They used to call me Romeo.
It wasn’t my given name, but I did a swell job of living up to it.
My “Romeo” days are over now. Now I’m known by a few different nicknames: honey, my man. Sabrina has a few other names for me, but those are for my ears only. Let’s just say she likes to call me a lot of things, depending on what I’m doing to her. And trust me friends … I really, really enjoy doing her.
We’ve been engaged for about six weeks now and those weeks have been a crazy mess of emotions and chaos, stress and tears. Dickhead, asshole, douchebag Will? Well, let’s just say he was exactly the guy I knew he was the moment I first laid eyes on him. The PI’s report laid out a long criminal history, starting with him being booted from the military and ending with a year-long stint in prison for petty theft. Coming here to Florida was merely desperation on his part. With a little … encouragement … he admitted that he found out from her folks that Sabrina was seeing me, saw a whole shit ton of dollar signs, and the rest as they say is history.
What he admitted about Emmy … well that shit is gonna stick with me for a long, long time. If ever there was a man who didn’t deserve to father a child, he was … he is that man. I’m grateful my brothers were there to restrain me, otherwise he’d be resting comfortably six feet under and I’d be doing a dance on his grave.
It’s taken Sabrina some time to come to terms with what she’s done … to me, to our relationship. We’ve talked a lot, but I have admitted that while I forgive her, I doubt I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. She broke me in every single way a man can be broken. She broke me from my “Romeo” ways, broke my heart wide open, broke me for any other woman. Working out all the kinks in our relationship is going to take work, but we’ve got a good head start with our foundation of love for one another.
She wears my ring happily and someday soon we’ll say those magical words and she’ll officially be mine. She wants to call a Justice of the Peace and be done with it. I want her to have the wedding that all women deserve: the white dress, the church full of people, and her man standing at the altar waiting for her. She likes to laugh it off, but I can see the hope in her eyes. I know she wants that as badly as I want to give it to her. So for now we’ll wait. We’ve got plenty to keep us occupied, what with moving and all. The house I surprised her with still needs some furniture and knickknacks, but we’re settling in regardless one week from today.
I know she’ll miss having Jack right next door but as I’ve told her many times, there’s plenty of room if he wants to stay with us over a weekend or a night here and there. Our house may not be gargantuan like Cruz’s, but it’s plenty big enough for guests.
Plenty big enough, my ass. I glance around the huge space … the vaulted ceilings, large living room, and curved staircase that leads to the four bedrooms and large master wing on the second story. Sabrina says the kitchen is her favorite room, but Emmy and I are partial to the multimedia room where she plans to hang out with her friends. Yeah, I’d say I’m giving my big brother a run for his money.
My beautiful woman strolls across the room to me, phone in hand and a worried look on her face. “It’s Amita. Mia is in labor.”
Since I have no frigging clue what the hell childbirth entails, I take her lead. “Okay. What do we need to do?”
She mutters something into the phone, idly running her hand over my chest while she talks. Damn, but this woman can get me hard with one innocent touch. Will this labor thing take a while? I’d really like to get her naked and toast our new house by making her scream my name. Loudly. More than once.
When she disconnects the call, she shoves the phone into her pocket and turns her blue-eyed gaze on me. “Cruz is taking her to the hospital now. We can head over anytime.”
Grasping her hand, I let her feel how happy I am to see her then throw in a big dimpled grin just in case. “We’ll do that. Soon.”
She gives me a look that’s part annoyance, part joy. “We really should get to the hospital.”
I nuzzle her neck and slide my other hand over her ass, squeezing hard. “We will. But now we’re all alone and we have this whole big house to ourselves.” My lips meet hers, and I whisper, “And I have this whole big cock just waiting for you.”
Sabrina laughs and rolls her eyes at me. “You’re too much, you know that?”
I force seriousness and state, “Babe, there’s no such thing as too much cock.” I swallow her giggles with my mouth, kissing her deeply and easing my hands under her shirt. We lose our clothes in record time and when she’s finally standing before me with nothing but a smile and a diamond ring, I pause a moment to take it all in.
This woman—my woman—is everything I’ve ever wanted. I think I was probably waiting for her my whole life, biding my time with all the others and playing the “Romeo” game. I know that while Sabrina might enjoy my cockiness and somewhat off-color remarks, she also understands just how much I cherish her, cherish us, and cherish this life we’re making together. We’ve come to one another with baggage, but who the hell doesn’t? I’ll take a woman who has worked hard to make her life a happy one over a woman who takes every day for granted any day of the week. If I’ve learned nothing else from the example my parents have set forth it’s that love will have its ups and downs, but as long as you stand by one another through it all, that’s half the battle.
