She’d eaten way more than normal and would probably still be gorging on loaded potato skins and sweet tea if Roman hadn’t distracted her with belly grabbing laughter. All through dinner he kept up a running commentary of the most random stuff—all of it either wildly inappropriate or beyond hilarious—much to her delight and Matty’s amusement.
She found out he liked cigars and that his guy friends had, on more than one occasion, subjected him to eyebrow-singeing encounters with exploding stogies. Matty found the story quite funny.
In a particularly enlightening share, he told them about his fondness for holidays and how his parents made those occasions amazing and special, even though they were dirt poor.
He had a serious patriotic streak too. Matty was mesmerized when the man went off on a tangent about 4th of July parades, being grateful for the sacrifices of the armed forces and showing deference to one’s elders.
Out of the blue, he started babbling about getting a dog. Had they been debating pets? No. He just shot out with it. Matty, of course, was quickly on board.
The scene felt oddly routine. As though family discussion and decisions about pets were what they did.
She fiddled with the sugar packets and checked out the glossy card with photos of the daily drink specials.
Roman and Matty left the table for another trip to the men’s room. Poor Roman, he was a good sport, but Matty was pushing the envelope. It was hard to figure out what the attraction was. Was it a communal bathroom thing? A health problem she should worry about? Or was it merely the novelty of a guy to do things with?
Kelly shifted uncomfortably. It was childish of her and seriously petty, but she wasn’t used to sharing Matty’s affections, so the boy’s fascination with Roman and the male bonding dynamic made her twitchy.
They were hard to miss on their way through the bar to the table where she waited. Roman was so big and solid that even the most casual observer stopped and stared. He was one yummerific specimen of sexy hotness.
Next to him and held by the hand was a hop-skipping-and-jumping Matty.
One of them was big, dark and imposing.
The other was a blonde haired jumping bean that barely came up to the man’s waist.
A wild, untamed animosity exploded in her gut when she noticed a booth full of girls around her age who were making no effort to hide the blatant ogling and damn near catcalls that Roman’s swaggering virility inspired.
She harrumphed and sat back heavily. Stupid girls. She eyed them, her forehead creased with dislike. Who were they kidding? Having experienced Roman’s powerful sexuality first-hand, she highly doubted any of the four flirtatious females had what it took to satisfy the man’s appetite.
Perhaps as a group, but that thought set off a firestorm of possessive jealousy that brought out her snippy side.
“Sit down,” she grumbled when they got to the table. “You’re moldy ass is attracting flies.”
Roman looked back at the booth of rowdy women and snickered. “Ooh,” he quipped. “Is an ass-kicking about to go down?”
Matty was scrambling into the booth and cracked up at his BFF’s snarky comment. “Penny jar!” he crowed.
They decided to share a death-by-chocolate dessert. With three spoons on the attack, the gooey lava cake didn’t last long. The chocolate on chocolate on chocolate deliciousness was her undoing. So much so that she let Matty indulge his three-year-old sweet-tooth, something she worried would be a regret later.
On the way back to the hotel, they stopped at a convenience store and ended up leaving with a bag of Texas souvenirs. They also had a sack full of snack foods that boggled her mind. Coming from a life of homemade, the sheer variety and availability of nutritionally empty crap was eye-opening.
Back in their rooms, she produced her bag of Matty tricks, and they settled in for a rousing game of Candyland. If there was ever a Candyland tournament, Matty would clean up in his age group and probably make the adult competitors nervous. He had an uncanny ability to focus for long stretches. Where others his age might start bouncing off the walls after a minute or two, he held a distinct advantage.
Bath time was a full-on production due to the unusually large tub. She loved Matty’s boyish enthusiasm and was proud of how well he was handling the changes. Sure, it had only been one day, but he was different already. Now that he talked non-stop to Roman, the floodgates holding back his communication skills opened and a deluge poured out. It was what she hoped would happen when it was time for him to go to school. That he went from purposely mute to a non-stop chatterbox overnight without any effort at all had to be a by-product of his young age. He didn’t know how desperate she’d been for him to converse with other people.
