After dropping Roman and Seth back off at the hotel, Lucy gathered up her notes and drove to the magazine office downtown. When she walked in the door, she was surprised to find her boss Samantha in the conference room. The older woman looked professional but casual in an outfit of neatly cut linen trousers and a sleeveless blouse, her dark brown hair styled in a bob just below her chin.

"Lucy!" she said in greeting when she spotted her, stepping out of the room and smiling, "I was hoping I'd run into you! We had an editors meeting this morning, so I decided to just work out of the office for the day."

"Good to see you," Lucy said with a friendly smile. Samantha had always been a great boss who was pleasant to work around. Lucy was about to turn away and make her way to the office she borrowed when she was in town, but stopped after just a few steps. If she was going to ask about writing a story and going to Europe with Roman, this was her opportunity. She quickly turned back to Samantha and caught up to her walking back into the conference room.

"Do you have a minute? I actually had something I wanted to run by you," she asked, stepping into the room behind her.

"Sure, have a seat," Samantha said, gesturing to one of the chairs..

"I'd like to pitch a story about traveling when you're from a tourist destination like Tampa. How does it feel to be the one out of your element when you're used to being the local? Are you less likely to do typical touristy things? Will you be more tolerant of tourists after you come home? That sort of thing," Lucy rattled off her ideas quickly, hoping her nerves didn't show. She hadn't pitched a story in a while, used to being assigned projects as they were needed, and she had forgotten how nerve wracking it could be for her.

"Hmmm, that could be interesting," Samantha said in a neutral tone, considering the idea, "did you have a particular place in mind?"

"Friends of mine are going to Italy, France, and England in a couple of weeks, and they've invited me to join them. It's something a little different, I know, but I thought it might make for a different perspective for our readers," Lucy finished.

Samantha nodded and sat quietly for a moment, thinking.

"I don't think it's quite right for the magazine," she finally said, and Lucy's heart sank a little.

"But…"she continued, "I still think that you should go."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, confused.

"You've got plenty of vacation time saved up, I can't remember the last time you've used any. And I know you've always wanted to travel more. Why not just go and enjoy it?" Samantha finished.

"Really?" Lucy asked, surprised at the suggestion, "I mean, of course- I'd love to. I guess I just figured…I don't know, really, I just didn't think it would work out," she admitted with a laugh.

"Well, it sounds like a fantastic trip," Samantha answered warmly, "I'm glad you're going to take some time for yourself. And, if I may make a suggestion?"

Lucy nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"Bring a notebook with you and try to journal as much as you can. Not for a story or an assignment of any kind, just for you. I've found that when I'm traveling, I always think I'll remember everything that happens and the people that I meet, but a lot of that has faded away over time."

"Thank you, Samantha. That's a great idea," Lucy said genuinely, "and thanks again for pushing me to go."

"You're welcome," Samantha answered, opening her laptop to continue her work, "just email me the dates and we'll have your desk covered."

"Will do, boss," Lucy grinned as she stood up to leave. She waved her goodbye and headed to the borrowed office.

Once there, Lucy sat down and felt some of the tension she was holding subside. Truthfully, she was relieved that her pitch for the story had been turned down. She knew it wasn't the best fit for the magazine, and she hadn't found the angle particularly compelling.

Samantha was right about her never taking a vacation, and she knew that. Once she graduated with her degree and got her first writing job, Lucy had hit the ground running. After living so much of her life in indecision about what she should do, she had finally found a passion, and it had given her tunnel vision. But now, something was different. Someone.

She was going on a trip with Roman.

A trip to Europe.

A trip to Europe with Roman.

Lucy was glad that she told him that she'd be at the office for an hour or so because she needed some time to process. These last few days with him had been the most wonderful whirlwind of her life and while she was over the moon about it, she hadn't really had a second to breathe.

Spending time with Roman was the easy part. He was the most tender, sweet guy she'd ever met- just thinking about him brought a smile to her face she couldn't suppress. She didn't think a connection with another person could happen this easily, and there were moments where she felt like pinching herself to make sure that it was real. The way she felt when she looked at him made her realize she had never cared for anyone the way she cared about Roman. This is what it's supposed to feel like.

She knew things were moving quickly, but she didn't want to pump the brakes. Lucy was thrilled that she and Roman had somehow ended up in the same hotel with rooms right across from one another- it felt like fate. Or something out of a Nora Ephron movie. Either way it felt right, and that's what scared her.

