a/n: i honestly didn't expect to go this long between updates, but then my computer needed to be fixed and i wrote two one shots before getting back to this. once again, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and favorited. i never would have expected the kind of response i've gotten on this story. it means a lot.

~*~chapter four~*~

Alma and Cassandra both sigh heavily as they listen to the identical messages that they received from their baby brother. He informed both of them that he would be bringing a guest to dinner with the McMahons and Hunter and Stephanie. They both felt their jaws subtly grind as they heard his familiar baritone say, "tell ma, okay?" which is how both messages ended.

That little bastard, they both thought scathingly.

Anyone who knew Patricia Reigns knew that her greatest want in this world was for her youngest child – her precious baby boy – Roman to settle down with a nice girl and to give her grand-babies. Never mind that her three oldest children Matt, Cassandra and Alma had done just that; settled down and given her grand-babies. Nooooooo that didn't matter at all. What mattered was Roman settling down and having babies.

It saddened their mother that at every holiday or family gathering their was another girl on his arm. Never the same one twice.

"I say we cut off his hair," Cassandra, the younger of the two, remarked. "Right there," Her plump lips twisted into a deadly smile. "At the dinner table, no less. I'll put a pair of scissors in my purse and then, snip, snip at the table."

"Stop," Alma chided, shoving her sister. "You're not cutting Roman's hair off at the dinner table. You're thirty three years old, Cassandra, not twelve."

"Oh, come on, Alma! He did it again! He's making us tell Mom about the latest floozy he's bringing to dinner! And then we get to be the bad guys cause she's going to look at us all sad and broken because her baby boy can't keep his dick in his pants and wants to spread it around!"

"Cassandra Leila Reigns!"

"What?" Cassandra was unapologetic as she pointed at her elder sister. "You know damn well what I said is the truth. It's not something Mom would ever want to hear about her precious baby boy, but it's the cold hard reality. Roman is determined not to settle down, and honestly," Cassandra's fire was gone, her lips turning into a frown as she pushed her fingers through voluminous raven curls. "Who can blame him? After everything he went through with Maxine and Aksana, why would he take that risk to open himself up again?"

Alma could only nod solemnly. Her baby sister raised a good point. Which was the exact point their mother failed to realize because of her intense "my baby boy needs to give me grand babies" fever.

The other point their mother failed to realize was her baby boy was a target for women looking for a free ride in this world.

And it didn't help that he was so strikingly handsome and knew how to carry himself. He – like everyone in their family – presented themselves like they had money. Not in a flashy way, per say, but it was obvious to anyone – especially a gold digger – that he had the money to provide them with their every whim and desire. No matter the expense.

Then Aksana and Maxine happened and everything about him shifted. Both women knew all Roman longed for was to settle down the way Matt had, to find the love of a good woman, have a football team of kids and eventually have two matching rocking chairs on a porch.

And then those two gold digging harpies ruined it all, ruined their brother.

Turned him into someone they didn't recognize, someone that wasn't the man their parents had groomed him to be since they brought him home from the hospital on that warm May day.

His trust was irrevocably broken. Shattered, honestly. He withdrew into himself, becoming aloof and only focusing on the business. Women were suddenly interchangeable. Each one similar to the last. Not much going on upstairs, a bland cookie cutter personality; either an aspiring actress type or a swimsuit/lingerie model.

But he couldn't live like that forever. It was a lonely existence, going from woman to woman like that, and one he didn't deserve.

He was too good of a man for that.

Cassandra looped an arm around Alma's shoulders, pulling her in close, as she let out another heavy sigh. "Eventually he'll grow up."

Alma let out a hollow burst of laughter. "I know you don't believe that. So," She put on her best smile. "How do we break the news to Mom?"

A warm scent of coconut mixing with jasmine and the heady note of vanilla hit Roman's nose as soon as he opened the bathroom door. He fought the urge to breathe it in, knowing it would soon be clinging to Nikki's smooth sunkissed almond skin. He was struck by laughter beginning to rise from his chest to his throat as he heard her singing loudly along with some pop song that he didn't know while soaking in the bathroom's large claw foot tub.

That's big enough for two was whispered into his ear, as if she were standing right behind him, and he swallowed thickly but quickly dismissed the fictional whisper. They had dinner to get to.

Bending, he rolled the sleeve of his grey silk shirt up to his forearm before dipping his hand into the warm – slowly turning lukewarm – water and splashing the beauty, making her sputter and glare, perfectly shaped eyebrows narrowing.

