Sinful Kisses by Emily Bowie

CHAPTER 16

The next month goes by fast, and each day has become more of a routine. We finish farm chores, and together we make dinner. The few hours between the two, we sit outside, hanging out together. It’s natural, like this is where I’m supposed to be.

Currently, the boys are sparring while I sit and watch. Romeo has his shirt off. A light coating of sweat has gathered on his shoulders.

“I want to learn,” I call out, causing Romeo to become distracted, and Max tosses him to the ground.

“Why?” Romeo asks.

I could come up with some lie, but I can tell Romeo notices when I don’t give the whole truth. His whole body tenses each time.

“Because this place is super shady. I’m realizing it may be a life skill.”

“I’m going to get some water.” Max helps Romeo up before he heads inside. Whenever I ask questions, Max makes himself disappear.

Romeo studies me before responding, “Well, come on.” He tilts his head for me to join him on the ground.

I expect him to show me how to hold up my hands in fists, but instead, he grabs me, twisting my hand back. His front is flush to my back, and I’m restrained, unable to move.

“What’s so shady?” His breath tickles my neck.

“It’s a pig farm, and cars show up randomly at night.”

“Hook your leg here and your hand like this.” He begins to show me how to get out of his hold. I do as he says, but he’s able to put me on my back, still at his mercy. “So, I’m still the monster you see me as in your head?” He holds me tighter. “Move your feet to hook on mine, then wrap your arm around my neck to pull.” Successfully, I pull him down. “Don’t do this hard, but jam your palm into my eye and pretend to knee me.” I do as he says, and my body is now flush against his as I try to put as little pressure on his stomach as possible.

“I’ve never said you’re a monster. Cocky and conceited, with a tinge of sweetness.”

“Careful calling me sweet—it might go to my head.”

“It’s already big. The compliment will squeeze in without it being noticed.”

“Oh, it’s noticed.” A crooked smile splays across his lips, and the air surrounding us thickens.

“I’m starting to realize I’m used to shady stuff. I’m not scared, and the sight of blood doesn’t bother me. There’s no reason for me to know how to stitch up a wound, but I do. I fit into the world you’re trying to shield me from. And I do it better than you.”

He moves, pinning my thighs down with his body.

“I’m trying to protect you. I don’t want the ugly parts of my life to touch you.”

“What if I don’t want to be shielded?”

“Trust me, you prefer pretending it doesn’t exist.”

“That may have been the old me.”

Neither of us has made any effort to move from our position. His hand slides from the back of my thighs, over my ass, to the small of my back. Goose bumps explode on my exposed skin from his touch.

“I’m stronger than anyone gives me credit for,” I whisper.

“I know. You just never wanted the credit before.”

I can feel him harden under me. Our faces are a mere breath away. My chest is rising and falling faster than I can control. His thumb strokes over my shirt before it slips under to touch my skin. The gentle touch elicits a zap of electricity I have a hard time ignoring. A soft shudder runs through my body that Romeo doesn’t miss. His smile grows larger. I move to get up, but he puts pressure on me to stay.

“I know you feel it too.” He aligns his mouth with my ear. I forget why I’m fighting this attraction we have. “I’m going to make you fall in love with me, again. It’s a promise.”

His hand slides off my body, and I pull away. I want him to make good on his promise. I want him to chase me. The realization slams into me. Romeo stands, grabbing my wrist, pulling me back into him. He leans in to kiss my cheek. His lips linger longer than they should, but I don’t protest. Instead, I stand a little lost in my own head.

“Why did I fall in love with you the first time?” I hate asking. I can hear my vulnerability in the question.

“I always protect what’s mine. With me, you won’t be silenced but will have a place at my side and never behind me.” His answer seems too deep for him. “Oh, and my kissing game will make you want to fuck me,” he adds almost as an afterthought.

His comment cuts through the tension I was feeling. Looking into his eyes, I see there is a fierce determination in them. When he turns to go inside, I allow the smile that was fighting to come through. Deep inside, his saying sounds familiar, like I’ve heard him say it before. Apparently, I like his cocky attitude.

“You and Maxever race those pigs with you on their backs?” I’m spraying water into their water trough during our chores.

“No.”

“Why not?”

Romeo stops what he’s doing and lifts a seemingly annoyed eyebrow. “Believe it or not, this farm isn’t my life goal.”

“Then why are we here?”

Indecision fights in his eyes, and I’m prepared for him to ignore my question and to keep working. “For now, it’s a means to an end.”

“What is the goal?”

He rubs at the back of his neck, watching the pigs. Max’s whistling is heard in the background, signaling he’s heading into the butcher shop.

“Hey, Max,” Romeo calls. His brother lifts his head, turning directions to come toward us.

“Gia wants to race a pig against me.”

Max looks to the pigs, then to me, laughing. “Why am I not surprised?” His smile is big, and no doubt I’ll be forced to get onto the back of one of those dirty animals. “Let’s saddle her up!”

My feet take a step back. “All I asked was if you two have raced. Not that I wanted to.”

“Gia, let’s face it. You need to let go of your city side and embrace the farm,” Max replies, climbing up on the fence, and Romeo does the same.

“Which one are you picking?” Romeo glances over his shoulder, giving me his annoyingly handsome, cocky smile.

“Do I need to remind you that I almost had my hand eaten off by one of those things?” I’m not getting on the back of a hairy, smelly beast. No way. I would rather stitch up a dying man than that.

“I can’t decide if I should get that sleeping one over there, or just say fuck it and jump on that mean one there,” Romeo informs me.

I take a step closer, straining my neck to see which two he’s talking about. “What do I get out of it, if I do this?” Before Romeo can say a typical arrogant comment, I add, “Do not say anything sexual.”