Lucy had a habit of pushing good things away out of fear of losing them. Why attempt the climb when you're sure the mountain is going to crumble beneath you? But Lucy knew what she and Roman had between them was real, and she wasn't going to let it go without a fight. It was time to bring down her walls and finally get out of her own way.

After dropping her receipts off at the accounting desk and filing her restaurant review from the lunch with Dean, Lucy was on her way again. She popped her head into the conference room and said goodbye to Samantha before heading back to the hotel.

As she drove, Lucy thought back to their morning activities. Roman had made her feel incredible, and watching him stroke himself in the shower might have been even more erotic than him going down on her. Lucy had never felt as taken care of in the bedroom as she had felt this morning. The way he had taken control left her free to truly just lay back and enjoy every sensation. Why did something as wonderful as pleasure feel so…frightening?

Lucy shook her head, willing herself to focus. She needed to take the day one step at a time, and the next step was to tell Roman she was coming with him to Europe.

Shit.

She could do this.

It was great news. Exciting news. News she still could hardly believe was true. She was going to see places she'd been longing to visit for as long as she could remember, and she was going to do it with Roman by her side. Lucy was determined to face her fears of love and fallout and heartbreak and focus on the now.

Once she arrived back at the hotel Lucy went up to her room to drop off her laptop and work bag, texting Roman to let him know that she was back. She slid off the blazer she had worn to the office, but opted to keep on the soft purple sundress she had worn underneath. She also ran her fingers through her fair, fluffing the loose curls to frame her face. After a few minutes she heard a knock at the door and when she went to open it, Roman was standing there beaming down at her, looking comfortable in red track pants and a simple black tank top.

"Hey beautiful," he said simply. Lucy held open the door so he could join her.

"Hi!" She greeted him enthusiastically. That was another thing about Roman- as soon as he was around, all of her insecurities about what they were to one another melted away.

"How was your workout?" she asked him as he sat perched on the end of her bed.

"It was nice," he answered, "Seth actually slept in this morning so he talked me into going to a crossfit place around here. It's not my usual workout, but it's fun for a change every once in a while."

"Did you do the rope thing?" Lucy asked, waving her arms up and down in front of her to imitate the ads she'd seen for crossfit gyms.

"Actually yes, we did," Roman laughed, "and hey, that form isn't too bad. Don't let Seth see that or he'll be dragging you with him next."

Lucy grinned and sat next to him on the bed. She took a breath, steeling herself. As if on cue, Roman turned to her.

"How was the office?" he asked.

"Well as luck would have it," Lucy began, her heartbeat quickening, "my boss Samantha was visiting for a meeting with a group of editors today, so I pitched to her about writing a travel story."

"Talk about great timing," Roman said with an easy smile.

"Exactly," Lucy agreed, forcing her nervousness down, "and although she didn't think the pitch was suited for the magazine, Samantha agreed that I should go."

"She did?" Roman asked cautiously, clearly trying not to get his hopes up.

"She insisted, actually," Lucy said with a small laugh, "She knows how much I've always wanted to travel, and since I haven't taken an actual vacation in years I've got the time to use."

"So…" Roman started, his eyes lighting up, "you're coming with me?"

Lucy smiled and bit her lip, staring into his hopeful eyes. She couldn't believe that she was going on the trip of a lifetime with this man; that he wanted to share this experience with her. How in the world did she get so lucky?

"I'm all yours, baby" she answered, joy and anxiety battling inside her, "if you get it cleared on your end, of course. I know that's last minute and you said you had to talk to Hunter and-"

Roman cut off her chattering by covering her lips with his own. Lucy let out a small squeak of surprise, but quickly recovered and returned his kiss. Roman hummed his approval and brought one hand up to cup her chin. He gently leaned back, and looked her into her eyes, smiling.

"Sweetheart, everything is taken care of," he said, his voice a gentle rumble. His face turned from serious to a smile.

"When we were at Smackdown, I stopped into Hunter's office and told him I might have someone looking to join me on tour, and he helped me make all of the arrangements," Roman finished, his face smug.

"Oh, you were that sure I'd be joining you, were you?" Lucy asked, raising her eyebrow in mock skepticism.

