Wrong
Draped in his arms was her favorite place to be, no doubt about it.
Lana lied there with a childish grin on her face as the sweltering sun illuminated the room through the clear windows. Her blonde hair wrapped around itself in a messy bun that she simply forgot to touch up before her boyfriend returned to the hotel room the night before, but by the end of the evening, it didn't seem to matter.
Once she found herself in his arms, she couldn't describe the ineffable solitude that warmed her usually icy soul. His fingertips radiated heat into her tanned skin with every stroke against her lower back.
The duo was sprawled out beneath the hotel-scented sheets that reminded Roman of late nights and poorly pressurized showers. He couldn't help but retract any and every discourteous insult he directed at these hotels when in the presence of such crowned beauty.
Lana was the essence of royalty, aside from the fact that it wasn't legitimate.
A smile or whisper from her ruby lips sent Roman on a trip into euphoric bliss. Every finite detail of her appearance and personality was perfectly crafted in the hands of God and Roman wouldn't dare tell a soul because putting such beauty into the hands of meaningless words would destroy the value of her being. Her essence was too full to be discredited.
Lana's sugary smile turned to face Roman's watchful eyes. Once their focus was on one another, Lana shut her hazel eyes, as her cheeks grew rosier. There was always something so mysteriously humbling that Roman could force upon someone with a simple glance. It caught Lana in a trance from which she never wanted to leave, no matter how difficult matters got. She couldn't imagine escaping such a trance for the fear of never returning was strong.
Its strength was mainly due to the unforgivable fact that Roman wore a wedding band. A wedding band that was not met with a matching one on the blonde-haired woman's left ring finger.
"You're beautiful," Roman mumbled under his morning breath.
Lana couldn't seem to find the power to respond with a similar compliment, so she opted to just hide her face in the pillows beneath her. That man had the utmost control over her body and mind - a feat she couldn't seem to match.
"Look at me, baby." The man reached down and used his finger to lift her chin so their eyes were forced to meet. His chest melted into a pool of amazement. She was easily the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen, even when there wasn't a trace of makeup on her skin.
The blonde batted her eyelashes slowly, only speeding up when Roman leaned in to close the space between them, before closing them completely once their lips embraced. Roman's powerhouse illusion faded into vulnerability as he ran his hands down her smooth arms and pulled her closer towards him.
Pulling away gently, Lana placed her hand on the man's bare chest. He wrapped his hand around her wrist, wanting to feel her skin against his, but once her eyes caught wind of the gold band around his finger everything changed. The air filling her lungs stopped moving and grew heavy with regret.
Another night of blissful ignorance was ending. She could see it running towards her like a flash.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get out of the way. She didn't want to.
"I," Lana began as she rolled away and stood off the bed, "should really be going."
"Did I do something wrong?"
Of course, you did, she thought. You treat me like a woman should before returning to the woman you've devoted your life to. Wrong. Wrong everywhere.
Lana stood up, suddenly so ashamed by the eyes that burnt holes in her almost-bare skin. "No," she lied with a subtle shake of her head. "I'm just late. We can talk later."
Roman sat up, the sheets sliding down his abs and resting on his waist. "What are you late for? I thought everyone had the morning off."
She was out of ideas, so she idly continued to pull herself together. A quick glance in the framed mirror, a fold of hair behind her ear, and a lick over her front teeth to mock a toothbrush filled her hygiene requirements for the morning. Lana slipped some clothes on, grabbed her clutch, and scurried over to the front door, believing that she was out of the woods without an explanation. Before she could turn the doorknob, however, Roman spoke.
"It's the ring, isn't it?"
Lana didn't speak. It wasn't because she didn't want to - she just didn't know what to say.
An audible sigh came from Roman's lips, and Lana could only picture his face being exhausted with guilt. "I know how you feel about it. I should've taken it off. I'm sorry."
Her eyes snapped shut and her fist curled tighter around the clutch in her hand. She spun on her heels to face him. "You aren't sorry," she whispered.
"Yes," he began, "I am."
"If you're so sorry, then why is it me you're apologizing to?"
"You're the only other person in this room. Would you like me to tell the lamp how sorry I am?"
Lana shook her head. "You could try saying it to your wife."
Roman felt his power slide off of his fingertips and float through the air. They were battling in silence for it, both of them trying to regain the strength to win the full war. They just didn't realize how foolish the war was.
"You want me to call up my wife and apologize for how I feel?" Roman stood, bringing a slight blush to Lana's cheeks when she realized he was only dressed in boxers. "You want me to ruin my marriage because of how I feel for you? Would that make you happy?"
"Of course not," she said. "I'm just...I'm just tired of it!"
"How can you be tired? You aren't the one lying about why you're coming home to your family a day late just so you can have it out with your mistress."
Lana's eyebrows arched and her jaw slid slightly agape. "That's unfair and you know it."
"It's the truth and you know it. You have nothing to lose here, Lana."
"You don't think people will look at me differently if they were to find out I was sleeping with a married man? My career would be in jeopardy. I would no longer be the Ravishing Russian, Lana. I would be the Home-wrecking Whore, Lana."
Roman opened his mouth to speak, but didn't say a word. There was a knife in her words that, although were self-directed, stabbed him just as badly. It was never his intention to risk her name. He only wanted to spend a few hours every-so-often with someone who made him happy.
His wife, of course, offered him joy. His daughter did too. Lana, however, was different. She was the silver lining to every dark cloud in the sky. She was the discount on his favorite pair of shoes. She was the rainbow that showed up at the end of every rainstorm.
She was the stiches that patched him up after matches. She was the one he wanted to be with.
He knew that he wanted her more than words could explain, but he was stuck. Married to someone who had given him a new purpose in life: fatherhood. He couldn't just give that away, no matter how tempting it was under Lana's spell.
"I don't want that for you," he spoke, responding to her earlier comments.
Lana shook her head. She was torn between wanting to kick him in the face or kiss him there. "It doesn't matter, anymore. Like I said, I'm late."
Roman hurried over and grabbed her arm, stopping her from leaving. He spun her around and pulled her close so that they were only a few inches away. "Do you want me to leave my wife?"
"Roman..."
"Be honest with me. Do you want me to leave my wife?"
Lana looked up at his dark eyes and she could see her lips quivering in the reflection. His hands, which were wrapped around her wrists tightly, felt rough against her smooth skin. For the first time in months, she saw something new in his eyes. They weren't angry. They weren't scared.
They were sad.
She realized that it didn't matter what she said; he was going to lose either way. If he chose Lana then he would lose his wife. If he chose Lana then he would lose his wife. Moreover, no matter how successfully she convinced him that he would be happy either way, they both knew that the truth told a different story.
Lana looked down at his lips. They looked softer, which made it hard for her to resist, but she did.
She had to be strong.
A deep breath that didn't release formed into blistering words. "Yes," she answered.