He needs me.
“And I know you took tonight off work to see me, so that’s asking a lot to take tomorrow off too, but—”
“I’ll do it,” I blurt out.
“Just that easy?” Roman asks, leaning in and nuzzling my neck. “Don’t you have to think and ponder and contemplate options? Don’t you have to fret over getting someone to cover you at work?”
“Nope,” I say breathlessly as his lips trail fire up to my ear. “I’ll make it work.”
Roman’s teeth nip at my earlobe, but then he pulls away and looks at me. “I’m being a bad influence on you, aren’t I?”
Laughing, I tip my head his way and rub my nose alongside his. It’s a deeply intimate move and his arms lock tighter around me. “As long as I don’t leave Georgia in a lurch, it’s fine.”
“And you won’t be in a lurch, right?” he asks with those hazel eyes pinned on me. “Giving up the shifts.”
“I’ll have to make it up,” I tell him truthfully, because as much as I love spending time with Roman, and I will gladly juggle my schedule to do so, I do have bills to pay. “But I’ll pick up doubles this weekend to make up, and since you’re gone this weekend to Miami, it works out perfectly. Will keep me busy so I don’t miss you so much.”
“Fuck, you’re sweet,” he mutters, and then kisses me hard.
I get so consumed by his kiss, contemplating stripping him bare right here in the kitchen, that I vaguely notice my phone ringing.
“Need to get that?” Roman asks as he pulls away from me.
I recognize Brian’s ringtone I’d set, and since things have not gotten too hot and heavy, but most assuredly will very soon, it’s probably prudent I answer it now. I’m sure I’ll be so occupied the rest of the night there won’t be time.
“Sure,” I say. I hop off Roman’s lap and grab my purse off the counter. I plunge my hand inside, immediately grab my phone, and bring it to my ear as I connect the call.
“Hey, Brian,” I say cheerily into the phone as I move toward Roman to sit back down on his lap. He grabs on to my hips, helping me assume a position where I’m sideways, and wraps his arms around me again. He places his chin on my shoulder and listens to my end of the conversation.
“I’m thinking you should officially start calling me Dad now,” Brian says on the other end, and my entire body tightens. Roman can feel it, and I’m sure he senses the atmosphere has just changed all around me, which would explain my dizziness.
“The results are in?” I whisper into the phone, and at this, Roman angles his body and leans forward so he can see my face more clearly. My eyes lock with his and his eyebrows rise in question.
“There’s a 99.9 percent chance you are my daughter,” Brian says, and his voice is so happy—no, not happy, euphoric—that I can’t help the tears that start to sting my eyes.
I nod up and down to Roman and he gives me a sweet, knowing smile and hugs me tighter.
“Lexi?” Brian asks hesitantly.
“Yeah,” I say in a rough voice, and cough to clear it. “I’m here.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m good,” I assure Brian—no, my dad. “I mean…I knew deep in my heart you were my dad, but this…wow. It’s just so real now.”
“I love you, Lexi,” my dad says forcefully, breaking into my scattered thoughts.
And that’s when the tears come. Filling my eyes up and spilling right over the edge to slide down my face.
Roman squeezes me tighter and I’m barely able to whisper into the phone, “I love you too.”
Brian doesn’t say anything, but I can hear him take a quavering breath before letting it out slowly. I tilt my head to the side and wipe my tears on my shoulder.
“So,” Brian says, this voice under control…somewhat. “Gray suggested that we go out night after next to celebrate. Maybe even talk about how we reveal you to the world.”
My mind spins, but I already know taking off three nights in a row will be impossible. I just promised Roman I’d go to his game tomorrow. I’m spending tonight with him. Asking for the night after that is going to cause some grumbling.
“I’ll see if I can get off work,” I say hesitantly into the phone.
“Okay,” Brian responds cheerfully. “But if not, we’ll pick a night that’s good for all of us.”
“Okay,” I say. “But I promise I’ll try to get Friday night off.”
“I bet that’s a big singing night for you, huh?”
“Yeah,” I admit reluctantly. “My tips are really good on Friday nights.”
“Then what do you think about us coming to The Grind to hang out Friday night? Gray, Ryker, and you can even invite Roman. I’ll invite Georgia. We can listen to you sing and hang out a bit. Granted, we know you’re working, but still, at least we’ll all be together.”
“Really?” I ask in awe, the tears threatening to come again because I’m stunned at how quickly my family seems to have united.