Ignited (8 page)

There were other ways—of course there were. There were countless paths through life, and Roman was starting to believe he’d taken the wrong one.

He couldn’t know where today’s journey would lead them.
Ohio
was all Ashley had said.

He couldn’t know whether, when they got to the end of this trip, Ashley would keep Sunnyvale or he would pursue his vision for Coral Cay. Whether he would have Ashley in his life. Whether he’d have anything at all.

But the sun was coming up over the green-carpeted Pennsylvania hills. The Escalade pulled a shining silver bullet down the road. The woman he wanted more than he wanted to be sensible sat in his backseat, chewing gum that smelled like synthetic cherries and lime, and Roman began to think that maybe—just maybe—they would both find what they needed in the nine days they had left.

Possibilities.

Moments alone, and the chance to make the most of them.

Time together that could resolve the impasse dividing them.

It could happen. Maybe he could even
make
it happen.

Roman smoothed his hands over the steering wheel. When he caught Ashley’s eye in the rearview, she quirked an eyebrow at him, and he winked.

Her eyes widened.

He smiled.

He lowered the window, breathed in the morning air, and followed the ribbon of road where it took him.

B
Y
R
UTHIE
K
NOX

Ride with Me

About Last Night

Along Came Trouble

Flirting with Disaster

Truly (Coming Spring 2014)

Novellas

Room at the Inn

How to Misbehave

Making It Last

Roman Holiday (Serialization)

PHOTO: MARK ANDERSON, STUN PHOTOGRAPHY

USA Today
bestselling author R
UTHIE
K
NOX
writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. After studying British history, she became an academic editor instead. Then she got really deep into knitting, as one does, followed by motherhood and romance novel writing.

Her debut novel,
Ride with Me
, is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with
About Last Night
, a London-based romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then
Room at the Inn
, a Christmas novella—both of which were finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life.

Ruthie moonlights as a mother, Tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website and drop her a line.

www.ruthieknox.com

Be sure to continue your Roman Holiday with Episode 6:
Mistaken

“Look, now you made the girl cry,” Stanley said to Roman.

“Me? How is this my fault?”

“Treating her like garbage.” Stanley scratched his ear, squinting at a sign. “You want to turn right up here.”

Roman glanced at his navigation system. “GPS says to go another four miles.”

“The GPS is full of it. This way’s faster. Turn right.”

Roman passed the turn.

Stanley cleared his throat, lowered the window, and spat. The gob landed against the passenger-side window, where Ashley watched it smear across the glass, its stop-and-go progress a disgusting measure of their velocity.

Fuck,
she thought.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.

She should have pulled Roman aside and given him some pointers on how to handle Stanley. He had to be handled, or else he got defensive and prickly, and when he was in this mood, he did things like accidentally-on-purpose spit on your car, just to see if he could wind you up.

Winding people up was kind of a sport for Stanley, and Ashley absolutely hated it. But maybe Roman hadn’t noticed.

She glanced at his shoulders. Tight. Very tight.

Fuck.

Stanley began clearing the phlegm from his throat again.

“You spit on my car twice, there’ll be consequences,” Roman said evenly.

“I didn’t spit
inside
the car, son.”

“I’m not your son.”

“Thank the lord for small favors,” Stanley muttered.

“What did you say?”

“Guys—” Ashley interrupted.

“I said ‘Thank the lord for small favors.’ ”

“
Guys
—”

Season 2 begins March 3, 2014. Preorder now!

Curious about something? Want to ask the author a question or chat with other readers?

Visit the Roman Holiday forum at
http://forum.ruthieknox.com
and join the conversation!

Or subscribe to the Roman Holiday mailing list at
http://www.ruthieknox.com/roman-holiday-mailing-list/
to be notified when new episodes are available.

And don’t miss the
Camelot
series which begins with a deliciously sexy original novella, in which a good girl, Amber Clark, learns,
How to Misbehave.
Her brother Caleb meets headstrong Ellen and the two bump
noggins
—and bodies—in,
Along Came Trouble.
Sister Katie Clark enters a no-strings fling that looks an awful lot like falling in love—or,
Flirting with Disaster.
Lastly, revisit Amber and a story that will take you to new heights with a desire reinvented,
Making It Last.