Page 62 of Unstable

For the next couple of hours, they swam and frolicked in the surf, splashing and teasing each other between kisses. Around lunchtime, they staggered out of the water, exhausted. They collapsed on their towels and lay in the warm sun.

Once they were mostly dry, Roman brushed the backs of his fingers over her arm. “You hungry?”

She pushed from her chair. “Famished.”

A trip back to the house yielded a cooler full of sandwiches, crackers and cheese, and bottled water, and they carried it back to their chairs where they ate picnic-style under the umbrella.

Full and sated, they collapsed back in their chairs and relaxed, watching the beachgoers around them. Roman turned to her. “Did you have fun here?”

She smiled back. “I did.”

His expression turned serious. “I know it hasn’t always been easy between us, but I’m glad this happened.”

“Me, too,” she agreed, already feeling her cheeks heat. “I mean, I’m sure you’d have preferred to skip the whole marriage thing, but⁠—"

“No.” He pushed his shades to the top of his head and regarded her. “I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s been unconventional, for sure, but…” He shook his head. “I like it.”

Her heart fluttered at his words, overshadowing the negative thoughts that kept creeping in. She knew going in that being married would complicate things in the long run; she just hadn’t figured out how much. Could they actually make this work? The more time they spent together, the more she hoped the answer to that particular question was yes.

“It’s been a long day,” Roman said from her left, and she rolled her head toward him.

“It is. I’m kind of tired already.”

His eyes darkened. “How about a nap?”

“Is that a code word for sex?”

He cracked a grin. “You bet it is.”

Like she was going to say no to that. She stood and gathered their things, then took his hand and happily allowed him to lead her inside.

CHAPTER

THIRTY

Roman breathed deeply, pulling in the scent of the ocean air and Irina’s unique scent lingering on the breeze. Her shoulder bumped his as they walked, and he looped an arm around her waist, resting his hand on the curve of her hip.

She smiled up at him, hair whipping around her face, eyes alight with joy. He had always thought her beautiful, but these past few days had revealed a beauty far deeper than skin. She was the most amazing woman he had ever met, both inside and out.

He could leave there, carry out the terms of the original agreement, and divorce her six months from now with no one the wiser. Except… he didn’t want to. He would never regret the events that brought them together because he never would have gotten to know her otherwise. This woman pushed him beyond the edge of reason, beyond control. And he loved every minute of it. He wanted all of her, every day, every way.

Was it crazy that he already thought of her as his wife even though they had only been together less than two weeks? Probably, but he didn’t care. He had never done anything by half-measures, and he wasn’t about to now. He thought he knew the moment she asked him to marry her what his answer would be. He had resisted initially, trying to find another solution for her sake. She was worried about him, but the truth was, he never would have married her if he didn’t think this could work.

He hadn’t said a word to her yet about how he felt. She had enough on her plate. All he could do was be there for her and show her he wasn’t going anywhere. Slowly, he would win her trust and make her see that this was more than just a fling.

Dusk was just beginning to fall as they stepped onto the pier. Side by side, they ambled toward the end, past another couple who barely noticed their presence. Irina and Roman shared a secret little smile as they passed, and he pressed his fingers into the flesh of her hip, pulling her even closer.

When they reached the end of the pier, Irina leaned her elbows on the railing and gazed out at the sky, a dark lapis now that the sun had dipped below the horizon. He placed his hands on either side of her and pressed against her back, holding her in place with his body.

She tilted her face up to him, her teeth buried in her lower lip. “Can I ask you a silly question?”

“Of course.”

“I was just wondering…” She pulled her phone from her back pocket and met his gaze again. “Can I take a picture with you? You know, to remember…”

“To remember our honeymoon?” He watched a slight blush spread over her cheeks, and he grinned. “You realize this is our first picture together?”

“Technically, it’s our second,” she said with a small smile, referring to their doctored engagement photo.