by Paige Patton
“What would you like to drink, Miss Chase?” His eyes stayed glued to her, studying her as if she was the answers to an exam.
“Nothing for me, thank you.”
Roman looked up at the waiter. “My usual; bring a glass for the lady. She will be joining me in a toast.”
The waiter bowed politely and quickly left the room.
“Why bother asking if you’re just going to ignore my answer?”
“This is a special occasion. I can’t toast alone.” He said leaning back in his chair crossing his ankle over his knee. “Once we are better acquainted you will become acclimated to my ways.”
Desiree chuckled; as if they were ever going to become any more acquainted than they were now. But she was curious to know what he meant.
“And what ways would that be?”
“For one, I am always right, and I always get my way. And besides, it's always polite to ask.”
“You really are a pompous, narcissistic, jerk.”
He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Is that really so bad?”
Unbelievable! Desiree thought. If it had been anyone else seated across from her she would have stood up and left. Men like Roman made her sick to her stomach. But being a pompous, narcissistic blowhard suited him. She couldn’t see him being any other way. He was so full of himself it made her want to fuck him first and puke later.
She just wanted the night to hurry up and end. Hopefully, he would be a man of his word. If they didn’t hit if off he would leave her the hell alone as promised. She would never have to be bothered with him again. It was odd how the thought of that made her just a little sad. Nevertheless, she had decided that if he was the type of man she should rub elbows with, well, she would rather keep her elbow to herself. A relationship between them would never work.
“Now that you have convinced me to join you, what’s next?”
“Now we talk. Have a drink and get to know each other. With any luck maybe you’ll find something endearing about me to make you want to keep me.” He said with a smile that made her heart forget about simply dancing, it did a few flips and turns like a professional gymnast. His mysterious, dark eyes stayed on hers keeping her on edge. She had to look away because she was getting that weird feeling again, the feeling of being pulled in, hypnotized and lost.
Everything about the man was endearing, and she was completely captivated by it all. Everything about him turned her on; his eyes, the dark color of his skin, his lips, hands, smile, clothes, his smell, and his teeth. She even loved the way he gently smoothed the edges of his mustache with his fingers, and even his smart-ass remarks. Fuck! She was completely whipped by this man.
She had to do something, say something to break the hold he had on her. “Was that an old girlfriend?” She asked, and then quickly regretted it. Damn! Why did I ask that? Now he’s going to think I actually give a damn.
“No,” Roman answered quickly.
Why would a good looking, eligible black man such as Roman still be single in a gold-digging town with so many white women? He had to be gay. “Are you gay?”
He chuckled before answering. “If I were gay you wouldn’t be sitting here. I would have no need for you.”
Now Desiree chuckled. “That’s never kept a man from screwing around. Trust me. I’m an expert on you bastards.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Is that why you’re so bitter?”
That struck raw nerve, but Desiree remained calm. “That’s part of it.” She could take an insult just as well as she could give them. “You men have a way of doing that to a woman.”
“You keep putting me in the same category as ordinary men. I am not.”
“Really? What makes you so different?”
“It would take me all night to explain. And it might scare you away.”
She didn’t doubt that for a minute. He was the farthest thing from ordinary she had ever come across. In fact, he was extraordinary with his drop-dead good looks and that thing he did that made her heart flutter.
“You look pretty ordinary to me.” She lied matching his hard stare. “And how do you know I’m not married or a lesbian?”
“Because I did my research, you’re happily single and you have fucked far too many men to be classified as a lesbian.”
“I didn’t know there was a cutoff.”
“There is. And you have exceeded yours. From now on you’ll just be fucking me.”
Desiree huffed and rolled her eyes thinking what a dreamer. He was right though. She had been around the block more than a few times in her lifetime. She wasn’t ashamed of any of her bad decisions and she had just a few regrets. She lived her life the way she saw fit and she did it all on her own terms.
“Sure, I’ve lived a very promiscuous lifestyle. Apparently it doesn’t bother you.”
“When something offends me, Miss Chase, I will let you know.” He said with a slight smile and then a sexy ass winked that made her clit jump with excitement.
She was actually starting to warm up to him. She liked him and that bothered her. Maybe it was because she hadn’t eaten all day. Or maybe it was because they were alone, together. In such a small space, but whatever the reason all she wanted to do was to crawl up his body, sit on his lap and purr like a kitten.
Seriously, Desiree! Pull yourself together and behave. You’re starting to act like the very thing you hate, a sorry-ass, pathetic woman who can’t go a day, actually, it had been weeks, without a man. She forced herself to look away.
“Do I make you nervous, Miss Chase?”
“When you stare at me like I’m the main course, yes.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that I find you to be an incredibly beautiful woman. Why should I look at anything else when you’re here?” He said remembering Ivy’s suggestion. He meant every word. It pleased him to look at her.
Aww…How sweet, Desiree thought. Her heart was melting. She couldn’t let him know that he was getting to her. She had to remain tough.
