It’s getting colder.”
I lifted my eyes from the book, closing it softly before moving next to my wife. Her fingers were swollen again, and her wedding ring lay next to her grandmother’s cross in the jewelry box on the dresser. “Of course. She’ll have everything she could ever need. Or want.” I promised.
Tears filled her eyes, and she nodded, unable to speak. I knew she was thinking about my promise to her again, and I tightened my grip on her hands.
“ West…, ”
“Annie,” I brought her fingers to my lips. “Not this time. Not this time,” I repeated, near tears myself with the horrible possibilities before us.
“ I love you. ”
“ I love you, ” I managed, holding her in my arms.
Chapter Eleven
Roam
“You said there were two bedrooms?”
Pushing open the door, I held my breath. I’d paid to have the entire place redecorated, and if Annie’s soft, painted flowers still climbed the nursery wall, I may have lost my will to continue into the cottage.
“Here’s one.”
She stopped and turned, lifting her eyes. “What? Oh- I thought that was a closet.”
“It used to be,” I lied, tossing my suitcase to the small cot. No flowers. “I’ll take this room. It’s the smallest.” There was no way I would sleep in the master.
She glanced around warily, focusing on the dead bugs in the planter. “Oh.”
“I’ll show you the rest,” I urged.
Everything had changed. When Troy had drowned her, and I breathed life back into her, I’d nearly lost her.
Lost everything.
And now Logan was the Alter, there was no fucking way I was letting him touch her.
A t all.
The master bedroom of the cottage felt haunted. I turned to her, watching her take in the bed, the dresser, and the ceiling. “This is the room… from my dream.”
Her dream. A dream where she was Annie, and I was kissing her pregnant belly, loving her, promising her the world.
I remembered the vow I’d made Annie, only two weeks before she died.
I’ll never stop loving you.
She is Annie… Roam is all of them.
And I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted her.
Guilt and confusion played tug-of-war with my conscience.
“Can we walk… by the shore? I’ve never been to the ocean,” she pleaded, pulling me out of my reverie.
“Sure. We can go out here.” The door from the master bedroom of the small cottage led out to a deck. Through the dunes, I could already hear the ocean waves.
We settled on the shore, barefooted, sitting so close . I took her hand, linking her fingers through mine. I had just as much power over her as any man. The instant love was not love, and I knew that, it was desire. It was déjà vu, a memory, recollection of thoughts that were always just beyond comprehension.
It was the chase that kept her going, kept her interest.
I’d kissed her in my dining room, after Logan left, the kind of kiss that was meant to rattle her. I asked her to choose between me and Logan, because I wasn’t going to force her.
I wanted her in my bed, and I wanted my child inside of her womb.
Nothing good would come of us… but I wasn’t going to settle for just good .
I wanted Roam. I wanted a miracle.
“I am trying to be logical… but I am having a hard time fighting the… lust… I feel for you. It’s all-consuming. I just can’t stop thinking of you touching me. In really intimate places. I mean, the bedroom , not intimate places on my body … well maybe… what I mean is, even when I’m irritated with you, it’s so confusing, and I…,”
Hearing her ramble, I almost pushed her back over the sandy shore that moment. Instead, I took her chin in my hand, turning her to face me. She closed her eyes, ready for my kiss. I smiled at her willingness, at her words, instead dipping my lips to the nape of her neck.
“If you keep talking like that, I won’t make it through the week without taking you to that bedroom and doing exactly what you’ve been dreaming
I lifted my eyes from the book, closing it softly before moving next to my wife. Her fingers were swollen again, and her wedding ring lay next to her grandmother’s cross in the jewelry box on the dresser. “Of course. She’ll have everything she could ever need. Or want.” I promised.
Tears filled her eyes, and she nodded, unable to speak. I knew she was thinking about my promise to her again, and I tightened my grip on her hands.
“ West…, ”
“Annie,” I brought her fingers to my lips. “Not this time. Not this time,” I repeated, near tears myself with the horrible possibilities before us.
“ I love you. ”
“ I love you, ” I managed, holding her in my arms.
Chapter Eleven
Roam
“You said there were two bedrooms?”
Pushing open the door, I held my breath. I’d paid to have the entire place redecorated, and if Annie’s soft, painted flowers still climbed the nursery wall, I may have lost my will to continue into the cottage.
“Here’s one.”
She stopped and turned, lifting her eyes. “What? Oh- I thought that was a closet.”
“It used to be,” I lied, tossing my suitcase to the small cot. No flowers. “I’ll take this room. It’s the smallest.” There was no way I would sleep in the master.
She glanced around warily, focusing on the dead bugs in the planter. “Oh.”
“I’ll show you the rest,” I urged.
Everything had changed. When Troy had drowned her, and I breathed life back into her, I’d nearly lost her.
Lost everything.
And now Logan was the Alter, there was no fucking way I was letting him touch her.
A t all.
The master bedroom of the cottage felt haunted. I turned to her, watching her take in the bed, the dresser, and the ceiling. “This is the room… from my dream.”
Her dream. A dream where she was Annie, and I was kissing her pregnant belly, loving her, promising her the world.
I remembered the vow I’d made Annie, only two weeks before she died.
I’ll never stop loving you.
She is Annie… Roam is all of them.
And I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted her.
Guilt and confusion played tug-of-war with my conscience.
“Can we walk… by the shore? I’ve never been to the ocean,” she pleaded, pulling me out of my reverie.
“Sure. We can go out here.” The door from the master bedroom of the small cottage led out to a deck. Through the dunes, I could already hear the ocean waves.
We settled on the shore, barefooted, sitting so close . I took her hand, linking her fingers through mine. I had just as much power over her as any man. The instant love was not love, and I knew that, it was desire. It was déjà vu, a memory, recollection of thoughts that were always just beyond comprehension.
It was the chase that kept her going, kept her interest.
I’d kissed her in my dining room, after Logan left, the kind of kiss that was meant to rattle her. I asked her to choose between me and Logan, because I wasn’t going to force her.
I wanted her in my bed, and I wanted my child inside of her womb.
Nothing good would come of us… but I wasn’t going to settle for just good .
I wanted Roam. I wanted a miracle.
“I am trying to be logical… but I am having a hard time fighting the… lust… I feel for you. It’s all-consuming. I just can’t stop thinking of you touching me. In really intimate places. I mean, the bedroom , not intimate places on my body … well maybe… what I mean is, even when I’m irritated with you, it’s so confusing, and I…,”
Hearing her ramble, I almost pushed her back over the sandy shore that moment. Instead, I took her chin in my hand, turning her to face me. She closed her eyes, ready for my kiss. I smiled at her willingness, at her words, instead dipping my lips to the nape of her neck.
“If you keep talking like that, I won’t make it through the week without taking you to that bedroom and doing exactly what you’ve been dreaming
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