Rick turned. “The things I do in the name of love,” he said, and disappeared down the steps, muttering to himself the entire way.
The next twenty-four hours. The words reverberated in Charlotte’s brain as she shut the door behind Rick and turned to face Roman. “Dare I ask where you plan on hiding out for the next day?”
Twenty-four hours, she thought once more. A long, long time for two people to remain incommunicado. Alone, together. Was that all the time they had left? Or did Roman have something different in mind?
“Your bed was pretty cozy. Of course, it would be more cozy if you were in there with me.”
Once again her heart picked up a frantic rhythm. “Tell me about Washington.”
He held out his hand, and next thing she knew, he led her back into the bedroom until they were comfortably settled on her frilly double bed. As comfortable as she could be with sexual awareness and anticipation humming between them and a soft mattress beckoning.
“Washington’s hot and humid already. It’s a great place to live. Fun, upbeat.”
“Are you planning on switching your home base? Leaving New York City for Washington, D.C.?”
“The job offer was for an editorial position, but then I wouldn’t have the freedom—”
“To travel?” she guessed, sensing by his tone he’d turned the well-known paper down.
“Yup. I want to be able to work from a laptop. Editorial is too much desk-sitting and I’d need to be available for the people working under me.”
She gnawed on the inside of her cheek. “I can see where being stuck in D.C. wouldn’t suit you. You being used to world travel and huge stories and all.”
“I’ve gotten used to you.” Taking her by surprise, he brushed one finger down her cheek. “I can’t very well be stuck behind a desk in D.C. if you’ve got a business to run here.”
She was confused and frustrated and hopeful at the same time. Most of all, she was sick of him talking in circles without making a point she could grab on to. In a move that shocked even her, she managed to take Roman down, pinning his shoulders onto the bed and straddling his waist. “Let’s try this again, and try English this time. Did you or did you not take the job?”
He stared at her wide-eyed, obviously amused and, from the feel of his erection between her thighs, very aroused. “I didn’t take the editorial job.”
She picked up on his subtle nuance. “Which job did you take?”
“The one for op-ed columnist. They were very impressed with a recent piece of writing I’d done while home, a slice-of-life that showed them I can cover every angle. I resigned from the AP and I can now work primarily from home, while commuting on occasion to D.C. And taking vacations to exotic parts of the world when we feel like it.”
“We.” She would have swallowed, but her mouth had grown dry. She could barely speak, but she managed. Some things were too important. “Where’s home, Roman?”
“Wherever you are, Charlotte.” Those incredible blue eyes stared into hers.
She blinked, unable to believe this world traveler had given up imparting world news to settle in D.C. and Yorkshire Falls. With her. She shook her head. “You can’t give up everything you love,” she told him.
“I can’t give up you. It was hell being a couple of hours away in D.C. I can’t imagine anything more long distance. I’d die of loneliness.” He grinned.
“Don’t get carried away.” She caressed his cheek and held his face in her palm. “But I want you happy. I never want you to resent me or the choices you made.”
“You said it, sweetheart. They’re choices I made.”
Before he’d even had Charlotte’s okay, she realized. He’d taken concrete steps toward changing his life. He’d already quit his AP job, already taken another. All without a firm commitment from her about their future. He’d made choices he wanted to make, she realized now. And though he hadn’t mentioned children or the coin toss, Charlotte knew Roman well enough to know he hadn’t made this decision because of a bet or out of family obligation. Instead he’d followed his heart.
Just like she’d been ready to follow hers, she thought, taking in her open suitcase. The silly bet had become a moot issue for her before he’d ever returned.
“Washington’s the best compromise I can come up with,” he said. “You’ll really like it during the time you’re there and Beth can run Charlotte’s Attic when you are. I found an apartment, but if you don’t like it, we can pick something else there and buy or build a house here. And the best thing is that there’s an easy flight into Albany that should work for us both. If you’re willing.”
“And if I’m not?” She had to ask. Had to know he’d be doing this anyway. Because if he planned to go back to his AP job if she turned him down, they didn’t stand a chance. Charlotte held her breath and waited.
“We have many awkward run-ins for the rest of our lives. I’ve made my choices, Charlotte. I want them to include you, but they’re final either—”
She cut him off with a sizzling kiss that had been too long in coming. His tongue met hers and he thrust deep inside her mouth, taking possession, letting her know she was his now and forever. She felt the words and the thoughts in every movement he made. And though she’d started as the aggressor, she soon found herself in the opposite position, flat on her back, clothes on the floor, and Roman devouring her with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I realize we have details to work out.”
“They can wait.” Her breaths came in sudden pants.
He struggled to divest himself of his shirt while she unzipped his jeans and wrapped one hand around his thick, hard length.
“God.” The word came out a sharp exhale. “Give me a second or I’m going to explode.”
Charlotte laughed and let go, not wanting to ruin the fun before it began. Was this the lifetime she had to look forward to? she wondered as she watched the man she loved undress. Suddenly a commuter-type relationship didn’t seem half bad. Not when it involved Roman.
Just as suddenly, she was able to understand her mother a bit more. Why she’d held on to the man she loved despite the distance and her own inability to move with him. Perhaps she and Annie weren’t so different after all, and perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing, Charlotte thought.
Roman resettled himself on top of her, then reached for the bowl of ice cream. “Remember I said I was hungry?”