CHAPTER ELEVEN
When Roman opened his eyes a few hours later, he knew there was something missing. Without turning his head, he moved his hand around to her side of the bed but the sheets were cold and empty. For a moment his heart stopped.
Raising his head, he glanced around the room. It was still dark outside but the night sky was fading fast. He noted the blanket from the foot of the bed was missing. Getting out of bed, he pulled his pants on and went to the patio door leading to the porch outside his bedroom.
Silently sliding the door open, he stepped out and immediately saw her standing at the edge of the porch. She was wrapped in the blanket staring up at the stars. The night sky was as clear as a bell tonight and the stars shone brightly.
Roman moved quietly over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him, he said in her ear, “You were gone when I woke up.”
Stevie turned her head. And kissed him quickly on the lips before turning back to the stars. “I’m sorry. I never meant to worry you. I woke up a little while ago and something told me I had to come out here and take a look at the heavens tonight.”
“Why is that?”
Stevie titled her head and peeked at him. “I’m not really sure but the stars are gorgeous tonight.”
“Silas told me you liked looking at them.”
Stevie nodded. “I do but that’s his own fault.”
Roman chuckled. “What do you mean, his fault?”
“Right after I ran from Caulder, Silas found me on the streets. I was trying to hide behind a dumpster but I wasn’t doing a very good job of it, apparently. He picked me up and took me to a place he knew I’d be safe. I was so sick and in so much pain at the time, I didn’t care what happened to me. Anyway, Silas began nursing me through it and every night he laid there with me and told me about the stars. He said they were our history for all eternity written in points of light, so everyone could see it. He told me of the constellations and that they were there to honor the Kings and Pharaohs, Queens and Princess’ of the past. He would tell me stories of how different the stars looked in different areas of the world too. What we might see here at home would look so much different in the deserts of Africa for instance.”
“So you learned to watch the stars from him huh?” Roman asked into her ear.
Stevie turned and looked into his face. “You know I didn’t go to school right? Well at that time in my life, I wanted to learn to read so badly, I could almost taste it. I mean I could read simple stuff but I wanted more. What I learned, I passed down to Benny and I wanted better than I had for him. He at least, had a chance at a real life.” Looking up to view the stars again, she continued, “I wanted to read stories of the people those stars represented. I wanted to read about Kings and Pharaohs. That was my dream anyway.”
“Did that dream change?”
Stevie nodded. “I guess I grew up. I had to put my childish dreams away.”
Roman smiled. “How old are you anyway?”
“I’m twenty four, I think.” She shrugged. “I really don’t know for sure because I never had a birth certificate. When my mother dropped me off at the church, they didn’t find any paperwork with me. She never even gave me a name or left hers.”
He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter. “You do know I’m almost twice your age right?”
Stevie shrugged. “So what? Age is just a number.” She turned and stared at him for a moment. “You do know, don’t you that me and Benny are here because we want to be, not because of what we can get from you, a nice place to live, food and money. You do know that, don’t you?”
Roman smiled. “Yeah, I do. My brothers know it too. If that’s all you wanted, you wouldn’t have stuck around. You would have just taken it and left.”
“My hearing or lack of hearing might always come between us,” she warned him. “Is that going to be a problem?”
Roman hugged her tighter before answering her question, “Do I wish you hadn’t been hurt that way, yes I do. You didn’t deserve it. Does it really make a difference in how I feel about you? Not really. We’ll both have to able to compromise at times. One thing we can do is get you checked out. Maybe the damage is permanent by this time or maybe, there is still something that can be done about it. But that’s for a later date. Right now, I want to take you back to bed and fuck you silly.”
Stevie laughed. “That sounds like fun.” Then she looked up to the skies again. “But can we do it out here? I’ve always wanted to make love under the stars.”
Roman growled and stripped the blanket off her shoulders. He was a bit surprised to find her bare underneath. But he quickly laid the blanket out and pulled her down to lay on the boards beneath their feet. He laid down and undid his jeans pulling them off. Then he pulled her on top of him.
