Chapter Twenty Two - Getaway

"Wow." I breathe as we walk up to the hotel and spa building.

Acres of land stretch out for miles around it and I find myself becoming excited for the weekend getaway Roman has planned for my birthday today. After the whole Dan Schmidt incident, I had spent the time healing and job searching in Houston. He and his men were charged appropriately and locked away for good. Me and Roman went on a few more dates and he finally asked me to be his girlfriend.

I was eventually hired by a big media company in Houston when they read my research report on how I was involved in catching Dan and have been working there for almost two months now. But Roman has been swamped with work and new cases so he's never been able to get away for some free time...until now. We drove up to Austin this morning to celebrate me turning twenty-five.

"This isn't even it, wait until you see where we're staying." He grins as he pulls me inside.

A man called Gerald meets us at the entrance with a wide smile and we check in. He then guides us to the back of the hotel and we follow a trail through the woods. Eventually it splits into three and we take the first on our left. We walk for some time before my breath hitches when I spot a secluded cabin.

"This is your cabin for the weekend." Gerald smiles as he unlocks the door and lets us inside.

My eyes widen I see the living room with a wood burner in the corner. There's a small kitchen on one side beside the television complete with a coffee machine, snacks and much more. A crescent shaped couch sits in the middle on top of a round rug and the coffee table in the middle is filled with welcome treats as well as a bottle of champagne. There's a sliding cabinet built in near the door where food can be delivered rather than us having to open the door to get it.

My gaze lands on the sliding doors and I walk outside onto the wraparound deck. I spot a hot tub, dining area and lounge chairs. We're surrounded by the woods and the sounds of just the animals and birds is so calming. There's other cabins in the distance but we're spaced out evenly so that it feels private. But as I walk around to the side I see a longer passageway leading to a smaller cabin.

I turn with an excited smile and find Roman staring at me as he leans against the threshold of the door. He reaches for my hand and intertwines it with his before guiding me to the bedroom. We walk through the passageway that's lined with glass before he opens the door. There's a double bed with a seating area to the left and a large bathroom. Two double doors open to another wraparound deck also.

"This is amazing, I love it! Thank you Rome." I peck his lips with a happy smile.

"I'm glad you do." He grins boyishly before we go back to meet Gerald.

He explains a few details before leaving us to settle in. We unpack our things before I freshen up in the bathroom. I walk back to Roman waiting for me in the sitting room with a content smile. Taking a seat beside him on the couch I grab a chocolate covered strawberry and take a bite as he hands me a glass of champagne. He nuzzles his nose against mine before pecking my forehead.

"Hungry?" He asks as he picks up the menu for room service. "They have cooking classes here. I booked one for us that starts in two hours but we can have a small bite to eat now."

"Really?" I perk up in interest at that and watch as he nods. I've been trying to learn how to cook and bake but it's an extremely slow process. "That sounds fun! Maybe since it's my birthday I'll magically have some luck and nothing will go wrong!"

He chuckles before we order a few plates of food that won't fill us up but are enough to not have us growling midway through our lesson later. When we hear a door sliding I jump up and follow Roman to the cabinet and open it to find our food waiting on trays for us.

"We should make that at home so we don't have to see people." I grin excitedly as I grab the second tray and walk back to the couch.

"People will think we're lunatics Lena." He laughs as we take off the covers.

"Our neighbors are spread out so it's not like they'll see." I smirk when he shakes his head in amusement.

We talk some more about random things as we eat before Roman disappears into the bedroom as I put the trays back into the cabinet to be taken. My eyes widen when I turn to find him coming back with his hands full of presents. He sets them down on the coffee table and gestures for me to come over.

"Happy Birthday." He grins as he hands me the first one.

"Rome, you didn't have to! This trip is more than enough." I bite my lip as I rip the wrapping paper.

"Hush, just let me spoil you and enjoy it!" He chuckles when I gasp at the Polaroid camera he had bought me.

I've always wanted a Polaroid camera for myself since I have some pictures of my childhood that were taken on it. Next I unwrap a printed pack of letters and envelopes which makes me laugh. I always give Roman written love letters every now and then, some of which are quite cheeky and flirty. I remember telling him I had run out when he commented on how I haven't written him a love letter in a while.

Next is a tower of boxes ranging from large to small with a blue ribbon holding them together. I unwrap it and open the lids to see them all filled with my favorite types of candy and chocolate. Shooting him a happy grin I open the last present to find a handbag I've been wanting for months but it's always been out of stock. My jaw drops in surprise before an excited squeal escapes my lips. I hug it which makes Roman laugh loudly.

"Thank you! I love everything! I love you!" I hug him tightly and pepper his skin with kisses.

"I'm happy you liked everything." He smiles with relief shining in his eyes.

"This is the best birthday ever!" I sigh contently as I gaze at my presents.

"Well, it's about to get even better. Why don't you get ready and we'll head down to the class?" He asks and I nod in reply before gathering my things.

After putting them away in a bag to take back home I change into a black skirt with a brown sweater and black heeled boots. I put my hair into a ponytail and apply some mascara and lipstick before spritzing on my perfume. As I grab my coat and walk towards the sitting room I look up to notice Roman waiting for me. His eyes roam over my figure appreciatively and I do a twirl before winking at him.

