The Games We Play (Sizzle & Burn Book 2)

by Linda Verji

  His increased involvement in the front-house wasn’t a bad thing, since it left her with more time to handle the behind-the-scenes aspects of running the dining room. Still, it left her feeling very unsettled. It felt like Roman was her co-host. Her partner. And she wasn’t sure she liked that feeling.

  Then there was his behavior outside the restaurant. He was back to following her home. She could’ve confronted him about that, but there’d been a spate of robberies in the neighborhood and she felt safer knowing Roman was there.

  Even the rest of the staff had noticed the change in dynamics between them. April constantly got teased about how she’d managed to flip the script and switch roles with Roman. Now, he was the one with the crush and she was the one being chased. She wasn’t particularly fond of the restaurant’s rumor mill, but that particular rumor made her secretly smile.

  What? It felt good to be in the driver’s seat of hers and Roman’s relationship. So sue her.

  But then he went a step too far. He sent her flowers.

  “Delivery for April Merit.” A pimple-faced teenager thrust a huge bouquet of violet and white tulips into April’s arms when she identified herself.

  “Who are those from?” Toby strained to see the card she plucked from the middle of the flowers. “Secret admirer? Javier Consuelos? Roman?”

  “None of your business.” April cupped the card in her hand so he wouldn’t see it as she read it.

  There were only two words on the card. From Roman. But they were enough to send her heart galloping. What was the meaning of this? Was this his way of saying he hadn’t given up? Was this his way of officially asking for a ceasefire?

  In fast steps, she took the stairs up to his office. After a brief knock, she pushed her way in.

  She slapped the flowers on his desk. “What are these?”

  Roman’s eyebrows rose as he glanced at the tulips then back at her. “Flowers.”

  “I know they’re flowers.” She glared at him. “I want to know why you sent them.”

  “Because I wanted to give them to you,” he said coolly.

  He was acting deliberately obtuse, wasn’t he? She puffed out an annoyed breath. “Why did you want to give them to me? If this is some kind of bribe to make me forgive you, then-”

  “It’s not a bribe, and neither is the bonus that you’ll find in your bank account,” he cut her off mid-sentence. “I just wanted to show my appreciation for the hard work you’ve been doing here at Tellers since we hired you. Today is your three year anniversary, isn’t it?”

  That brought her to a standstill. Today was her three year anniversary? She stared at the ceiling as she did the math – and it added up. Roman was right. Her eyes wide with surprised, she asked, “How did remember that it was my third anniversary here?”

  “I remember everything about you, April.” The intent look in his eyes and the husky note in his voice sent heat stabbing through her with breathtaking force.

  “Oh, I… I… see.” Licking her suddenly dry lips, she picked the flowers off his desk. “Well, thanks… thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

  Roman studied her keenly. “I know I don’t show it often, but never doubt how much I appreciate you.”

  Something about his tone said that that appreciation extended into more areas than just her hosting duties. But what was even more enthralling was the sincerity in his eyes as he spoke. That sincerity was enough to thaw some of the ice that had settled around her heart. By the time, she descended the stairs, she wasn’t quite as angry with him as she’d been a week ago.

  *

  ON FRIDAY, THE skies opened up. They were right in the middle of dinner service when it started raining. So unexpected was the downpour that most of their diners didn’t have umbrellas. April had had the foresight to order a couple of umbrellas during their last budget in preparation for the rainy season but they were not enough for everyone who needed one and she ended up handing out even her own umbrella.

  By the time the kitchen closed, it was still raining like there was no tomorrow. Biting her nail, April stared out one of the window in the dining room. How was she going to get home in this pouring rain? She’d tried calling a cab company earlier but they’d informed her that she was in for a long wait because of the rain and it was better for her to just hail a cab on the road. The only problem was that to get to the road, she’d need to run in the rain. Her hair, her shoes, her clothes… Nooo. And what if she ended up standing out there for a long time because there were no empty cabs on the road either? The thought was enough to make her shiver.

  “I can drive you home,” a deep voice cut into her thoughts.

  She swiveled to face the voice’s owner and found Roman behind her. Immediately, she said, “No thanks, I’ll just get a cab.”

  “In this weather?” Roman’s eyebrows rose. “You’ll be waiting until midnight. In the rain.”

  Another cold chill ran down her spine at the thought of standing in the rain for a full hour. Forcing confidence she didn’t feel into her voice, she said, “You don’t know that. Maybe I’ll find one immediately.”

  He watched her for a long moment. “April, I know that things are complicated between us, but this doesn’t need to be one of them. You need a ride, I have a car, and we’re headed in the same direction. It would be childish for you not to take my offer.”

  Was he calling her childish? She opened her mouth to tell him off but closed it again when she realized that he was right. He was offering her a ride home, not a trip to his bedroom. Reluctantly, she nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”

  He smiled. “Let me just get an umbrella from my office then we can go.”

