by Linda Verji
“Where are you taking that?” he asked, his eyes still on her bag,
“I told you. I’m going to my parents’ house today.”
Without a word, Roman stood and strode towards her. The determination in his eyes, had her taking a nervous step back. When he got to her, her breath caught in her throat as her eyes locked on his. But she was worried for nothing because all he did was pluck the bag from grip.
“Hey, where are you taking that?” she protested.
“Where do you think I’m taking it?” He didn’t even look back at her as he started towards his bedroom. “There’s no reason for you to go to your parents’ place when I’m closer to Tellers and have enough space for you here.”
“But Roman-” She followed in his wake. “-This was only supposed to be for one night.”
He set the luggage bag on the bed. When she tried to grab it, he blocked her with his body. She tried to skirt past him but he was too big and too determined. He stepped in front of her then forward forcing her to scramble backwards.
“Roman!” she complained as she backed out of the room.
“What?” He shot her an unrepentant look.
She glared at him with a pout.
“Admit it.” His lips quirked in a smile. “You like staying here as much as I love having you stay here.”
Yes, she did. She loved being here with him, loved having his scent teasing her senses as she slept in his bed. But she wasn’t about to let him know that.
Kissing her teeth, she punched him in the chest. “I hate you.”
She turned on her heels but before she could move away, Roman’s arms surrounded her, brought her back against his warmth. His breath whispered against her ear. “No, you don’t.”
His strength was a palpable force surrounding her. Though she wasn’t a dainty woman, in his arms she felt like a reed protected by a strong oak. A shiver of pleasure raced through her, but before she could savor it, Roman pressed a soft kiss to her temple and backed away from her. His retreat left her feeling empty and aching to be back in his arms.
Forcing a smile to her lips, she said, “We should get going. We’re already late.”
He frowned. “Don’t you want breakfast?”
“What breakfast?” She chuckled. “Another omelet?”
Amusement lifted his lips. “Actually, I got you some croissants and juice from McMuffins.”
“Oh, good. I’ve missed their croissants.” Before their fallout, the bakery had been their favorite hangout because of its succulent pastries. April said, “I’ll eat in the car.”
Several minutes later, they were on their way to Tellers. April couldn’t really remember most of what they talked about as they headed to work, but there was no denying the comfortable mood between them or how easy it was to talk to him. It felt good to be friends again. She still thought that his previous words and assumptions about her were idiotic but she could now understand where they came from and it made so much easier to forgive him.
“I’m only staying at your place for tonight though,” she said as she polished off the last of her croissant. “I think I can get the locks fixed tomorrow after work.”
“I’ve got a guy.” Roman offered as he drove into Teller’s parking lot. “If you give me your keys, I can drop by your place after lunch service and get him to hook you up with an electronic lock. Then we’ll only have to deal with clean up tomorrow.”
She turned to face him. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t have to, but I want to.” His firm tone didn’t brook further argument. He brought the car to a halt in his parking space. “We’re here.”
“Thanks for the ride.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle.
“Wait.” He stopped her and pointed to her mouth. “You have something.”
“Here?” She brushed her top lip. He shook his head. She brushed her finger over the left side of her mouth. “Here?”
“Uh uh.” He reached forward. “Let me.”
The moment his thumb brushed over the right side of her mouth, desire, hot and undeniable, flooded her. Her body seemed to clench and her breathing stopped as her eyes flew to his face. When his eyes met hers, an indefinable emotion shadowed their grey depths and his thumb paused over her skin. She could’ve sworn that the air between them crackled with electricity. Slowly, he brushed his thumb over her skin, sending heat racing from the point where his finger met her skin down to the rest of her body.
Then he pulled back. “There.”
It took a moment for her to come back to her senses. Pulling in a shaky breath, she stammered, “Um… thanks.”
“Any time.” He opened his door and stepped out of the car.
Obviously, her desire for him hadn’t waned. If anything, their ceasefire seemed to have given it the go-ahead to run wild. She dragged in a long breath. How in the world was she supposed to stay in the same house with him and not end up doing something really bad?
If she had any common sense, she’d tell him that she was going to her parents’ home anyway. Then again, common sense couldn’t hug, kiss or touch her like Roman could. Smiling, April clambered out of the car. Common sense was overrated anyway.
Unfortunately, her plans to spend another night at Roman’s place were destined to never come to fruition. Her mother called at around eleven. When April told her about the breakin, Manuela insisted that she come home so they could confirm that she was okay. Nothing April said could dissuade her mother. When she complained about the distance, Manuela countered by saying that she’d drive April to work herself. In the end, April surrendered.
Trying not to reveal the disappointment roiling inside her, she informed Roman, “My mom insisted that I go home, so I’ll be heading there in the evening.”
She was gratified to see immediate disappointment crease his features. “Do you have to?”
She nodded. “You know my mom. When she sets her heart on something, there’s no changing her mind.”
Linking his fingers at the back of his head and leaning back into his seat, Roman sighed. “I guess you’ll need your bags then.”
“I can drop by your place and pick them up,” she said.