"Hey," Red lips pouting and he just smiles before rising to his feet, "Sorry to interrupt your performance, but if you don't get outta there, we're gonna be late. You'll also turn into a prune."

"I'll show you a prune, Reigns." Her nose high in the air, haughtiness in her tone before she sticks out her tongue, making his chest shake with laughter.

"Wanna check for wrinkles?" Husky, wanton and purposefully breathless in his ear, and fuck.

There she goes, spinning on a dainty foot, giving him a full view of her voluptuous frame, little droplets of water shimmering deliciously on her skin and it's all he can take not to grab her. He, somehow, finds the self control he needs to exercise because if the moment his fingers close around an elegant wrist, they definitely won't be going to dinner.

Fingers push through his hair, as he breathes through his nose, practically demanding that his dick cool the fuck out and he says, "Maybe later."

Airy and triumphant giggles ring in his ear and he leaves the bathroom, so she can get dressed but mostly so he can regain his self-control that is desperately clinging to a thread, the urge to touch her making his blood grow thick and hot in his veins.

Roman didn't know what to expect when the door to the bathroom opened and Nikki stepped through. He swallowed thickly at the sight of her. More covered than he had seen her, his breath was still stolen from his lungs. The deep blue of the crushed velvet suit off set her skin beautifully and the jacket cinched her waist perfectly, somehow, making it appear smaller than it already was.

She nervously shifted from one pencil thin heeled foot to the other, self-consciously smoothing her hands over the suit and adjusting the black bandeau top she wore underneath, teeth sinking into her lip as she chewed on the flesh, peering at him from under hooded lashes.

"Is it okay?" Soft spoken but rushed at the same time. "Should I change? I mean, what kind of dinner is this, anyway? I should probably change, huh? Are we going to be late if I change? Ugh, you should just go alone. I mean, seriously, are you really going to take me to this dinner? I don't know the difference between a salad fork and a cocktail fork!"

"I don't give a damn if you know the difference between a salad fork and a cocktail fork." His voice is light and there's a warm feeling curling at her spine, then something shifts in his grey eyes, turning them from pale silver to deep, hardened steel and now there's nothing but heat engulfing her body.

And after his eyes shift, his voice shifts as well. Low and rumbling, lust coating every syllable, "Don't you fucking dare change out of this suit. It's gonna take all the self-control I got to keep my hands off of you."

She doesn't know how she's standing. She's sure her legs are jelly, and she knows if one fingertip brushed against her hand, she would surely melt.

"So what kind of dinner is this, anyway?" Nikki wondered as they walked off the elevator, her hand touching the crook of his elbow.

"McMahon Industries," Gruff sounding as they make their way through the lobby of the hotel. "My Pops' company, Reigns Consolidated, is planning to merge with them. That's what my family's business is; merging companies or just straight taking them over. Vince McMahon, who's still principal owner of McMahon Industries – even though, his daughter Stephanie and her husband Hunter," Jaw subtly grinding at the name. "Run it primarily is gonna be there along with his wife Linda and then Stephanie and Hunter as well."

"Oh..." Roman stopped when he felt her nails dig into the fabric of his suit's jacket. "Don't be nervous..."

"Seriously?" He was cut off by her sharp tone, but his resolve didn't falter. Gently, he tilted her chin upwards, "You don't need to be nervous..."

"How can you say that? You know all about companies and mergers and whatever! I don't know any of that stuff, so what I'm just supposed to sit there and look pretty? Is that it?"

"Did I tell you, you're supposed to sit there and look pretty? All I'm telling you is not to be nervous because you don't have any reason to be. You're not some airhead. Believe me, I've brought a few to dinners like this, so I know an airhead when I see one. Talk about what you do know; whatever that is. Like, cars."

"Cars?"

"You know more about cars than I do. If it wasn't for you, baby girl, I would still be sputtering up and down Hollywood Boulevard and you know it."

"You would, wouldn't you?"

And just like that, the swagger he remembers from the first night they met, is back.

"Mr. and Mrs. Reigns?" The maitre de greeted as they stepped into the restaurant.

Roman didn't correct him and Nikki felt her skin flush but didn't say anything as she let her smooth fingers intertwine with his broad ones while they were lead to their table.