Both he and Max chuckle at my expense. “Get your head out of the gutter, Rossi. I know you’re always thinking about me in that way, but control yourself. My brother is right here.” He makes a play to cover Max’s ears. “He has virgin ears, you know.”

Max pushes Romeo off the fence, and he lands on a sleeping pig. The pig tries to shake him off before he’s up and running around the pen like a crazy hog.

Climbing onto the fence, I hold on to the top metal bar while my feet climb their way up, wanting a better, unobstructed view. “He’s showing off for you. But don’t tell him I told you that,” Max says in a low voice while looking at his brother. I climb up higher, sitting on the top part next to him. “He fucking hates this place, but he’s roughing it for you.”

I turn to ask what that even means, but he pushes me off and into the dusty pen. My heart rate jumps like a rocket. All I can see are the pigs’ eyes on me. Then they’re running around me in a circle. Refusing to think about a death by pigs, I jump onto the back of one running past me and hold on for dear life. The squeal coming from it makes it sound like it’s dying.

I can hear Max laughing. Romeo is yelling curse words, but I can’t see either of them. I focus all of my attention on holding on for dear life. It’s almost impossible. My feet are dragging behind, and all I can imagine is one of those pigs trying to eat my toes. My arm muscles burn from my tight grip before the pig tosses me into a large mud pit beside a sleeping pig. I open my mouth to scream, but mud assaults my taste buds before I can make any sound. I’m covered in the goo from head to toe.

My arms are being pulled to help me stand. Mud hangs off my eyelashes, making it hard to see. Warm hands wipe at my face before I chance opening my eyes once again. Romeo is in front of me, removing the mud from my cheeks. He’s smiling in a way I had yet to see. Max is no longer on the fence, leaving Romeo and me surrounded by pigs.

“I think we just found our reason why we never did that before,” he says, his hands brushing down my arms. A layer of mud falls off me, but I’m still covered.

My heart is pounding, but now it’s for an entirely new reason. The way Romeo is looking at me has my body wanting him to touch me. His green eyes are light and look hooded. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up.”

He holds my hand, leading us out of the pen. I allow our fingers to stay interconnected, not wanting to lose the connection. Instead of leading us toward the house, he walks toward the back of the barn, where I see what looks like a very open, outdoor shower.

“We’re not tracking mud into the house.”

As he takes off his shirt, my mouth turns dry. He is a sight to behold. His stomach muscles flex beautifully as he twists to turn on the water. I watch, frozen as he undoes his pants and pushes them down to his ankles.

His boxers are snug around him, highlighting the outline of his cock. When he lifts his head, he catches me staring at him.

“You remembering you like what you see?” he teases.

Hesitantly, I lift my mud-ridden shirt from my body. The material clings to me like a second skin until I rip it over my head. I look around, only to see pigs.

“Max won’t be stepping outside anytime soon. Trust me.” Romeo’s tone is husky and deep with an edge. I believe Max will be hiding until the sun goes down.

My thumbs slip into my pants and drag them down with force. The smell from the mud has me wanting them off faster.

When I get them off, Romeo is standing in the shower, naked. His muscular ass is on full display for my viewing. I slip into the spray, and he moves a step away to give me more room. Our bodies are almost touching as we both bask in the warm, clean water running down our bodies.

My face lifts to the spray, and it feels amazing. I can feel the mud sliding off my skin. When I open my eyes, he’s watching me, and I try to keep from looking at him, but I want to look down and see all of him.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” His voice has a new roughness to it. One that causes my heart to flutter.

My gaze falls, and his dick is hard, touching his stomach. I swallow at the same time as his fingers lift my eyes back to his. My feet step forward, and his arms hold on to my waist. The water cascades down our sides, missing our faces except for the occasional splash.

His touch on my hips awakens the rest of my body. Every nerve is aware of how close he is. His presence towers over me, making it seem like we’re the only two who exist in the world.

He leans down, his lips pressing against mine. At first, it’s hesitant, then becomes demanding as he puts the power he exudes in all facets of life into this kiss. My arms go around his neck, welcoming his touch. His cock bumps into me as Romeo closes the distance between us.

His hands skim my torso and back. Our tongues massage each other, twirling to find their natural rhythm. He explores my body, and I moan into his mouth. It feels amazing, lighting up my desire to have him touch me more. His hand tweaks my nipple through my wet bra, and I wish I had taken it off. Then his other hand is pressing against my panties. His fingers slide up and down the fabric, teasing me.

My body needs more, my hands threading through his longer hair. His dick feels smooth against my stomach. I want to touch it, but Romeo is doing too good of a job touching me. His finger slides through my folds, my panties a barrier between him and me. My legs shake at the sensations running through me. Greed has my muscles moving to Romeo’s pace, my core happy to take anything he’s giving me.

My hands use his strong shoulders to help me stay standing as he pulls me closer to an orgasm. My breathing is coming out hard, and our kiss has not stopped. When he slips past my panties, his fingers entering me as his thumb presses against my clit, my orgasm explodes out of me.

“Alfonso!” I’m calling out. My back slams against the shower wall, and Romeo’s hand is around my neck. His hands squeeze my throat hard enough to pull me out of my stupor, realizing I just called out someone else’s name.

His nostrils flare, his eyes frighteningly dark. His whole stance is rigid as he glares at me. His fingers make it hard to breathe, and my hands come to his, wanting to be free.

“Never call me another man’s name,” he grits out, his jaw tight with anger.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. You’re scaring me,” I whisper.

His hands let go of me like my skin has burned him, and he stomps away from me. I watch him walk away, naked.

Who the hell is Alfonso?