“Where are we going?” Roman asked, his tone casual, but his grip on the wheel was anything but.Blair barely looked at him. “The diner in town.”Silence settled between them, thick with unspoken tension. Roman followed Keira’s car as the town blurred past with old storefronts, familiar streets to her, but she didn’t pay them any attention.Her fingers tapped restlessly against her thigh. Roman drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting on his leg, exuding that infuriating calmness that only made her feel more unsettled.Because he was the reason, she was still buzzing. She was angry with him, but she wasn’t at the same time.She hated it.She hated that even now, after everything, he could still make her feel safe and wanted and completely out of control.Roman finally glanced at her. “You’re quiet.”Blair huffed. “Maybe because I don’t know where to start.”“Then just start.” His voice was steady. Unapologetic.Her head whipped toward him. “Fine. What the hell was that Roman
Blair sat in the passenger seat of Roman’s car, arms resting on her thighs, her gaze fixed out the window, though her mind was miles away. The night before was still fresh in her mind, lingering in her bones.Every breath felt like a reminder. A reminder of him, of the heat between them. Every little movement of her body felt like a trace of his touch on her skin. She could still feel him, his lips, the weight of his body, the way he’d claimed her. The way his hands had been everywhere, firm and sure. She was still ever so slightly sore. But in a good way. He had taken her as soon as they walked through the door yesterday and then again in the early morning hours.It had been unreal. Not just the way they’d fit together physically, though, that had been perfect, but the way they seemed to understand each other without saying a word. It felt like something deeper than she’d ever had with Dan. How had she missed that before?Her fingers curled into her palms, the heat from their time to
Blair stored her handbag and placed her phone on her desk before pushing open Roman’s office door, shutting it behind her with more force than necessary.She barely gave him a second to react before stepping forward, arms crossed, her gaze sharp. “You gave us away.”Roman didn’t look up right away. He just leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose like he’d expected this. Maybe he had.His voice was calm, unreadable. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Blair narrowed her eyes, stepping closer. “Kara noticed. She saw it, Roman. The tension.” She’d admit it was partly her fault. “The way you acted. You walked in, handed over the mail, and didn’t even say good morning to me. No hello, nothing. And she knew. It was that obvious.”Roman sighed, rubbing his jaw, finally looking at her. “I wasn’t thinking about it like that. I’m not used to hiding my relationships.”“Exactly,” Blair shot back. “You weren’t thinking. And now she knows about us. She won’t say anything, but it’s
Roman didn’t expect Blair to barge into his office. Well, that wasn’t entirely true.The second he left her and Kara, he knew she’d be pissed. Knew by the way her eyes had flared. After Kara looked at them too long meant she’d put the pieces together. He should have been more careful. He should have walked in like he always did, like she wasn’t the only thing occupying his mind, like he hadn’t spent the last few nights tangled up with her, tasting her.But he couldn’t, not now. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but she wanted to hide the fact they were together. It wasn’t sex to him. Roman wanted more than an affair. He had been planning this too long for this to be anything but serious. He just needed to convince Blair of that. So, no, he wasn’t surprised when she shoved the door shut behind her, arms crossed, eyes sharp and full of fire. He wasn’t surprised when she cut straight to the point. “You gave us away.”Roman leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose, scho
Roman stepped out of his office, his mind still spinning from the encounter with Jessica. He clenched his jaw as he spotted Blair and Kara talking over Blair’s desk. Blair’s arms were crossed, her expression unreadable, but there was an edge to the way she stood. He could see she was tense.. Kara, on the other hand, looked apologetic, shifting awkwardly on her feet.The moment Kara noticed him, she straightened, opening her mouth, but Roman shook his head. “Don’t,” he said firmly.“I’m really sorry—”“It’s not your fault,” he cut her off. “Jessica is manipulative and has no boundaries. You don’t have to apologize for her.”Kara looked relieved, nodding quickly. Blair, however, kept her gaze steady on him, like she was trying to figure out what was going on in his head. Roman didn’t give her the chance.“Blair. My office. Now.”He didn’t wait for a response, just turned and walked back inside, knowing she would follow. And she did. A moment later, she was shutting the door behind her,
Blair stared at Roman, her heart pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it. Marry him? The words echoed in her head, loud and disorienting. It was insane. Reckless. Completely out of control.And yet, a small, undeniable part of her wanted to say yes.She had just ended her engagement with Dan last week. It felt like whiplash to go from that to standing here, listening to Roman ask her to marry him. But it was different with Roman. Everything about him, the way he touched her, looked at her, challenged her, made her feel something she had never had before.Something intense. Something dangerous.It wasn’t love. Not yet. She wasn’t willing to say that word, not when she’d thought she had loved Dan and look where that had gotten her. But this… what she felt for Roman was more than lust, more than attraction. It was raw, consuming, and completely outside her control.She swallowed hard, trying to focus. “This is crazy.”Roman’s lips curled slightly, but there was no humor in his exp
