The Cousins Series Boxed Set

by Lisa Lang Blakeney

  I'm going to give things with him a few more months, and if we're still working this well together, I may even consider making him my partner. He could definitely help me take School Bucks to the next level. He sees the big picture in the same sort of way that I do, and I don't mind sharing the profits with someone who also shares my vision. Especially because I know he could handle the demands of the job. In another world, a guy like Blake would be my boss, not the other way around. I know Roman will probably hate the idea, but one thing I'm perfecting as the weeks and months go by is the delicate art of loving Roman Masterson. And trust me, there's an art to it.

  "Seems like your guy is having some sort of heated negotiation in there," Blake says with a tinge of curiosity in his voice. Not fear though. Interestingly enough, Blake may be one of the only men I've run across who doesn't seem the least bit intimidated by Roman.

  I like that. It means his feathers won't be so ruffled when Roman eventually says something wildly inappropriate to him. Which hasn't happened yet, but I know it's coming.

  "Yeah," I laugh off his observation casually. "Excuse me for a moment, Blake. Let me go speak with him for a moment."

  "No problem." He smiles brightly. "I'll work on this segment of the database until you get back."

  I smile in return. "Cool, I shouldn't be long."

  All right, so I'm not even going to lie. There is something about my new, calmly cool, employee, which is definitely attractive or should I say appealing. He's tall with long lean muscles, and a head full of lush, dirty blond hair which he usually wears loose or in a messy ponytail. Definitely reminiscent of a Viking as Sloan pointed out.

  He also has this pair of distinctive, beautiful gray eyes that always look like they're processing information. I think his eyes mirror a mixture of his very funny personality and his exceptional brain, and if I had an older sister, I'd definitely hook her up with him. He's boyfriend material for sure. Not high-powered or polished enough for Sloan though, which is why I haven't even bothered trying to hook them up. And for some reason, Tiny hasn't returned any of my texts for the last week. Sometimes she just goes radio silent, so I haven't been able to make the introduction I wanted to make between the two of them.

  I rap on the door to Roman's office as a polite gesture, but then I walk in without waiting for a response. Ultimately it's my house, and he's being disrespectful. My defenses are up, because I know he's itching for a fight, one that will end up with me spread eagle and begging for release. And they always begin with that turned up mouth of his. A cocky grin that I'm sure has worked it's voodoo magic on many an unsuspecting woman. Now it's especially reserved for me.

  "Elizabeth," he greets me then turns his head and gives whoever he's on the phone with a curt good-bye. "We'll finish this later."

  "Why are you so loud?" I start in on him as soon as he ends the call. Picking the fight first is my strategic offensive play.

  "I needed to be loud in order to drown out all the fucking giggles coming from the living room."

  "You're ridiculous." I huff.

  "You're a flirt."

  "Well you're an ass."

  "So you're admitting that you're a flirt then?"

  "No, jerk off. I'm not."

  "You're pushing it with the name calling."

  I say with defiance, "Not as hard as you're pushing things."

  "Strip." He playfully grins. I'm pretty sure he's laughing at the fact I used the words hard and pushing in the same sentence. He has such a dirty mind.

  "No."

  "What did you just say?"

  "I said absolutely not, Roman." I get serious for a moment. "I'm not stripping. In case you didn't realize, I'm working, and the person I'm working with is literally ten feet away from this frackin' door. If you think I'm going to–"

  "That's why you're going to be as quiet as a mouse, while I take care of your little giggle problem. In fact let's make this interesting. If you come on my face, real quiet like, I'll buy you a matching Rover, so you can stop taking those damn Uber cars. They don't even screen those drivers properly. They're probably all serial rapists."

  "You need a therapist," I say only semi-seriously.

  "For what?" he rhetorically asks me as he slowly backs me into a corner of the room.

  I throw up my hand in defense of his approach.

  "I can help you find one at a reasonable rate if money is the issue," I jest.

