The air around us was still thick with the lingering echo of our collision. The hallway seemed to hold its breath, holding onto the heat of our movements while I struggled to reclaim mine.

My back was still pressed against the cool stone wall, the chill biting into skin that still tingled from the weight of his hands. My dress was in disarray, a silent testament to the intensity of the last few minutes. Roman didn't move; he stayed caging me in, one arm braced beside my head, the other still possessively anchored to my thigh as if to ensure I wouldn't—or couldn't—pull away.

We hadn't moved since the end. We hadn't needed to.

I tried to steady my breathing, my lips feeling swollen and sensitized from his mouth. My pulse was still drumming in my ears when he finally broke the silence.

"That's twice," he said quietly, his voice like he was taking a mental inventory. "And I'm done treating this like some... casual transaction."

The words weren't loud, but they cut clean through the lingering haze in my head. His voice was low and rough, sounding as if he’d been grinding gravel.

I huffed out a breathless laugh, trying to deflect the sudden tension twisting in my stomach. "You're keeping score now? Or are we doing a post-game recap?"

Roman’s gaze dropped to my mouth for a beat too long before dragging up to meet my eyes with a searing intensity. "No," he said, his voice certain. "I'm drawing a line."

My brows furrowed. "A line?"

His hand slid higher along my thigh, his fingers curling in a slow, claiming squeeze that made my breath hitch again.

"This—" he leaned in, his mouth brushing against my ear, sending a new shiver down my spine, "—doesn't happen again unless it's only me. No one else gets this. No one else gets you. Only me."

I let out a short, startled laugh. He didn't look amused. He just watched me with the cool, calculated focus of a predator.

"So, what? You're putting terms on the table, Roman?"

"Exclusivity," he said, the word sounding like a legal mandate. "No competitors. No open bids. You're off the market."

My body went still, though my heart was anything but. "Off the market? As in... married?" My heart stuttered. "Are you seriously asking me that right now? In a hallway?"

"I'm not asking you to marry me," he clarified sharply. "I'm asking you to be mine. Only."

I narrowed my eyes at him, my suspicion flaring. "Okay, let me get the picture. You want to... continue this? What we just did?"

"Yes." He didn't blink.

My brows flew up. The possessive, dark words he’d whispered moments ago started echoing in my mind. "You're serious?"

Roman leaned in until his forehead almost touched mine, his breath still uneven. "Dead serious."

I tried to roll my eyes, to push past the sheer gravity of his tone. "That's not how friendship works, Roman. We're not—"

"We're not what?" His voice was sharper now, pointed enough to pin me in place. "We're not allowed to be? We're not supposed to be because we’ve been friends for five years? We crossed that line, Savannah. You think I can go back to pretending your body doesn't keep me awake at night?"

I didn't answer. I didn't know how to without admitting that he kept me awake, too.

Roman’s palm was warm against my bare skin as his hand slid higher. He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, and for once, there was no smirk, no calculated distance. Just pure, unguarded determination.

"I can't stop wanting you. And if anyone else touches you, I'll put them through a wall. Especially Dean."

My heart kicked hard against my ribs. His words sent my half-baked plan of using Dean for revenge straight into the trash. This was a side of Roman I’d never seen—the possessive, territorial side.

"You're a little obsessive, you know that?"

"No, love," Roman’s lips curved, though his gaze didn't soften. "I'm very possessive. And now you know."

He took a slow breath, his voice dropping into a lower, unapologetic register. "I've been with other women, Savannah. But nothing... no one... has gotten under my skin like you. I won't share you."

He cupped my jaw, his fingers light yet firm. "Don't look away. I don't want 'options.' I want you. Anytime. Anywhere. Anyhow."

"And if I say no?" I managed to whisper.

His eyes narrowed. "Then I'll treat it like a hostile takeover. I won't walk away. I'll negotiate. I'll pressure. I'll take every inch you give me until you forget why you even considered saying no."

The corner of his mouth curved—predatory and certain. "But I'm betting you'll say yes. I’m ready to outbid the world to keep this."

"You're using work terms on me," I blurted out, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.

"It's the only language I speak when I want something this badly," he murmured against my ear. "In mergers, once I identify a target worth acquiring, I move fast. I eliminate the competition. I secure controlling interest. I protect my investment."

I gave a soft, incredulous laugh. "You're calling me an 'investment'?"

"I'm calling you the only thing I've wanted badly enough to risk a five-year friendship for. You think I do that lightly?"

He tilted my face up until I was forced to meet his gaze. His hand on my thigh slid fractionally higher—a silent reminder of the power he held over my body. "Say yes. Say you're mine, and I'll make sure no one else even thinks about touching you."

I shook my head slightly, my voice barely audible. "You can't just... acquire me like a business deal."

"Can't I?" His smirk returned, slow and dangerous. "This is my area of expertise. Acquisitions. Once I see value, I don't let it go back to market. And Savannah... you're the most valuable thing I've ever had my hands on."

My knees threatened to give way. "Last chance," he whispered. "Say yes, or I’ll keep showing up. I'll keep taking you apart until the idea of being with anyone else feels like absolute bankruptcy."

I swallowed hard, caught between my pride and the dangerous thrill curling in my stomach. "You really think you can negotiate me into this?"

"I don't negotiate when I know I'll win." His tone was final. "And trust me—I always win."

"Fine," I exhaled, finally surrendering to the weight of his gaze. "You win. There goes my finance vocabulary—half those terms, I’ve only ever seen in a textbook."

His smile was pure, unadulterated satisfaction. "Is that a yes?"

I narrowed my eyes, trying to regain a shred of my agency. "What's in it for me? Aside from the... mind-blowing physical benefits that strangely never happen on a bed? What do I get out of this 'merger'?"

He smirked. "Anything you want. Name it, and it's yours."

I decided to test the waters, a mischievous smile touching my lips. "Okay... let's say I want a new car. Exactly like your favorite one. You'll get it for me?"

Not even a second passed. "Done."

I gaped at him. "Just like that?"

His smirk turned smug as he leaned in to seal the deal. "Just say the word, Savannah. You're mine."