me in disgust. “What?” I
shrugged. “I haven’t eaten for ages.”

“I’ve wanted to
talk to you since you got here, Chas, but we haven’t had a moment alone.” I was
itching to tell her about Roman, but this sounded serious and she obviously
needed to get something off her chest.

“Lucas wants to
move things forward more quickly than I realised. You know he asked me to be
his girlfriend and told me he loved me,” she paused as I smiled. “Well the last
few days have just been incredible. Even in the most awful of circumstances,
I’ve loved spending time with him and he has too. He tells me he loves me
constantly, and can’t get enough of me sexually. He’s keen that when we go back
to London, things will be more like this than the way they were,” she said, her
voice low and calm. “It’s what I want too, Chas.”

“Are you telling
me you’re moving out?” I asked as she shook her head quickly.

“God, no, nothing
that drastic, but I will be spending more time at his place.”

I smiled,
relieved. I couldn’t afford the apartment on my own. “What about the whole
Dominant thing?” I grinned as she flushed.

“He’s still my Dom
inside the club and sometimes the bedroom, but outside of that we’re on an
equal footing and when it comes to Dex, I am most definitely in charge,” she
laughed. I’d believe that when I saw it. “He’s incredible, Chas and I don’t
ever want to be without him now I know the man behind that serious frown,” she grinned
as I hugged her.

“He’s a good guy, Sis,
and a pretty amazing prize; just don’t let him bully you too much.” She knew
what I was referring to.

“He doesn’t bully
me. I choose to submit to him because I like it as much as he does. He calls it
a gift, Chas. He says that without my submission, he’s not a Dominant, just a
regular guy.” I rolled my eyes at that one.

“There is nothing
regular about Lucas Hunter,” I smiled, itching to tell her about my night in
the lodge with his younger brother and waiting until I was certain she’d
finished before jumping in with my own news.

“He’s not the only
Hunter who’s awesome in bed.”

I watched the
realisation creep across her face as her jaw dropped open. “What happened to
your list? Roman is hardly reliable,” she gasped as I laughed.

“Its usefulness
has been temporarily suspended for a short term hook-up with just about the
sexiest man I’ve ever seen.” She was shaking her head. “Don’t look at me like
that, Jess,” I said as she frowned deeply.

“What about
Charlie?” she asked as I glared at her for a second, looking to the doorway as
the double doors blasted open and Roman stormed in, ignoring me and my sister
and heading straight for the exit.

Lucas wasn’t far
behind him.

“What’s the matter
with Roman?” I asked quickly.

“It’s been a lot
for him to take in,” he said seriously, watching through the window as the roar
of a motorbike engine broke the peaceful morning and I ran outside with the voice
of my sister ringing in my ears.

“What are you
doing?” I shouted over the revving of the motorbike that was almost deafening.

 
“Get on,” he said, throwing me a helmet as I
looked back to the house to see Jess at the window, shaking her head. Ever
since Jake died, she loathed motorcycles and I knew she wouldn’t like it, but
my bigger concern was for the angry man sitting on the machine who had already shown
me seven shades of bliss.

I climbed on the
bike, begging him not to go too fast, gripping on for dear life as he shot down
the gravel path, working his way at increasing speed through the long and
narrow winding country roads. Adrenaline spiked in my veins as I tightened my
grip, but I wasn’t enjoying this. It wasn’t thrilling, it was terrifying and
all I wanted was for him to stop.

“Please slow down,
Roman,” I screamed, unsure if he could hear me through the helmet and the wind
that was rushing around us. We dipped and swerved, negotiating the killer bends
and the man was on a mission to blow off some steam. Roadside trees were
blurring into a mesh of green and the roar of the engine was thunderous. He
pushed the bike to its limits and I squeezed my eyes shut, not knowing whether
I’d even make it alive out of this hellish journey.

We rode for miles,
my knuckles white as I prayed for it to end. My stomach was churning, my heart
in my throat. This wasn’t exhilarating, it was downright dangerous, and worse
still, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
 
He brought the Ducati to a stop eventually,
in a lay by near some fields as I pulled off my helmet and threw it on the
grass, pummelling his chest with my fists as he watched me curiously. “I told
you not to go too fast, Roman,” I shouted as he grabbed my trembling body,
pulling it close to his. I was shaking, almost crying with the adrenaline and
fear that was racing through my veins as he tucked my head under his chin.

“I’m sorry, baby,
I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said, his voice laced with concern as he
tipped my chin to meet his gaze, looking genuinely regretful. “Racing the bike
cools me off, but I shouldn’t have done it with you on the back.” He kissed me
softly as the trembling began to subside, his face contorted in pain and I
wondered what was at the bottom of it, my reaction or the reading of the will.

“I was terrified,
Roman,” I said, trying to catch my breath as he just held me, waiting for my breathing
to calm. There was little point in labouring the fact. He’d apologised and at
this moment he definitely had other things on his mind.

“What happened at
the house?” I asked as he picked up the helmet, jumping the huge metal gate
before helping me over, walking through the field until we came to rest at the
base of a giant Sycamore tree. He sat on the soft grass as I moved beside him,
wondering whether he’d open up and tell me, or shut down as he seemed to do
often. He pulled my head against his chest, breathing hard as we lay there in
silence.