"Well, no," Roman said, breaking their eye contact momentarily to look away from her. He let out a small breath and chuckle of his own before turning back to her "but Dean was. Dean and Seth, actually."

Lucy's smile grew at that. She knew that once she had talked about falling for Roman at lunch with Dean that it wouldn't take long for at least part of that conversation to make it to Seth, and subsequently to Roman. She knew Dean wouldn't fully divulge what she had said, but the three of them didn't really do secrets.

"Remind me to thank them sometime," Lucy said fondly.

"Yeah, they're alright," Roman quipped, absentmindedly stroking his thumb up and down her cheek where he was still holding her.

Lucy's stomach swirled as Roman gazed into her eyes, and she leaned into his touch. She slid her hand up to his shoulder, pulling him back to her so she could kiss him again. His soft lips met her own and Lucy's free hand went to his other shoulder, her fingers tracing the intricate tattoo on his skin. Lucy opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, letting their tongues intertwine. She felt Roman's hand slide down to her neck, wrapping around the back of it.

Lucy let out a happy sigh as they continued this way for several minutes, holding one another and kissing passionately, but softly. Finally, Roman pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. Lucy kept her eyes closed for a few seconds, basking in the intimate moment. She didn't want to move, afraid she might open her mouth and say something stupid, breaking the spell they both were under. Her heart was pounding, her mind spinning.

"Enjoy this," she reminded herself, pleading desperately with her own brain to cooperate, "believe in him. Believe in yourself. You deserve to be happy, and he certainly does, too."

"Hey," Roman said softly, and she opened her eyes to find him looking at her, his eyebrows wrinkled with concern. He pulled back slowly, his hand sliding down her arm and taking her hand in his, "what's going on, baby? Your breathing is shallow and your pulse is going crazy. Did I do something?"

"No," Lucy answered immediately, squeezing lightly on his shoulder for emphasis, "Roman, you have done everything right since you bought me that peach iced tea," she smiled weakly at him, hoping it was reassuring.

He returned the smile, looking calmer, if unconvinced. Before he could ask again, Lucy barreled ahead.

"I'm just…" she paused, bracing herself before forcing the words to leave her mouth, "scared. I am so scared, Roman. Of messing this up, of breaking this magic spell. I don't know how to do any of this. I don't know how to be a girlfriend, I don't know how to let you in. I don't know how to make space in my life for another person and trust it's going to work," she averted her gaze from him now, feeling his eyes looking right into her soul, "last week, I was single and living alone, perfectly happy with myself, my dog, and an apartment full of way too many books. Except…"

She inhaled deeply and let out a shuddering breath, feeling the tears begin to form. She held them back, willing them to evaporate or sink back into where they came from.

"Except…" she repeated, and taking another deep inhale she turned her eyes back to Roman's, "that I wasn't. I didn't realize how lonely I had become until you walked into my life and brought your brothers with you. You've shown me in a matter of days that I have room in my heart and in my life for more. More love, more friendships, more of the world. And now I'm terrified that if this doesn't work somehow, that if I'm not enough for you, that space that I've found will be empty. I don't know if I'd ever be able to fill it up again."

As Lucy finished speaking, she closed her eyes again and allowed a single tear to escape from her eye, feeling it slide down her cheek. She felt Roman reach up his hand slowly, brushing it away with his thumb, then bringing it down to join his other hand in holding hers. He squeezed both of her hands softly, and for a minute the two of them shared the silence.

Braving herself for whatever was to come next, Lucy drew in a breath and opened her eyes, Roman's patient gaze looking down at her.

"Lucy,' he began in that soft, deep voice of his, "why in the world would you ever think that you're not enough for me?"

"Because you're wonderful, Ro," she said weakly, noticing his mouth quirk up at the nickname, "you're the most kind, passionate, driven person I've ever met," continued, shaking her head for emphasis, "and let's not even start on how hot you are because- wow."

Roman laughed at that, his cheeks reddening, and Lucy cracked a smile, glad she had broken even a little bit of the tension from the conversation.

"Well if we're playing that game," Roman said, "I don't think I've ever known anyone as smart or sweet as you before. You are constantly keeping me on my toes- and I'm friends with Dean, a walking variable," he emphasized that with a chuckle, "and you want to talk about hot? Babe, the things your body does to me. And this face," he reached up to her chin once more, "is so incredibly beautiful. One look from those eyes and I'm a goner."