Roman’s grip tightened on Blair’s hips as he set her down stepping away from her to lock the door before picking her up in his arms again, she clutched at his shoulders as he took measured steps across the room, pressing her back against the cool glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city stretched out behind her, glittering with sunlight, but all she could focus on was the way his body caged hers in, his presence overpowering. The knowledge that it was reflective glass, so anyone looking up or in couldn’t see them only made the moment more intense. Because they could do anything.His fingers trailed up her thighs, slow and deliberate, igniting every nerve along the way. He wasn’t gentle, Roman’s need was to extreme, but she loved that about him. He didn’t pretend. He took what he wanted, and tonight, she was the only thing he wanted.“Take off your dress,” he ordered, his voice dark, edged with impatience. He stepped away to watch her follow his order.Blair’s breath hitched, bu
Roman leaned against the cool marble sink, watching Blair through the mirror as she fixed her hair. Her fingers moved quickly, twisting strands back into the sleek style she’d worn before he had thoroughly undone her. He smirked to himself, proud of the disheveled state he had left her in. The way she had clung to him, the way she had moaned, sir. He could still hear it echoing in his head.“You’re staring,” Blair muttered, adjusting the last few pins and smoothing down a stray curl.“Am I?” he asked, arching a brow. “I thought I was merely appreciating my secretary’s dedication to maintaining a professional appearance.”Blair shot him a glare through the mirror. “Well, you sure do like messy me up.” Then she flashed Roman would bet she was remembering just how he liked to mess her up.Roman grinned, stepping closer and resting his hands on her hips. “Semantics. Either way, you look stunning—though I personally prefer the thoroughly ruined version of you. I love your hair down and wil
Later that day, Roman sat in his office, fingers tapping against his desk in a steady rhythm. The weight of everything he’d just uncovered sat heavy in his chest, but he wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.If Blair’s parents had been set up…if their deaths were more than just a tragic accident, then the people responsible had no idea what kind of war they had just stepped into.A knock at the door broke through his thoughts. “Come in.”Peters walked in, holding a file thick enough to signal bad news. “Blair just went to the restroom. She mentioned you didn’t have anyone in here with you.”Roman gave a nod, granting him permission to proceed.“I wanted to let you know. We’ve gathered more information since this morning.”Roman straightened. “Talk to me.”Peters shut the door behind him and placed the file on Roman’s desk before pulling out a chair. “We went back through Warner Industries’ financials with the team you arranged today. We also combed through the estate filings and legal
“Blair,” Peters said in greeting before turning to Roman’s office. “Is he ready for me?”She nodded, pressing the intercom. “Roman, Peters is here.”“Send him in,” Roman’s voice came through.Blair waved him through, watching as he disappeared into Roman’s office. Something was going on. Peters had been in Roman’s office a lot lately. Curiosity itched at her, but she pushed it aside and turned back to her work. She was not going to think about this coming weekend.Roman leaned back in his chair, eyes sharp as he regarded his head of security. “Is there any update on the missing money?”Peters shook his head. “There hasn’t been another transaction, but when that happens, we have everything in place to catch whoever it is.”Roman’s jaw tightened. “I hate that someone is stealing from me.”“I’ll keep digging. It could be some time before they try again,” his head of security assured him. “We will look for any other financial discrepancies in the sales department’s invoices. I have one of
Blair sighed, staring at her phone as if it had personally wronged her. This weekend was going to be hell, and she knew Sutton and Keira wouldn’t take the news well.She blew out a breath before pulling up her sister Sutton’s contact and pressing call. It rang twice before Sutton picked up.“Blair?” she answered, her voice immediately suspicious. “Are you okay?”Blair rolled her eyes. “Nice to talk to you, too.”“Uh-huh. Sorry, but it’s unlike you to call during a workday unless it’s important. What’s wrong?”“Can you talk?” Blair pinched the bridge of her nose.“Yes, just give me a moment. I’ll head to the ladies’ bathroom.” Blair heard Sutton explain to the person she was on reception with, that she needed to take a call and wouldn’t be long. Not long after, Sutton said, “Okay, what’s up?”“Just hold on. I’m adding Keira,” Blair let Sutton know.She switched to a conference call and dialed their youngest sister. It took longer for Keira to pick up, and when she did, she sounded dist