“Roman, are we doing this or are you gonna stand there and look at me?”
I offer her a smirk while my thumbs work her nipples into hard little buds. “Oh, we are doing this.” Bending down, I stroke my tongue over the taught surface then suck hard until she sighs with pleasure. “Floor … wall … stairs?”
She shivers at the possibilities in my words and whispers, “Anywhere you want.”
God, I love when she lets me take the reins, lets me be the alpha she knows I love to be when we’re like this. I sure as hell have no problem with her being the boss outside of the bedroom but once we’re locked behind closed doors, I’m the one in charge.
With that thought in mind, I walk her backwards to the wall of windows that look out into a spacious and meticulously landscaped backyard. Gently easing her down to the floor, I kneel between her legs and once more let my eyes enjoy the sight in front of me. The warm Miami sun beats across her pale, satin skin, giving light to all the shadows. Eager blue eyes track down my body as I hover over her and a slow smile lights her face, patiently waiting for me to make the next move.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” I reply, stroking my hands over her breasts, her belly, her thighs. She arches into my touch, a soft moan exiting her mouth as my fingers trail softly between her legs. Dipping my finger into her wet warmth, I enjoy a moment or so of teasing her then trail that same finger over her lower lip. She greedily opens her mouth, pulling my finger inside and sucking her intoxicating flavor from it. Fucking hell … could anything be hotter? “Tastes good, huh?”
She blushes slightly and nods. Her innocence sometimes astounds me. It’s hard to believe that I’m the one teaching her all the amazing ways we can please one another, especially when she’s so eager to comply. Her need to satisfy me is as great as or greater than my need to satisfy her, and damn if I don’t appreciate every bit of that.
Fisting my ridged cock, I toss her a smirk when her eyes light with need. I’m well aware of how turned on she gets when she watches me, as I am when I watch her. That is definitely the hottest thing ever.
She squirms under me and one busy hand tugs her nipple. “Roman … please … I need you.” Her other hand drifts lower, mesmerizing me. “I need you inside me.” Shoving her thighs apart and against her body, I line myself up and thrust in to the hilt. Groaning, I start to move, pistoning my hips in the rhythm I know she loves. She squeals and moans and her fingers tug and twirl while I keep my eyes on her and watch our two bodies become one. There’s something very real about making the woman you love yours in every way possible. Not a day goes by when I don’t ask myself if we’ll ever get enough of each other. The answer is always no. Hell no.
Sabrina’s head tips back, blond hair spilling around her head like a halo, eyes half-mast. “God, Roman … that feels so amazing.”
Her body fists me tightly, and I can feel the internal tremors signaling her impending release. I don’t care what other guys say for me there’s no better feeling in the world than making the woman I love moan with pleasure. Seriously, I would beat my chest like a beast if I could. Fucking amazing for the ego … and the heart.
My fingers tangle in her hair as I bend down to take her lips in mine and thrust hard. “Come for me. Come all over me. Let me hear you scream for me.”
On command, I feel the familiar fluttering around my cock then her back arches, and she hollers my name, begging and pleading for me not to stop, never to stop. Like I could. Hell … if it was physically possible I’d stay buried in her for days, weeks, months. For now, I’ll settle on making her orgasm last, and if I work real hard (pun intended), maybe I can make her come once more.
When the shaking subsides and her back lowers, she gifts me with a satisfied smile, whispering, “Your turn.”
Loving that she’s so unselfish, I chuckle and reply, “Roll over for me. Ass in the air.”
She grins, gives her nipple one more hard tug, then flips over into position and glances at me over her shoulder. My gift to her is a tight grip on her hips and a slow slide back into Heaven, which she welcomes with a rare curse and a moan.
Of course, because life has a way of coming between me and well … coming … my phone and hers both blare to life at the exact same time. The incessant ringing makes me grasp her tighter, fuck her harder, do anything I can to bring us both over the edge. This moment is amazing and mind-boggling, but there’s nothing comfortable about having sex on a hardwood floor. While I could give a fuck about my bruised knees, the only pain I ever want her feeling is the good kind.
My fingers inch around and swirl over her sensitive clit, making her groan with pleasure. “One more. Give me one more.”