“Sammy and the Dinosaurs,” Matty squealed with delight when she pulled his favorite storybook from the bag. He ran to the sofa and jumped onto the cushions, smacking his hand on the empty spot next to him. She started to take her usual place until Matty asked if Roman could do the reading.
Thwarted yet again by the bond forming between the two she gave in only to end up on one side of Roman as Matty took up the other because although he agreed to narrate the story, Roman insisted she provide the sound effects.
He knew she was having an emotionally hard time. His thoughtfulness touched her.
When the story ended, she pulled a stack of homemade flash cards from her satchel of goodies and tossed them to Roman.
“Can you two boys behave while I shower and change?”
Matty yawned and nodded yes. Roman smirked.
She high tailed it into the privacy of the big tiled bathroom before she made a fool out of herself.
The shower was as fantastic as the tub, and she threw herself into a head to toe scrubbing. Tearing open a package of cheap razors she’d grabbed months ago at the Dollar Store, she sat down on the tile bench at the back of the stall and shaved her legs. Instead of using the shampoo and conditioner she brought with her, she cracked open the hotel stuff and had a grand old time washing her hair.
At that precise moment, life was good. She wasn’t worried about whether the hot water would hold out or how long she lingered beneath the spray. And a good thing too, because her lower back was on fire and the cramps making her miserable were driving her to the edge.
Reluctantly and only because she felt like a water pig, Kelly ended the shower and toweled off.
She picked up the plastic bottle of hotel body lotion, flipped the cap and took a sniff. Mmm. Almonds and vanilla.
In no time at all the little bottle was empty after being repeatedly slapped against the palm of her hand to get every drop.
Her hair was next. Briskly rubbing the towel on her head to draw off as much water as possible, she used the unfamiliar hair dryer and ended up with a cascade of soft, bouncy curls.
Pulling on a pair of sweats, some pink socks and a baggy sweater, she tidied up and paused for a final glimpse in the mirror. Deciding that what she saw was the best she could do, Kelly flipped off the light and headed back to the room.
Roman and Matty were on the bed by the window, playing a speed round with the flashcards she made. When his phone went off, he looked at her and made an apologetic wince. “Sorry. Do you mind?” He handed her the flashcards and went into the next room to take the call.
It won’t be long before I’m carrying a phone too. The sudden thought made her flinch. Things were changing. Fast. Crying about it wasn’t going to make one bit of difference so she might as well get with the program.
Concerned by the flat, dry tone Liam was using, Roman had to listen carefully to what wasn’t being said as he relayed details for the flight tomorrow. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining how Kelly was handling Matty and the subject of their shared DNA, but the guy needed to know.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he responded when Liam started issuing demands.
“All right,” his sometimes boss and all-the-time friend griped. “I’ve had enough. Somebody better tell me what the fuck is going on before I lose it. When did you become the person in charge, Roman? And what the hell does Rhiann know that I don’t?”
Boom. No dancing around—straight to the point. Typical. He was tempted to call Kelly in and say, ‘Hey, wanna hear a male version of what you sound like when you’re an asshole?’
How should he answer Liam’s questions? He just didn’t know. Gripping the back of his neck, he went and stood by the window looking out over a whole lot of night time nothing.
They’d always dealt with each other directly and with a minimum of bullshit. It was Roman’s requirement when he agreed to take on security for the CEO of BPG. He didn’t have time for word games and power plays. Luckily, neither did the man hiring him.
“Okay, look. Bottom line. I’m closer to this situation than you are so I have no problem telling you that being a dick isn’t helpful. I can’t juggle your butt-hurt and their confusion and worry at the same time, so cut me a fucking break.”
He swore he heard Kelly’s soft snicker at his little outburst.
“Fuck you, Bishop. That’s my goddamn sister and brother you’re cock-blocking, and if you don’t tell me why I promise you a scene that none of us ever forget. Understood?”
“Yeah,” he murmured. “About that. You might want to sit down.”
“Ah, Jesus. Come the fuck on man. Now what?”
He had an idea and asked if Rhi was there. Liam’s grumbling response was funny.
