Sweet Rome (Sweet Home, #1.5)(81)

I knew it, could just feel it within me.

“They’re powerful people, Romeo. The party won’t be moved. We need to go and put on a united front. You need to be a leader for your team.”

I held her tightly. Then, inching back, she said softly, “You really lost it.”

I knew I’d f*cked up again, so I told her about the conversation I had with Coach, what he’d tried to do for me.

As she continued to clean me up, she shook her head and said curtly, “I don’t like it when you lose control. You need to be better than this, Romeo. I don’t want to have to worry about your temper, especially when the little one arrives.”

I f*cking loved this girl. Here we were, in a wrecked gym, my body covered in blood, and she was still trying to make me a better man, still admonishing me for my bad behavior.

I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“What?” she asked, confusion contorting her beautiful face.

“I love you,” I announced, placing a kiss on her throat, and I could see the need for me building in her eyes. Pregnancy had us f*cking like rabbits… something I wasn’t complaining about.

Pushing on my chest, Molly chastised, “That won’t get you out of my bad books! Look at the state of this place, of you!” But when her nostrils flared and her hand ran down my sweaty stomach, I knew she was two seconds away from letting me sink into her warmth.

My cock throbbed in my shorts, and pressing right up against my girl, I said, “I want to f*ck you right now, so bad.”

“Not here. And not until you promise me that you’ll never act like this again.”

Was she f*cking kidding me? I could see she was on the edge too and the damn door was shut; we were good. “I’m all riled up and need a release, the kind that only you can give me.”

Pushing on my chest again, she said, with conviction this time, “I mean it. Don’t ignore me. My child won’t grow up with a daddy who can’t control himself when things go wrong.”

That sentence was like a hammer to my heart. I would never hurt our angel.

“You get that, don’t you?” she asked, using my own words against me.

“I get it. It stops now. I won’t be anything like my daddy with our angel. I promise you that.”

Needing to get away from this place, and really needing to f*ck her, I said, “We’re going to the cabin. I’m going to strip you down and you’re going to do everything I say, until neither of us can stand. You get me?”

“Ugh! Fine! I get you!”

Tilting my head, I assured, “I’m going to make sure you’re protected at the party, baby.”

“I know you will.”

Moving to the bench, I pulled her onto my lap, feeling a million times better. “It’s déjà vu,” she said, “you, cut up and bleeding and me, cleaning you up. But let’s not make this our ‘thing,’ okay?”

“Last time, I promise. I’m going to change. No more cleaning up my messes. Scout’s honour.” I held up my hands, joining the appropriate fingers together.

“You were never a scout, Romeo,” Molly chuckled.

“I joined…” I informed.

Fixing her eyes on mine, she asked, “Really, you did?”

“Mm-hmm… but I was kicked out for fighting.” Sad but true… The f*cker probably deserved it back then too.

“Why am I not surprised?” she said, curling farther into my chest, her breath warm on my skin.

Our friends let themselves in a short while later, where I explained about my folks and the party, much to their dismay, and then I told Austin and Jimmy-Don about the baby. They were, unsurprisingly, shocked, but meeting eyes with Austin, I knew he was going to help me protect Molly and our angel.





27


The Prince Plantation


SEC Championship Homecoming Dinner



“My husband and I couldn’t be more proud of our son, Rome. He was always so talented growing up, and y’all love and respect him too—that only increases our admiration.”

A soothing vanilla scent drifted on the breeze as Molly leaned in, rubbing my arm, and took my tightly gripped fist off the edge of the table, placing it on her slightly rounded stomach. Squeezing my eyes, I calmed some but tensed once more when my momma continued talking from the top table, addressing the heavy crowd.

“My husband and I couldn’t make it to the game in Georgia, unfortunately, as we had prior engagements with our company here in Alabama, but we watched the SEC Division Championship on TV, seeing y’all win over the Gators and lift that trophy for everyone here back home.”

Screams and cheers went up from around the room, except for our table. Coach looked over to me, shaking his head at my momma in disgust.

“We couldn’t be more proud of our son who threw like a true professional in all four quarters, or all of the Tide for that matter. Your state and school adore y’all.”

I actually felt nauseous as she lied her way through the speech. Proud? Talented? They’d never been proud of me, but here they were, f*cking showboating to the crowd, the cream of Tuscaloosa society smiling at me, congratulating me on my amazingly supportive parents.

They had no friggin’ idea.

“I love you, baby,” Molly whispered into my ear, and I turned toward her face, slackening my tense jaw and pressing my lips against hers, breaking only momentarily to say, “I love you too.”