It was his fault he was sitting in his car outside this questionable block of flats instead of in bed with Evelyn.
He shouldn’t have left her like that, not only because he hadn’t had nearly enough of her, but because it hadn’t been his intention to leave her stranded again. Philip was meant to pick him up in the morning, and this car he had driven there was for Evelyn to use.
He had driven to his apartment before he had told himself he was being ridiculous. Evelyn was not Esther. In fact, she was the opposite. She never asked for anything. Everything he had ever given her he’d had to force on her. He was pretty sure he would have to force the car on her as well. The cash she had put with the bank cards when she had left was everything he had ever left for her after his visits.
It was past tea time when Evelyn paid the taxi driver and then got out slowly.She’d woken up at lunchtime in Brendan's spare bedroom with a massive headache. She hadn’t meant to sleep over, but after sharing the pizza and the drink while binging on her favourite television shows, she had realised how lonely she was in Roman’s house. She missed just being free and stupid with her friends. In Roman’s house, she always felt like she had to be careful with everything because it was all so expensive.Maybe it was a good thing that Roman had laughed off her declaration of love. She didn’t fit in his world at all.She dug her keys out of her bag as she walked to the door. Her mother would probably be making her dad comfortable in bed so sh
Roman sat in the car, watching the door and waiting to calm down.Another week had been wasted.Evelyn had ignored all his calls and messages. It had been foolish of him to try to call her anyway, especially after her first refusal, but he had needed to know where she’d been. He’d needed to know what she was doing. What could she have possibly been doing that she hadn’t found a single moment for him? Okay, so that was a bit hypocritical, but he would have thought she was too old to play tit for tat.Well, obviously she wasn’t too old for games, because she was playing one now.What had taken her so long to return from that boy’s house? Wasn’t she supposed to be helping her p
“Tell me what you need. What can I do to make you want to stay?”Eve looked up at him, eyes wide. Was he saying she could ask for anything? She’d already told him she loved him and he’d laughed in her face. What else could she possibly need from him that wasn’t about how she felt?“Anything within reason,” Roman added. “We still have to follow the rules.”He was looking at her so intently as if he had read her mind. She looked away from his probing gaze and sighed.“Then I guess there’s nothing you can give me. Your rules don’t give me much freedom in this arrangement.”She
Roman straightened his tie and made sure his hair was tidy before he put his jacket on.He was a bastard but that was okay. It was the nature of any business deal. He gave them a little of what they desperately wanted and they gave him what he needed. And Evelyn had given it to him really well last night. She said she wanted to feel like she was in a relationship and in return he got to continue to fuck her. It was a straightforward deal.So why did he feel like he was negotiating with fucking terrorists?He yanked his tie off roughly and rolled his shoulders for a few moments before he started to do the knot again.He had been the one to offer the new deal but Evelyn had so eagerly accepted it. She had been b
Evelyn didn’t know how long she stood in the middle of the room like an idiot but when she wiped her eyes the final time, sunlight was already filtering into her room. She had shed enough tears over this man. He was so inconsiderate. What sort of person got rid of a car as if he was throwing away rubbish?She threw the sheet back onto the bed before she walked to the ensuite. The room was still a little steamy from Roman’s shower and his subtle but expensive cologne still lingered in the air. She fought the urge to take in deep breaths but failed miserably. Roman always smelled so good. She would miss that warm scent with hints of sandalwood when she finally left him, even if he was such a controlling ass.Last night she had been prepared to enjoy their last moments together as much as possible but after this conver
Roman almost snapped his phone in half when he read the message.Evelyn had caused a lot of logistical problems when she had refused to sign for her new car, and then she’d been picked up by that boy. Again. Just a few hours after she had been with him.It should have been the time and money she had wasted by having him rearrange the delivery that was pissing him off, not what she was doing right now. With that boy. Again.He clenched his jaw.Were they going to drink again? Were they going to be alone in the apartment?Was this in retaliation for him arranging her university schedule after she had refused to let him do so? If so, that was the most ch
Roman waited for about ten minutes before he picked his briefcase and the bottle of wine up from the passenger seat and got out of the car.The security team would have been watching him, and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to claim he’d lost his damn mind.But he had.He'd lost it completely.It wasn’t even three in the afternoon yet. He’d had meetings lined up until five but here he was, ringing Evelyn’s doorbell. The moment he’d been told she was home he had cancelled everything, grabbed the new contract and drove Evelyn’s brand new car here. All because she hadn’t called him as he had expected after he had left her university papers. Had she even looked at them o
What the hell was going on here?Evelyn watched Roman put the steaks on the grill from her seat at the kitchen island. He was cooking for her. Fucking cooking for her. Who was this man?He had been like this for hours. Talking to her, filling her wine glass, being so attentive that it was easy to forget who she was dealing with.Was he really starting afresh now with the new contract as he had said? But even if he was, this couldn’t be good for her health. Because this was everything she had dreamed of, hoped for, since the day she had signed the contract. He was blurring the lines and smashing through all the boundaries he had set before and she knew she was going to get hurt.Because even though
Roman opened the door before the doorbell could ring and ushered Phillip inside quickly. “Did you bring it?” He ignored Phillip’s eye roll as he handed him a bag. “I said to hide it!” he hissed as he hid the bag in his coat, “You made me drive all this way for this,” Phillip said. “It was an emergency,” he said. “And I don’t know why you’re complaining. There’s food here, you were going to find an excuse to come, anyway.” He walked to the stairs quickly. “Everyone’s outside. I will be there as soon as I can.”