  "Is there something wrong with me asking my girl to strip?" he asks while gesturing to me with a head nod to raise my arms, but I hold steady and refuse.

  Roman often uses sex as a power play, and sometimes I give in because I get just as much pleasure out of it as he does, but then there are times that I just have to stand my ground if I'm ever going to get anything done.

  Like work.

  I usually try to make sure that Blake isn't in my house when I know Roman is going to come by, but today it didn't work out that way. So I give him a silent but firm head shake no.

  "No?" he growls dipping his head into the side of my neck.

  "Uh-uh." I try my best to answer with conviction as I close my eyes in rapture. "I only came in here to tell you to keep it down. We both need to respect each other's space if we're ever going to work in here at the same time."

  Of course while I'm putting up all this verbal protest, I clasp my hands around the back of Roman's neck as he burrows his head farther into the side of my neck. I can't help it; because I love the way my body vibrates when he speaks against my skin.

  "You look fucking spectacular today, Duchess. This tight skirt." He slides his palm up the side of my thigh. "This fuzzy cream sweater." Brushing the backs of his fingers across my waist underneath my sweater. "No wonder captain nerd can't stop laughing at every fucking thing you say out there. He's probably mesmerized by your pretty ass."

  "Why does everyone I know have to be a nerd in your eyes except for you?" I ask amused.

  "Is that actually a serious question?"

  "Oh, shut up."

  "I know men, Duchess."

  "And? I'm not sure what that has to do with my question, but now that we're on the subject, let's discuss it real quickly. I'm going to ask again. What's your problem with Blake? You're the one who wanted me to hire an employee. Hell, you bought me this apartment, so I could have space to make it happen. So now that I have, you haven't given him a single chance. You met him once and now you won't even talk to him for five minutes. I already know nothing came up in your investigation."

  "I knew all that I needed to know the minute he decided to relocate here."

  "I want you to talk to him."

  "I do talk to him. I say hi and bye. I just won't give him the opportunity to bite me in the back."

  "What the heck does that mean? Bite you in the back?" I ask in frustration. "You know what? Forget it. You're being ridiculous. Adorable but ridiculous."

  "Mmm, you're adorable," he whispers in my ear. "I'm ready to spread your limbs from east to west right on this desk and fuck you sideways. Would you like that, baby?"

  I squeeze my eyelids tightly closed and lie through my teeth, "No."

  "You don't mean that. You know how I know? Because ever since you walked in here, you've been staring at me like a piece of chicken," he chuckles as he throws one of my old sayings back at me. "Arms up, Duchess."

  I shake my head vigorously no again.

  "Uh-uh." I lean away from him and say with a smile. "I'm going to walk back out of this office with all of my clothes on, and you're going to behave for the next hour or so, so that Blake and I can finish."

  "Blake," he parrots back gruffly. "Who the hell names their son Blakkke." He exaggerates the pronunciation of the K sound.

  "Umm, a lot of people do and would you please quiet down."

  I move from underneath and away from Roman, knowing that if I don't put some physical distance between the two of us, that he will take great pleasure in totally embarrassing the hell out of me in front of someone I pay a sala
ry. Someone whose opinion of me matters. I've already been in here way too long. It's embarrassing.

  "Where are you going?"

  "Over here," I say with determination.

  He stalks over towards me.

  "You know I don't beg for pussy, Elizabeth," he says into my ear with a grin spread across his face.

  "So you keep saying, but I don't think you even really want it right now anyway. You're just trying to prove some sort of point."

  "Don't be mistaken, pretty girl. I always want it when it comes to you."

  Roman leans his forehead into mine, and I can't help but wrap my arms around his waist as he moves in for a kiss. He's holding back, thank God, but he still makes sure to take a moment to savor my mouth in a way that makes me imagine that I taste extremely delicious.

  "You taste like bubblegum," he says in the low, gravelly voice that hardens my nipples every single time.