“What did I tell you about managing me via my fiancée? Cut it the fuck out.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Ashforth, sir,” he snarkily replied. “Now shut up and put this call on speaker. She needs to hear this too.”
There was grumbling, a few pithy ‘motherfuckers’ uttered, some shuffling, and then Rhi’s voice joined in.
“Roman Bishop. What have I told you about riling him up?”
He heard the affection and teasing in her voice and smiled.
“Oh dear lord,” he groaned into the phone with long-suffering emphasis. “Will you two please give it a rest? You know damn well he riles himself up, plus he’s a playacting baby because you manage him while you’re sleeping and his big, bad ego can’t handle being pussy whipped.”
Liam barked, “I’m going to fucking kill you.”
Rhi was snorting with laughter and shrieking, “Bah! Pussy whipped!”
“What the hell is wrong with you, Bishop?” Liam hollered.
“Ah, so much,” he answered drily. “So much.”
“Boys!” Rhiann chided. “That’s enough. Now you hush,” he heard her say bitingly to Liam. “Start talking Roman. You know how he gets…”
Just like he would in a mission debrief, he went with an outline of facts and then added supporting detail.
“She’s not telling the boy what’s going on because, and I quote, she didn’t invite this into their lives.”
“Meaning?” Liam’s hurt outrage rang through.
“Settle down and let me explain. There’s an excellent reason behind her decision. Liam, you two are a lot alike. She doesn’t suffer fools. At all. And despite her age, she has a steely determination that served her well considering the surroundings. This girl isn’t a fool, and she’s not like anyone you’ve ever met. No lie and not joking.”
“I like her already,” Rhiann snickered.
Liam’s only response was a tersely muttered, “I’m listening.”
“She’s explained that you’re my friend and I’ve mentioned Rhi. For now, that’s all he knows. When I asked why, she gave a smart answer. They have a fierce bond, Liam. Let’s call it what it is—in every single way that matters, Kelly is the boy’s mother. She’s raised him and been his only caregiver since he was barely a toddler. He adores her.”
“Shit,” Rhiann mumbled. “You’re making me cry.”
“I realize that from the outside looking in she’s just a girl, but Kelly Anne James is more badass woman and fiercely so than anyone I’ve ever met. I’m not in charge, Liam. Not at all. She makes the decisions for her and Matty. And I promised her that wouldn’t change.”
“You respect her,” he heard Liam say with a touch of amazement that Roman shared.
He laughed. “I’m afraid of her.”
Rhiann started to giggle. “Oh wait! Let me guess. She doesn’t have time for your alpha shit. Am I right?”
He laughed right along with her. “No she does not, and as a matter of fact she remarked earlier that my ass was moldy and therefore drew flies.”
Shrieks of laughter came through the phone. “You bring that girl to me right away, Roman!”
“This is a bit off-topic, isn’t it? You’re supposed to be explaining why the boy is being kept in the dark.”
He could tell the other man had had enough.
“The more time I spend with her, the more I understand what she’s been through. If you hated Adam Ward before you will have to find a way to hate him even more.”
He had to pause and take a breath when an angry red haze filled his brain.
“You had your mother Liam, but Kelly had no one. Debbie put Ward first until her dying breath. Not only that, the manipulative asshole went out of his way to separate mother and child every fucking year on Kelly’s birthday.”
Rhi gasped. “Oh my god.”
“There’s so much more, but you get where this is going, right? For Kelly, things like secrets and lies are deal breakers. She’s got a well-honed rant about being a pawn that’ll make your stomach gurgle.”
“She doesn’t want to be the one to tell Matthew. I get it,” Rhiann murmured. “She’s protecting both of them from something she didn’t want. Probably still doesn’t want. Am I right?”
Here was the hard and crunchy truth in the middle of a hoped for warm and fuzzy. He nodded at Rhiann’s take on things even though she couldn’t see him.
