Chapter Four

Roman

Right after she slips into my arms, a staff member comes to open the door. He apologizes profusely. I barely notice. I’m holding her in my arms and it’s all I can do to keep from walking out of the Com Center and stealing her. She feels perfect.

Her nickname is Tessa. I like it. A lot. But nothing compares to holding her and taking in every detail of her, from her full lips to her long lashes. The man leads me to the staff room, chattering about calling a doctor.

I walk along the hallway. A few staff members glance at me with mild curiosity. What the fuck? Do women faint here all the time? I turn into the staff room and the gentleman asks me again if I want him to call a doctor.

Tessa’s lids flutter. She comes to with a start and nearly panics when she looks up at me. “I’m fine. Don’t call the doctor. I just need to eat something. Please put me down.”

“Not so fast, sweetheart. You just fainted.”

“I’m fine now. Totally fine.” She wriggles in my arms. Her attempt to escape my hold only makes me tighten my grip. The gesture feels like a challenge and I stop her with a soft growl and an arched brow. Her eyes get big, but she stops struggling and pouts instead. My cock is so hard, it’s painful, but I’m not complaining.

“Would you bring some supper,” I ask the gentleman. He nods and hurries off.

She squirms in my arms. “I’m too heavy.”

I scoff. “You are not too heavy.”

“I am.”

“I could carry you all night.” Does that sound dirty? Maybe. I could do a few things to and with Tessa that would last all night. She’s got gorgeous curves, but she doesn’t weigh a thing. Tessa calling herself heavy makes me want to spank her ass. I won’t tell her that, of course. She’s already plenty freaked out.

“Please put me down,” she asks, her voice small and almost plaintive.

I groan, still not willing to let her go just yet. Some primitive instinct inside of me flat-out refuses to let go of her. Why should I? This woman has messed with my mind. Trespassed in my home. Owned my thoughts. For those infractions I should take her to my home and keep her prisoner. My sweet, lush little captive. I could both shelter her from danger and make her pay for every dark thought that’s kept me awake night after night.

She winces. I’d forgotten her bruises. That primitive instinct flares hotter. I want to hurt the man who bruised my girl. I set her down gently, holding her shoulders until I’m certain she’s steady on her feet.

“Okay, Tessa?”

I half-expect her to move away from me, to try to put some distance between us. Instead, she looks up at me with an expression of surprise. Her pale face pinks slightly.

“I must have fainted because of the cold. I’ve never fainted before from the cold. Blood, sure. But who doesn’t faint when they see blood, am I right?”

She’s talking fast. She’s nervous because there’s something about me that reminds her of someone. A man who’s completely obsessed with her. I’d like to lay my cards on the table, but I have to bide my time. Which I fucking hate. I won’t be able to steal her away just yet, because I can tell she’d fight me. I want her to come willingly, obviously, because I want to protect her. Make her mine permanently.

I thought if I saw her, I could talk myself out of this obsession. I thought I’d see how young and vulnerable she is, and I’d be reminded of all the older, willing and eager women who would be happy to do anything for a second date. The instant I saw her, I knew I was too far gone.

“You need to eat something,” I tell her, attempting to sound like a reasonable man.

The gentleman who opened the freezer door appears in the doorway, holding a tray. I coax Tessa over to a chair and table. I take the tray, thank the man and set the food in front of her.

I sit down and watch her, resisting the urge to simply tell her everything. She still doesn’t look like she’s completely recovered. I don’t want her to faint again.

She picks up her fork and gazes down at the steaming pasta. “The food here is usually pretty good.”

Nothing like your cooking… by the way, I’m Roman Savage…

I hold back the words. I need to be patient. She’s not sure if she trusts me. I followed her into the walk-in freezer, just to make sure no one bothered her. She thinks I locked the door on purpose.

“Tessa, I could help you find a place to stay. Away from your roommate and that whole situation.”

She freezes, stares with unblinking eyes and slightly parted lips. Sitting there, wrapped in my miles-too-big coat, she looks impossibly young. She is young. Eleven years younger than me.

“I don’t need help,” she says quietly.

“You can’t go back to that apartment.” My tone is rough. “I mean, you shouldn’t go back there.”

“Hmm… okay. I’ll think that over.”

She lowers her gaze and picks at her food. She’s not really eating which makes my irritation flare. My offer of help isn’t terribly elegant and might come off as opportunistic, but I don’t have time for sugar-coating. She needs a new place to stay. Now. Why is this so difficult? I’ve built a company that protects heads of state and rock stars. My employees are hard-assed, highly decorated military vets, and yet this girl is giving me the brush-off.

“Tessa, this guy who shoved you will only get meaner. This isn’t the part where you think something over. This is the part where you listen to someone who knows more about dangerous situations.”

“That would be you?”

“That would be me. I’m a security expert.”

Two women enter the staff room. They nod a polite hello and go to the linen closet in the back. Tessa’s shoulders relax a little, probably because now that we’re not alone, she doesn’t feel so vulnerable. Neither of us speak while the ladies are in the room. They’ve come looking for blankets, apparently, and debate how many they need.

Tessa eats a little, not enough, but she has a few bites of everything and then pushes the tray aside. I watch her every movement, trying to take in all of her. I feel like I’m stumbling along the edges of a desert and she’s the spring in the distance. A sexy, mind-fucking little mirage.

I feel my mouth curve into a smile as I let my gaze wander over her pretty face.