“He kept me in the
will,” he said quietly as I glanced up at him. It had clearly been a surprise
to Roman. “He split everything equally, except the business. Most of that went
to Lucas and Charlie because they are the ones running it, but Tyler and I got
plenty of shares. After what he did, I wasn’t expecting that, Chas,” he said
sadly as I nodded. “It sounds stupid, but I’ve spent the last six months coming
to terms with the fact that he hated me and now I just don’t know. I should
have come back earlier; tried to sort things out.”

“He obviously
loved you, Roman. Perhaps he wanted to make amends but couldn’t find you,” I
suggested as he sighed deeply.

“He left me this,”
he said, pulling open his jacket to reveal a letter as I looked up at him,
wondering if he’d read it.

“What does it
say?” I asked as he shrugged.

“I haven’t opened
it yet. I’m not sure I want to.” Pain gripped his features and I brushed my
hand softly across his cheek.

“You should,” I
smiled gently, resting my head back on his chest as he looked at the letter
before he placed it in his shirt pocket and lifted me on top of him. If his
father had a message for him, he should hear it, but already I knew Roman was
not a man to be dictated to. I said nothing more, lying there silently and
giving him the time to come to terms with his thoughts. I had no idea what was
in the letter, but surely it had been written to make him feel better. Silus
Hunter might have been a bastard, but I couldn’t imagine anyone taking the
opportunity to twist the knife from beyond the grave.

“Come and kiss me,
baby,” he said and I understood immediately the comfort, warmth and affection
that he needed right now. Roman was only human, and a fractured heart beat
beneath that solid chest, despite the outward display of courage. His father’s
death had affected him deeply, confusion adding to the grief and he needed a
distraction. For one weekend only, that distraction was me, and I lifted my
face to his, enveloping those soft, warm lips in mine.

I kissed him for
an age, softly and gently as his full firm mouth responded with force. My anger
was gone; pushed away with the feeling in that kiss as he broke it suddenly,
pulling off his jacket and laying it on the floor. “What are you doing?” I
asked as he smiled playfully, picking me up and rolling on top of me as I
gasped.

 
“I’m making you comfortable while I work
through my feelings,” he grinned, nipping my bottom lip gently with his teeth.

 
“We’re in public, Roman, anyone could see.” My
voice was raised in a breathy pitch as he looked around with an exaggerated
sweep of his head.

“No one around,”
he winked, grinding his hips against me and his feelings were certainly evident
through the denim of his jeans.

Before I could
form another argument, his lips began their slow caress, arousal pooling in my
centre under the movement of his hips. From the way he was stimulating me
through my clothing, there was every chance he could bring me off like that and
I reached down, unzipping his fly and allowing his cock to spring loose as I
stroked it with abandon. The last thing on my mind now was the prospect of
picnickers or a roving farmer.

“Oh baby, that’s
so fucking good,” he said as I felt every inch of his shaft, solidifying by the
second as I teased my fingers across the ridge and veins. I wanted him to touch
me, my panties wet at the feel of his steel flesh against my fingers. He
unzipped my jeans, pulling them down to my thighs, followed by the flimsy
cotton panties, before reaching into his back pocket, breaking the kiss briefly
to roll on his condom. With no further words he was inside me. I gasped at the
fullness, pressed hard against his body with the cool breeze lapping against my
exposed flesh, and the heat of Roman covering me.

He was slow and
deliberate, each thrust rubbing deliciously against my G-spot as I tilted my
hips. He was dictating the pace and it was not the hot and hurried experience
of last night, but deeper and soulful, our lips merging as intimately as our
bodies. The rustle of the tree and the low hum of cars in the distance were the
only sounds, interspersed with our gentle moans of pleasure as the pressure
suddenly increased and I cried out loud.

“Oh baby, you feel
so hot, so tight, so good,” he moaned against my mouth as I opened mine to let
his tongue continue its thrilling exploration of my mouth. Deep in my core the
pounding intensified, my body drowning in the bliss being driven from my
insides, the delectable pressure on my secret spot releasing soft waves as his hands
found my arse and he tilted me further into him.

“I need this,
baby,” he groaned, holding me tightly, using my body to unleash the pent up
rage, the pressure and the grief. Riding the bike had blown off some steam, and
riding me was calming him; each measured thrust awakening and enlightening our
cells as our bodies entwined.

We were fully
clothed, yet the intimacy was palpable, connected in the one place that was
filling my brain and my centre with erotic bliss. “Oh, Chas, you’re fucking
incredible,” he moaned, catching his breath as he held my head, tightly and
protectively. He was kissing me relentlessly and every time he stopped, he
pulled me into those brilliant blue irises as I drowned in the pleasure he was
unleashing.

He held me with a
heart stopping gaze and he knew I was close. “Oh God, oh fuck, oh yes, Roman,”
I gasped as he owned me, driving me to the most exquisite bliss, powering
through my orgasm, riding it out and coaxing another before he finally let go,
throwing back his head and moaning loudly before he collapsed, breathless on
top of me.

The wind was
getting up, the chills on my skin overridden by the heat from my body, wrapped
tightly in the arms of Roman as he finally adjusted his weight, pulling up his
jeans before he slid my panties slowly up my legs, followed the tight denim as
he dressed me skilfully and gently. I was watching his every move, his gaze
focused on my body, smiling as his eyes met mine. He was shaking his head.
“What the fuck have you done to me?” he laughed gently as I frowned in
bemusement.

“Hopefully made
you feel a bit better,” I grinned as he chuckled softly, sitting beside me on
the grass and looking around at the peaceful countryside.