Evelyn didn’t say anything after his life-altering confession. He could see the unshed tears in her eyes and her mouth dropped open.But no words.“Say something, Evelyn,” he whispered.The rest of his life depended on this conversation. Had he made the right choice? He’d put his heart on the line again knowing that he would never recover if she left him. But was it enough to just tell her he loved her?“There has been no one else for me since you walked into my building for your interview. No one. I saw your face that night when you saw me with Vivian, I know that’s when I lost your trust,” he said. “But I haven’t kissed anyone, I haven’t hugged anyone, I
Evelyn was falling for it again.She didn’t know why she had extended the invitation to him instead of just coming clean to her parents. Now he was taking the role of devoted boyfriend too far. He’d joined in and fit in so easily because that was what he did. He could charm the socks off anyone.And she knew this so why was she falling for it again?Just because they’d danced for the first time? Because he’d looked so vulnerable as if for a change they were having a real conversation?But he had done the same when he’d made her sign the contract. He was good at pretending to be what she wanted. Good at pulling at her heartstrings and making her forget who he was under all of that.
Did he buy enough presents?Roman looked back at the back seat full of wrapped presents, the ones he couldn’t fit into the boot.Fuck. It was too much. Would they think he was trying to buy their affection?The gate slid open and it was too late to pull away and dump the presents somewhere. He drove up the driveway with his nerves playing havoc with him and stopped the car next to Evelyn’s.He could do this. He could meet the parents and tell Evelyn how he felt. Just say it and let the chips fall where they may.He saw the front door open and realised he had been sitting in the car for a while. When he got out, he saw it was Evelyn who&rsq
Roman sipped his drink and looked around the club. There were a few couples just holding each other and swaying rather than dancing. By the looks on their faces, he doubted they even knew what song was playing, they were lost in each other.It made his chest ache.He turned back to his drink and the woman beside him. At least the music was low enough to allow a conversation.If he could open his fucking mouth.“How have you been?” he asked.“You could have asked me that when I came to your apartment earlier,” Evelyn snorted.“I know. But I think you’v
He’d done the right thing.Maybe for the first time in his life.So why did he feel like shit again? Like she’d stomped on his dead heart again?He’d poured himself another drink the moment she had left but he still had it in his hand fuck knew how long later. It had taken everything in him to let her walk out that door, so now he had nothing left.The sound of the door closing pulled him out of his thoughts. He gulped his whiskey down and set the glass down before Phillip walked into the room. Phillip looked at the empty glass and then at him. He was now like an annoying, nagging aunty more than anything.“I&
When the elevator stopped in the basement, Evelyn felt like a fool for assuming too many things. Maybe because the things she had read in Pam’s article had stuck in her head. Why had she even thought he would try to explain his actions? Or maybe tell more lies to try to get her back?She’d been so confident he would do that that she’d been thrown off track when he hadn’t. And then all the things she had wanted to ask had escaped her mind. Now she still didn’t know if her parents’ house was really a done deal or she would have to move them again.And if she was honest with herself, she was gutted that he hadn’t even tried. She’d expected something that would have at least allowed her some closure.What did he mean by saying he n
Eve stopped the car at the barrier and rolled down the window. There were two intimidating security guards in the guardhouse that made her want to turn back instantly.This was a mistake.“Um, I’m here to see Mr. Ashfield,” she said to them.She saw the look on the man’s face before he said, “Mr. Ashfield doesn’t accept visitors,” and then shut his window.Did they get this all the time? Women trying to see Roman without an invitation? Though she had washed her hands of him, it still hurt to think about him moving on.She could have called or messaged Roman to tell her she had arrived but maybe this was a sign
Roman slammed the phone down and ignored Phillip as he looked through the paperwork in front of him. He knew Phillip would have something to say about his behaviour but he was tired of hearing that shit.“Are you going home tonight?” Phillip asked.“Yes, when I finish all this. I’ll drive myself so you can do whatever you want.”“I can order some food_”“I’m fine, Phillip,” he said firmly.“You’ve just shouted at Penny for no reason,” Phillip pointed out.He’d been shouting at her a lot. He was surprised his PA hadn