When she talks, she gestures, her small hands moving in time with her words. Her lips are full and make me imagine sinful things. How they would taste. What they would feel like when I gently bite them. Her hair is a mess. A sexy mess. I can almost feel how soft the tresses would feel as I trailed my fingers through them. Silk, that’s what they’d feel like as I held them and sank into her sweet body…

She leans forward and suddenly I’m aware that she’s waiting for an answer to a question I didn’t hear.

“I’m sorry, what?” I ask.

“Are you okay?”

I shrug. “I’m fine.”

Just imagining all the filthy things I want from you…

The women leave the linen closet, carrying stacks of blankets. Tessa’s eyes follow them as they cross the room the direction of the exit. She shifts nervously.

“I’ll be up in a little bit to help assign beds,” Tessa tells one of the ladies. A moment later, the women are gone and we’re alone in the staff room once again. I breathe out a long sigh and pull myself together, barely.

“I have resources, Tessa. I could make you comfortable.”

I keep from wincing, barely. I can practically hear Claire mutter how creepy I’m being. There’s no time for finesse or charm, though. Which works out surprisingly well since I’m not feeling either right now. I’d rather just tell Tessa what’s going to be happening after tonight.

She shakes her head. “I don’t even know your name.”

“Roman.” I grit my teeth. Probably should have introduced myself from the get-go, but that’s just proof how much this girl fucks with my normally well-ordered thoughts.

“Thank you, Roman. I should return your coat to you.” She moves to take off my coat.

“Keep it. I’ll get it back from you sometime.”

She gives me a wary look. “When?”

I smile, letting my gaze wander over her features. Lust claws inside me, pulsing with the need to get my hands on her again. She’s worried? I might be a little worried too. I’ve never felt anything so primal in my life. I steel my resolve not to reveal everything. I can wait. I need to wait.

I hand her my phone. “Dial your number.”

She bites her lip. I stare at the way her teeth sink into the pillowy softness of her lips. I resist the urge to adjust my cock. There are a dozen different ways I could have gotten her cell number, but I want her to enter it herself. She takes my phone and taps the screen. I hear her phone chime from one of the lockers.

I hold out my hand. She sets the phone on my palm. I listen, waiting till her phone goes to a generic voicemail message. I keep my gaze on her.

“Hi there, Tessa. This is Roman. We just met. Remember? In the freezer? I’d like to take you to dinner. Soon. Tomorrow would be good. You can give me my coat back and we’ll talk about a nice, little drama-free apartment for you.”

“Dinner?”

“Dinner.”

“You and me?”

“Correct.”

“You don’t waste any time do you, Roman?”

“I’ve already wasted too much.”

She blinks, studies me for a long moment and when she replies, her eyes glint with amusement. Her voice is low and conspiratorial. “Can I bring my husband and my six kids?”

I shake my head. Her sass is music to my ears. If she’s relaxed enough to give me some attitude, I know dinner is a sure thing. A surge of satisfaction rushes through me. I’m pretty fucking pleased, but noting the spark in her eye, I know I need to address her sass. “I’m the jealous, possessive type.”

“Really? Who would have guessed?”

“Right.” I get to my feet. “So just bring the kids. No husband.”

She laughs softly as I walk to the door. I stop in the doorway and look back at her. “And if you need something before then, like tonight. If you don’t feel well or anything, you’d better call me.”

It’s taking every ounce of self-discipline to leave her here. I don’t want to wait another day. I’m forcing myself to be patient, but there’s no way I’m leaving without a commitment from her. Either she’s going to agree to call me if she needs me, or I’ll just take her with me now.

She doesn’t reply.

“Tessa,” I say softly. “Promise me that you’ll call me.”

She sighs. “Okay, Roman, I promise.”

Despite her promise, it’s difficult to turn around and walk away. I know this place is safe. They have security. They have plenty of staff. Nothing will happen to Tessa, and yet it takes everything I have to walk away. I let myself take one last look.

“This is the last time you’re spending the night here, Tessa.”

Her lips part with surprise. “What?”

“I don’t care what you do during the day, but you’re not sleeping here on a cot, ever again. I don’t like it. Not one bit.”

She purses her lips together like she’s trying to keep from grinning at my announcement. “Good to know. Thank you, Roman.”

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow night.” Before I can say anything that will make her question my stability or scare her off permanently, I force myself to leave the Com Center and drive home.

The only way I can tolerate leaving her there is the fact that I have several operatives in the building, keeping an eye on things. They’re posing as homeless people, two men and two women. I know that if there’s trouble, I’ll hear about it right away.

Still, I have a restless night, thinking about the pained look on her face when she reached for the box. She’s been hurt. That pushes me over the edge, and I won’t stop till I make sure she’s safe from that bastard or any man who tries to harm her.

Just before dawn, I wake from a dream of Tessa. My cock is hard, aching for what I can’t have. In my dream, Tessa came to me, crossing a crowded room and wearing a dress that molded perfectly to her curves. She smiled as I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her. And fuck if I didn’t wake up right then.

I growl as I stalk to the bathroom. I step into the shower, letting the water wash over me. As usual, the icy stream does nothing for my frustration. I stroke my cock, imagining her in my bed. She’s naked, her chestnut ringlets spread across the pillow, and she’s asking me to fuck her. I come when I think about her voice and what it would sound like as she begged me.

She’s sassy.

And sweet.

And perfect.

And today I’m ten times more obsessed with her than I was yesterday.