  As his tongue plunges deeper into my mouth, I instinctively rise up on my toes and rest my hands along the back of his buzzed-cut head. Rubbing back and forth as the kiss grows more passionate. He loves it when I rub his head this way, and I can tell by the deep groan coming from deep inside his chest that I need to stop this right now before it gets totally out of hand. I'm sending seriously mixed signals.

  I break the kiss and step away from him, although it takes every ounce of will power I can muster. It's so easy to get lost inside of the deep physical attraction we have for each other. It's basically all we've been doing for the last few months. Indulging in our baser instincts, our deep sexual connection, as well as our burgeoning emotional relationship.

  "I'm not kissing you anymore until you promise to make a dentist appointment," I say suddenly.

  "Well that shit came out of no where," he laughs. "Does my breath stink?"

  "I can't kiss a man who doesn't take care of his teeth."

  "Jade texted you, huh? She's been on my ass about that appointment for two weeks. Listen, Duchess, my teeth are fine. I haven't had a cavity since I was seven. Stop trying to change the subject, and bring your spectacular ass back over here where you belong."

  "How do we know your teeth are fine? Jade said you haven't been in two years. That's a long time not to have a checkup."

  Roman crosses his massive arms in front of himself. Every delicious inch of his firm biceps hugged and accentuated by the tight white thermal shirt he's wearing. I can already tell that he's about to say something that I'm not going to like. It's written all over his mischievous face.

  "Well I did date a dental student a few years back. I think she just settled into a practice over in Chestnut Hill. Maybe I should give her a call. She gave amazing–"

  "Hey!" I yell as I slap him on the arm.

  Roman chuckles again.

  "So fucking pretty."

  "Oh just be quiet," I snap. "And behave for another hour or so. Blake has to leave early, and then we can play for the rest of the day like we planned."

  "So now you've stooped to bargaining with me? Go to the dentist and I'll get some pussy. Wait another hour and then I'll get some. What happened to you telling me that this was mine?"

  Roman swiftly walks back towards me and immediately slides his hand underneath my pencil skirt and in between my legs. The flimsy triangle of fabric I'm wearing underneath is unable to hide the pure heat emanating from my crotch. It's just the nature of the beast. I'm always hot for him. That and the fact that the kiss we just shared turned things up a notch.

  "And that I could have this any time I wanted." He slides his hand back out, then back in again. Each time, hiking up my skirt a little farther up. Playing carefully in between my legs like my slit is a delicate string instrument.

  "I'm not your possession, Roman." I try to say this with conviction while his hand still plays wickedly in between my legs.

  We both know that was unconvincing.

  He possesses me body and soul.

  "Listen to me closely, Duchess," he says as his brow creases. "Everything about you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes belongs to me." He kisses me softly. "And I belong to you. All that's left for us to do is make it official."

  The intended meaning of his words and the tone that he uses to deliver them are the most beautiful things anyone has ever said to me. That's why my resistance grows weaker, and so I say the most ridiculous thing a woman could say right in the middle of her workday. Especially with her employee sitting in the next room.

  "I'll give you ten minutes."

  "Stop playing around," he chuckles. Pleased with himself that he's won our game of wills between us. "You know you'll want me inside of you for at least an hour. You always beg for more."

  I roll my eyes. "Okay fifteen."

  "This negotiation is going downhill real fast, because in three fucking seconds I'm going to take you right here on this desk, right the hell now, for as long as I want, and I don't give a shit who's listening in the other room."

  "This obviously isn't a negotiation," I whisper angrily while jabbing my finger in his chest. "This is you bullying me!"

  "I'm not sure why I have to bully or beg for time with my girl on a Thursday any fucking way. Thursday is my night per our new arrangement is it not?"

  "I'd hardly describe these last few minutes as you begging, and yes Thursday is your night, not the entire day."

  He ignores me as usual when I tell him something he doesn't want to hear.

  "What were you two laughing your asses off about out there anyway? Is coding that fucking funny? What's the damn joke?"