“She’ll get there, you guys. But we have to give her time. And as far as the boy goes, it’s quite simple. She won’t lie to him, and she won’t pretend. If she announces there’s a surprise brother, she worries some day Matthew will wonder if she always knew. If he, just like she was, had been purposely kept in the dark. It’s not up to her to explain anything at all. Not as far as she’s concerned. You’re the one that came looking for her. This one’s on you, bro.”
“She hates me, doesn’t she?” Liam asked.
“She doesn’t know you. You can’t make a happy family happen because you say so. On the other side, she can’t deny that same family because it’s inconvenient.”
“What exactly am I supposed to do here? Shit!” Liam barked. “Why the fuck do all of Adam Ward’s turd bombs fall on me?”
And that right there was his cue to wrap up the conversation.
“Rhi. You got this?”
“On it. Thanks for being honest.”
He winced. Rhiann knew there was still a nugget of honesty he wasn’t sharing. He also hoped she understood that he had to do that part in person. He owed Liam a face-to-face. It was the right thing to do.
After Matty had fallen asleep, she crept into the adjoining room and found Roman at the desk with an open laptop and a deep frown. He looked so serious.
Walking toward him she quietly asked, “Is something wrong?”
He had the damn reflexes of a jungle cat, reacting so swiftly she was on his lap before her eyes had a chance to blink.
“Nothing now that you’re here.”
No response possible or necessary when he crushed her to him and took her mouth with a savage thoroughness that left her panting and breathless.
“Is he asleep?”
She nodded when her senses returned. “Out like a light.”
Cradling her with extreme gentleness, she curled into him and sighed. He swiveled them back and forth in the desk chair.
“Wanna watch some TV?”
“No. The news just makes me crazy, and I don’t know what shows are good. Maybe another time, though, okay?”
She threw in that last part because it occurred to her that maybe he wanted to turn it on and was being polite by asking. Just because she didn’t see the purpose in anesthetizing her mind with junk didn’t mean she had the right to be a bitch about it.
His chest rose and fell on a chuckle. “You’ll get no argument from me. Didn’t you notice from my apartment pictures? No television.”
She sat up, smiled and searched his face. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Mostly,” he said with a shrug. “There is a TV. A big one. But it’s behind the wood panels above the fireplace.”
“Why?”
“Did you see the books?” he asked with a laugh. “I’d rather have a personal library than a stack of DVDs. Although I admit, got a whole cabinet full. Mostly classic movies. Black and white stuff. My friend Cam is a serious movie buff. He turned me on to Cary Grant and guys like him.”
“Matty nearly shit a canary when he saw your living room library. He didn’t notice the ladders, but I did. We might need to child proof your place.”
“He’s a great kid, Kelly. Smart as fuck and my god with the grown-up vocabulary. I’m going to clear off a low shelf, and we’ll fill it with his books, okay?”
She stated a concern and framed it as a question to see how he’d respond.
“Bedroom decorating, promises of dog adoptions, shelves of books. So, I guess we’re living together now?”
His answer surprised her. “Did you think I was going to let you go?”
“I don’t know what to think,” she admitted candidly. “I’ve never, well…you know.”
A hardness came over his face, and his jaw clenched. She touched a nerve.
“I don’t go through life defiling virgins. And as incomprehensible as it may seem, I’ve never been flat-footed by a twenty-three year old innocent before. However,” he grated bitingly, “I’m an adult and knew what I was doing. If this makes me sound like a pig, then so be it but I promise on all that’s holy that by the time I was inside you? I’d already decided that you were mine and that no one and nothing was going to take you from me.”
She searched his face. “Been there, done that?”
“Yes.”
Whoa. That was some revealing shit he just shared. Losing his wife, being denied their child? And now, hearing just how determined he was from the beginning to claim her, she understood him now on an even deeper level.
“I can’t force you to be with me, Carina.” His big, warm hand caressed her back beneath the sweater. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I want you. All the time and not just in bed. And not just in a sexual way.”
“If you ever feel crowded or,” she shook her head and searched for words. “I don’t know, taken over, I guess. You’ll say something, right? I don’t want to be a burden. I can take care of Matty and me just fine.”
His whole demeanor changed. He softened and relaxed. “Can you find it in your heart to take care of me too?”
