Rome (Marked Men, #3)(89)

I looked at the erection that was now pointing straight upward at his rippling stomach and then up at him. He gave a small shrug.

“My dick doesn’t give two f*cks about doctor’s orders.”

I laughed and helped him into the steamy water. He was so big the liquid spilled over the sides onto the floor. He gave me an I told you so look but settled his broad shoulders back and closed his eyes as I brushed a thumb over his cheekbone and along the strong line of his jaw where it was covered in a soft layer of facial hair. I used my other hand to grab a washcloth and roll it over his shoulders and neck, careful of his new battle mark.

“Rome.” Those unbelievable eyes flicked open and I thought I was going to drown in the blue of them. “We might not be perfect, but you and I are so perfect for each other. I just want you to know that.”

He grabbed the hand that I was using to stroke his face and sucked the edge of my thumb into his mouth. Between the heat from the interior of his mouth and the tickle of his beard, I was beginning to doubt I could keep this all business.

“Kind of funny how that worked out, isn’t it?”

He ran his hand up my arm and tangled his fingers in my hair, and before I knew it, he had my entire upper half bent over the edge of the tub and I was not only soaking wet but sprawled across his chest as his mouth sealed itself over mine. Kissing him while he was furry was interesting, and maybe I had been too hasty in wanting to get rid of the beard. His tongue rubbed against mine, his teeth nipped at the delicate skin on the inside of my lower lip, and I realized he had completely maneuvered me into the position with the use of only one good hand. Tricky soldier.

I pushed up off of him and shook my wet bangs out of my face.

“The doctor said no.”

“I say yes.”

I should have fought harder when he moved my hand under the water and wrapped it around his prominent erection. I told myself I didn’t want to hurt him, but the truth was I missed the feel of him, the weight of him in my hands and in my body. I gave that impressive flesh a light squeeze and bit my lip as I waged an internal war with what was right and what was right now.

“Come on, Half-Pint. I only have one working side, I got more holes in me than a golf course, and I haven’t seen you naked in way too long. Climb on and give me something to smile about.”

God, how I wanted to, but I just didn’t want to hurt him and I wasn’t sure about what he was going to say when he caught sight of my little surprise. I thought I was going to have more time to show him, maybe break him into the idea slowly in case he hated it, but his good hand was working into the neck of my tank top and his strong fingers were tweaking my nipple, making it hard to think.

“Rome …”

“Cora …”

I don’t even know why I thought I could fight it. I didn’t have it in me to deny this man anything. I scootched up so that I was propped up on the edge of the tub next to his bad arm. I made him lean his head back so that his neck was resting on the rim, and I kissed him long and hard. He tasted like beer and forever.

“When I take my shirt off, don’t freak out.”

That single eyebrow shot up and he chuckled a little. “I’ve seen your miraculously growing tits, Cora. I think it’ll be fine.”

I made a face at him and pulled my tank top over my head. There was no missing what I had been talking about and I heard him suck in a hard breath then swear when the action hurt his still-tender side.

“Oh my God.”

The tattoo was pretty big. It started on the back of my shoulder blade, the chain meticulously detailed and so real it looked like you could pick it up off my skin. Rule had tattooed the little metal beads that made up the standard chain so that they were in the shape of a heart. The design twisted and twined under my arm and high across my rib cage. The twin tags with all of Rome’s vital statistics hung next to each other under the soft swell of my breast. He was there, forever on my skin. I didn’t know a better way to show him how much he mattered to me, and apparently it had the desired effect because his eyes shot up to mine and for once the man that always had the last word was silent.

“That’s what you wanted my tags for.” His voice was husky and there was no mistaking the emotion in his tone. “It’s beautiful.”

So was the way he kept touching it.

“Rule did it for me. I thought I was going to have more time to surprise you. I wanted to show you when I couldn’t tell you that you were it for me, too.” I reached out and brushed a knuckle along the spot that cut across his neck that was still raised, angry, and red. “You permanently marked your skin for me, Rome. I wanted to do the same for you.”

He got his good arm around me and pulled me fully into the tub with him so that we were hugging but so much more.

“This, Cora … this is as perfect as two people can be.”

He was right; he was also aroused and sexually frustrated because the hug quickly turned from a sweet moment to something much hotter. The fingers of his hand snaked into the back of my damp shorts and his mouth latched on to the side of my neck and started to play with the sensitive skin there.

“You’re gonna have to do all the work, Half-Pint.”

That wouldn’t be a problem, not with his straining cock practically calling my name and his questing fingers already working their way to the place where I needed them most.