The Roman's Woman (A Singular Obsession Book 4)

by Lucy Leroux

  Elynn sat up straight. “I know. Maria is a witch with a capital “B”. She tried to seduce both our husbands while she and Gio were still married,” she said, gesturing to Maia. “They’re the ones who had to tell him. It’s why they divorced.”

  “I thought they got divorced because he found her with that Vincenzo guy,” Maia broke in.

  “He did, in their bed,” Elynn confirmed. “But he had already decided to divorce her by then. Once Alex told Gio about her attempt at seduction, he was done with her.”

  “Ugh. I hate this woman,” Sophia said with a scowl. “This whole situation makes my skin crawl. Do you know I had to talk Gio out of pressing charges against Lucca? I didn’t want to do it, but the moron is only nineteen.” Pausing to take a fortifying sip, she continued with what was disturbing her the most.

  “Never did I imagine I’d be in a position where I had to defend someone who attacked me,” she confessed. “It makes me sick, but given the extenuating circumstances I didn’t feel like I had a choice. This thing was tearing Gio’s family apart. His cousin is still a teenager. Not that it excuses what he did. He should be punished. But I’m not sure sending him to jail would help, or just make him worse. Not that it’s going to happen now. I just have to hope that getting disowned and being sent to rehab is enough to knock the stupid out of that kid.”

  Elynn put a hand over hers. “I’m sorry. I know how you feel—dirty and violated. Maybe a little helpless too?” she suggested softly.

  “But she broke his nose!” Maia protested, refilling her glass from the pitcher. “You’re my new hero. I wish I could have done that to that guy in the woods, but he was huge.”

  “I didn’t think I did that much damage at the time,” Sophia pointed out, finishing her drink and accepting a refill herself. “It should be empowering, but it's not. I’m frustrated. I feel off. Like my skin is the wrong size or something. I mean, I’ve taken self-defense classes and I play soccer. I’m not a small woman. I always pictured myself going totally Buffy on anyone who tried something like that. But none of my ass-kicking fantasies included getting ambushed in bed. I’m still berating myself for not doing more. The broken nose was a lucky shot. I was still half-asleep.”

  “You got him off you, too,” Maia pointed out. “I wouldn’t have been able to and I’ve been training with a self-defense instructor ever since my daughter was born. I keep getting overpowered because I’m so small. My trainer insists I’ll learn to use my size to my advantage, but it’s not happening. Which is why I’m never going to be rid of my security detail.” She leaned forward. “You should be proud of yourself. Someone had you at a disadvantage and you kicked their ass. If Gio hadn’t jumped in, you could have dealt with Lucca all by yourself. You were half-way there.”

  Sophia wasn’t sure. She remembered that feeling of helplessness when she realized it wasn’t Gio on top of her. If Lucca hadn’t been drunk, it might have been a different story. But she didn’t say that.

  She raised her chin. “I guess that’s the one blessing to being the size of a house.”

  “You’re a normal healthy size,” Elynn insisted loyally. “We’re just shrimps. Eva included—” She broke off. “Speak of the devil.”

  They were joined by another adorable petite woman. This one had blonde curls. She was so cute, Sophia would have pegged her for a ditz if she hadn’t known the woman was brilliant, the daughter of a famous inventor who’d inherited his talent and then some.

  A few minutes of conversation later, and Sophia knew she had found a kindred spirit—especially since the first thing Eva did was offer to help kick Maria Gianna's ass. Like Maia and Elynn, she had been told everything.

  Eva Stone was bright and funny, but she had an edge the other two women lacked. Sophia appreciated the hint of cynicism in others, since she possessed it herself. Her admiration went up a notch when they discussed Eva’s business trip.

  Eva had been inspecting the early construction stages of a new manufacturing plant that Damov industries was building. The company was going into solar panel production using innovations based on her father’s work. It sounded interesting to Sophia, but Eva didn’t seem too enthusiastic. Her glum demeanor prompted Maia to ask if anything was wrong.

  “It’s nothing serious,” Eva said, waving away her concern. “I had to sleep alone last night, so I’m grumpy.”

