Roman opens the car door for me, helping me step inside. “If I didn’t have serious trust issues right now, I’d call a car to take us to dinner.”

I laugh. “I think it makes a great story. First date in ten years with a badass army man and you take me out in a minivan.”

“Great story for the kids?” he asks, winking.

Roman wasn’t kidding about not holding back. That’s the second time he’s brought up future kids. It’s something we used to talk about a lot. Even as teenagers, we knew we wanted a big family. Roman didn’t have anyone growing up—he had to start taking care of his mom from a young age. He often lived without power and had to stretch food as long as it would last, if he got anything at all.

It’s been a dream of his to raise a family of his own and do it right, give his kids the opportunities and love he never had. I’m almost surprised he didn’t find someone in these ten years and start a family. It would have killed me if I ever learned of him having a child with another woman.

I didn’t know how to act after this morning in the hotel room. He healed my broken heart. That only gives him more opportunity to break it again. I don’t know where we’ll go from here, but my feelings are too strong to stuff back into the box. Every touch sends electricity racing along my skin. Every look sends my heart galloping and stomach somersaulting. Every sweet promise pushes me closer to handing him my heart and never looking back.

I couldn’t deny Roman this night when I wanted it just as badly. Having a real, grownup date with him is something we never had the opportunity to do. Tonight, in my mind, we’re a couple. A couple with a future. A couple so undeniably in love, others want to be close just to capture some of the magic. Tomorrow could bring me misery, but tonight I’ll pretend this is the life we should have had.

The valet’s lips twitch when they watch tall and muscular Roman fold himself out of the minivan. He grumbles as he hands over the keys—but smiles when he takes my hand. He stops me just in front of the doors and spins me toward him, brushing hair from my face.

“My girl is the most beautiful girl in the world,” he says before a sweet kiss lands on my lips. “Let’s finally have a proper date.”

We’re seated in a circular booth, giving us the illusion of privacy. We scoot all the way in, sitting right next to each other with our bodies touching. His hand lands on my thigh, rubbing up and down my skin.

“If you keep doing that,” I whisper in his ear, teasing the shell with my tongue. “I’ll leave a wet spot on the seat. I’m not wearing panties.”

A quiet groan escapes his lips, and his hand clenches around my thigh. After a moment, his hand drags up my inner thigh, running a single finger along my slit before moving inside of me. I gasp, clutching the table in front of me. I try to compose myself as the waiter appears to fill the water glasses.

“Your best red,” Roman requests, his voice undeniably husky and turned on, his fingers still inside me.

The waiter nods before walking away. Before I can reach an orgasm, Roman slides his finger out, bringing it to his lips and sucking the tip. “Just wanted another little taste.” A shiver run up my spine at his wink. He leans in, kissing me and running his tongue along mine. He breaks the kiss and whispers against my neck. “Later.”

I take a large drink of water, calming my nerves and cooling down my body. The passion between us is off the charts. I can’t keep my hands off of him, and after this morning, the intense connection we shared, it’s even worse. I want him all the time.

“Tell me about the last ten years, Sugar.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” he says. “Before I made my mistakes, I knew every thought that passed through your head. I want you to catch me up on the last ten years, and I promise I’ll never miss another one after tonight.”

“Roman.”

He softly kisses my lips. “No, tonight is ours. Don’t. I get it. We need to talk about what tonight will mean, but not tonight. Tonight is ours.”

“I don’t know if I remember every thought I had over the last decade,” I chuckle.

“Start from your family.”

I shake my head. “It was horrible, Roman. I couldn’t drive after that girl answered your door and said those awful things.” Roman growls, but I continue before he has a chance to say anything. “Santiago got me a plane ticket and arranged to have my car shipped home. He was too good to me. I can’t believe––no, not doing that tonight, either. My friend Daniel was with me through the entire thing.”

“Is that who you were with at the funeral? The guy with his arm around you?”

I hear the underlying jealousy. Even though it shouldn’t, a thrill shoots through me. “Yeah.”

“I don’t remember you mentioning a friend named Daniel.”

“I met him the day after our phone call.” I avoid using the words, left me. We’re starting over and forgiving for every mistake. “We met outside of the community college. I was supposed to be starting a fashion course for high schoolers. I was outside crying and he was kind to me.”

“Probably because he wanted to get in your pants,” Roman mumbles, letting his jealousy rise to the surface.

“It wasn’t like that. At least not in the beginning. He was with me during the whole ordeal, then shortly after the funeral and reading of the will, he tried to kiss me. I denied his advances, and he disappeared. I’ve never seen him again. Santiago was thrilled, he hated him.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sure that wasn’t easy after everything you lost. Santiago was a smart man, I’m glad Daniel never got too close to you. If Santiago hated him, it was for a reason.”

“It wasn’t easy,” I answer, allowing a little of the pain to seep in.

“Did you live with Santiago?”

I nod. “Santiago kept the money from my parents in a trust for me. He paid for everything—college, my car. He left the money untouched. I only got it after he died. It wasn’t much, but I used it to start my store.”

“What wasn’t much?” Roman asks.

“The money my parents left. There wasn’t a lot, but it helped me start my dream without getting a loan.”

“Hold on,” Roman says. “I’m confused. Your parents didn’t leave you with a large sum?”

“No,” I answer, confused. “Why?”

“Sugar, your parents were loaded. Where did all the money go?”

“That was all the money,” I say slowly.

