“Fucking finally,” Leo growled, snatching up his coat and making his way immediately towards the door.
“Come on, baby. That was ridiculously long,” Val said, wrapping Zoey’s coat around her shoulders before guiding her to the door by the small of her back.
Roman and Gary both stood from the couch at the same time, each of them playing their fingers together as Angie made her way slowly over, her eyes riveted to Roman.
“You look ridiculous,” Gary said, his eyes running her body.
Angie’s eyes went from Roman to Gary, and she frowned the moment she found herself met with Gary’s piercing green eyes.
“Since when do you get dressed up for anything?” Gary asked, sweeping up his own coat just as a violent blow came flying into the side of his head. “Ow!” he cried, reaching for his head with his coat clad hand. He shot Roman a look. The moment their eyes met, Gary knew it wasn’t over. As if to confirm his thoughts, Roman took the back of his neck in a death grip, causing his younger brother to immediately double over, fighting not to scream out as he sank slowly to his knees on the floor.
“Apologize,” Roman said, his calm voice a complete contradiction to Gary’s pained face. When Gary didn’t immediately comply, Roman tightened his hold. “Apologize, asshole.”
“Shit, I’m sorry.” Gary tried to look up at Angie, but the simple movement only amplified the pain that Roman was applying to his neck, and he was unable to. “Sorry.”
Roman released Gary, watching as his younger brother stumbled to his feet, meeting his eyes with much less venom this time.
“Don’t speak to her like that,” Roman said. “You know better than that.”
Gary’s ripe eyes stayed on Roman’s as he shrugged his coat on, moving over to Angie. He was unable to stop his green orbs from traveling her body, once more, before he finally moved out of the living room.
Roman watched him go, waiting until he was on his way out the door before he looked back at her.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Angie said. “Gary and I have always hated each other. I had the perfect zinger ready for him before you nearly snapped his neck just now. Wasn’t able to get it out fast enough, apparently.”
Roman took the coat she had in her hand. “No, it’s him. He’s never known how to talk to a beautiful woman, so he does the next thing he can think of.”
“What’s that?” Angie asked, slipping her arms into her coat as he held it up for her.
“He insults them.”
“Pretty sure that doesn’t apply to me. Pretty sure he just hates me.”
“He wants you.” Roman fixed her coat before resting his hands on her shoulders, breathing deep as he leaned into her ear. “You really do look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re always beautiful.” His hands traveled down her arms, gripping them tighter as they went, until he was intertwining his fingers with hers. “It doesn’t matter what you have on, I’m always turned on to insane degrees every time I look at you.”
“Even when I’m in my glasses?”
“Are you kidding me? The kind of filthy teacher, filthy librarian, filthy girl next door fantasies that run through my mind when you’re in those glasses…” He trailed off.
Angie smiled softly, but it instantly fell when he brought one of her hands behind her back, and placed it over the bulge in his jeans.
“I wish I could have you right now,” he purred into her ear, his purr upgrading to a hiss when she clutched him unexpectedly, fitting her tiny hand around the bulge in his jeans. “Fuck, Ang. Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
“You have no idea what you do to me.” She sighed.
“Yo!”
Angie and Roman both broke apart, eyes flying to the door of Val’s apartment at the unexpected sound of a voice screaming in at them. When they both met eyes with Leo, Angie immediately moved her hand away from Roman’s crotch.
But not fast enough.
The smirk on Leo’s face was luminous. “Cab’s waiting, let’s go.” His voice went much lower with understanding. He threw them both a look out of the corner of his eyes before shaking his head and leaving.
***
The drive to the Hamptons flew by in a flash, and soon the six of them were climbing the grand staircase that led to the front door of Leo’s sprawling Hampton’s mansion. The sun was slowly setting, just enough to make the light glow out of the waterfront property’s large windows, giving the house a nightlight effect. Even on the drive up, they could see the house glowing at them from the road, beckoning them with promises of food, friends and fun.