“No need.” He straightened in his seat. “I’m going to your place in the afternoon anyway. I’ll just drop by my condo too and get them for you.”
“Thank you.”
His voice dropped. “It’ll be lonely without you tonight.”
The quiet longing in his voice was enough to make her breath hitch. It left her with the disquieting urge to circle his desk and hug him. Reining the urge in, she forced a chuckle. “I only stayed at your place for one night. I’m sure you’ll do just fine without me.”
“Yeah, I guess,” he agreed, but the disappointed glint in his eyes belied his words.
CHAPTER 23
Two weeks later, Roman found himself as part of the crew that was helping April move into her new apartment.
“April,” Antonio, April’s younger brother, yelled as he hauled a white chest of drawers into April’s new apartment. “What time is Javier coming?”
The mention of Javier sent immediate tension pulsing through Roman. His hand paused over the box of knickknacks that he was supposed to be sorting through and his muscles tautened in immediate protest. Javier was supposed to have checked out of April’s life; were they still in contact? Or meeting up? How often? Was something going on between them again?
“You said he’d be here by eleven,” Antonio continued. Like April, he was a honey-toned shade of brown and just as tall and slim. His white wife-beater and tight black jeans made him seem even more ropy and slender.
“Are you sure he’s even coming?” Daniel, who was holding the other side of the chest, chimed in. Unlike April and Antonio, he was a deep shade of chocolate brown and a little more muscular. If it wasn’t for the large eyes, Roman would’ve been hard-pressed to believe that he was their older brother.
“Relax,” April said as she
emerged from the kitchen.
In honor of the day’s hard labor, she was casually dressed; a checkered, short-sleeved blouse, dark jeans, ballet flats and a headscarf over her braided hair to complete the ensemble. It wasn’t the sexiest outfit Roman had ever seen her in and yet his heart jerked a little at the sight of her.
To her brothers, she said, “He’ll be here.”
Seriously? Javier was coming here? Roman gave April a sharp look but she was too busy inspecting the chest her brothers had set on the floor to notice it. A hot ball of… some emotion started to grow in his belly. He wasn’t sure if the emotion was anger or jealousy or worry – or maybe all of them… but it burned. Damn, it burned.
The unsettled feeling in the pit of Roman’s belly grew even further when Daniel asked, “Are you planning to date him or something?”
“Why do you ask?” Laughter in her voice, April teased, “Were you planning on asking him out? Want me to get out of the way so you can have your way with him?”
“Ha ha. Funny.” Daniel harrumphed. A moment later, his voice took on a somber note. “Seriously though, usually I’m not a fan of your little boyfriends, but Javier’s cool.”
Obviously, April’s brothers were infatuated with Javier. The thought left a sour taste in Roman’s mouth. Unreasonable as it was, he wanted April’s family to like only him. To only think of him as April’s man.
April chuckled. “Thank you for the vote, but Javier and I aren’t-”
“What’s in here?” Vina cut into April’s words as she walked into the apartment carrying a small white box. “This thing looks small but it is hea-vy. Are you selling steel now?”
“Psh!” Snow snorted as she came up behind Vina carrying a bucket filled with cleaning supplies. “You’re just pretending it’s heavy so no one calls you out for slacking.”
“I swear, this thing is heavy,” Vina insisted but when Daniel reached for the box as if to test its heaviness, she immediately held it away drawing laughter from everyone in the room.
As much as the move had been his idea, Roman regretted it. Sure, this neighborhood was secure and the apartment was much larger than April’s previous one yet affordable. Unfortunately, she was now further away from his place. In fact, her new place was on the other side of town, which meant that he couldn’t give her a ride home without her feeling guilty. Every night, getting her into his car was like trying to pull her teeth without anesthesia because she felt like she was making him go out of his way.
Sighing internally, he called out to her. “April where do you want these?”
“What’s written on the box?” she asked as she strode towards him.
He studied the box but found nothing written on it. “It’s not labeled.”
“Hmm…” Worrying her bottom lip, she hunkered down beside him to inspect the box’s contents. Immediately, her sweet womanly scent suffused his senses and stirred him.
He wanted to ignore the whole Javier thing. He wanted to act like the presence of another man in her life didn’t bother him or leave him feeling like his insides were burning up. But he just couldn’t. He asked, “Is Javier really coming over?”
April snuck a glance at her brothers then grinned. “Of course not. But it was the only way I could get those punks to help out.”
Relief raced through Roman and the pressure in his chest eased. Still, slivers of worry remained. Pretending to be distracted by one of her snow-globes, he asked, “Do you guys still talk?”
“Who?” She eyed him. “Me and Javier?”
Roman nodded.
She shook her head. “No.”
Good. Smiling, he held up an angel. “This is pretty.”
“It is. I got it at a flea market.” Rifling through the rest of the box’s contents, she frowned. “These were in my bedroom, but maybe they fit better in here. What do you think?”
His glance swept over the snow-globes, porcelain figurines, bird-cage candle-holders among other knickknacks. “Yeah, you could put them in here. Maybe we can buy a bookcase and set it up in the corner over there so you can put these on it.”