“You really need to work on your game.”
“You don’t think you’re beautiful?” He asked. “Surely any woman with your attributes must get plenty of compliments?”
“Sure I do, but I still think that you are full of shit.”
He didn’t flinch or show the slightest hint of emotion. “Well, what would you have me say, Miss Chase? That not only do I find you to be extraordinarily beautiful, but also infuriating, that you lack proper manners and that you have no discipline. And that I find myself wanting to shove a sock in your mouth every time you speak?”
Talk about being insensitive. Desiree had never been attacked with such rudeness. “Have you gone completely mad?”
“Not yet. But you are surely driving me there.”
Insulted, Desiree shot up from her chair. If there was any chance of them having a relationship, he just ruined it.
“Sit!” He commanded. “We’re not done here.”
The authoritative tone in his voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up. She had never been talked to that way and she wasn’t sure if she cared for it. No one dared speak to her with such insolence. She wanted to leave.
“You won’t make it anywhere near the door. Now sit back down.”
Desiree slid back down into her seat. Now she knew why Roman was still single. He was scary. And a bully, yet she couldn’t deny the fact that she was drawn to him, oddly turned on by his dominating behavior. There had to be a medical condition for it, she thought. Roman was indeed intriguing but overly aggressive for her taste. She never cared for men like this.
“He is perfect for you, Desiree. Save yourself. Do as he asks.”
Ignoring the voice in her head, Desiree decided that she never wanted to see him again after tonight. He was way too strange.
“We are both mature adults, Miss Chase. I would like to stop all the shenanigans and get right down to the real reason why I asked you to join me tonight.”
Well hallelujah, Desiree wanted t
o jump up and shout. Finally, we get to the crux of the matter.
“I have a bit of a dilemma. Unfortunately, you are the only person who can help me.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you are the solution… I’m hoping that perhaps you would be kind enough to listen to me and to keep an open mind.”
Hmmm, an open mind. That could only mean one thing; something so kinky and freaky only a person with an open mind would consider. Desiree was no longer into kinky or freaky, but she was always up for a good laugh.
“If you say yes and agree to all of the terms and conditions we’ll be able to move on quickly.”
“And if I say, no?”
“You can’t say no.” If she did, he would have to drug and kidnap her. He really didn’t want to do that. Delilah would be pissed and he would have to start from scratch with Desiree.
“Okay, but let’s just say I do say no.”
“I’ll just have to come up with a way to encourage you to change your mind. I warn you, I can be very persuasive. And my methods aren’t always positive strokes.”
Desiree cut him an inquisitive look with a raised eyebrow. She definitely wanted to know more about these non-positive strokes methods.
“When you put it like that it doesn’t sound as if I have much of a choice.”
“You always have a choice, Desiree. But it would save you a great deal of time if you would choose the choice I pick for you. Now, is there any chance of you saying yes so that we can move forward?”
Desiree could not imagine what the professor had in mind, but how bad could it be. After all, he was just a history professor.
“Our investigation on the Bauer case has just gotten started. Camille and I have our hands full right now. Perhaps in a week or so I’ll have some free time to assist you with your dilemma. Exactly what is it that you need?” She asked.
“So, you are saying yes?”
“Where did you hear yes in all of that?”
He gave her an irritated smirk as he leaned forward in his chair and took a deep breath. “I need you to say yes before we go on, Desiree. It is vital to our relationship, and it’s getting late.”
What a snippety little prick. Did he seriously think that any woman in her right mind would simply say yes without knowing what they were saying yes to? Some men, she thought!
“I’m sorry I can’t do that. Not until I know exactly what I’m agreeing to do. Once you get to know me, Mr. DePaul you will learn that I am a woman of my word. If I agree to something, I agree wholeheartedly, and I always keep to my word.”
Well, that was good to know. Maybe with any luck he wouldn’t have to try so hard to get her to submit to him. She would submit wholeheartedly and he could get back to the business of becoming the new lord and master of his people. But right now, Roman was making himself sick from playing nice. He wanted to cast a spell on her. He wanted to done with it.
“Can’t you at least give me a hint?” She asked.
Roman paused before he spoke again. “Sure. I can do better than that. I can show you, but that would require trust. Will you be willing to take a trip with me?”
This was getting a little creepy, but she was curious. “Where?”
“To my home, I live right up the coast. I’ll give you more than just a hint. I’ll lay it all out for you.”
He stared at her with those mysterious eyes that seemed to be probing into her thoughts. She wanted nothing more than to please this man. Why? Well, that was another big mystery. Pleasing a man had never made it to the top of her priority list. Why now and why him?
All of the mixed emotions were getting to her. She was finding it hard to maintain her witty, don’t fuck with me attitude. She even heard voices telling her to run to him, that he was good for her while the diva did everything she could to steer her away. Desiree was far too intrigued to listen to her old friend this time. She wanted to know who this gorgeous creature truly was and why he had such a hold on her.
