Page 35 of Catch Me (Becoming Us #4)

“Yeah, I will. It’s just a couple more days and I’ll have, like, a week with them. Trust me, we’ll all be tired of each other by that point. Unless you don’t want that,” he added quickly. “I’m sure you’re gonna be with family or something.”

Pressing my lips to his, I kissed him until I was confident that he was done saying stupid shit.

When he put pressure on my chest, I moved back, allowing him to guide me until I was on my back.

His weight pressed down on my legs, and I had to fight the urge to touch his hard cock, which rested against mine through our pants.

“So, are you?” he asked.

“Am I what?”

When he pulled back, there was an amused smirk on his face. “Gonna be with family. Did you already forget what I said?”

“No, I responded in my head and forgot to do it out loud.”

The way he smiled made me want to devour his lips. I craved his taste and the sounds he made when we kissed. My mind conjured an image of his face if I were to wrap my fingers around his cock right now.

Would every trace of his attitude fall away with the crumbling of his defenses? It felt like that was a state he’d reached at this moment.

His nervousness was clear, but he wasn’t freaking out or pushing me away. In fact, he was doing the opposite. He wanted to stay longer and he was asking me if he could—not once, but twice .

Damn, I still hadn’t answered him.

“I’m leaving Monday afternoon,” I said. “Going to see my dad.”

He groaned when my teeth sunk into his plump lower lip. I was going to tell him he could stay if he wanted to, but I wanted to hear him bring it up again. I enjoyed this stripped-down version of him.

As my fingers traveled up his solid abdomen, his breath stuttered. I slowly kissed along his jaw toward his ear. My lips dragged over his stubble, and the rough sensation made more blood rush to my cock.

His hips moved, then he paused. I worried that he was beginning to freak out, but suddenly, he dipped his face into my neck and licked my skin, followed by an open-mouthed kiss against my pulse point.

He continued to go lower—my shoulder, my collarbone, my chest, and my abs.

My back arched a little when he traced the line of my pelvis all the way to my waistband.

“Roman,” I breathed. He went for the button on my jeans, but I took his hands. “No sex.”

“Oh.”

He looked so disappointed, and I was terrified that he’d revert into his shell, so I gripped his fingers tightly. When he finally looked at me, I smiled.

“Not tonight. I’m not in a rush. That being said, I have no self-control and I’m not a ‘take it slow’ kind of guy, but I’m trying not to be completely impulsive the very same day we’ve established we have feelings for each other.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “You have feelings for me?”

“Clearly. Do you want me to say it louder?”

“Sure, for the people in the back.”

Clutching the back of his neck, I tugged on him so that he was above me. “I like you, Roman, and it may be very early, but I want to take a chance on this if you do.”

“I do,” he whispered.

“In that case, maybe we can take the next few days to feel it out.”

His eyes lit up. “You’re okay with me staying?”

“I was going to make you beg, but...”

“You’re impatient.”

“Beyond.” With a sigh, I looked toward the door.

“I want to stay here and kiss you until I’m too tired to keep my eyes open, but I want us both to have a minute to think.

Plus...” My hands slid up to his shoulders, then around to his back.

His muscles flexed and I nearly abandoned all reason.

“I’ll stop saying no at a certain point, and that’s not healthy. ”

He smirked down at me. “I didn’t expect Travis McKinney to have such a toxic side.”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “I’m not toxic. I’m easily seduced and quick to become attached. Since I’m self-aware of those things and actively working against them, I’d say I’m not being toxic, thank you very much.”

“Yeah, yeah. What’s on the agenda, then?”

My lips pulled to the side as I thought about it. “I could go for a nap.”

“Really?”

The way he looked nervous made me cock my head. “What is it?”

“Nothing.”

Before he could pull his shutdown routine, I ran my fingers through his hair, then tightened them in the strands. “Don’t hide from me, Roman.”

He swallowed hard. “It’s awkward, I guess. My old girlfriend...”

When he stopped talking, I smiled a little. After a minute, he looked at me again.

“It’s stupid,” he muttered.

“If it is, I still wanna hear it.”

“She’d get pissy if I didn’t stay the night, but I hated every second of it. Could never sleep.”

“You think that’s how you’ll feel?”

“No,” he said immediately, grabbing onto my arm as if he thought I was gonna run off.

“Hm. Well, I’m more hungry than tired, so get off your ass, you lazy bum.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I become a bitch when I don’t eat,” I interrupted. When I got to my feet, he sat up. “Trust me, you don’t want to see that.”

“Did your grandpa have a weird hick phrase for that too?”

“Hick.” I scoffed. “Now I don’t want to say.”

Scooting to the edge of the bed, he took my hips in both hands. I let him tug me forward, already feeling my resolve falling to bits .

“I’m so hungry, I could eat the north end of a south-bound polecat.”

He erupted in laughter, dropping his forehead against my stomach. “That can’t be a real saying.”

“Oh, it is.”

“Do you like Texas?” he asked suddenly.

I considered the question for a moment. While I thought about it, I put my hands over his, making him apply more pressure to my hips.

When he yanked me closer, I tried to catch myself, but he twisted, dropping me onto my back.

With him staring down at me, shirtless and with his biceps flexing, I was tempted to stay in this position until the weekend was over.

“Answer the question.”

“I love Texas,” I replied, diverting my attention to his chest as I ran my fingers down it.

“Tell me more.”

“Why?”

“I have to know.”

“What do you have to know, Roman?” I asked somewhat teasingly.

“Everything.” His lips gently touched mine, and he inhaled deeply.

“Some of the people leave a lot to be desired, and it has a slew of other problems, but Texas raised me. I was never dying to get out and I don’t really care if I live there again, but it’s home, and it’ll always be in my blood.”

“You don’t resent it? After everything?”

“Dumont’s reach extends to the entire country. It happens here just as much as it does there. In other places, it just exists more subtly.”

“Hate has no zip code.” He seemed sad as he pulled back.

“Neither does love.” I stood with him, brushing his sharp cheekbone. “You might be surprised how many incredible people there are, even in places like where I grew up.”

“You came from there, so I guess I believe it.”

Lightly, I smacked his chest. “Come on. I’m gonna order tacos.”

I watched him pull on his shirt, wondering if tacos were actually essential. After he pulled his head through, he smirked at me.

“You’re not ordering shit,” he said .

“I told you I’m starving.”

“I’ll make tacos.”

Following him down the hall, I narrowed my eyes at his back. “Excuse me?”

He turned around, walking backward into the kitchen. “You don’t think I can cook, huh?”

“I don’t really know,” I admitted. “Can you?”

“Some things. My abuela lived with us when my parents were together. Until she died when I was eight. But I used to cook with her, and my dad is actually pretty good too. He learned from her.”

“Well, I guess I’ll give you one chance to prove yourself, Senor Valdez. Luis makes some mean tacos, so my standards are high.”

He shot me a reproachful look, but there was amusement in his eyes. As he browsed through the fridge, I leaned against the counter, watching him.

“So, do you speak Spanish?”

He barely glanced at me. “Poquito.”

“Mm, enough to say sexy things to me, I hope.”

I saw his cheeks darken, and I had to pull my lip between my teeth to keep from jumping on him. Even if he felt awkward or embarrassed, he wasn’t running off, so I didn’t feel bad about teasing him a little. He seemed to like it, though I knew he’d never admit it.