It fucking killed him to walk out of that restaurant and leave the one thing he wanted with every fibre of his being.
Especially knowing that she still believed every word that she had said on their last weekend together. He could tell. She'd walked around the restaurant like a jumpy, terrified little rabbit the whole time he'd been there that he was starting to doubt that he could pull this off.
Evelyn didn't want to be in the same room as him, she wouldn't welcome his touch either.
Did the thought of him touching her still make her skin crawl? Had she not missed him? Didn't she see him in her dreams as he did?
Did she still think he had women tucked away all over the world waiting for him in thei
Eve brought the food back to the service counter and mumbled an apology."That's the fourth table, Eve," the chef, Andy, said with a frown as he pulled the plates towards him to throw the food away.He looked pissed off, and he was right to be. She'd wasted his time and the restaurant's money and she was only just starting the teatime rush."I'm sorry," she said again. "I'll pay for it."She couldn't afford to pay for the wasted meals from all those tables, especially when she needed money to cover the shift her mother had lost, but she didn't want to risk her job."Maybe take a break instead. Have a coffee or something to wake yourself up," And
"I would like to kiss you one last time, Evelyn."Roman watched the way her breath hitched and the fire that flared in her eyes before she took another step back from him. It was just for a moment before she started trembling again.It gave him hope."That's all I need from you. And then when my project is done, I'll go back to London and you'll do whatever makes you happy.""You can't ask me for that," Evelyn said as she looked around the car park.It felt like she was going to run at any moment."I have lain awake so many nights thinking of how things went wrong," he admitted, n
What had she done?Eve lay awake all night thinking of Roman's lips on hers. Her body had come alive as if she had been dead all this time.But after what he had done to her? After all the tears she had shed? Why did he still have that effect on her? She had destroyed her life just to get away from him, and now just one kiss had shown her that all the work she had done on herself was worth nothing. All her pep talks were bullshit.By the time the morning came and she dragged herself out of bed to prepare for her morning shift, she was still kicking herself. But at least this was the end of it. He'd given his word that she wouldn't have to see him again. Once the paperwork came from the lawyers, she could finally stop looking over her shoulder and live her life.&n
Roman cut the call and then looked around the kitchen.Why was he suddenly second-guessing this? It was what he wanted. She was on her way so he had to get his shit together. There was no turning back now.But this was happening sooner than he expected. The furniture wasn't even there yet. He'd thought it would take a few more days of this before she broke and came looking for him, not the very same day their picture got splashed in every paper and magazine.He walked over to the kitchen island and gathered up the newspapers and magazines he had been looking at. He stuffed everything into a drawer to get rid of another time.He was sure he hadn't left anything incrementing lying around but he did a
Roman had the beef simmering, water boiling in a pot for the pappardelle and the red wine already breathing on the table when Evelyn walked tentatively into the kitchen.He met her gaze and knew she hadn't yet decided what she was going to do. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she still looked like she was going to run out of the house any moment.He had to do something to make her stay.But what the hell was he supposed to do? How could he make her comfortable around him again? Make her say those words, that she loved him? He'd been a fucking fool that night to let his insecurities get in the way. She must have worked up to that for a long time and he'd just thrown it in her face. But she had proved she had more guts than he had. Opening up like that, say
Eve quickly glanced at the car she could see through the gates one last time before she walked back into the house. Could they take clear pictures of her from that angle? The last thing she wanted was her face in the papers, especially since Roman was currently linked with Vivian. People never took kindly to the women even though it was the man playing games with them.Roman was right, though. She had willingly come here tonight, even after the way he had kissed her in the car park. She didn’t know any other billionaires who could make this mess go away. And she didn’t know anyone who could protect her parents at the drop of a hat like he had done. No matter how she felt about him and what he had done to her, she was grateful he was there to sort the mess out.Even if he had been the one to start it all by asking for that
Eve got out of bed before sunrise because she couldn’t sleep for the second night in a row. Roman’s scent, her favourite cologne, was all over the bedding and her mind had somehow made it feel as though he had been in bed with her. At some point in the night, she’d even had to fight off the urge to go downstairs to him.This was why she needed to put space between them. She would always feel like this even though she thought he was an entitled asshole. Maybe he had broken her. Maybe her mind would forever be warped and no one else would ever be enough for her.But she already knew what type of relationship was based on sex, and she would be completely insane to even consider it again. Roman had given her her freedom now. Things would get back to normal before she knew it. Maybe once she’d made sure her parents
She wasn’t going to do that to herself again. It would all be over soon.Her words had kept Roman up all night. Well, her words plus the raging hard-on he’d had knowing she was in his bed. So close and yet so far away.But he had her here for as long as he needed to, now. He would change her mind. He had to.“If you make a list, I’ll arrange for everything you need to be delivered,” he said. “And you’ll have to call your work.”Phillip came back to the table with a pen and a notepad and placed them in front of her. Evelyn looked a little shell-shocked as she picked the pen up. Her eyes returned to the security camera feed of all the reporters. One small tip of his wher