Present

My back hit the door, Roman’s body pinning mine with a gravity that made the rest of the world dissolve. The kiss was raw—weeks of suppressed hunger, grief, and unspoken promises pressed into one desperate clash of teeth and tongue. I melted against him, my fingers gripping his shoulders as if he were the only solid thing in a shifting universe.

"You like making me wait?" he rasped against my lips, his breath hot and ragged.

"I couldn't just—" My protest died into a sharp intake of breath as his hands found the hem of my skirt, his touch a scorching brand against my skin.

"Shh." His mouth claimed the sensitive skin of my throat, marking me with a fierce intensity. "You're mine now. For the rest of the day. I don't care what strings I had to pull to get you here."

Heat shot through me. I hated how much his possessiveness ignited a fire deep inside me, yet I craved the surrender. Without warning, he lifted me, setting me atop the wide, polished mahogany of his desk. Papers scattered like forgotten thoughts, but I could only focus on the green fire in his eyes.

He didn't wait for permission. He moved with a predatory grace, his presence overwhelming and absolute. As he claimed me, the world outside that locked door ceased to exist. There was only the rhythm of our hearts, the sharp edge of the desk against my back, and the intoxicating sensation of being completely, utterly possessed by him.

"Eyes on me, Savannah," he growled, his hand cupping my jaw, forcing me to meet his gaze. "You don't get to look away."

Tears of pure, overwhelming sensation blurred my vision, but I nodded, my breath hitching as the storm reached its peak. When the release finally came, it was violent and unstoppable, a tidal wave that left me breathless and trembling in his arms.

For a long moment, the only sound was our synchronized, heavy breathing filling the silence of the office.

"Long time no see, Sav," he whispered against my cheek, his voice thick with a rare, raw vulnerability.

I tightened my hold on him, leaning back slightly to see his face. "Welcome home, Roman."

He threw his head back and laughed—a deep, genuine sound that made me smile like a fool. He didn't pull away immediately; instead, he held me close, his forehead pressed to mine.

"Now you know how much I missed you," he murmured, his thumb brushing my swollen lower lip. "Stay with me. Rest. Everyone at your office thinks you're on a well-earned break. But you and I... we know the truth of how you spent your afternoon."

My cheeks burned, but I found my voice. "The truth?"

"That you were exactly where you belonged," he said with a smirk.

Then, with a baffling shift in tone that only Roman could pull off, he straightened his tie and looked at me as if he were checking his calendar. "Let me take you out for lunch. We’ll pretend we’re just friends for the rest of the day. What do you say?"

The absurdity of it nearly knocked the breath out of me. To go from that to casual lattes felt like swapping a thriller for a sitcom mid-scene.

"Friends?" I echoed, testing the word.

He shrugged, perfectly composed now. "Yeah. Friends have coffee. Friends stay out of trouble. Friends who happen to know exactly which parts of you are mine."

I couldn't help it. A short, stunned laugh escaped me. "Fine. Friends it is."

He kissed me once more—a gentle, lingering seal on our ridiculous compromise—before letting me go. I stumbled out of his office, hair untamed and skin humming, the image of us playing "friends" at a café making my head spin.

Oh, what a perfect day.