  Before she could ask him to just lend her the umbrella instead, he bounded up the stairs. When he came back down, a few of their coworkers had attached themselves to him in hopes of a ride too. It would’ve been churlish for April to demand his umbrella then. Fortunately, with so many people stuffed into his car, she didn’t have to talk to him for most of the ride home. Unfortunately, everyone got off before her, and she and Roman were left in the car alone.

  She was keenly aware of him as they headed towards her place, aware of every breath he took, every movement of his hands as he drove. Every time their eyes met in the rearview mirror, her heart jerked and her pulse sped up. He didn’t say a word during the whole journey to his place, and yet he still left her breathless. She sighed in relief when they finally came to a stop in front of her place.

  “Stay in. I’ll get you with the umbrella,” Roman ordered. Before she could protest, he was already out of the car.

  When she opened her door, he was there waiting for her with his umbrella. She stepped out and joined him under it. Immediately, she was aware of how close they were and heat pooled at every point where his body brushed against hers. She shifted a bit further away but it was impossible to go too far when they only had one umbrella between them.

  As if guided by the hand of karma itself, lightning struck. Moments later, thunder came rumbling in. It was so loud and terrifying that April let out a low cry and jumped. Someway, somehow, her jump sent her straight into Roman’s arms. Seeking his protection, she buried her face in his chest and clung to his jacket. He clasped his arm protectively around her waist, held her tight.

  It was only after the rumbling faded that she realized where she was. Instant nervousness rushing through her, she lifted her face from his chest and up to his. Their eyes met. There was so much intensity, so much longing, so much desire in the grey depths of his gaze that her knees almost buckled under her. For a long moment, she couldn’t even look or move away from him.

  Surprisingly, he was the one who broke the contact. His arm fell away from her waist. “Sorry.”

  “It’s-” She cleared her throat as she tried to steady her erratic heartbeat. “It’s okay.”

  Silently, they walked past the gates and into her apartment building. She expected him to leave her there, but he walked alongside her up the stairs. She
wanted to ask him where he was going. She wanted to tell him that she was okay walking herself up to her apartment. She wanted to order him to leave. And yet, she couldn’t force the words to fall from her lips.

  It was only when they got to her door that she found her voice again. Turning to face him, she said, “Thank you for the r-”

  Her words drew to a shocked halt when Roman suddenly cupped her elbow and pulled her towards him. Her eyes flew to his face, but he wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were on her door. “You didn’t lock your door?”

  “Of course, I did.” She turned to look at the door. An involuntary gasp cut off her words when she saw that it was slightly ajar. Without conscious thought, she rushed behind Roman. Her hands gripping the back of his suit jacket, she breathed, “Roman, someone broke in!”

  CHAPTER 21

  The moment Roman saw the half-open door, all his protective instincts rushed in. With his arm, he nudged April to stay further behind him. “Stay here.”

  Stiffening his spine, he started towards the door. April followed right behind him. Frowning, he whirled to face her. “I told you to stay put.”

  “I’m not letting you go in there alone.” Her voice shook slightly as she asked, “What if the thief is still inside the house?”

  As much as he appreciated her concern for him this wasn’t the time for it. If the thief was still in there, Roman didn’t want her anywhere near him. Better he get hurt than her. “Then I’ll deal with him. Stay out here.”

  “Uh uh.” April shook her head vigorously as she came up behind him and clung to the back of his jacket. “I’m not letting you go in alone.”

  He would’ve argued further but the determination in her eyes was as firm as her grip on his jacket. He surrendered, “Fine, but stay behind me.”

  Taking slow steps, he drew closer to the door with April on his heels. Carefully, he pushed the door. It swung inwards without a sound. Light from the hallway streaked into the dark apartment but, from his position outside, Roman saw nothing - or rather no one. Steeling himself against a surprise attack, he pushed the door wider and entered the house. As soon as he was in, he flicked the switch next to the door. Light flooded the room, and he was immediately confronted by a house in shambles.

  Whoever had broken into the house had gone to town on it. Decorative cushions tossed carelessly around the room, sofa cushions thrown around, drawers open, all electronics missing…

  “Oh no.” April’s sharp gasp echoed behind him. She pushed past him so that she could better see the damage. Her hand flew to her mouth as her panicked eyes swept over her living room. “Oh no.”

  “I need to check the rest of the house to make sure he’s not in here.” Roman started towards the kitchen. “Stay here.”

  Of course, she didn’t listen to him. She clung to his arm with both her hands and matched him step for step. The kitchen was in much better shape than her living room. Apart from the missing microwave, it looked practically untouched. Her bedroom, on the other hand, looked like it’d been hit by a marauding cyclone. The thief had ransacked it thoroughly. Covers thrown to the ground, her mattress flipped as if to make sure nothing was stored under it, pillows ripped apart, closets and drawers open and their contents tossed haphazardly around the room. It was a mess… but thankfully, the thief wasn’t in there either.

  He started, “No one’s in-”

  His words drew to a startled halt when April suddenly pushed past him and ran to her closet.

  “Please tell me they’re still in here,” she mumbled as she knelt to rummage through her messy closet. “Please tell me they’re still in here.”

  He edged closer to her. “What are you looking for?”

