Cousins In Love: An Alpha Bad Boy Romance (Book 3) (16 page)

For a split second I worry that Roman's bad mood could be a result of him knowing that I've been keeping secrets, but then I quickly come to my senses and realize that there's no way he would know about either of those incidences and not have said something to me by now. It's just my guilt messing with me.

I have to remember that while Roman usually speaks volumes with few words, that he definitely has his moments when he clearly
just
wants to be heard. He gets loud from time to time when he's frustrated or trying to make a point with people. Certain people. But what can be intimidating or brash to some is in fact quite comforting to me. His brand of bravado lets me know without a doubt that he's here and that he is as they say "in the building". His personality fills the room of my home from corner to corner, ceiling to floor. I think it's one of the many things that women find attractive about Roman. It's definitely one of the things that attracted me to him.
 

Not much has changed since I've returned from Penn-Washington. I haven't called Ethan per his terse request, and I also haven't seen Shrek again. I have done a little digging online, but I don't see anything remotely current in Ethan's Facebook stream, so I think I was overreacting. I must let this whole subject rest. I'm creating more stress in my life where there doesn't need to be any.
 

My relationship with my parents is still strained, and I don't really see that improving in the near future. Even after my recent visit home, they still aren't open to having Roman visit over the upcoming holidays, which is a deal breaker for me.
 

Roman hasn't mentioned the letter from his mother again, and he certainly hasn't made a move to go over to the house and ask Joseph to read it. So I'm probably going to have to talk to Juliette about that. Sometimes he just needs a little push.

Unfortunately Roman still doesn't like Blake, and every time I ask him to give me a good reason why, it only makes him hate him more. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Roman's crappy mood right this second is because I'm working in the living room with Blake; and knowing him, we may have laughed a little too loudly or a little too long for his liking.
 

It doesn't take much for my guy to become all blustery when it comes to my spending time with Blake, but I'm getting used to his comments now. I attribute his behavior to Roman just being Roman. A little crazy in the head. Definitely possessive. Somewhat unpolished. And a beautifully, flawed man whom I simply adore. Faults and all.
 

Things would be easier though, if I could get Roman to change his mind about my one and only employee. Blake has been nothing but a Godsend to me over the last few months. Not only has he cleaned up some of the messy code of my previous freelancers, and has come to the table with some great ideas of his own for further development of the brand and promotion of the app; but he's also picked up and moved here so that we can continue to work as a real team.
 

I'm going to give things with him a few more months, and if we're still working this well together, I may even consider making him my partner. He could definitely help me take School Bucks to the next level. He sees the big picture in the same sort of way that I do, and I don't mind sharing the profits with someone who also shares my vision. Especially because I know he could handle the demands of the job. In another world, a guy like Blake would be my boss, not the other way around. I know Roman will probably hate the idea, but one thing I'm perfecting as the weeks and months go by is the delicate art of loving Roman Masterson. And trust me, there's an art to it.

"Seems like your guy is having some sort of heated negotiation in there," Blake says with a tinge of curiosity in his voice. Not fear though. Interestingly enough, Blake may be one of the only men I've run across who doesn't seem the least bit intimidated by Roman.
 

I like that. It means his feathers won't be so ruffled when Roman eventually says something wildly inappropriate to him. Which hasn't happened yet, but I know it's coming.

"Yeah," I laugh off his observation casually. "Excuse me for a moment, Blake. Let me go speak with him for a moment."

"No problem." He smiles brightly. "I'll work on this segment of the database until you get back."

I smile in return. "Cool, I shouldn't be long."

All right, so I'm not even going to lie. There is something about my new, calmly cool, employee, which is definitely attractive or should I say appealing. He's tall with long lean muscles, and a head full of lush, dirty blond hair which he usually wears loose or in a messy ponytail. Definitely reminiscent of a Viking as Sloan pointed out.
 

He also has this pair of distinctive, beautiful gray eyes that always look like they're processing information. I think his eyes mirror a mixture of his very funny personality and his exceptional brain, and if I had an older sister, I'd definitely hook her up with him. He's boyfriend material for sure. Not high-powered or polished enough for Sloan though, which is why I haven't even bothered trying to hook them up. And for some reason, Tiny hasn't returned any of my texts for the last week. Sometimes she just goes radio silent, so I haven't been able to make the introduction I wanted to make between the two of them.

I rap on the door to Roman's office as a polite gesture, but then I walk in without waiting for a response. Ultimately it's my house, and he's being disrespectful. My defenses are up, because I know he's itching for a fight, one that will end up with me spread eagle and begging for release. And they always begin with that turned up mouth of his. A cocky grin that I'm sure has worked it's voodoo magic on many an unsuspecting woman. Now it's especially reserved for me.

"Elizabeth," he greets me then turns his head and gives whoever he's on the phone with a curt good-bye. "We'll finish this later."

"Why are you so loud?" I start in on him as soon as he ends the call. Picking the fight first is my strategic offensive play.

"I needed to be loud in order to drown out all the fucking giggles coming from the living room."

"You're ridiculous." I huff.

"You're a flirt."

"Well you're an ass."

"So you're admitting that you're a flirt then?"

"No, jerk off. I'm not."

"You're pushing it with the name calling."

I say with defiance, "Not as hard as you're pushing things."

"Strip." He playfully grins. I'm pretty sure he's laughing at the fact I used the words hard and pushing in the same sentence. He has such a dirty mind.

"No."

"What did you just say?"