Stevie rubbed her damp core along the length of his cock. It felt so heavenly. She never knew it could be like this. Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his and he took the kiss up another notch.
His hands grasped her breasts and began to squeeze and pull on her nipples.
Stevie gasped at the hint of pain but she wouldn’t have changed it for the world at the moment. Instead, she moaned and could feel herself get wetter yet. Reaching down, she positioned his cock and slid down on top of it.
Roman hissed as he filled her. Gripping her hips in his hard hands, he began moving her up and down on him. He raised her up and slammed her down on, pushing himself upward further with every stroke.
Stevie groaned and encouraged him with her movements. She didn’t feel the pain but instead, she felt only the pleasure he could give her. Her fingers curled into his chest getting tangled in his light chest hair. She threw her head back and looked up at the stars as she concentrated on feeling his possession. One, two three thrusts later, her body clamped down on him and he slammed up into her then just locked his muscles as he came inside her.
He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed the feeling of pleasure to wash over them both. Then he gathered her close to him and hugged her. “I’m never letting you go.” He picked her up and carried her inside to his bed. Tossing her down, he flopped down beside her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her hostage.
Stevie giggled then he covered her mouth with hers and there were no more sounds other than their kisses. When they both settled down, Roman closed his eyes but Stevie couldn’t. He’d said something last night she wanted to know more about. “Tell me about you brother.”
Roman froze. He didn’t open his eyes instead, he tried to move away from her, but she wouldn’t let him. He opened his eyes and just stared at her for a moment before he spoke, “I wasn’t sure you heard that part.”
“You said that your mother left you both behind. Why would she do that?” she asked quietly.
“You have to understand that we lived in poverty back then. It wasn’t easy to have two small children and no job. She tried but she just couldn’t do it any longer.”
“You said you were six and your brother was two when he disappeared.”
“Vlad had cried himself to sleep that day. We were both hungry and cold and I knew I had to do something. I left him there and went to see if I could find us something to eat. When I got back less than an hour later, I saw someone had busted down the door and he was gone. I was so scared that I didn’t stay there anymore. I looked for anyone who might have seen what happened but no one came forward. I searched the orphanages for him but he never was placed there. He simply disappeared. Every year, I would search the streets for him but I could never find him.”
“How could you?” Stevie asked. “He was so young when he was taken and children change so quickly.”
Roman rubbed his forehead briefly. “Vlad was a small kid back then but he was born with a birthmark unique to his father’s family. My mother always hid it I think because she never told the father he had a son.”
“Did she ever tell you who Vlad’s father was?”
Roman shook his head. “No and she never took him out in public either. Every time someone came to the house, she would make me take him in the bedroom and hide.”
“Could it have been his father that took him that day?” Stevie asked.
“I don’t know for sure who it was and it doesn’t make any difference at this point. All this happened years ago. All I can hope for is that he grew up in a good home with people who loved him. I doubt I’ll even see him again, but I can’t ever forget him either. He was a big part of my life for the first two years of his life.”
“So where do we go from here?” she asked.
“I want the whole works, “ he replied. “I want to be part of a family. That’s something I’ve never really had before. When I was young, I had my mom and a little brother and I want that back. I’ve seen my brothers find love and start their own families. Then I found you and Benny. I know you guys aren’t related but then neither am I to Yuri, Sazon, Mikial and Barshan but we are brothers.”
“It’s the same with me and Benny. Family doesn’t always mean sharing the same blood.”
“And I wouldn’t change that for anything. All I ask is the chance to have a family with the two of you.”
“I think we can handle that.” Stevie smiled.
“I hope so because I can’t let either of you go now.” Roman kissed her. “You belong with me now.”
“I think that will be ok with us.” Stevie nodded.
Roman looked at her and smiled. “And I want a baby with you, at least one, maybe more than one but I want to see my child growing inside you. I want to hold my son or daughter and I want to know that they are alive because I loved their mother.”
Stevie wrapped her hands around his face. “And their mother loves their father, so very much.”
“So you and Benny and our children will be my family?” he asked. “Do you promise?”
“I promise,” she vowed before she covered his mouth with her own in a kiss.