"You like?"

"I love." He hums as he pulls me into his arms. "You should wear skirts more often."

"I'll keep that in mind gorgeous." I whisper seductively as I let my gaze travel across him.

His smile widens before he rolls his eyes at my flirting. With a laugh he takes my hand and intertwines it with his. We walk out of our cabin and make our way to the hotel where the class is being held. Chef Eric greets us with a firm handshake and dazzling smile as we enter the kitchen before he explains everything to us.

We get settled in quickly and I roll up my sleeves as we start preparing a paella with chicken, chorizo, mussels, and prawns. The kitchen soon fills with heavenly aroma as we drink our wine and chat to the chef. With Roman's help it's not that hard to follow what Eric is doing. I find myself loosening up and enjoying the lesson as Eric tells us some facts and stories about his time in Spain.

Thankfully, I don't mess up and when we sit down to eat it's just as tasty as it looks. Everything is on point and I'm so glad we have the recipe so that we can recreate this when we go back home. For the next hour we make churros with hot chocolate. After getting the ingredients ready I scoop the batter into the piping bag before handing it to Roman. I don't trust myself enough to do a good job with it.

"Together...come here." He grins knowingly and I pout before stepping closer.

We take hold of the bag and pipe the dough strips. I watch as they turn a golden brown and take them out to rest on a tray lined with paper towel just like Eric instructs. Roman takes over and sprinkles them with cinnamon sugar while I work on the chocolate sauce. We get everything done at the same time and I smile proudly over how good our dessert looks.

Taking it to the table I watch as Roman takes a bite. Something undecipherable flickers in his eyes before he nods with a grin. "This tastes great!"

"Really?!" I smile excitedly before taking churro and dipping it into the chocolate myself.

I taste it and immediately the overly bitter flavor of dark chocolate hits my tongue which causes my features to scrunch up in distaste. I chew on it with a disappointed frown as Roman struggles not to laugh but eventually he snickers lightly and I glare at him.

"I'm sorry –"

"It was all going so well and I just had to go and dump a bucket of dark chocolate in there!" I cry in despair and cross my arms.

"Luckily, I prepared my own churros and chocolate." Eric chuckles as he brings his dessert over. "Don't worry Elena. These things happen."

"Ugh, yours is perfect." I sigh happily as I take another churro.

Both men snicker quietly before digging in themselves. We chat some more and after there's no more dessert left our class comes to an end. We bid goodbye to Eric and thank him for the lesson. I beam at him when he hands me a bag full of extra churros and chocolate sauce that he had made with a birthday note.

"Thanks again Eric!" I wave one last time before looping my arm through Roman's as we make our way back to the cabin. "I had such a great time."

"Even though you messed up?" He teases and I swat his arm playfully.

"As Eric said these things happen!" I retort with an amused smile.

He laughs loudly before draping his arm across my shoulders and tucking me into his side. We reach within five minutes and unlock the door. I set down the bag of churros at the mini kitchen before feeling his arms wrap around my waist. He kisses the curve of my neck before resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Hot tub?"

"Yes please." I nod eagerly as I turn around.

We walk into the bedroom and Roman gets changed into his shorts before making his way out to get the hot tub ready. I find the red two-piece I had packed and change into it before pulling my hair out of the ponytail. Running a hand through my strands I remove my mascara and lipstick before putting on my flip flops and walking outside.

I watch in satisfaction as Roman's eyes darken with lust as they roam over my body. Smirking I get into the hot tub and move over to him. He smiles into the kiss when I press my lips against his and I feel his hands wandering over my skin.

"I hope you like seeing me bare more than you like seeing me in red babe." I pull away with a cheeky wink.

"God, I can't get enough of you!" He laughs before kissing me hungrily. But before things can heat up he pulls away and leaves me pouting. "I have one last gift for you –"

"Roman! You've done so much already!" I sigh as he picks up an envelope from the nearby table and hands it to me.

"Happy Birthday my love." He murmurs gently with the softest brush of his lips against mine.

I smile and dry my hands with the towel before opening the envelope only for my eyes to widen when I pull out two tickets. They're booked for Italy where my parents live in Rome and I find myself becoming teary eyed. I've been so homesick and lonely ever since I was released from the hospital and Roman became busy. Of course, I have his family and I adore them all but it isn't the same.

"Rome..." I breathe in slight shock. "I-I don't know what to say...thank you so much!"

"I know you've been missing them and that a visit has been long overdue. I also know that I haven't been around much because of work but I'm free now, free to do whatever your heart desires. Whatever you ask for Elena you'll have. That's a promise." He pulls me into his arms and strokes my hair.

I wind my arms around his neck as I get lost in his emerald green eyes. "How did I ever get so lucky? I love you so much Rome."

He smiles handsomely and it's enough to make my heart skip a beat. "I love you too darlin. More than you'll ever know."

His lips come crashing down on mine in the sweetest and addictive of kisses. I melt in his comforting embrace as we kiss under the starry night sky. I feel like I'll burst with how much love I have for this man. And so, I spend the last few hours of my birthday showing him just how much I adore him.

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- R.W. ♡