makes contact, goose bumps break out across my flesh. I’ve missed him so much. “I will stay with you for as long as I can.”
His promise cements our fate. We’re both going to die. I never fully accepted that truth until now. My last shred of hope floats on the wind, leaving us raw and naked. There are no second chances. All that’s left to do is…live.
I shut out the uncertainties we face and instead, focus on his touch. The tenderness of his caresses brings tears to my eyes. I will miss him…so much. How can someone bury themselves so deep within your core, you almost forget what it felt like before you met them? The answer is, before Roman, I was only half alive.
Roman continues his strokes, appearing just as desperate for touch as I am.
“I may be dying,” I whisper, my eyes slipping to half-mast. “But I’ll die with a smile on my face because I loved, and I was loved in return.”
“You will be loved until your last dying breath. That I promise you.”
I blink past my sorrow, not wanting this moment to be a memory coated in tears. That’s all Roman and I have left—moments to make into memories. And I plan on making memories every second I have left.
Reaching for the scruff of his shirt, I yank him upward, smashing my lips to his. He kisses me without a second thought, this deed between us as natural as the sun setting. This kiss isn’t gentle; it’s filled with desperation and longing.
I taste salty kisses before long, but I don’t know if they’re my tears or Roman’s, but it doesn’t matter. My pain is his. He cups my neck, robbing me of breath as he dominates my mouth in the way only he knows how.
His tongue explores every inch of me, igniting a fire deep within. With Carpe Diem as my motto, I crawl backward, falling onto the mattress and taking Roman with me. We’re frenzied, ripping at one another’s clothes, desperate to peel back all the layers, leaving us exposed and bare.
Once I’m naked beneath him, Roman sits back on his heels, studying every inch of me. I would once shy away, but not today. There is nothing but complete worship behind his gaze, and I feel like the luckiest woman alive.
He slides his hand in the valley of my chest, before circling over my galloping heart. No words are needed. I understand. I shudder when he cups one breast, then the other, awakening every inch of my flesh.
His lips chase after his touch. He’s everywhere. His tongue swirls over my pearled buds, dipping downward to leave a wet trail along my quivering stomach. I arch upward, needing more. My legs fall open, welcoming him home.
He worships not only my body, but my soul. He tells me how much he loves me, and that I’m his forever. We both know that our forever is timeless because our memories will never fade.
He enters me slowly, savoring each second, each touch, because each moment is precious. I will never tire of feeling him rooted so deeply. Being connected as one is the closest I’ll get to our hearts beating as one.
We move in harmony, his yang to my yin. We are connected, and death won’t change that. “I love you.” I gasp, threading my hands through his hair.
“And I you,” he pants, dominating my body with his powerful strokes.
My release is close, it always is, but something about this feels different. We’ve finally accepted that this is our future. No matter how short it may be, we will never let go. I would rather live a day being loved by Roman, than live a lifetime without him by my side.
That thought is my undoing, and I explode with an earth-shattering scream.
He moves deeply within me, whispering into my ear. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Know that my heart will forever be yours.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, sobbing from pleasure and pain.
Quickening his pace, he follows suit soon after, speaking tragically beautiful words.
We lie in one another’s arms for hours, naked and spent. Nothing has ever been more perfect.
Just as I’m on the cusp of sleep, Roman settles beneath the covers, tucking me into his chest. “What is one thing you’ve always wanted to do?”
“Sleep,” I groggily reply.
He chuckles, his breath warming my cheeks. “I plan on making you the happiest girl alive.”
“You already have.”
As we’re both about to fall into a peaceful