“What are you saying?”
“Fuck if I know,” he answered with a wide-eyed snicker. “I just don’t want to lose you. Or Matty.”
“He’s not going to like us being together.”
“Who?” he asked. “Matty? Are you kidding? He’s thrilled.”
“No,” she grumbled. “Him. You know.”
Roman swallowed his sigh before it hit the air. The raw, worried sound to her voice warned of bumpy roads ahead.
“Are you referring to he who will never ever be called by name?
She narrowed her eyes and made a face. “Okay fine,” she huffed. “Liam. Liam isn’t going to like that you’re doing his sister. Is that what you wanted me to say?”
His hand moved from the gentle back stroking to cupping a breast. He rolled a nipple between his fingers. She leaned slightly into his touch.
“He knows better than to stick his nose into my private life.”
“Did your private life ever involve a family member before?”
“No,” he bit out. “But…”
He got tongue-tied and zipped up the rest of his stupid word diarrhea before he made an idiot of himself.
“Oh no you don’t,” she laughed. “But what?”
He sounded like Matty when he didn’t get his way. “I saw you first.”
She gawked at him. He squirmed and instantly regretted the movement when she shifted on his lap and enflamed his cock even more.
The gawk turned to a squint. “Is this you clowning me? I can’t tell because I think you just implied that since you licked it first, it’s now yours. Do I have this right?”
Her voice steadily rose until she was on the edge of…something. He wasn’t sure what. It seemed like a toss-up between a fiery bitch-fit or thigh-slappingly funny hysteria.
“So your strategy here is to plant your flag, declare yourself master of all, and that’s that?”
“Pretty much,” he admitted. “It’s a guy thing so don’t give the details much thought.”
“Are you serious?”
It was way too easy to get her going. “Oh, completely,” he assured her with a straight face. “But don’t get yer’ panties twisted in a knot over it, sweet tits,” he drawled in a comical twang.”
She reacted with incredulous affront. He almost dumped her off his lap when an explosion of laughter threatened.
“Excuse me?”
The biting retort, the way each syllable was lengthened to convey her outrage—he was one fucked up son-of-a-bitch because these things were music to his ears. He was an interrogator. That level of emotion most definitely implied her emotions were engaged. Hot diggity damn!
“It’s the same for the ladies,” he continued as though this was a normal conversation. Having a tactile field day with the sweet tits he teased her about kind of killed the premise of normal but hey, who was he to quibble over details?
“Why do women hit the head in pairs? What’s the deal with the whole damn tribe trailing after? Is there danger in the ladies’ room? These are things that mystify men, but you don’t see us convening a listening tour to figure it out.”
She slapped her hands atop his with the sweater separating them. Okay. Yellow light. Not red and flashing. Something more along the lines of slow down, dangerous curves ahead. Or even better, slippery when wet.
Oh, wait. Scratch that. Bad timing. And besides, he had a better plan of action for their nocturnal activities. Tonight she was getting a dose of what being taken care of really means when all the layers of daily phooey are stripped away.
She arched a delicate brow and cocked her head. “Did it ever occur in that thick skull of yours that you’ve got this wrong?”
Wait. Huh? Wrong? What the fuck?
He froze and searched her eyes. He saw, wait. What?
She was fucking laughing at him!
“Dude,” she snorted on a hearty chuckle. “Sorry to burst your alpha bubble and all but I did the flag planting first. And if you’re laboring under the assumption that to protect your ego I’m going to pretend to be some backwoods Barbie with a bad case of the lady swoons for your sorry ass, well…” her scoff was incredibly sexy.
All the worldly experience Roman imagined he had? Yeah. Screw that. The adorable minx turning him inside out and upside down had no time for his shit and he loved every goddamn second of her feisty push backs. Finding her was a miracle and he’d be damned to the blazing fires of hell for eternity if he let her slip through his fingers.
“And as far as he who doesn’t know me and frankly gets no say in what I do, well, he’ll have to suck it up. I’m letting this unfold because of you Roman. Because I trust you for some insane reason. Not because I give a flying beer fart about some stranger from the big city and his bags of money.”