Roman leaned against the cool marble sink, watching Blair through the mirror as she fixed her hair. Her fingers moved quickly, twisting strands back into the sleek style she’d worn before he had thoroughly undone her. He smirked to himself, proud of the disheveled state he had left her in. The way she had clung to him, the way she had moaned, sir. He could still hear it echoing in his head.“You’re staring,” Blair muttered, adjusting the last few pins and smoothing down a stray curl.“Am I?” he asked, arching a brow. “I thought I was merely appreciating my secretary’s dedication to maintaining a professional appearance.”Blair shot him a glare through the mirror. “Well, you sure do like messy me up.” Then she flashed Roman would bet she was remembering just how he liked to mess her up.Roman grinned, stepping closer and resting his hands on her hips. “Semantics. Either way, you look stunning—though I personally prefer the thoroughly ruined version of you. I love your hair down and wil
Roman’s grip tightened on Blair’s hips as he set her down stepping away from her to lock the door before picking her up in his arms again, she clutched at his shoulders as he took measured steps across the room, pressing her back against the cool glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city stretched out behind her, glittering with sunlight, but all she could focus on was the way his body caged hers in, his presence overpowering. The knowledge that it was reflective glass, so anyone looking up or in couldn’t see them only made the moment more intense. Because they could do anything.His fingers trailed up her thighs, slow and deliberate, igniting every nerve along the way. He wasn’t gentle, Roman’s need was to extreme, but she loved that about him. He didn’t pretend. He took what he wanted, and tonight, she was the only thing he wanted.“Take off your dress,” he ordered, his voice dark, edged with impatience. He stepped away to watch her follow his order.Blair’s breath hitched, bu
Blair stared at Roman, her heart pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it. Marry him? The words echoed in her head, loud and disorienting. It was insane. Reckless. Completely out of control.And yet, a small, undeniable part of her wanted to say yes.She had just ended her engagement with Dan last week. It felt like whiplash to go from that to standing here, listening to Roman ask her to marry him. But it was different with Roman. Everything about him, the way he touched her, looked at her, challenged her, made her feel something she had never had before.Something intense. Something dangerous.It wasn’t love. Not yet. She wasn’t willing to say that word, not when she’d thought she had loved Dan and look where that had gotten her. But this… what she felt for Roman was more than lust, more than attraction. It was raw, consuming, and completely outside her control.She swallowed hard, trying to focus. “This is crazy.”Roman’s lips curled slightly, but there was no humor in his exp
Roman stepped out of his office, his mind still spinning from the encounter with Jessica. He clenched his jaw as he spotted Blair and Kara talking over Blair’s desk. Blair’s arms were crossed, her expression unreadable, but there was an edge to the way she stood. He could see she was tense.. Kara, on the other hand, looked apologetic, shifting awkwardly on her feet.The moment Kara noticed him, she straightened, opening her mouth, but Roman shook his head. “Don’t,” he said firmly.“I’m really sorry—”“It’s not your fault,” he cut her off. “Jessica is manipulative and has no boundaries. You don’t have to apologize for her.”Kara looked relieved, nodding quickly. Blair, however, kept her gaze steady on him, like she was trying to figure out what was going on in his head. Roman didn’t give her the chance.“Blair. My office. Now.”He didn’t wait for a response, just turned and walked back inside, knowing she would follow. And she did. A moment later, she was shutting the door behind her,
Roman didn’t expect Blair to barge into his office. Well, that wasn’t entirely true.The second he left her and Kara, he knew she’d be pissed. Knew by the way her eyes had flared. After Kara looked at them too long meant she’d put the pieces together. He should have been more careful. He should have walked in like he always did, like she wasn’t the only thing occupying his mind, like he hadn’t spent the last few nights tangled up with her, tasting her.But he couldn’t, not now. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but she wanted to hide the fact they were together. It wasn’t sex to him. Roman wanted more than an affair. He had been planning this too long for this to be anything but serious. He just needed to convince Blair of that. So, no, he wasn’t surprised when she shoved the door shut behind her, arms crossed, eyes sharp and full of fire. He wasn’t surprised when she cut straight to the point. “You gave us away.”Roman leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose, scho
Blair stored her handbag and placed her phone on her desk before pushing open Roman’s office door, shutting it behind her with more force than necessary.She barely gave him a second to react before stepping forward, arms crossed, her gaze sharp. “You gave us away.”Roman didn’t look up right away. He just leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose like he’d expected this. Maybe he had.His voice was calm, unreadable. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Blair narrowed her eyes, stepping closer. “Kara noticed. She saw it, Roman. The tension.” She’d admit it was partly her fault. “The way you acted. You walked in, handed over the mail, and didn’t even say good morning to me. No hello, nothing. And she knew. It was that obvious.”Roman sighed, rubbing his jaw, finally looking at her. “I wasn’t thinking about it like that. I’m not used to hiding my relationships.”“Exactly,” Blair shot back. “You weren’t thinking. And now she knows about us. She won’t say anything, but it’s