  “This.” April pulled out a shoe-box, and with trembling fingers pulled up its top. Roman was expecting it to contain something valuable, irreplaceable. Maybe her life savings or family photos. Instead all he saw was a pair of white pumps.

  “A pair of shoes?” He couldn’t hide his shock. This is what she’d been so panicked about?

  “No, the pair of shoes.” April grinned like she’d just won the lottery. Cradling the box to her chest like it was her baby, she exhaled in relief. “I thought I’d lost these.”

  Roman burst into laughter. “Shoes. That’s all you care about.”

  “Hey, I just bought these.” Still cradling the shoes, she stood. “It would’ve been a shame if they’d gone before I got to wear them.”

  “But they’re shoes.” He gestured towards the rest of the room. “What about the rest of your stuff?”

  April’s smile faded as her eyes swept over the disarray. She sighed deeply, then a moment later shrugged. “At least no one got hurt. That’s all that matters.”

  Roman had to envy her lack of attachment to her possessions. If this was his house, he’d be screaming blue murder.

  April sighed again. “I guess I need to clean this up.”

  She started towards the bed but he stopped her with a hand on her wrist. “No, we need to report it first, then find out how the thief managed to get past the building’s guard and the superintendant.”

  “Ah! You’re right,” she agreed.

  While she called the police, Roman went in search of their superintendant and the night guard. The guard had no idea what had happened since he’d only come in at six p.m.. The superintendant was just as shocked to learn about the break in but he had a theory as to how it’d happened. One of April’s neighbors had moved out earlier in the day, so the thieves must have taken advantage of the chaos during the move to raid April’s house.

  When the police finally arrived, they didn’t seem surprised about the daylight robbery. Apparently, there’d been a spate of breakins with the same M.O in the neighborhood. They had clues of who was behind it but hadn’t made any arrests yet. After April made a report listing most of the things that had been stolen, they assured her that once they arrested the thieves or got her property back they’d get back to her.

  “Thanks,” Roman said as he walked the detective-in-charge out of the apartment. “Please don’t forget to let us know if you find anything.”

  “We won’t,” the bald, heavyset detective said. “But check in with us by the end of the week. We should’ve made some progress by then.”

  The cops and the superintendant left, leaving Roman and April alone.

  “I suppose I should start cleaning,” April said. “God knows what time I’ll get to bed with all this mess.”

  He gave her a horrified look. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to sleep here.”

  “Where else would I sleep?” She stared at him in wide-eyed question.

  “Are you kidding me?” he exploded. “This place was just robbed.”

  She guffawed. “It’s not like they’re going to come back.”

  “You don’t know that,” he bit out. There was bravery and there was stupidity. This was too close to the line for comfort. His voice firm, he said, “You’re not sleeping here. We’re going to my house.”

  “No way.” She shook her head vigorously. “Even if I don’t sleep here, I won’t sleep at your place. I’ll just go to my parents.”

  “At this time of the night?” He gestured towards the clock that loudly proclaimed it to be ten minutes past one a.m.. When April saw the time, she winced. Taking that wince to mean surrender, he said, “Pack your stuff.”

  He could see the protest in her eyes and in the pout of her lips. He silently eyed to the clock again just to remind her why his place was her best option. She looked at the clock then at him, at the clock again then back to him. Her shoulders drooped and she sighed. “Fine, but only for tonight.”

  He gave her a raised eyebrow. “You’re assuming I was going to offer to host you for more than one night?”

  Her jaw dropped in faux shock as she shook her head. “Your generosity astounds me.”

  Roman didn’t miss the slight twitch of her lips as if she was holding back a smile, and his heart soared at the sight. It had been
such a long time since he’d seen her smile when it was just them that even this ghost of a smile was enough to warm him. The thought that she’d also be spending the night at his place racked up that warmth until it was all he could do to hide his grin. Careful not to show her just how excited he was, he helped her find clothes to pack from within the mess.

  When he noted that she’d only packed enough clothes for one night, he handed her a dress. “Add more clothes.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “I thought we agreed that it was only for one night.”

  He insisted, “Add more clothes. You never know what could happen.”

  Actually, what he was hoping would happen was that she’d be so comfortable at his place, she’d stay for more than just one night.

  April’s brow furrowed and he could see the protest rise to her lips, but she surprised him by saying, “You’re right. I should pack more clothes since I’m heading to my parents’ place tomorrow anyway.”

  What? That wasn’t what he’d intended with his suggestion. But there was no way to express that without revealing his true motive so he answered her with silence. April picked a few more things from the shambles and stuffed them into her travel bag. Once she was done packing, he grabbed the bag and led the way down to his car.

  One good thing had come out of the breakin. The ice between them had perceptibly thawed. There was no tension between them as they conversed during the drive to his place, no sharp looks and certainly no curt words. Of course, he didn’t assume that that meant that things between them were now okay. But it was a good start.

  “I’m glad you’re handling this so well,” he commented as he drove. “If I was in your shoes, I don’t think I’d be as cool with break in as you are.”