Her eyes glanced around the opulent restaurant, not quite believing, that she was actually here – in a place like the Beverly Hilton – and on a handsome man's arm, for everyone to see, instead of being snuck in through the back by a married john. Her eyes found a focal point, settling on, the row of aquariums lining the furthest wall in the back and she felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders, remembering how Brie would always drag her to see the fish when they would take field trips to the San Diego Zoo or their Pop Pop would bring them on the weekends.

The beautifully colored fish reminded her of a time when she had no worries, when she was free to believe that dreams did come true. When she hugged tightly to her pillow and dreamed of fairytales. Before everything changed. Before when she was one half of a whole. And usually she couldn't let that feeling go – the phantom limb thing she heard about on Dr. Oz when she and Cameron managed to get a clear picture on their beat up tv for an hour – usually it haunted her every second of every day... at least until Roman came sputtering down Hollywood Boulevard.

"Roman," An impossibly warm and gentle tone broke through Nikki's reverie. A beautiful older woman with blonde hair cut fashionably short and pretty blue eyes stood from the table, her smile practically blinding as she opened her arms wide, clearly waiting for him to step into them.

"Ma," Adorably sheepish and Nikki fought the urge to giggle as he bent forward to be folded into her arms. At the same time, the brunette was also fighting the urge to jab the handsome man in the stomach as he rose back to his full height after breaking the hug. She thought she was just here to schmooze the McMahons, not meet his mother, too.

Then her dark eyes flickered to the other four people sitting in the large booth. One of the two men sitting was clearly Roman's father. She could tell because they both shared the same stance; proud, broad shoulders always squared and set, never slouching. He obviously inherited that quintessentially handsome chiseled jaw from the man as well. She bet the elder Reigns was a lady killer back in his day just like his boy. Next to the elder Reigns sat the man she guessed to be Matt, Roman's older brother. Just with shorter hair, but the same imposing build and straight nose.

Two women sat two their right. Both of them were strikingly beautiful in this exotic way. Skin the color of caramel, such a sharp contrast to their inky black hair that fell in matching straight curtains to their shoulders.

One was older which was obvious as she dressed less flashy than the other. She wore a simple black dress with a square neckline while the younger was wearing red and favored a strapless dress and jewelry; gold dangling from her ears and wrapped around her wrists.

"Everyone," There was the feeling of his hand hovering just above the small of her back, making Nikki release the breath she didn't even know she was holding. "This is Nikki. Nikki," Grey eyes flashed her way, warm and inviting, making her spine loosen ever so slightly. "This is my Mom, Patricia and my Dad, Sika. These are my sisters, Alma and Cassandra and my brother, Matt."

"Hi." A small waive. "So..." A soft press of a large hand to the small of her back, encouraging and then she feels her lips quirk into a charming grin, that for once isn't forced. "I don't know if Roman told you," Teasing as she locks eyes with Sika. "But if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have made it to The Hilton and your Lambo wouldn't have made it back to the house."

"Oh, really?" Intrigue is written all over the older man's tone as he arches a pointed brow at his youngest son.

"C'mon, baby girl," Once again, neither notices the term of endearment. Or how easily it flows. As if he's called her that for years. "You gotta throw me under the bus like that before dinner?"

"It's a great story, babe," Manicured fingers trailing along that chiseled jaw, eyelashes fluttering adoringly. "And I think it's the perfect time to tell it. Besides, how many of your girlfriends before me, actually knew how to drive a stick shift?"

"They were lucky if they knew how to work a microwave." Cassandra grumbled, wincing toward the end when Alma jabbed her in the stomach.

"This," Matt's grin was the definition of shit-eating. "I gotta here."

"Is that how you two met? You rescued my baby boy from his own pig-headed stubbornness?" Patricia's warm tone came next. "Well, now, honey," Overly sweet as she strokes her husband's hand. "Doesn't that sound familiar?"

"Told you," Confident and warm in her ear, sending tingle after tingle down her spine. "That you didn't have anything to be nervous about. You got them eating out of the palm of your hand, and that ain't an easy thing to do, believe me."

"Thanks." There's a flush rising to her cheeks, and god, had she ever blushed this much in her life?

"Don't tell me," An authoritative but still feminine voice breaks the flow of conversation causing everyone's heads to turn. "You've started pouring the wine without us, Patricia?"

"Linda," There's a strain Nikki can hear in the voice of Roman's mother and suddenly her stomach is tight.