by Noree Kahika
Instantly his gaze refocused, narrowed on mine and blazed with such intense animosity, I shivered. “I was there at the beginning. It was me who introduced Alex and Noah to Roman to begin with. Then they all united together and shut me out.”
Jonathan’s hands balled into fists and he sneered. “You see, Charli, the four of them formed a pact—a pact where they each backed one another’s financial interests until collectively, they all became stinking rich. While they gained obscene wealth and power, I lost everything. They shut me out!” Spittle flew out of his mouth and he thumped his chest on the last word.
He paced back and forth in my tiny living room, shaking his head from side to side like a crazy man. He was literally crazed—the man was certifiably loony. In that moment, I didn’t know whether to laugh from hysteria or curl up into a frightened ball. I was simultaneously terrified out of my wits, petrified of what he’d do to me, and utterly stupefied by the level and depth of this idiot’s bitter jealousy.
Before I could do anything, he stopped and threw me another withering glare. “Can you believe it, Charli?” he asked.
I didn’t know what he was referring to, so I just placatingly shook my head at him. What could I do? The man was certifiable.
“Back then, in college, the legendary ruthless Roman Knight had the fucking audacity to call me unscrupulous. Apparently, I wasn’t good enough for their little alliance. I wasn’t honorable enough; I was too ruthless. What a fucking joke! You know, Charli, every single one of those bastards would kill their own grandmother if they thought it would close a deal.” His chest heaved from exertion.
Anger surpassed the fear I felt and a somewhat strangled, disbelieving bark of laughter escaped my lips. Seriously, the way he kept saying my name was creepy and the pathetic bullshit he spewed was childish. It was clear Jonathan Gray was a despicable human being; he was repugnant and ludicrous and just plain old freaking nuts. At my outburst, his face contorted with fury and immediately I regretted laughing at him. But before he could move an inch toward me, a loud pounding sounded on the front door.
“Charlotte!” Roman’s voice thundered from the stairwell.
Seconds later, Seth’s gravelly voice boomed, “Miss Gilmore, please open the door.”
Jonathan’s eyes flung to the door; my eyes flung to the door; and then our gazes swung back and collided together. Both of our expressions most likely mirrored the other’s, but for two very distinctively opposite reasons. My eyes rounded with a combination of surprise and overwhelming relief—his were rounded with incredulity and sheer panic.
Thump! Thump!
“Open this goddamn door!” Roman’s voice bellowed.
Thump! Thump!
“The police are on their way, Gray,” yelled Seth through the door.
Thump! Thump!
“I swear, if you’ve hurt one single hair on her head, I’ll fucking kill you myself, Gray,” roared Roman.
Simultaneously, three things happened next; however, my only thought at that moment was the bastard had not only hurt a hair—he’d hurt my whole fucking scalp. Absently, my fingers rubbed soothingly through the strands on the top of my head.
With an almighty crash, Roman and Seth both barreled through the front door of the apartment, splintering the wooden frame of the door in their wake. Jonathan took off like lightning and hurtled himself through the living room window and down the fire escape, with Seth close on his heels. Roman lunged for me and gathered me into his arms. His eyes frantically scanned every inch of my body as his hands skimmed gently over me, presumably looking for injuries.
An immensely overpowering sense of gratitude swept over me and I unabashedly climbed Roman’s body like a tree. Every one of my limbs coiled around his big, solid, muscular form and I hung on to him like a frightened baby chimpanzee. My face planted into the crook of his neck and I momentarily paused to inhale the safe, musky aroma of his scent before I sobbed uncontrollably.
“Shh, Charlotte,” he murmured as he rubbed soothing circles on my back with his hand. “I got you now, Princess.”
The warmth from his hands, the sound of his deep voice whispering in my ear, and the sensation of his strong body against mine was both reassuring and calming that my tears finally abated after several long minutes. “H-how did you know he was here?” I sniffed.