April stuck out her lower lip and shook her head. “I don’t have the extra cash for a bookcase.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll get it for you.”
“What? No.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’ll get the bookcase when I can afford it.”
“I don’t mind buying it for you,” he insisted.
“No, thanks.” And before he could press his offer, she stood up. “Just leave them in the corner there. I’ll figure out what to do with them.”
Frustration nipped at his nerves as he watched her walk away. Though their feud was officially over, he’d noticed that she’d developed a new habit. She never allowed him to buy her anything anymore. Most times it was outright refusal; like the way she’d absolutely refused to let him buy her a new TV to replace the one that had been stolen. Other times, she would insist on repaying him in some way. For instance, when he drove her home, she insisted on fueling his car. When he bought her dinner, she insisted on going Dutch on the bill. They were little incidents, but they bothered the hell out of him.
He wasn’t a fool; he knew exactly why she was acting like that. Despite having forgiven him, she was having a hard time forgetting. She still believed that he thought of her as a gold-digger. He wished he knew the right words to say to reassure her that he really didn’t. He wished he knew how to explain that he hated seeing his woman lacking anything when he had so much.
His woman! Shock pulsed through him as he realized that he’d already started thinking of her as his. But that shock was soon joined by utter certainty that was indeed what he wanted. To make her completely his woman. As much as he loved that they were back to being friends, he also hated it because he now wanted more from her.
He didn’t want to just laugh, flirt and share little moments with her. He wanted to hold her, love her, show off to the world that she was his. However, their truce was still so fresh that he was afraid that asking for more before she was ready would send them hurtling back into their feud.
By about three p.m., they were done carting in April’s stuff into her apartment. Her brothers left in a huff once she told them that Javier wasn’t on his way, Vina excused herself since she had a blind-date later in the day, and Snow left because she was meeting up with Greyson’s mother. That left only Roman, April and the cluttered apartment.
“Please tell me you don’t have to go too,” April pleaded with Roman.
He didn’t plan on leaving but no one said he couldn’t make her beg a little. He squinted as if trying to figure out his schedule before saying, “Well, I have a meeting at-”
“Roman, please stay!” She clung to his forearm and gave him her best puppy-dog eyes. “There’s so much to do, and I don’t want to do it alone.”
Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “What will you do for me if I stay?”
Her lips twitched and her eyes danced. “What do you want me to do for you?”
Instantly, her words conjured up all the things he could make her do for him. He could make her kiss him again. He could make her let him hold her again. He could make her strip so he could see the sexy curves beneath those innocuous clothes. He could make her… He pulled in a deep breath. “Make me dinner.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Only dinner?”
Was there a double-entendre in her question? Or was he so desperate to have her back in his arms that he was imagining it? It was probably the latter. Sighing internally, he nodded. “Only dinner. But I want something really fancy.”
“Okay. Done!” Her face lit up in a smile. “Thank you.”
That bright smile was enough to make his heart bump in his ribcage and he had the strangest urge to taste it. It took everything in him to stay put instead of striding over and kissing her. Turning away from her, he asked, “So where do we start?”
“Here,” she instructed.
For the next couple of hours they worked on organizing her apartmen
t starting with the living room then moving on to the kitchen. Finally, they ended up in her bedroom.
“I think that’s the one with the sheets and towels,” April said when she saw him haul a green suitcase atop the bed. “Just tuck them into the top shelf.”
“Sure.” Roman unzipped the case. When he saw what was inside the suitcase his jaw dropped. Those were definitely not sheets and towels. Normally, the lacy pieces of underwear packed on the left side of the suitcase would’ve held his attention. But what was on the right side of the suitcase was way more interesting.
Toys, toys and more toys.
Large, pocket-sized, rubber, silicone, flesh-colored, multicolored, manual, battery operated, rechargeable… oh my. Stuffed beside the toys were a couple of books whose sexy covers left no doubt about their contents. He knew that April was a passionate woman with a healthy sex-drive but this was new and very, very interesting.
Roman’s mouth kicked up into a grin as he picked up a large flesh-colored dildo that was wrapped in a transparent paper. “Well, well, well. April. Gloria. Merit. What do we have he-”
April’s sharp cry cut into his words as she raced to his side of the room. With speed he didn’t even know she was capable of, she zipped up the suitcase again. When she turned to him, her eyes were shadowed with dismay and embarrassment. She tried to snatch the toy from him. Roman immediately raised his arm to keep her from getting it.
“Give it,” she ordered as she jumped up to grab it.
“Uh uh!” He held it even higher and turned his back to her. Grinning, he said, “I didn’t know you were this kinky.”
“Shut up.” She circled him to jump again but couldn’t reach it. “Come on. Give.”
“No.” He laughed as he watched her bouncing up and down, trying to get to her naughty toy. “Not until you tell me-”
His words were cut off when she suddenly crashed into him. As he started to fall backwards, he instinctively dropped the toy, clasped his arm around her waist and held her close so she wouldn’t get hurt as they fell. It was a good thing that his back was to the bed otherwise he would’ve been the one who was hurt.