  “How did that happen?” Elynn said with a laugh. “Sergei can’t keep his hands off of you. Seriously, it’s gross.”

  “You’re one to talk,” Eva laughed before wrinkling her nose. “And that’s usually true, but I arrived here early—last night, instead of this morning. Sergei wasn’t expecting me. He’d been drinking with the guys. And he won’t touch me when he’s had any alcohol. He even slept in the second bedroom of the hotel suite and left the baby with me. Not the homecoming I’d been hoping for.”

  “Oh. Is his drinking a problem?” Sophia asked with concern.

  “No. Not for a Russian,” Eva said, finally breaking out into a grin. “He just likes self-flagellation. Let’s get back to you. Are you sure you don't want to kick Maria Gianna’s ass? Cause I'm sure Elynn and Maia would be happy to help, and I'll join in too for the principle of the thing. We can take turns holding her down. We’ll take a bat to her knees cause that bitch is tall.”

  “I knew I liked you,” Sophia said, toasting the tiny blonde terminator. “And as much as I want to, I can’t see myself getting on a plane to get even. It’s a little too Kill Bill volume three. But if I ever see that biatch, I will throw down. She better stay out of dark alleys anywhere near my vicinity.”

  “There’s no reason you have to do it in person,” Eva said as if it was the most reasonable thing in the world. “One of Sergei’s subsidiaries makes drones. We can have one rigged up to follow that skank around and dive bomb her in the face.”

  Sophia was tipsy enough to giggle. “Tempting. Let me get back to you on that.”

  The others laughed and the conversation veered away from Gio’s ex to the man himself.

  “I can’t believe he’s being so aggressive,” Elynn said. “He was over telling Alex all about Rome—or rather yelling about it. I’ve never heard him raise his voice before. He’s usually so sedate and proper. I never expected to see him so angry.”

  Sophia, several drinks in by now, swallowed a large sip of mojito and held up a hand. “Seriously? The man has a filthy temper.”

  Three pairs of wide eyes stared at her in collective surprise.

  “No way,” Maia said. “He’s always been the calm center of the group. Almost zen, if you can describe a compulsive organizer as zen.”

  Sophia guffawed. “Zen my big Mexican butt! Did I tell you how he threw my cell phone in the street cause my ex texted me? If I even mention Richard’s name it turns into an argument.”

  Maia’s mouth dropped open.

  “He fights with you?” Elynn asked in disbelief.

  “All the time. Well, not all the time. It’s usually only the subject of Richard which makes him go ballistic. And now this thing with his cousin. But mostly it’s my ex-fiance.”

  Wide-eyed Maia thumped the table. “Oh, my God! He loves you.”

  Sophia shook her head. “That’s what Gio says, but he doesn’t. It’s really this weird hero worship Richard had for my father—”

  “No, no! I meant Gio,” Maia said waving a little over-enthusiastically and spilling a bit of mojito.

  “Because they fight?” Eva asked, sounding as confused as Sophia felt.

  “Yes! She’s right,” Elynn said, pointing at Maia and nodding. “Gio never fought with Maria Gianna. He didn’t even throw a punch at that guy she was in bed with. He didn’t care enough.”

  Sophia’s brows rose. “So he fights with me because he loves me?”

  “Yes,” Maia and Elynn said at the same time.

  Sophia couldn’t help it. She started laughing, but Eva cocked her head and seemed to think it over. “They�
��re right. Sergei says he’s never seen Gio behave this way about anyone before. The other three guys are loving it too. Probably because he’s starting to act more like them.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” Sophia said wryly, but inwardly she was pleased.

  So Gio was different with her than in his previous relationships. That knowledge warmed her, inside and out. Of course, it could have been the rum, but she was still secretly delighted. It almost made the arguments with Gio worth it.

  Not almost. They were totally worth it if he loved her.

  “Is Gio moving here?” Elynn asked. “’Cause Alex would love that.”

  Okay, there went her warm and fuzzy feeling.