“Why were all the lights on when you weren’t home?” Angie asked Leo. “Doesn’t that get expensive?”
“I rent this space out to a few friends,” Leo said, as he searched through his extensive key ring for the key to the front door.
“Friends?” Roman asked, skeptically. “Is that what they’re calling them?”
“Didn’t you know?” Zoey asked, coming up next to Angie. “One of Leo’s greatest passions in life is taking orphans off the street, and giving them food and shelter.”
Gary laughed. “Yeah, especially when those orphans have blonde hair, big tits--”
“And no ID,” Val added.
“I resent that.” Leo finally found the key and unlocked the door, holding it open for everyone to go in before him. “All of my orphans are perfectly legal.”
“Sure they are, Brother,” Roman teased, placing a hand on the small of Angie’s back, and leading her inside.
Leo shoved Roman into the house when he was halfway through the door, laughing heartily when it almost took him off his feet, before closing the door behind him.
***
Hours later, the “baby shower” was in full swing and, soon, the house and the backyard were both wall-to-wall with people. The siblings had invited all their friends, who’d invited their friend’s friends, and now the house was so jammed packed, Angie worried they were in danger of breaking some sort of fire code.
A DJ booth was nestled in the corner of the pool, and hip-hop music pounded from a sound system. This DJ had the magic touch, and even people who were submerged in the deepest end of the Olympic sized pool had found a way to sway to the music. The infinity edge pool stretched all the way to the end of the yard, and then the ground fell away, leading straight to the soft sands and dark blue waters of the beach.
The massive glass enclosure Leo had built around the pool every winter was doing its job to keep them all warm. It left the beautiful ocean in full view, making them feel like they were still outside. Leo was the only Romanovsky who had just as much salt water rushing through his veins as he did blood, and he refused to let three months of winter deprive him of his pool, or his beach. As far as he was concerned, having the massive glass dome built in around his pool once a year was a small price to pay.
Fittingly, a beach ball had been bouncing around for the better part of the hour.
Angie didn’t think she’d seen that thing hit the ground once.
The party was popping.
“Do you even know any of these people?” Angie called from where she was sitting in a pool chair alongside Zoey, trying not to get splashed by the dozens of people goofing off in the water.
“As long as they have my kid’s gift under their arm, I don’t give a shit who comes through that door,” Zoey said, meeting Angie’s eyes. “Not my house, not my problem. The more the merrier, baby.”
“This is actually really nice.” Angie stretched lazily back on the pool chair, curling one leg over the other as she gazed up into the starry night sky. She was calmed by the ocean waves crashing in the distance. For a moment, she almost fell asleep. “You know, I never got what the big deal was about the Hamptons… until now. I really needed this.” She really had. Even if it was only for tonight, Angie desperately needed to relax. To forget.
To have fun.
“Finish your margarita,” Zo
ey demanded. “And I’ll go make you a fresh one.”
“I’m starting to feel like you’re trying to get me drunk,” Angie accused, slurping down the last of her strawberry margarita.
Zoey rolled into a sitting position on her pool chair, snatching the empty glass from Angie. “I’ve got to live vicariously through someone. If I can’t get trashed out of my mind then you’re going to have to do it for me. That’s just what friends are for.”
“I’m not fighting you.” Angie smiled. Zoey made a killer strawberry margarita, always had, and Angie was a big fan of the buzz that was now settling in.
“Oh.” Zoey sat taller, as if she were disappointed this conversation hadn’t somehow spiraled into an argument. “Well, good. Don’t let anyone lay in my chair, I’ll be right back.”
Angie watched her go with a smile, falling back onto the lounge chair and letting her eyes flutter closed.
***
Inside the large, state of the art kitchen, the Romanovsky brothers all surrounded Leo’s oversized island. It was piled high with every snack food and drink imaginable, drawing in a new visitor every few seconds. The new faces kept rolling through, stopping to grab more drinks and snacks, saying hello to the brothers as they went.