A few more thrusts later and she does just that, shouting her release so loudly the sound bounces off the walls. That’s all I need to send me over, coming deep inside her then pulling out quickly, stroking a few times and finishing on her back. And when she turns to look at me, eyes wanting and needy as she takes it all in … damn … I’m done for. Fuck yeah … that is officially the hottest thing I’ve never seen.
Grinning down at her, I grin broadly as my breathing calms. “Sorry about the mess, sweetness.”
She laughs and rolls her eyes at me. “No you’re not.”
Our phones ring again and with a silent nod, I ease her to her feet and drop a kiss on her lips. “This was just the appetizer.”
Little tease, she licks her lips and trails her gaze down to my dick. “Then I’ll eagerly await the main course.”
My phone is the closest, so I grab it up and slide my thumb across the glass, pulling her close against my side. “Yeah, I’m here.”
“You need to be here, dickface. Mia is having the baby now!” The panic and worry in Marco’s voice would normally make me laugh, but it’s obvious he’s very concerned for his friend.
“Sorry, man. We’ll be there in a few.”
Sabrina shoots me a worried look. “Is something wrong?”
“He didn’t say. Just said the baby is coming now.”
Her eyes widen with understanding that only women get. Me … well I don’t see what the hustle and bustle is about. It’s not like Cruz will let us near Mia while she’s spread eagle on a table pushing out his kid. And then once the kid gets here … hell, all bets are off. I won’t be surprised if he makes us wear hazmat suits when we come to visit.
We clean up and dress quickly, share one last deep kiss, then we’re on the road and speeding toward the hospital. She chats with Amita while we drive, our fingers entwined on the seat, ending the call when I pull into the parking lot and cut the engine.
“I didn’t understand one word you said to her,” I state, coming around her side of the truck and helping her down.
She laughs and once more places her hand in mine. “Nothing to worry about. Just means the baby should be here any time.”
The hallway outside Mia’s room is packed full of people. My parents and Mia’s are seated by the door, the two moms sharing worried glances back and forth while the dad’s talk football. Marco is pacing like he’s the expectant father, and Amita is propped up against the wall, watching him with an amused expression on her face. Even Bella, still in scrubs, is holding court; she’s the only one who doesn’t flinch when a painful moan wafts through the half-open door.
“What’s wrong?” Marco says, feet halted in placed.
Amita rolls her eyes and pats him on the shoulder. “It’s called labor for a reason, you big dummy.” He’s pale and shaking, and I can’t wait to give him shit about it later. But for now, I’ll pocket this little piece of blackmail and watch as she so expertly handles him. “It’s hard work. And it hurts.”
“You’re never, ever doing that.”
She rolls her eyes again and laughs. “Yes I will. And you’ll be right there by my side while I do it.”
“We should adopt,” he grumbles, finally noticing that Sabrina and I are standing there. “Where the fu … um, where have you been?” He glances over at Mama and she sends him a narrow-eyed warning for the almost-slip of the tongue.
I shoot him a dark look. “We were busy.”
Now he’s the one rolling his eyes. He knows exactly how busy we just were. “Dude … seriously?”
I change the subject by asking, “How’s Cruz doing?”
He shrugs and pulls Amita into his arms. “He’s … Cruz. You know how he is.”
There’s another blood-curdling moan, this time more like a scream, and I swear I think Marco is gonna pass out if he hears anymore. Thankfully, a few minutes later the only sound we hear is one of a baby crying, which immediately sends all the women into a fit of tears.
Marco and I look at them like they’re aliens from another planet, and I lean close and whisper, “What the fuck just happened?”
He shrugs. “No fucking idea.”
“Boys!” Mama glares at us, and I have to wonder how the hell she even heard. There’s laughing and talking and yeah … a whole lot of crying. The two dads are shaking hands, which is crazy because it’s not like they had anything to do with that baby being in Mia’s stomach. Gross. Just gross.
Sabrina and Amita find great humor in the fact that our mother can still dress us down even though we’re grown men. Just goes to show that nothing really ever does change. Life happens but the core of the family always, always stays the same.
Long minutes later, Cruz appears at the door, a wide smile on his face and tears in his eyes. My jaw literally falls to floor and so does Marco’s. This dude is as broken as I was, but in a completely different way. The birth of his child has broken him loose of all those tightly bound rules he’s set for himself and for the first time in, well forever, I think we’re seeing the real person beneath all that hard exterior.