  “I don’t know,” she confessed. “We haven’t talked about it. I can’t possibly relocate. My research project just started. The whole lab would have to move and my research partner would never go for that.”

  “Well, don’t worry about it,” Elynn said quickly. “Gio can fly out to the London office of his bank when necessary. Alex does it all the time.”

  “Does he? Maybe they should carpool or heli-pool. Whatever you call sharing a helicopter ride,” Sophia muttered, remembering her one trip in the Eurocopter with distaste.

  Her tongue was getting a little thick. She squinted at the bottom of her glass and poured a smaller refill.

  Across from her, Eva smiled. “I think we should order some food.”

  She waved a waiter over and ordered nachos and mozzarella sticks for the table. They had demolished most of them when another touchy subject came up.

  “I should warn you that Gio is over at Alex’s place right now covered in babies,” Eva said. “The guys are staying in with the kids tonight instead of going out.”

  “Why should I worry about that?” Sophia asked, reaching for a particularly cheesy tortilla chip.

  “Oh,” Maia said, “You haven’t seen Gio around a baby yet, have you?”

  Uh oh.

  She straightened in her chair. “No, I haven’t…I don’t suppose you’re about to tell me that he hates them and wants me to get my tubes tied.”

  They froze.

  “Oh, no! You hate kids!” Elynn said.

  Maia looked crushed, and even Eva appeared a little concerned.

  “Don’t panic. I don’t hate them,” she reassured them. “Granted I haven’t spent a whole lot of time with them, but I do want children eventually. Maybe in a couple of years. But I’m starting a whole new phase of my research—ironically because of Gio and the grant he gave me. So if you’re trying to tell me he’s baby crazy, it’s going to complicate things.”

  The other three ladies exchanged loaded glances.

  “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but yes. That man’s biological clock is ticking,” Eva said, shooting straight as expected. “When I left, he was giving Alex junior a piggy-back ride while rocking Ethan Patrick to sleep at the same time. Gio wants a son so bad he can taste it.”

  “Or a daughter,” Maia chimed in. “He’s wonderful with my little girl. He calls her his princessa and never comes to see us without a gift for her. Granted the last one was a pink calculator, but it’s the thought that counts.”

  “A calculator, really?” Sophia asked with a giggle. It was such a Gio gift.

  “It’s actually her favorite thing right now. She likes mashing the buttons.”

  Sophia digested the new information with some trepidation. She did want children, but the prospect of them had always been far in the future. She was only twenty-eight. There was still plenty of time. But if Gio was hellbent on having babies now, could she put him off? Did she even want to?

  Calm down. Gio hadn’t discussed the future at all yet. They hadn’t even settled on where they might live if they stayed together. He did seem to be crazy about her, but that didn’t mean he was going to get down on one knee and propose marriage anytime soon. And there was a chance he didn’t even want to remarry. God knows being saddled with a crazy ex-wife like Maria Gianna was enough to turn anyone away from the institution.

  Of course, one didn’t need to be married to have children. Eva and Sergei still hadn’t walked down the aisle yet and they had a son. Would that be enough to give Gio ideas?

  It was entirely too much for one drunk neurobiologist to think about.

  “You know, I think it’s time for a second pitcher,” Sophia said.

  Chapter 19

  Sophia should have been surprised to see Gio leaning on his town car door, waiting for her outside the pub, but she wasn’t. The unexpected part was that Alex was with him. When he saw their group exiting the pub, he hurried up to Elynn and threw his arm around her.

  “Eva, Maia, you’re coming home with us,” Alex said, bending to kiss his much shorter wife. “Sergei and Calen are waiting for you back at the house.”

  Sophia sidled up to Gio and cuddled into his warmth. “By house, does he mean huge honking mansion?” she asked as the other ladies waved and walked away to a waiting stretch limo.

  Gio smiled down at her, that hot dark grin that he saved only for her. “Yes, he does. We’re invited to brunch there next Sunday, by the way.”

  “Ooh, I love waffles,” she said, burying her face in his chest.

  Pleasantly warm despite the chill in the air, she leaned on him heavily, content to feel the pressure of his body as the other car pulled away.

