All I've Never Wanted(93)

Well, since Roman wasn’t here, Carlo couldn’t blame me for not trying. At least now, I could get out of my not-so-comfortable lingerie.

I slipped out of my robe and hung it on its hook in the bathroom, then re-entered the bedroom and bent over to fish some PJs out of the bottom drawer.

“What are you doing?”

I froze. The voice was so familiar. I knew it was him. After all, who else could it be? But he sounded different, more…hoarse? I’m not even sure.

Gulping audibly, I slowly turned around, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to batter its way straight out my chest.

Roman was standing in the doorway, wearing a pair of low-slung jeans and a soft, well-worn gray T-shirt.

I gulped again, trying not to drool over his muscular arms and broad shoulders. This was the first time and hopefully last time I see him in an outfit like that, because if this turns into a regular occurrence, I might go into cardiac arrest.

It should be illegal for someone to look that good, especially if their insides didn’t match.

“What do you mean?” My voice high-pitched and squeaky, not a seductress’ voice at all. I quickly tried to compose myself. “I was just changing, that’s all.” I nudged the drawer closed with my leg. I guess I was stuck in this outfit for the rest of the night.

Roman’s gaze swept over me, making my skin tingle as warmth raced through me. Every area his eyes rested on burned pleasantly. There was a strange expression on his face as he took me in.


“You’re going to sleep in that?”

Be cool. Be confident. “Of course.” I ran my hand through my hair the way they did in movies—at least, I hoped I did it like that—tousling it a bit, and walked slowly over to him.

I saw his breath hitch a little as I neared, giving me the confidence booster I needed. “Will that be a problem?” I peered up at him through my lashes in my best attempt at a smoldering look.

Apparently it worked, because when I trailed a finger down his chest, I could feel his heart beating wildly. I hid a smirk. I was beginning to enjoy this.

“What are you doing?”

Wow, he sounds like a broken record.

“I’m just talking to you,” I said innocently, trailing my hand lower until it rested on his rock-hard abs. Yeah, I was definitely enjoying this too much.

Who knew abs could cause a girl’s mood to do a total one-eighty in two minutes?

Roman’s hand immediately snapped up to grip my wrist before it could go any lower, not that I’d been planning on going any lower. A girl had to draw the line somewhere.

“You know, a few hours ago you couldn’t stand me. And now you’re…trying to seduce me?” His voice was suspicious.

Oh, darn it. Why did he have to turn smart all of a sudden? Ok, time to improvise.

I closed the distance between us, until we were pressed up against each other, trying to ignore the explosion of tingles that went off in my own body. “Is it working?” I breathed, running my hands up his arms. My mouth dried at the feel of smooth skin covering rock-hard muscles.

Holy crap, he had a good body. I mean, I always knew he did, but it was one thing to see it and quite another to feel it.

Ugh, now I feel like the biggest perv on the planet, albeit a happy one.

Roman’s eyes darkened, but it wasn’t from anger, I soon realized. It was from lust. I gulped for the third time tonight. The look on his face scared me a little—I was so not used to guys lusting after me, and no, Parker’s perverted jokes don’t count—but it also excited me a bit.

To be honest, the idea that I could do that to someone like Roman gave me a heady rush, but I hoped I wasn’t in over my head. Carlo had told me to use my judgment as to when to stop, assuring me that Roman wouldn’t push me into doing anything I didn’t want.

Judging from the way he was looking at me right now, though, I wouldn’t be too sure about that. He was eyeing me the way a starving man would eye a juicy steak.

“Oh, it’s definitely working,” he growled, lowering his head until we were mere inches apart.

I gasped as he gripped my hips and pressed me even closer. He was right. It was working. I could, um, feel it.

My face turned bright red, and I started to sweat nervously. I go back to my earlier point. This was a bad idea. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

“Was this the lingerie you bought earlier?” Roman whispered, toying with one of the straps. They were so thin and he was so strong I was afraid it would snap at any moment.

As if he heard my inner panic, he let go of the strap, but I barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before he started caressing the bare skin on my shoulders, sending my heart into overdrive. I was glad he was holding me, because I would’ve collapsed right then and there.

Screw the operation. I needed to get away from him. Now.

The only problem being, my feet didn’t exactly want to move.

“What’s wrong?” Roman moved his head so it hovered just above the sensitive spot behind my ear. I instinctively grasped his shoulder, my nails digging into his skin. He didn’t seem to notice. “You’re usually not so quiet.” When he spoke, he lips brushed my skin, so gently I could barely feel it, only I did, and it was causing some very strange and unwanted reactions in me.

I needed to take back control.

Closing my eyes, I tried to focus, sifting through Carlo’s advice until I found a suitable one.