“It’s a boy,” he gushes, hugging Mama tightly then reaching for Papa. “Mia’s fine. She’s amazing actually.”
“The kid? He’s healthy?” Marco asks, stepping up closer.
Cruz smiles wider if that’s possible. “He’s beautiful. And absolutely perfect.” Stepping back, he pushes the door open. “Come on. She wants to see all of you.”
Like diligent little soldiers we file into the large room. Mia is propped up under the covers, a tiny little dark-haired bundle in her arms. Her smile is bright and she’s never looked more beautiful, which makes me think childbirth really can’t be that difficult after all. Or maybe women are just that strong. I’ll have to talk to Sabrina about it later. I’ve got a lot of questions.
The dads and Marco and I stand back and let all the women surround the bed while Cruz stands like a sentry near Mia’s head. Surprisingly, Mia immediately hands the baby over to her mom, who gushes and cries and hands it over to Mama. By the time Sabrina hands over the little guy to me, I’m pretty positive I might either hurl or kidnap the kid and keep him for my own.
“You won’t hurt him,” she murmurs. “Just hold him close.”
I take in the tiny nose, the pink lips, the perfectly formed fingers of my brand-new nephew, and damn if I don’t feel like crying now. How crazy is it that my blood flows in his veins and that I’ll get to watch him grow and change and become a man just like me … or his other uncle … or better yet his dad?
“Perfect, right?” Cruz asks.
“Ah, brother, he really is.”
Marco steps up next to us, asking, “Well man, how does it feel to be a father?”
Cruz smiles at me knowingly, then turns to answer. “Best feeling in the world.”
“I’ll second that,” I reply.
“Have you guys picked a name?” Marco inquires, reaching out and touching the baby’s tiny fingers.
Cruz shares a smile with his wife, who nods, and then he boasts, “Thomas Elliott Moran.”
Papa, little Thomas’s namesake, grins broadly. “That’s a hell of a good name.” He quickly apologizes to his wife for the curse. See … that man is broken too. We’re all a bunch of fucking horses.
The fact that my brother and his wife chose to give their child names that honor both sides of the family just reinforces what I’ve always known … family is everything. I’m so damn blessed to have been born into this one, to be surrounded daily by brothers I call friends, to have someone like my sister Bella that I can confide in, and to be able to protect Sophia whenever she needs it. As our family continues to grow and expand and Marco and I take brides and have children of our own, those blessings will only flourish.
The door eases open and Emmy peeks her head inside. “Can I come in?” She’s gripping her car keys in one hand as she enters the room, a just-because gift from me. Picking out a car for my daughter … yeah, no easy task. I must have looked at fifty different makes and models, refusing to allow Sabrina to help me in my search for the safest, most reliable vehicle. Seeing the sheer delight on her face when I handed the keys over was worth every hassle and then some.
There’s a flurry of greetings as my girl steps up next to me and gets a look at her little cousin for the first time. “Oh my gosh, Dad, he’s so little!”
Yeah. You heard that right. She called me dad.
I’m never going to get used to it either.
“Hard to believe you were that tiny once,” I reply, smiling down at her. Damn if my heart isn’t about to freaking explode with happiness. I’ve got my family all around me, my newborn nephew in my arms, my beautiful daughter and fiancée by my side. I’m one lucky bastard.
“Tinier, actually,” Sabrina says softly, kissing Emmy on the head.
Little Thomas starts to wriggle around in my arms, letting out a squeal. I quickly hand him over to his father then pull my girls into my embrace, muttering, “Too damn little.” My mother throws me a dark look. “Sorry, Mama.”
Sabrina giggles and whispers, “See. I knew that mouth of yours was gonna get you in trouble.”
I nuzzle her ear and reply, “You love my mouth, baby.” Her face flushes as she nods once and kisses me briefly, before pulling Emmy toward the bed with the other women.
Bella strolls over to me and Marco, giving us both a pat on the back. “You guys are next.”
Marco is instantly flustered, fumbling his words and shaking his head while Bella and I stand there and laugh at him. I know he’ll have his day to be a father eventually, just like I’ll have a chance to do it right from the beginning. Until then, we’ve both got it really good. Hell … every person in this room has it good.
Because we will always have each other.
THE END
Breaking Roman is the third book in The Moran Family series, but it can be read as a standalone. Other books in the series:
Saving Cruz
Taming Marco
Look for Isabella’s story in book 4 of the series due out soon!