Roman sighed and placed a kiss on the top of my head. “Richard was supposed to report in after taking you home. When he didn’t and Seth couldn’t get a hold of him, he tracked the car. All of Knight Industries’ vehicles have tracking devices on them. Seth located the car; it was parked in an underground space, close to the school. Richard was in the driver’s seat, unconscious.”
“Oh my God! Is he okay? Please, please tell me he’s okay.” Bile mixed with panic rippled up my throat and I leaned back so I could search Roman’s face.
“Shh, it’s okay, Princess.” His hand glided down the back of my hair and gently pressed my head back to his shoulder. “Richard’s okay. Apart from a nasty concussion, he’ll be fine, I promise.”
Moments later, Seth walked in the apartment, his face grim and he shook his head in the negative once at Roman.
“Fuck!” Roman cursed harshly, his jaw clenching.
His head pulled back and his midnight-blue eyes pinned mine with their intensity. “You’re coming home with me, Charlotte. The police can take your statement there.” His tone brooked no argument and I nodded my agreement.
The glittering lights from the city’s buildings sparkled like diamonds and captured my attention as I sat curled with my feet underneath me on Roman’s comfy leather lounge. His housekeeper had made me a pot of calming chamomile tea earlier and I was on my second cup. Roman had absconded to his home office twenty minutes earlier, directly after the police had left and I’d taken a long, hot shower, donning one of Roman’s cotton t-shirts that felt unbelievably soft and modestly hung to my mid-thighs.
While I recounted the events of the evening to the police, both Roman and Seth had stood and listened intently on either side of me. Roman’s hand had remained firmly entwined in mine, squeezing intermittently when I’d said something he’d obviously didn’t like until I had to stand and show the police my arms.
Gingerly, I pulled the sweater I wore over my shoulders and exposed the purpled bruises Jonathan had inflicted when he grabbed me roughly to thwart my attempted escape. I wasn’t surprised in the least to see that the bruises had already fully formed because it’d hurt like a bitch at the time. While the police took photos of my shoulders, my gaze stayed fixed on Roman’s. His face was deceptively impassive—almost eerily calm—until he saw the marks on my skin. A string of vicious curses tore from his lips and his eyes cut to Seth’s with a chilling glare.
Seth imperceptibly lifted his chin in silent acknowledgment and then promptly left the room; I made a mental note to discuss the matter with Roman later when the police left. The last thing I wanted was either Seth or Roman to go all vigilante on me and get into some serious trouble. However, I didn’t get a chance to talk with Roman because as soon as he escorted the police out, he returned, brusquely instructed me to take a shower, marched to the kitchen and barked an order to his housekeeper to make me some tea and then stormed off to his study and slammed the door shut. I could’ve sworn the glassed walls of his penthouse shook from the sheer force of it.
After my shower, I collapsed on Roman’s couch and curled into myself. I was completely drained and exhausted, now that the adrenaline had receded within my body.
“Princess?” I registered Roman’s voice at the same time I felt his lips place a kiss on the top of my head.
“Hey.” I gave him a weak smile as he walked around the couch. In light of everything that had happened to me over the last few hours, my feelings of hurt and anger toward Roman and his betrayal had greatly diminished or at best, simmered on the back burner. My gaze followed him as he lowered himself down onto the couch and angled his tall frame so he could face me.
“Y
ou okay?” Roman’s tone was gentle; his beautiful, dark eyes probed mine.
Was I okay? I didn’t really know the answer to that question; so much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, my mind was still trying to process it all. The saying fake it ’till you make it came to mind, so I decided to lie. “Yeah.”
His gaze roamed over my face and then narrowed. As if reading the truth from my eyes, he said emphatically, “You will be.”
My mouth curved into a grin and I shook my head at him. “Always so damn arrogant.”
He returned my grin with a blinding one of his own and then just as quickly, his features sobered.
“Charlotte, we need to talk. We need to talk about your job, about Paris, your passport and what happened between us in Venice.”
Reluctantly I nodded, and tried to swallow the huge lump that had formed in my throat.
