ROME My eyes were tired, but my mind was running a mile and constantly visiting the viridian-eyed woman, my fiancee. She looked striking in a dark purple dress, wearing my ring, while I chose a dark blue suit that perfectly matched hers. Our photoshoot for the official engagement photo and announcement came out quickly. The pictures were well-shot. And I was beyond satisfied with the outcome. It was myself the whole time— the in-love Rome Langston, and everything went well. “You did a great job.” “Was that a compliment, Your Royal Highness?” “I saw the picture, Rome. You both really look in love. Your eyes and hers while you were staring at each other. Who knows you were faking it?” You haven’t the slightest clue. “You’re telling me that I could be a great actor?” “My wife just rolled her eyes at me. I’m gonna spank her pretty ass later.” He laughed out loud. “TMI, dude.” “Did you just call me dude?” I laughed with him. “I was not faking it, Prince Thayer.” “You know, you
ROME “Thank you for coming with me.” Prince Thayer glanced at me as I sat with him in the backseat. “Anytime.” He then smiled as if he had read my mind. “Or you miss your friends back home.” I met him in the eye. “They are my brothers. We are still brothers whether I see them every day or once a year.” He nodded in understanding. “I have a pretty good idea. Ash and Lud are like brothers to me, too.” “Yeah. You three are pretty tight.” “True. Three peas in a pod.” “So they helped you kidnap your wife?” “Yeah. We stick together even in my stupidest actions.” He laughed, meeting Ash’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “I have a fair share.” I smiled as I recalled how my best friends told me I was an idiot and had the dumbest idea to plot revenge against Carly. Ash cleared his throat. He was our driver for today to the Polo game. Prince Thayer was the guest of honor, and my company was one of the sponsors. “You have something to say, Ash?” “We didn’t actually have a choice at that
CARLY It had been a month since our engagement. Today the Caprean celebrated the newly crowned King Isodore III and my mother, the Queen, Queen Aimbrose. There was a lot to celebrate. My also brother became the heir apparent, and my fiance secured the ten-year contract deal for the housing project and a football dome. As for me, I was well-received by the people, thankfully. I got their respect back. My duty became one of the most important things I had ever had. Despite many good things happening around me, there was only one thing I couldn’t fully have— Rome was slipping off my fingers. He utterly changed— he was the complete opposite of the man I met months ago, as if I didn’t know him anymore. He always came home late and was still asleep when I went to work. We barely talked. I knew his company was flourishing, but he just changed. He became cagey and secretive. And I was losing all hope and option I had left. “Are you okay?” my brother asked me. He looked dazzling in
CARLY “What’s that supposed to mean, Carly?” His voice turned cold and stiff. I was pissing him off. Well, good for him. “I don’t know, Langston. Try asking yourself in the mirror.” “I thought you don’t care where I go, what I do.” His tone softened. He blew a breath. “Damn right, I don’t.” I looked at him again, scowling. “Anything else?” He shook his head, frowning. “Nothing.” He sighed one more time before he turned. Then he paused and faced me again. “You know what? This is bullshit. I’ve been patient, but you seemed to have enjoyed avoiding me too much. I’d never met anyone who loved her work so much that she forgot she had a fiance waiting for her. I mean, I also work hard, but what I’m doing is for us, for our future, but I still think about you all the time. But I don’t know about you, Storm.” He wallowed hard before he licked his lips. He stood there wallowing in pain, and I just broke my heart over and over again. “Maybe this is a mistake. Maybe you should marry Domeon.
ROME I knew this day would come when your own making would bite you back in the ass. And it was happening right now, and I couldn’t do anything to avoid it. I still fought the urge with every bit of my sanity left not to carry her, throw her in the bed, and do what had been in my head that drove me crazy for two months. And I have been celibate since— when she was about to reach her ecstasy, I teased her some more and then let her come around my tongue and licked her dry. And maybe I began making her ache again until she begged me to fuck her. But before that, I would feast her first. I missed her taste, body, lips wrapped around me, and tight, warm pussy. All I did in the bathroom was jacked off— I was fully loaded all the time, and every time I saw her sweet ass swaying before me, her pert tits and nipples hardening as if she was cold or remembering naughty things we did together, I had to think of something nasty. Right now, she just joined me in bed and slipped into my duvet a
CARLY Since I met Rome, I learned a few things in the kitchen. I could now make sandwiches and boil water without burning the whole kitchen down. I could make an omelet and pasta sauce. I finally put the food processor to good use. “Hey. Are you going out tonight?” I called him out from the kitchen. He had changed to casual from the suit he had worn earlier before work. Yeah, we finally had a good conversation. We were not really back like how we used to be, and we had not slept together, but we were getting there. And I was happy with that. “Yeah. Did I forget to tell you?” He seemed to think about it. “You don’t tell me shit, Romare.” I continued stirring the sauce in the pot. “Whoa.” He arched a brow. “We talked about using words, Carlott Laylin Jemaine Storm Gattewarde Braynburd. And you just called me by the name you hate.” “I don’t hate your name. And next month, I will hyphenate Langston.” I tapped the wood ladle a little bit stronger on the pot. “Will the palace allow
ROME“So, this permanent now, huh? Are you planning on taking dual citizenship?”“Zee, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m happy for you and Heera.” I hugged him one more time.“You can still call me if you need me.”“Unless you and Heera want to have a family in Winterbourn, then I can hire you back. But right now, focus your time on her. We’ll be there on your wedding day.”“And you will be married at that time.”“Yup. Twenty days feels like twenty years.”His smile turned into a grin. “I can relate, brother.”“You two are done with heart-to-heart? We’re gonna be late for our flight.” Cade walked past us, climbing into the jet.“Go, and I know you miss your princess. Say hi to me, and tell her to take care of you.”“I will, bro.”“Safe flight.”I worked on my laptop during the flight. Cade decided to take a nap since he’d been up all day. He just came from a successful kidnap rescue mission.I met with Linden, Sax, and Kye earlier, and it was hard to leave them behind, but they wo
CARLY “What took them so long to find him?” I yelled at Seth. He came over to the cabin the moment I called him that Rome was in trouble. “I already sent them where he is stranded.” Time was running out for Rome, it had been forty-five minutes, and I had not heard the good news. “Calm down, Princess. They’re doing their best to get there in time. The storm is getting stronger, and it’s difficult for them to go by air, and the road was blocked by snowfall.” “So you’re telling me my fiance is gonna die out there?” I picked up my phone and put on my coat. “I’ll go find him myself.” “That’s the worse idea.” He blocked my way. “Do you think he’s gonna let you go out there and risk your life?” “Well, good thing he’s not here.” I glared at him. He was tall and bulky, like a Viking warrior, and he could just throw me over his shoulder and stuff me in the closet if he wanted to. “Just give them a few more minutes.” “And then what? Rome is already frozen the moment they get there.” “I’