Chapter 29 – The climax

Magical, exciting, dangerous and sensuous. That is how John once described their lovemaking. That evening was it, and so much more... She rolls over, tracing her finger lightly over his sleeping features, then she sighs contentedly as she lies her head down on his shoulder. When she closes her eyes, she can still feel the warmth of his breath on her body, the quick flick of his tongue as he teases her, the weight of his masculine body on top of her and feel the strength in his arms as he picked her up to push her up against the headboard. He was teasing her half the night, refusing their desires to be quenched, up until his control finally gave in. It was more intense than she remember any other time before...

She feels him stirring, then he pulls his arm out from under her head, and pulls her closer, just silently holding her tight. He smiles, then think back over his life. The overpowering love her felt for her, all those years ago, the fervent hope that their plans to run away, escape Stefano, would work, the longing to finally be together with no pretense...And then suddenly his life started here in Salem, all the while, he had no idea that she was out there, that she even existed. He can understand that after all these years living Hope's life, she does love Bo, a product originally created by Stefano, after all, that is what happened between himself and Marlena.... Roman's love for her eventually grown into his own love for her. A by-product of all Stefano's manipulations that had him staring blindly past what his life could've been.

"Gina?" his voice is low, a little hoarse from sleep.

"Mmm?" she snuggles deeper into his arms.

"Do you realize how much time we have wasted? Do you remember the time you brought me to the park, showed me the compact? I remembered, and yet I pushed you away, for a few blissful seconds I gave in, acknowledged what my heart was telling me, then..."

Gina thinks back to those magical, yet horrible moments about ten years ago. She was so determined to have him remember her, and she had managed to do that. They cried together, laughed together, her called her "My Gina" and told her that his heart is hers, and then he realized where he was, and he told her to let him go, that the past is dead and buried, that his future was with Marlena. Soon after they got married.... She can hear his voice still ringing in her ears.... " My future is with Marlena, not with you, Hope, Gina, whoever the hell you think you are!" And it hurt, it hurt like hell. She can feel tears stinging her eyes, at the emotion the memory brings back.

"You had no idea who I was, I didn't even know..." she whispers.

He rolls over, half hanging over her, forcing her to open her eyes, and look into his.

"But I should have. If I just gave in, if I didn't hang onto that whole defeat Stefano and the past by marrying Marlena, and she will save me notions... We could've been together, all those years. We could've left Salem and Stefano and everyone else behind, and have been a family, like we always dreamed....Twenty-three years wasted. We could've had kids, and grand kids...."

The old, familiar feeling of anger takes hold of her... If it wasn't for Stefano, Bo and Hope would probably still be together, Roman and Marlena as well. And herself and John? They would've ran away as they planned, and if not, they would probably still have been world class criminals, their love and desire fueled by danger, and protecting one another....