Sealed with a Kiss... and More

Her hands were trembling as Ella went to open the door. She would be alone with Rome for the first time, with no one threatening to break the door down, no one who might rush in and surprise them, and as excited as she was, she was also a little nervous. She fully trusted Rome in every way, but being around him made her distrust herself in ways she’d never considered before. Was she ready to give herself to him completely?
“Hi.” His blue eyes twinkled as she pulled the door open. His smile instantly brought a grin to her face as his arms came around her, and Ella struggled to get the door shut as his mouth claimed hers.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he said between kisses. He backed her slowly toward the couch, and Ella was willing to go, she just wasn’t expecting him to be so amorous so quickly.
“I’ve missed you, too.” The last part of her sentence was muffled by his mouth, which made them both laugh. Ella’s legs bumped up against the arm of the couch, and then she found herself falling in more ways than one as she tumbled onto the couch, Rome on top of her.
She slid backward, dragging him with her as his kisses deepened and became more passionate. His tongue tangled with hers, his sweet taste mingling with the scent of his cologne, leaving her breathless. The weight of him as he settled against her body had her losing her grip on the world. She slid her knees out from beneath him so that she was straddling him and he readjusted, hovering above her for a moment, his eyes cloudy with longing.
Rome’s lips found her neck, his teeth nipping at her earlobe as he trailed kisses lower, to her collarbone, nestling into that sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder bridged. Ella found a moan escaping her lips and tried to censor it before she remembered there was no one to alarm. His hands heated the flesh of her arms and then moved to her waist, tugging at the fabric of her tank top.
“You smell so good,” he murmured into her neck. “Like flowers… and vanilla.”
“You smell like the ocean after a rainstorm,” she said, her hands working into the taut muscles of his back. She could feel him reacting to her touch between her legs and longed for him to scoop her into his strong arms and carry her into the bedroom.
But Rome pulled up, climbing off of her, leaving her feeling cold and barren. “I’m so sorry, Ella. I let my emotions overtake me, and I wasn’t thinking clearly.” He was sitting on the floor next to her now, and Ella’s hard pounded out of her chest.
Licking her lips, she tried to think of a fitting response. Her palm caressed his cheek and she assured him, “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t have gone so far without making sure you were ready for that.”
“Rome, all we did was kiss.”
“Yeah, but I was fairly close to losing complete control of myself, Ella, and you would’ve had to push me off of you.”
Smirking at him, she sat up and brought her legs around, setting her feet on the floor next to him. “What makes you think I would have?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tempt me, beautiful.”
Without a second thought, Ella placed her palm under his chin and raised his face to look at hers and then leaned in and planted a sultry kiss on his lips. When she pulled back to observe him, she knew her brown eyes were burning with want. It didn’t matter to her that she’d only met him a few days ago, that they were in a situation where their love could ruin both their families, she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.
While Rome’s blue eyes studied her, Ella leaned back, and grabbing the bottom of her shirt with both hands, she pulled it off over her head, revealing a sexy, black bra made mostly of lace that left little to the imagination.
His mouth dropped as his eyes left her face. Rome’s teeth bit into his bottom lip for a moment before he shook his head slightly and asked, “Are you sure?”
“More sure than I’ve ever been about anything in my life.”
He hesitated for only a second before he pulled her into his arms. His biceps rippled as he lifted her and stood at the same time, carrying her into the bedroom, and laying her on the bed. Once again, Rome’s kisses were all there was in the world. He stood next to the bed for a moment, one hand on either side of her face, as he took his shoes and socks off and then leaned over her. The question in his eyes didn’t need to be spoken.
Ella nodded and watched as Rome took his shirt off, dropping it on the floor next to him. His chest was just as sculpted as she’d expected. Hard chest muscles filtered down to a six pack of abs, and as he unbuttoned and unzipped his shorts, sliding them off of his narrowed hips, a low-V came into a view, and Ella instantly felt her body react to him. Her hand shot out, and she brushed her fingertips down his trunk, her temperature rising as her hand grazed pure muscle.
Rome unbuttoned her shorts and yanked them down and off of her in one fluid motion, leaving her in only her bra and matching panties. Then, he was on top of her again, and as his lips worked their way lower and lower, Ella moaned softly, knowing that being with Rome would be the most magical moment of her entire life.
He didn’t disappoint her. It was her first time, and there was a bit of pain at first, but that dissolved away with his sweet kisses and gentle strokes. In Rome’s arms, Ella felt safer and more secure than she ever had at any point in her life. She soon found herself panting and moaning, calling his name, and arching her back in response to his movements.
When she peaked, her mind fogged over, and she lost herself for several moments as Rome joined her plunging over the cliff.
Exhausted but elated and gulping in air, Ella snuggled against Rome’s shoulder as he pulled the sheets over them to cover their glistening bodies. He kissed her gently on the head. Her dark hair was damp with perspiration, and Rome’s forehead was dotted as well, but she longed for the warmth of his embrace and loved having his arms wrapped around her, forming a cocoon of solitude.
“Are you all right, baby?” he asked, brushing back her hair.
“Yes. I’m… wonderful. How are you?”
Rome smiled at her. “I’ve never been better. God, Ella, I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” He kissed her, soft and slow, and she felt herself starting to drift away, but she knew she couldn’t physically giver herself to him again at the moment. Her breathing was still labored from the first time.
“I’m so glad fate brought us together. Even if our situation isn’t perfect, you are, and I will do anything I have to in order to make sure we’re together forever. Anything.”
Ella leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I will, too. I can’t imagine going back to life without you.”
“I’d rather die than try to live without you. It would be like living in a world without drinking water. I would shrivel up and die.”
He kissed her head one more time and then rested his head on her shoulder, and Ella slowly ran her fingers through his hair, wondering what she could do to make sure that she never had to be apart from him again. What would happen if she told Tim the truth, that she was in love with Rome? Or what if they got married first? Then, her family would have to accept him, wouldn’t they?
“I didn’t get the part in the movie I wanted,” Rome said quietly, interrupting her thoughts.
“You didn’t? I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I might take a different role in the same movie, though. I thought it might help if Tim and I could be in a movie together. Maybe he would get to know me a little better and not be so quick to pass judgment.”
“Wait--did Tim get the role?”
“Yeah.” Rome was looking in her eyes now. “I’m not sure if he knows yet.”
“But… why would they tell you before they told him?”
He looked away for a second and shrugged. “I turned it down so he would get it.”
“What?” She twisted around so she could look directly at his face, and he raised his eyes back to meet hers. “You did?”
“Yeah.”
Her heart melted a little as she thought of how sweet that was. She knew how badly he wanted that role, but he’d given it up. And not for Tim, either. For her. “You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met. And he’ll never even know you did that.”
“No, he won’t. But that’s okay. I just wanted an opportunity to work with him, and that’s the only way it would be possible.”
Ella leaned down and kissed him, so proud of all he’d done to give their love the best chance at being acceptable to both of their families. “I love you so much, Rome. You’re amazing.”
A small grin pulled up the corner of his mouth as his face turned slightly red. “I told you, I’d do anything for you, baby, and I meant it.”
“I believe you.” She kissed him again and then let her eyes fall closed. It was still early, but being in his arms made her feel so serene, it was difficult to fight sleep. She let herself drift away, relishing in the thought that, when she awoke in the middle of the night, he’d still be there with his arms around her.