Well goddamn. That was quite a compliment. Earning this little lady’s trust was a humbling feat. Oh god, seriously? Were those tears swimming in his eyes?
She wasn’t finished shocking him. With a sweet, slow kiss she gently pushed his hands out of her sweater.
“Um, things you should know. Part two.”
He waited.
“The girls are a bit tender,” she snickered with surprised awareness.
It was time to get her moving off his lap before he took things too far and tested his composure in dangerous ways.
“You feeling okay otherwise? I know it was tough being cooped up in the truck all day.”
“I’m not a once-a-month whiney crybaby if that’s what you’re asking. Do I have cramps and want to punch puppies in the face? Yes. The shower helped.”
“You smell delicious.”
She brightened like a searchlight at the throwaway compliment. Sniffing her skin as she shoved a sleeve up her arm, Kelly giggled.
“Almond vanilla! You like?”
Hell yeah, he liked. Shit, she overloaded his senses morning, noon and night. He loved it all. The smells of soap and toothpaste or the fruit shit she shampooed her hair with. Even her sweat hit his senses with a sledgehammer. And the mother of all baselines? The scent of Kelly, the woman. Turned him into a drooling, knuckle-dragging, horny man beast with a hard-on that felt like a one-ton weight strapped to his groin.
The corners of her eyes crinkled. Pushing the waterfall of soft dark curls off her shoulders, Roman contemplated his shifting priorities. She was on her way, if not there already, to being the single most precious thing in his life. He liked it when the smile reached her eyes. Seeing her happiness was immensely satisfying.
“I like you.”
He shook his head and gave her a scornful snicker. “I was hoping for something a bit more than just like.”
“Well, then you’re going to have to try harder.”
He busted out with a laugh at the same time that she launched out of his grasp and started stalking the room. “Wish I’d thought to bring a book.”
“Hey,” he blurted out. “You want a book? I’ve got books. Come here.” He put his hand out, she took hold eagerly and followed him to the luggage rack in the corner where his big bag sat open.
“Let’s see,” he murmured. His hands located the three books at the bottom and pulled them out one by one.
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.”
She glanced at the cover. “An inquiry into values. Hmph. That’s a little too cerebral. What else ya’ got?”
He smiled. Next, he pulled out a weary, dog-eared and beaten up paperback of Tom Sawyer.
“Good stuff,” he told her. “This baby has been through a war and back. Friends, boyhood rebellion, superstition, fantasy. It’s a life manual.”
He meant every word. Tom’s story embodied so much of how Roman saw his life.
“And finally, Seinfeldia.”
“What’s that?”
“Seinfeld? No?” he asked. “Ah, yes. Well. How can I explain a cultural phenomenon about nothing?”
“You’re losing me,” she snorted.
“It’s a TV show that ran from 1989 to 1998. I am a Seinfeld geek,” he admitted with a hand raised. “We watched episode after episode when I was overseas. Let me tell you, nothing prepares you for life more than long, rambling, completely sober debates about this show.”
She handed him an unbelievable gift when she shoved him playfully with her shoulder and said, “If you’re nice and supply popcorn, maybe I’ll sit through some episodes. Just to check out what you’re talking about.”
He totally won this round. Shoving the ratty copy of Tom Sawyer into her hands, he jerked his thumb at the sofa and said, “Pick your side, plant your butt and get comfy.”
“Why? Where are you going?” she asked when he made for the door.
He gave her a thorough once over and grinned like an idiot. “I’ve decided that what you need is some pampering and I’m just the man to do it.”
She rolled her eyes.
“So I’m headed to the lobby. There’s a hot beverage station for guests. Sit back, put your feet up and relax. I’ll bring you tea and rub your back while you read.”
“Ya’ know,” she laughed. “All that sounded an awful lot like instructions.”
He laughed right back. “Got a problem with that, Carina?”
“Nope,” she said with a cocky headshake. “Not at all.”
“Cream and sugar?” he asked with his hand on the doorknob.
“Surprise me,” she said.
Well alrighty then!