“Okay, good.” He watched me carefully. “But first I need you to promise me you’ll listen—really listen to what I’m saying. Don’t interrupt, just…just please hear me out first before you say anything. Okay?”
My heart pounded hard in my chest, and my fingernails dug painfully into the soft flesh of my palms but I lifted my chin to him in assent.
Roman’s lashes slowly closed and he inhaled a deep breath, as if gathering courage. But then those piercing midnight-blue eyes of his opened and my whole body trembled at their burning intensity. “When I first laid eyes on you, dancing so gracefully, so seductively around that ribbon, I was enthralled, completely captivated by your innocent beauty. There, on the stage, I wanted you. I wanted you more than anything I’d ever wanted in my life and I didn’t care what I had to do to have you.”
“So let me get this straight. Because you wanted to sleep with me you decided stealing my passport was the best way to go about it?” I snorted incredulously.
Roman threw me a pointed look. “I thought you’d agreed to hear me out—no interruptions, remember?”
Grudgingly, I drew my lips together and waved my hand between us for him to continue.
His gaze narrowed with what appeared to be skepticism, but after a moment he continued. “After talking with you that night, after we kissed in the hallway and after spending time with you during the flight to Paris, I was intrigued. I realized during the flight that having you all to myself for one night would not nearly be enough to satisfy my curiosity or satiate my desire for you, Charlotte. So yes, I arranged for your passport to be stolen, knowing full well you’d be stranded in France for at least two days. It was my hope, my…anticipation that you’d spend that time with me in my bed.”
He paused, probably because my mouth was practically on the floor. To say I was astounded at his audacity would be a gross understatement. I was completely dumfounded and…and flabbergasted. His confession ignited a flame of indignation in me, burning like a wildfire. I threw my hands up in the air. “Are you serious?”
“Charlotte,” he growled in frustration. “You agreed to hear me out. Now let me finish.” His tone was reprimanding.
My teeth ground together and I barely refrained from launching myself at him in order to scratch out his eyes.
He sighed and waited for a long moment. His gaze moved over my face and then he continued. “Something happened in Paris.” He let out a disbelieving bark of laughter. “I honestly can’t pinpoint it—you had this adorable and insatiable curiosity for Paris that amused me. Your exuberance for life was so refreshing, you made me want to look at life through a different lens. And you’re just so goddamn beautiful. That last night, when we were having dinner at the Moulin Rouge, I knew then I wasn’t ready for our time together to be over, so I asked you to Venice and you agreed.”
My arms folded across my chest and I shot him a withering glare. “You mean the night where you sexually coerced me into going with you to Venice, don’t you?”
To Roman’s credit, his face turned sheepish. “Yes—as you put it—the night I sexually coerced you. However, if I remember it correctly, you really weren’t objecting. I believe the words ‘please’ and ‘yes’ were frequently coming from your lips.”
My withering glare instantly turned into a withering scowl and I might have actually growled at him.
“In Venice, things became…well, they became rather complicated. I’ve told you before, I don’t do long-term commitments—all previous romantic relationships have been strictly temporary in nature. My foremost priority in life has always been my company: establishing, building it and expanding its investments. I’m unapologetically ambitious and quite frankly, the aspiration for a permanent relationship outside of business up until now hasn’t been a factor in my life. But in Venice, I began to question some of those priorities and my values. The possibility of having something more permanent than just a casual affair was a real consideration. And you, Charlotte, were the reason for it.
“Unfortunately, confronted with the reality of the depth of my feelings for you that night—I left. I wasn’t eager to explore those feelings, and I loathe being challenged, even on a good day. Princess, you challenged me, you beguiled me and I fell head over heels in love with you. That day in Verona, you were being this vivacious and crazy tourist, rubbing Juliet’s statue—that was the precise moment I knew I’d fallen hopelessly and irrevocably in love with you. I’m sorry I hurt you by leaving you in Venice but like I told you that night in Central Park on the horse-drawn carriage—I want to be with you. I want there to be a commitment between us.”