"I said absolutely not, Roman." I get serious for a moment. "I'm not stripping. In case you didn't realize, I'm working, and the person I'm working with is literally ten feet away from this frackin' door. If you think I'm going to–"

"That's why you're going to be as quiet as a mouse, while I take care of your little giggle problem. In fact let's make this interesting. If you come on my face, real quiet like, I'll buy you a matching Rover, so you can stop taking those damn Uber cars. They don't even screen those drivers properly. They're probably all serial rapists."

"You need a therapist," I say only semi-seriously.

"For what?" he rhetorically asks me as he slowly backs me into a corner of the room.
 

I throw up my hand in defense of his approach.
 

"I can help you find one at a reasonable rate if money is the issue," I jest.
 

"Is there something wrong with me asking my girl to strip?" he asks while gesturing to me with a head nod to raise my arms, but I hold steady and refuse.
 

Roman often uses sex as a power play, and sometimes I give in because I get just as much pleasure out of it as he does, but then there are times that I just have to stand my ground if I'm ever going to get anything done.
 

Like work.
 

I usually try to make sure that Blake isn't in my house when I know Roman is going to come by, but today it didn't work out that way. So I give him a silent but firm head shake no.

"No?" he growls dipping his head into the side of my neck.

"Uh-uh." I try my best to answer with conviction as I close my eyes in rapture. "I only came in here to tell you to keep it down. We both need to respect each other's space if we're ever going to work in here at the same time."

Of course while I'm putting up all this verbal protest, I clasp my hands around the back of Roman's neck as he burrows his head farther into the side of my neck. I can't help it; because I love the way my body vibrates when he speaks against my skin.

"You look fucking spectacular today, Duchess. This tight skirt." He slides his palm up the side of my thigh. "This fuzzy cream sweater." Brushing the backs of his fingers across my waist underneath my sweater. "No wonder captain nerd can't stop laughing at every fucking thing you say out there. He's probably mesmerized by your pretty ass."

"Why does everyone I know have to be a nerd in your eyes except for you?" I ask amused.

"Is that actually a serious question?"

"Oh, shut up."

"I know men, Duchess."

"And? I'm not sure what that has to do with my question, but now that we're on the subject, let's discuss it real quickly. I'm going to ask again. What's your problem with Blake? You're the one who wanted me to hire an employee. Hell, you bought me this apartment, so I could have space to make it happen. So now that I have, you haven't given him a single chance. You met him once and now you won't even talk to him for five minutes. I already know nothing came up in your investigation."

"I knew all that I needed to know the minute he decided to relocate here."

"I want you to talk to him."

"I do talk to him. I say hi and bye. I just won't give him the opportunity to bite me in the back."

"What the heck does that mean? Bite you in the back?" I ask in frustration. "You know what? Forget it. You're being ridiculous. Adorable but ridiculous."

"Mmm, you're adorable," he whispers in my ear. "I'm ready to spread your limbs from east to west right on this desk and fuck you sideways. Would you like that, baby?"

I squeeze my eyelids tightly closed and lie through my teeth, "No."

"You don't mean that. You know how I know? Because ever since you walked in here, you've been staring at me like a piece of chicken," he chuckles as he throws one of my old sayings back at me. "Arms up, Duchess."

I shake my head vigorously no again.

"Uh-uh." I lean away from him and say with a smile. "I'm going to walk back out of this office with all of my clothes on, and you're going to behave for the next hour or so, so that Blake and I can finish."

"Blake," he parrots back gruffly. "Who the hell names their son
Blakkke
." He exaggerates the pronunciation of the K sound.

"Umm, a lot of people do and would you please quiet down."

I move from underneath and away from Roman, knowing that if I don't put some physical distance between the two of us, that he will take great pleasure in totally embarrassing the hell out of me in front of someone I pay a salary. Someone whose opinion of me matters. I've already been in here way too long. It's embarrassing.

"Where are you going?"

"Over here," I say with determination.

He stalks over towards me.

"You know I don't beg for pussy, Elizabeth," he says into my ear with a grin spread across his face.

"So you keep saying, but I don't think you even really want it right now anyway. You're just trying to prove some sort of point."

"Don't be mistaken, pretty girl. I always want
it
when it comes to you."

Roman leans his forehead into mine, and I can't help but wrap my arms around his waist as he moves in for a kiss. He's holding back, thank God, but he still makes sure to take a moment to savor my mouth in a way that makes me imagine that I taste extremely delicious.

"You taste like bubblegum," he says in the low, gravelly voice that hardens my nipples every single time.
 

As his tongue plunges deeper into my mouth, I instinctively rise up on my toes and rest my hands along the back of his buzzed-cut head. Rubbing back and forth as the kiss grows more passionate. He loves it when I rub his head this way, and I can tell by the deep groan coming from deep inside his chest that I need to stop this right now before it gets totally out of hand. I'm sending seriously mixed signals.

I break the kiss and step away from him, although it takes every ounce of will power I can muster. It's so easy to get lost inside of the deep physical attraction we have for each other. It's basically all we've been doing for the last few months. Indulging in our baser instincts, our deep sexual connection, as well as our burgeoning emotional relationship.

"I'm not kissing you anymore until you promise to make a dentist appointment," I say suddenly.

"Well that shit came out of no where," he laughs. "Does my breath stink?"

"I can't kiss a man who doesn't take care of his teeth."

"Jade texted you, huh? She's been on my ass about that appointment for two weeks. Listen, Duchess, my teeth are fine. I haven't had a cavity since I was seven. Stop trying to change the subject, and bring your spectacular ass back over here where you belong."