  “Cara mia, are you drunk?”

  She looked up at him and smiled. “Maybe a little,” she said, closing her eyes and humming a nonsensical tune.

  His chuckle was deep and sexy. Embracing her, he opened the door behind them and pulled her into the darkened backseat of the car.

  “Home,” he said to the driver before raising the privacy screen.

  As soon as the partition went up, Sophia climbed on top of him with a giggle.

  “Hi,” she said stroking his jawline with her fingers.

  Kelly was right, his square jaw was incredibly sexy. Bending down, she flicked her tongue out to lick his closed lips before leaning back. Smiling seductively, she undid the top buttons of her blouse and opened it wide, revealing a deep red lacy bra.

  Gio’s eyes widened. “I think I’m going to like girls’ night out,” he said burying his face in her décolletage.

  “Mmm,” Sophia murmured, growing wet as his mouth covered her nipple through the sheer material of the bra. “How far is it to the apartment?”

  “Four minutes.” His voice was muffled.

  “Too soon and at the same time too long,” she said, rolling her neck in a circle.

  Her body was warm and her limbs felt heavier than usual. Each touch seemed magnified, the sensations heightened by the alcohol. It made her want to rub all over him like a cat.

  “Then let’s make the most of it,” Gio said huskily before taking her mouth and kissing her hard.

  She leaned into him, following his lead and taking as much as she gave. Her hungry response seemed to drive him crazy. His hands ran all over her breasts and hips, his tongue tangling with hers.

  He broke off for a moment. “Okay, definitely a huge fan of girls’ night,” he said, his hands fingering a lock of her hair.

  Sophia giggled and shifted again on his lap, making him groan.

  The quick ride passed in a heated clinch that overshadowed every other make out session in her life. They fondled and groped at each other impatiently, but it was only four minutes, and before she knew it, they were pulling up in front of Gio’s building.

  When the car stopped, she climbed off him in a rush. Gio made a sound of complaint and grabbed at the empty space where she had been, making her giggle again.

  “Come on,” she said, reaching for his hand and tugging.

  They managed to control themselves on the elevator ride up to the penthouse, but the second the front door closed behind them, their restraint disappeared. Hands went for zippers and buttons in a disorganized grappling session that made them b
oth laugh and pant at the same time.

  Shedding clothes like a debauched breadcrumb trail, they burst into the master bedroom, landing on the bed with a thump. Determined to take the lead, Sophia climbed on top.

  “I have an idea,” she said playfully.

  Running his hands up the bare skin of her waist and back, Gio grinned up at her. “And what would that be?”

  “I want to do that thing you wanted, the one I haven’t done with anyone else.”

  Gio’s gaze unfocused, trying to remember before his expression cleared. “You want to do that?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Really? You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure, but if you don’t want—”

  “Oh, I want to,” he interrupted, running a covetous hand over her ass. “As long as you want to.”

  “I already said—” Sophia stopped and squealed as he flipped her over, apparently deciding he was giving her too many opportunities to change her mind.

  Pulling her to her hands and knees, he bent his head until his cheek was leaning on one of hers.

  “Any reason why you want to do this tonight?” he asked curiously, pressing a kiss to her backside.

  Sophia giggled again. “Yeah. Because this can’t get me pregnant.”

  “Okay.”

  She could tell he didn’t understand, but as a man, Gio wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He continued to stroke her back and butt, peeling her bra and panties off as he went.

  Still buzzed from the alcohol, she undulated sinuously, eliciting a harsh groan as the satin skin of her derrière slipped back and forth under his hands.

  “God, I love your ass,” he said, pressing a hot kiss to the center of her left cheek. “Have you been using your toy?”

  Toy? Oh, the buttplug.

  Gio had presented her with one not long after she agreed to try this one day. It was a black silicone cone with a softly pointed tip and a flared base. She’d worn it a few times but hadn’t used it regularly, and not at all in the last few days. But she reasoned the alcohol had made her warm and willing. If she was ever going to try this, tonight was the night.