My lips curved to the side with a wry smile. “Well, if it’s any consolation, I fell hopelessly and irrevocably in love with you on that horse-drawn carriage.”
One brow arched and mirth danced in his gorgeous eyes. “Not in Venice?”
“Maybe a little in Venice.”
Roman chuckled and the sound was like the sweetest melody to my ears. I truly loved him—oh, I was still angry and furious with him and my feelings of hurt and betrayal hadn’t disappeared—but I was head over heels in love with Roman Knight. And finally hearing him tell me he loved me was the most amazing, gloriously wonderful thing in the world.
He brushed a strand of hair back from my face and his fingers lingered along my temple. He cleared his throat. “Now, I need to explain about the teaching job—”
I held up my hand to cut him off. “No need to. Although I’m still mad at what you did, I had a long talk with Mrs. Henderson this afternoon and she clarified a few things with me. Most importantly, she told me I was given the teaching tenure based on my qualifications and merits and that’s all I really needed to hear.”
Roman shook his head slightly. A frown pulled between his brows. “Of course you did. You’re more than qualified for the position and truthfully—they’re lucky to have you.”
I scoffed at his never failing arrogance. “Really? You have such a distorted and egotistical way of looking at things, Roman.”
At my words, he shot me a disapproving glare but then his features sobered. “So are we okay?”
Were we okay? I honestly didn’t know. I knew I loved this man more than anything in the entire world and I now knew he loved me, but could I trust him? “Forgiveness is easy, Roman, but I don’t know if I can trust you again. And it hurts me when you shut me out of your life, when you go behind my back and you’re dishonest with me.” I bit my lip and watched him consider my words carefully.
“Fair enough.” He reached for my hands and held them gently in his.
Roman stared at our joined hands for a long moment and then sighed with what seemed to be resignation. “I am who I am, Charlotte. I’m ruthless, shrewd, and I’m not used to being accountable to others, but I’ll do my best to let you in more. However, know this, Princess: I will always, always take care of you. I’ll fiercely protect you with everything I have in me.”
The ferocity and sincerity of his words brought instant tears to my eyes and I blinked several times to clear my vision. From the maelstrom of thoughts swirling in my head, only one stood out in neon flas
hing lights: I loved Roman Knight. And my desire to be with him outweighed his hurtful deception, his annoying arrogance, his enigmatic nature, his infuriating, manipulative, controlling tendencies, and any other damn thing he had done. Besides, I’d have no problems calling him on his shit and at least life between us would never be boring.
Slowly, I withdrew my hands from his grasp and by the way his fingers tightened on mine, he was reluctant to let me go. His gaze turned wary and he frowned at my retreat. I smiled. A relationship with Roman would always be challenging, especially with his arrogant temperament, but I planned to keep the man on his toes.
Shifting up onto my knees, I was careful to keep my features impassive when I heard him question, “Charlotte?” Then, in a blink of an eye, I launched myself at him. My arms curled around his neck and my legs wrapped around his waist as I rained down a shower of kisses along his temple, his nose, and his jaw. His answering laughter made my heart soar. His arms closed tightly around me and I sighed.
Roman kissed the column of my throat with warm, deliciously wet kisses, tantalizing licks from his tongue, followed by small little erotic bites that sent an explosion of tingles down straight to my core. Smoothly, his hand glided under the t-shirt I wore and up the center of my back, holding me firmly to his body. His other hand moved to caress one of my breasts; his fingers dexterously rolled back and forth over my nipple. My moan of pleasure was immediate and needy. The man knew how to take me from zero to boiling point in two-point-one seconds. “Roman,” I breathed as I tugged on his hair. Although his kisses on my neck felt wonderful, I wanted his mouth, his lips on mine.
“Princess, I want you to move in here with me. Tonight.”
My body stiffened and I seriously felt as if he’d thrown a bucket of iced water over me. I attempted to sit back in an effort to put some space between our bodies, but Roman’s arms became like vises and held me to him in an unyielding grip. My gaze roamed his handsome but annoyingly stoic face. “You want me to move in with you? Tonight?”