Roman stared out of the kitchen’s massive sliding doors. The doors had been built to move open from one end of the house to the other, wall to wall, giving a perfect view of the entire pool area, and the beach that served as it’s backdrop.
Roman had always been envious that Leo had found this Hampton gem before he had. It was easily one of his favorite properties on the planet. As he watched Angie Colt leaning back in a pool chair, eyes fluttered shut, looking like she’d found her own personal slice of heaven, he envied Leo’s house even more.
Anything that could put that look on her face was solid gold, as far as Roman was concerned.
She worked hard. Very hard. From the moment he’d met her, he could tell that her mind was always wrapped up in whatever case she was pursuing. The case that had her now had really taken hold over the last few weeks, infiltrating her mind and distracting her with a vengeance.
Some nights they’d even be making love, and he could still see it in her eyes. Her busy mind hard at work, even when he was inside her.
He’d done everything he could to put it down for her like never before. To keep her cumming every night. She deserved it. Even if it only lasted as long as a quick nut, she deserved a clear head.
She’d never looked more clear than she did right them. She needed this house. She needed to relax.
Leo’s eyes followed Roman’s. After seeing what had him so transfixed, he looked back to his older brother knowingly, leaning against the bar.
“So what’s up with you and Angie?” Never one to bite his tongue, Leo said exactly what was on his mind. He nodded to a party-goer who stopped to grab a fresh beer from the cooler before putting his eyes back on Roman.
Alongside Roman, Zoey snuck up behind Val, and tickled his sides.
“Hey, beautiful.” Val turned to her with a smile, wrapped an arm around her neck, and covered her lips with his.
“Yo!”
“Gross.”
“Jesus fucking Christ--”
Roman, Gary and Leo all protested at once, the three of them pushing away from the island at the same time and exiting the kitchen. The sight of Val pushing his tongue into Zoey’s mouth was a sight they would never grow used to.
Leo made a mad dash for the backyard. Roman and Gary were quick on his heels.
“Fucking horrifying man,” Leo said, looking over his shoulder. Gary and Roman were following him out of the kitchen with equally disgusted looks on their faces.
“I will never get used to it,” Gary said, shaking his head.
“Bizarre as fuck.” Roman agreed.
The three came to a stop next to the pool, unintentionally creating a small huddle. Like they always did, Roman’s eyes immediately found Angie. She’d thrown her arms over her head on the pool chair, one leg pulled up to her chest, eyes still closed as if she’d disappeared into another world.
“If you look any harder you’re going to ruin your pants,” Leo commented, stealing Roman’s attention.
Roman shrugged as he took a sip of his beer. “She’s a friend.”
Leo chortled. “Who you talking to?”
Roman’s eyes widened. “We’re friends,” he insisted.
“I saw a lot more than ‘just a friend’ back in Val’s living room,” Leo said. “Unless female friends are doling out free hand jobs now, in which case, I need new female friends.”
Gary shot Roman a look. “What’s he talking about?”
“I’m talking about little Angie Colt jerking Roman off back in Val’s living room.”
Roman met Gary’s eyes, but his younger brother looked away, sipping his beer.
“It was nothing. We were just fucking around,” Roman said.
“Did you hit?” Leo’s eyebrows rose.
“Mind your business.”
“Angie Colt?” Leo beamed.
“Mind your fucking business,” Roman said, his eyes having gone back to the pool chair. Zoey had managed to unhinge herself from Val and was taking a seat in the chair next to Angie, handing her a plastic martini glass that was overflowing with a pink slushy liquid. Those tiny shorts Zoey had put on Angie showed the faintest hint of her tight little ass cheeks. Roman’s mouth literally watered. She wasn’t wearing panties.
It was only when Gary’s elbow came flying into his side, hard, that Roman was snapped back to reality.
“Wow.” Leo’s eyes gleamed knowingly. “You’re gone, Bro. Wow. Angie Colt. Who knew?”