Lucy's face flushed bright pink. She didn't know who or what to thank for this man, but she knew she had to hang onto him as long as she could.

"Just so you know,' Roman continued, "I'm not going anywhere. I know I'm no relationship expert, and you're not really either, but I can have trust in us. I don't know how, but I know this is right. I'm happy to take this as fast or slow as you want, but I want to keep getting to know you, Lucy. I want to be a part of your life for as long as you'll let me."

Lucy felt a weight begin to lift from her chest, her mind going back to her conversation with Dean. Roman had blind faith in Seth and Dean from the start, and now he was sure about her. If he could be that certain in his gut, Lucy realized she could overcome her doubts, too. She really did owe Dean a thank you.

"Thank you, Roman," Lucy said softly, feeling a wave of exhaustion from the emotional conversation, "for being here for me. And for not letting my freak out scare you off."

"It's going to take a lot more than that to run me outta here," Roman said, "and I have to admit, I was a little bit worried about us too. Nothing about you," he said quickly, "I was just hoping I wasn't pushing for too much, too soon. I talked with Seth about it at coffee this morning while you were taking pictures."

Lucy laughed out loud at that, and Roman gave her a quizzical look.

"So we're both lovesick idiots," Lucy said, shaking her head, "You talked to Seth, I talked to Dean, and neither of us were brave enough to talk to each other."

"So that's what the two of you talked about at lunch," Roman said, understanding coming over his face, "now I get why he was so cagey about it. Ok, let's make a deal. No more of this dragging everyone but each other into our worries. We have a concern, or an insecurity, we talk about it. How does that sound?"

Lucy hesitated. She didn't want to make a promise she couldn't keep. Vulnerability had never been her strong suit- she was used to solving her problems on her own. But that sort of thinking doesn't work in a relationship. She may not be an expert, but she at least knew that. And this was Roman. Caring, loyal, shockingly sweet Roman. If there was a time to take a leap of faith, it was now or never.

"OK," Lucy said with determination, nodding her agreement. She stuck out her hand in formal handshake fashion, "it's a deal."

Roman looked down at her outstretched hand and laughed, grabbing it with his own to shake for a quick second before pulling her to him for a gentle kiss. They kept it short and sweet this time, both clearly spent.

For the briefest moment, Lucy felt three words flash in her brain. Then again. She shook her head, knowing it was too quick. She wasn't ready for that yet. She was mentally drained from the conversation and wasn't thinking clearly. She squeezed Roman's hands, willing herself to focus on the present moment.

"So, the art gallery opening isn't until later this evening," she said lightly, not wanting the subject change to feel too drastic, "what do you say to ordering in some lunch and having a quiet afternoon in?"

"I think you read my mind," Roman grinned down at her. Lucy let out a relieved sigh, feeling lighter every moment.

She had opened up to him and was all the better for it. Realistically she knew this probably wouldn't be the last time she'd panic, but now she knew they would get through it together.

For the rest of the afternoon, Roman and Lucy enjoyed a calm lunch and watched television, enjoying one another's company. Lucy was emotionally drained from their conversation, cathartic as it was, and she was thrilled that they could take the time to decompress together.

Lucy was laying on Roman's chest as a F.R.I.E.N.D.S. marathon played on television, his arms enveloping her, and she absentmindedly strummed her fingers along his chest. As they laid together, Lucy felt her eyelids getting heavy. The warmth of the big man beneath her combined with the exhaustion from the past few days was pulling her towards sleep. She shook her head and tried to pay attention to the show, but it wasn't working. After fighting with herself for a few minutes she finally caved.

"Hey, Ro?" she asked quietly, trying not to disturb the calm energy between them, "would you mind if I took a little bit of nap?"

Roman didn't answer her, and after she waited about a minute for a response she realized that his breathing had grown slower and heavier. Lucy slowly lifted up her head to look at his face and sure enough, he had already fallen asleep. Smiling to herself, Lucy reached over the nightstand as easily as she could, drawing a small groan of displeasure from Roman as he tried to tighten his hold around her.

"Shhh," she whispered as she quickly set an alarm on her phone and placed it back down, "go back to sleep, handsome."

She settled back onto his chest and his arms instinctively drew her closer to him. Letting out a contented sigh, Lucy placed a soft kiss on Roman's chest and quickly drifted off to sleep.