  "So we're back to Blake now? I think I have whiplash. You can't seem to focus on one topic. Do you want a quickie or do you want to talk about my employee?"

  "I'd like to focus solely on getting inside that ass of yours if you'd stop talking about that prick for just ten seconds."

  "Honestly, Roman," I cock my head to the side, "jealousy doesn't look good on you."

  "This is not me being jealous, Elizabeth. This is me paying very close attention to what's mine. I didn't become who I am by not paying attention. You should know the difference."

  "Blake is not a prick, and you know it. He's a good guy, a great coder, and I like him. Not to mention that you're the only one who's been talking about him incessantly for the last few minutes, not me. Listen, I don't have time to argue with you. He's waiting out there for me, and I'm trying to build a business in case you forgot," I whisper angrily.

  "Build it tomorrow," he growls. "And let his ass wait."

  A knock on the door surprises us both.

  "Hey, Beth, I need to check some of Ravi's notes. Do you mind if I check the emails between the two of you?" Blake asks through the closed door.

  Immediately my eyes fly up to meet Roman's. I already know what he's thinking before he even opens his mouth. The fact that Blake is in my house, interrupting our conversation through a closed door, regardless of the topic or the reason, is probably rubbing him the wrong way. Really wrong. He confirms my assumption when his body grows tense, and his eyes lock on mine.

  "Yes, Blake." I call out with my eyes still completely on Roman. "Check the School Bucks Gmail account. It's already open in my browser. Just search for Ravi's name."

  "Cool."

  Now Roman's mouth is taut just like his tightly strung body. My guess is that he's about to cuss poor Blake out something awful, so I quickly press the tips of two of my fingers against his lips to quiet him. And then Blake speaks again.

  "Umm, are you all right?" he asks.

  "Totally," I say through the door in the brightest voice I can muster at this point, "I'll be out in a sec."

  I can see Roman's jugular vein pulsating. Blake may never have the ability to have children if I don't calm crazy boy's nerves. He's told me plenty of times that he doesn't fight fair.

  "Shh, he doesn't understand Masterson protocol quite yet."

  "The fuck he mean are you all right?" he says through my fingers which are still covering his lips.

&nbs
p; "This isn't just some shit I make up in my head, Elizabeth. Any man would know that he's overstepping right now. Purposely overstepping. We're in here talking. Whatever he's doing out there can wait a goddamn minute. And what's with him calling you Beth? He's known you for all of two damn minutes. That's not even your fucking name."

  "Would you quiet down. You're acting a bit–"

  "A bit what?"

  "A bit ridiculous, Roman. Crazy. Nuts. I'm not going to battle with you like this every time Blake is over. You bought me this place, so that I could work from home didn't you?"

  He sucks his teeth.

  "I know why I bought you this apartment, Elizabeth. I don't need you to remind me of my generosity."

  Now I'm getting mad for real.

  "Oh please! You're acting like I asked you to buy me this place."

  "You didn't say no."

  "So that means you're going to throw it up in my face every damn chance you can? Or that I have to do whatever you say, because you gave it to me as a gift?"

  "I didn't say that."

  "You didn't have to. I don't even want to live here after that frackin' comment."

  I place my hand on the doorknob of the door to leave.

  "Don't turn that fucking handle. We're not done."

  I stop my movements, but I keep my head facing forward.

  "Stop telling me what to do, Roman. I mean it. I'm not playing with you right now. You bossing me around in bed is one thing, but you trying to control my life outside of the bedroom is another. You're embarrassing the hell out of me."

  "So I embarrass you now?" he asks harshly as he walks up directly behind me. "I'm stupid and I fucking embarrass you?"

  I've never heard Roman speak to me using this tone of voice before. It's hurtful. I don't even know how we got to this place. Hell, I'm the one who has the right to be angry. He's being irrational and overly territorial. As if I've done something to warrant this behavior. As if I'm someone who can't be trusted.