Roman straightened his shoulders. “I’m not gone. Like I said, she’s my friend.”
Gary motioned to Angie and Zoey with his beer. “So if I walked over there, right now, and put the moves on Colt, you wouldn’t care?”
“She hates your entire existence,” Roman said. “So, no, I wouldn’t care.”
“You wouldn’t care, huh?” Without another word, Leo moved away, throwing Roman a look over his shoulder as he made a beeline for Zoey and Angie.
Against all his will, Roman jolted.
Sure, Angie hated Gary.
But she didn’t hate Leo.
In fact, Roman had yet to meet a woman alive that didn’t love Leo Romanovsky on sight. It took every inch of will he had not to follow his meddling brother.
Gary watched Roman’s struggle, and the smile on his face grew.
***
Zoey pouted from where she’d retaken her seat next to Angie, eyes traveling over all of her party guests. “It’s official. I just realized it. I’m that girl.”
Angie looked to her, already halfway through her margarita. “What girl?”
“I’m the pregnant girl that can’t let go of the party scene,” Zoey said, looking to Angie. “We used to talk about that girl. We laughed at that girl. Now I’m that girl. But I’m not ready to be that girl.”
“You’re not that girl,” Angie said. “This is a baby shower. There’s nothing wrong with a pregnant woman having a baby shower.”
“Angie who the fuck am I kidding? This is a damn party. A bumping party, yes, but still a party. It is a ratchet ass Hampton party, disguised as my baby shower, and everyone knows it. I’m that girl!”
“You’re not that girl,” Angie whispered, much less conviction present in her voice this time. “We laughed at the pregnant girl in the club. The one who was nine month’s pregnant, bumping everybody out of the way with her huge belly while making a beeline for the bar. That’s not you. You’re barely even showing, you’re still a size nothing. If we were at the club, no one would even know you were pregnant.”
“I know it,” Zoey cried.
“I know it, too.” Leo raised a finger as he approached their chairs, giving Zoey a teasing smile.
Angie and Zoey both looked to him, and Angie took a quick moment to appreciate how startlingly handsome h
e was. Without realizing it, she straightened her clothes. If there were a patent for the term tall, dark and handsome, Leo Romanovsky would surely be the man holding it. Dark hair, dark eyes and dark skin, he had taken all of his father’s Italian features, and left all of his mother’s Russian ones.
He was the opposite of Roman in every way, looks wise, but when he smiled, Angie saw the resemblance. He and Roman had the same smile.
Zoey snapped her head back to Angie while pointing to Leo, who had taken a seat on the end of her pool chair. “You see? I’m already a terrible mother, and Leo knows it!”
Leo’s eyes widened. “What did I just walk into?”
Angie laughed out loud.
Zoey charged on. “I’m going to completely fail this kid. This poor little asshole,” she said, placing her hands gingerly over her, still relatively flat, belly.
Leo tilted his head, suddenly feeling bad for screwing with Zoey, who was clearly hormonal and on the verge of a breakdown. “Zoey, I was playing with you. You’re not going to be a terrible mother.” He suddenly frowned when Zoey met his eyes. “And maybe stop calling the baby an asshole? Maybe? Just a thought…”
“I’m too old for this shit. I’m going to be somebody’s mother, for gods sake! I’m that girl.” Zoey was suddenly seething. “Where is Val? This is all his fault.” She pushed up to a sitting position in the chair. “Where is he, huh? Where’s your asshole brother?”
Leo had just seen Val at the grill on the other end of the yard.
“I have no idea,” he said, noting the crazed look in Zoey’s eyes.
“He’s probably already found himself a younger, hotter, much-less-knocked up woman who won’t be a failure of a mother to her unborn…” Zoey’s words slowed to a stop at the sight of Val suddenly appearing out of the crowd, coming to a stop in front of them.
His smile lit up the area the instant his eyes hit her. “Zo, have you come unhinged again?”
Claiming Roman Page 19