“Fine, I’ll go home with you as long as you understand that this is by no means an agreement to anything.”
“Understood,” Roman, said with a smile on his lips that belied the wicked look in his eyes.
The waiter returned with two shot glasses and a bottle of Ultra-Premium Patron. Desiree didn’t know much about tequila, but she did know that one bottle of Pasion Aztec Tequila could cost in the neighborhood of two hundred thousand dollars. Hell, it was in the Guinness book of world records for being the most expensive Tequila in the world. This made her wonder, what the costly special occasion was and where exactly did she fit into it all.
Roman took the honor of filling their glasses to the rim. He handed one to her and picked the other glass up for himself. “Drink up, Desiree. It’s going to be a long night.”
Desiree picked up her glass and threw it back as if it was water. She figured if she had to endure a night of debauchery with the likes of Roman DePaul what better way to do it than to be completely hammered. Roman was a pussycat compared to some of the men she and Camille had to deal with while living on the streets.
Roman’s lips turned up in a smile that made her wonder what hellish road she would be traveling tonight. Nothing had ever come easy for Desiree. Hellish roads were her pathway to success. Why would any of that change now? She was best friends with struggle; she lived with hard times and graduated from the University of Hard Knocks. Her life was filled with one disappointment after another. There was a long list of talented assholes on her resume. It was her life’s story. It wasn’t one that she was particularly proud of. She dealt with every obstacle that faced her and always came out smelling like a rose.
As the professor filled her glass again, she viewed him as nothing more than a good challenge; a gorgeous challenge that she would conquer like all the others. She was tough, strong, and capable of taking on anything.
Laughing and getting to know each other, they ate and finished the entire bottle, then headed out into the cool night air where a black Mercedes Pullman Limousine was waiting.
Desiree slid into the backseat and quickly fell asleep unaware of the dramatic changes her life was about to take.
Chapter Thirteen
The limo entered through gates that opened to a long curvy road with palm trees on both sides. After a minute or so, the car finally stopped in a courtyard with a large water fountain, unlike the ones that you usually see with the beautiful maiden holding a vase spurting water. This unusual fountain had what appeared to be some sort of a monstrous creature, perhaps a gargoyle, perched in the center with water trickling from both eyes.
The driver stepped out of the car and came around to open the back door. Roman slid out and held out his hand to assist Desiree, who was somewhat inebriated.
For a minute, Desiree thought she was stepping out in front of the luxury Beverly Hills Hotel or maybe the Taj Mahal. “You live here?” She asked aware of her condescending tone, but what the hell, she was feeling the effects of the tequila and didn’t care.
“Yes.” He answered leading her to the front door where she thought a door attendant would open the door for them and a bellman would come running out for their luggage.
“I didn't realize teaching history was such a lucrative profession?”
“I teach because I enjoy it, not for the money.”
The interior of the home was like a five-star palace she once stayed in while in Vegas. They stood in a large open entryway where two staircases circled up and around to a second level. She was in total awe of the grandeur of the place, but was quickly taken by the arm and led down a hallway and into a large sitting room where the entire back wall was missing. A magnificent view of the ocean could be seen.
Roman led her over to a couch where they both sat and not a minute too soon. She was beginning to feel waves of nausea that threatened to make an ugly appearance; the last thing she wanted was to vomit all over the professor’s pristine marble floors and expensive oriental rugs. If she could just have twenty
minutes to rest her head, she would be ready to deal with whatever he wanted to show her, but apparently, he couldn’t wait.
“Do you believe in fate and destiny, Desiree?”
Obviously, it wasn’t a question needing an answer. He went on before she had a chance to open her mouth to answer.
“That our lives are predetermined and that there are certain things that we simply have no control over?”
Wow! The professor was getting a little too deep for a girl whose number one priority was to find the closest toilet because she seriously needed to pee and puke. He was looking at her as if his life depended on her answer. She didn’t want to disappoint him so, she managed to muster up the best response she could with all things considering.
“I suppose I do, but…”
“Good,” he interrupted before she had a chance to finish her thought. “Then half the battle has been won.”
She had no idea what he was talking about. And she was much too wasted to dive into a philosophical approach on any topic, let along fate and destiny and winning battles.
“I asked you a question earlier. I must demand your answer now!”
It was no wonder he always got his way. The way he went around demanding things, bugging a person to death until they conceded out of boredom or sheer frustration. Well, two could play his game, Desiree thought. She was not about to give in because he demanded it. He wasn’t going to get what he wanted this time.
“Demand all you like, Mr. DePaul, but I would never agree to something when I don’t know what I’m agreeing to. You’re a businessman. Would you make such a blind deal?
“Absolutely,” He said without a second thought.
“Bullshit!” She snapped back.
“It’s true. Most of my major deals were made just that way. It’s called faith.”
“Well, good for you, but I have lost all faith when it comes to men and I refuse to conduct business on blind faith alone. It’s unheard of!”