“You’re telling me you only had enough to start your store?”

“Yes,” I answer, still confused. I never thought about how much they left behind. I was in too much pain for too long to consider if it matched our wealth.

“So, you’re only living off your store’s income?” Roman shifted from my sexy date into investigator. He’s looking at me directly in the eye with one eyebrow cocked, asking these questions. He looks like he’s searching for the lie in my words.

“Yes,” I answer again, frustration starting to rise.

“Fuck,” he whispers. “I’m sorry. That just surprised me, and it doesn’t seem accurate. Your dad taught me how to balance a checkbook and pay my bills with his accounts. Babe, you should have a lot more money. I thought you were just saving or investing it, living within your means. I didn’t understand why you were in such a small apartment, but I didn’t question it.”

“Do you think Santiago did something with their money?”

He shakes his head vigorously. “No, he wouldn’t do that. He obviously did things that neither one of us thought he could do, but betray your family? Never. Besides, his bank accounts made your parents look like they had an average income. How much did he leave you?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Nothing.”

“He left you nothing?”

“Yeah. I didn’t think anything of it or expect him to. Just the trust from my parents was transferred to me.”

“Harper, he left me five million dollars and I was just some street kid he got a kick out of helping.”

I feel my eyes bulge from their sockets. Five million dollars?

“You were more than just a street kid to him. He cared for you, you know that.”

Roman sighs, exasperated for a reason I don’t understand. “Yeah, I know he did. But, you and Sadie were everything to him. You were all he had left. He was all you had left, and he left you nothing? Something isn’t right about that. The money he left me was a drop in the bucket of his fortune.”

“I don’t understand,” I say. “I wasn’t even invited to the reading of his will. I don’t know who was. I assume Rafael?”

“No,” Roman insists, shaking his head. “I don’t think Santiago gave a flying fuck about him. This doesn’t make sense.”

I’m becoming uncomfortable with the topic, so I try to change the subject. I don’t know why he didn’t leave anything for me, I’ve never found it odd. “When did you find out about Santiago?”

“About a month after it happened. I was overseas at the time, working an operation with limited communication.”

I nod, unsure of what to say of these tragic consequences we’ve suffered. Roman runs a hand over his face. I know the money is going to weigh on his mind, but I wish it wouldn’t. I’m doing fine. I started my dream, it was a final gift from my family.

The tension evaporated from my body when he starts in on his next line of questions. None were as hard as the ones we just crossed. I told him everything from starting my store to meeting Savannah and Val to being terrified after Savannah was attacked. He told me about meeting Kiernan and Caleb and the years they served together. He used Santiago’s money to start his company, and he’s invested the rest.

We eat our way through three full courses before heading back to the house. Now we’re curled together on a hammock underneath the stars. We’re living in the fantasy of being together. The three words that would change everything haven’t passed through our lips, but we’re speaking as if forever is guaranteed.

“Would it be hard for you to relocate to Texas?”

“No, Sugar. I’d move here in an instant. Just the say the word. It wouldn’t be hard at all.”

We lapse back into silence, enjoying the breeze playing over our skin.

“I think a small wedding like Savannah and Liam’s would be perfect.”

“I think I’d want to go to the courthouse. I’m not sure I could handle walking down the aisle without my dad.” I let the tears fall, curling into Roman’s body.

He kisses the top of my head. “He would be so proud of you. Sadie and your mom, too. God, they would love to see your shop.”

I nod, unable to speak.

“Anywhere you want, baby. Courthouse, a beach, anything. Just as long as you promise to say I do.” He shrugs. “Though if you don’t, I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth until you agree to be mine.”

I laugh, wiping away the last of the tears. “You might be hard to explain to my future husband.”

Roman tickles my sides, bringing me even closer to him. He stops tickling me, running his hands up and down my side.

“Harper,” he breathes, his eyes roaming over my face. “I’m not letting tonight end without you agreeing to take this one day at a time.”

“Roman,” I begin, but he cuts me off.

“I fucking love you, Harper. I never stopped loving you. I’ll love you every single day of my life. I will do anything you need me to do in order to finally, truly forgive me. Every single damn day I’ll prove that I’m the only man who will treat you as well as I will. Anything you want, Sugar, I’ll give it to you. I know I need to earn your trust, and I will. I swear to you. I’ll earn it and keep fucking earning it. I don’t expect anything back except for you to agree to take this one day at a time with me. I want those one days to add up to a lifetime together.”

Tears burn my eyes as I stare into his earnest ones, silently begging me to agree.

“Roman.”

He cuts me off again. “Fuck. You’re going to say no. I vow to you, I will be the man you need me to be. Want me to build you a house that’s mostly just a huge closet to keep all your clothes and shoes? I’ll do it with my own hands. Want me to slay an army? I’ll do it. Want me to move to Texas? Done. I’ll only go back to Tennessee to get your ring.”

“Roman, stop.”

“Fuck,” he mutters, staring at me. The gold flecks in his eyes are shining brightly.

“I don’t want to take this one day at a time.”

“Harper—”

I cut him off with a kiss to his lips. “I want a lifetime. I love you, Roman Marx. I’ve loved you since you ran into that locker staring at me when you didn’t think I saw you. I saw you. I’ve always seen you.”

Roman’s hands tangle in my hair, bringing my face down to his, kissing me passionately and filling me with ten years of lost love, and the promise of a lifetime.