Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
ROMAN
T he clink of glasses and too-loud laughter grates on my every nerve. I don’t have the temperament for social niceties, so I’ve never particularly enjoyed attending galas. A few years ago, I would have made Cole go in my stead. It would have been safer to rely on him to represent the King Group than Tate, who probably would have screwed some random woman in a shadowy corner before he left for the night.
Things have changed so much since then. Now, my youngest brother sits across the table, whispering in Violet’s ear. I can’t give her all the credit, since he started that change before they got together, but she’s anchored him. She’s given him the unwavering love he deserves, and now she’s the center of his world. These days, I think he attends events like this because he enjoys showing her off.
Cole and Delilah are here too, not because I told Cole he had to be the way I might have in the past, but because he and Delilah thought it would be a good opportunity to take a short break from baby duties while Lottie’s being looked after by a very well-recommended babysitter. The two of them are currently enjoying good food and wine while they chat with Tate and Violet, the conversation between the four of them flowing freely.
I’m here because I’m the CEO, and I’m pushing our agenda hard at the moment. So here I sit, in my tailored suit and perfectly tied black tie, drinking whiskey and counting down the minutes until I can leave.
“You’re even less of a barrel of laughs tonight than usual.” Tate interrupts my introspection from across the table. His arm is draped along the back of Violet’s chair, his fingers idly stroking her bare shoulder.
The simple movement sparks a memory of my fingers on Chloe’s skin, the way I relished the feel of the velvet softness. That, along with every other sight and sound and taste from that night—and the flight home after—has been etched permanently into my brain.
Clearing my throat, I force my mind away from that memory. “Being a barrel of laughs is your role,” I tell him. “I’m the grumpy one, remember?”
He arches a brow. “What does that make Cole?”
I meet our brother’s amused gaze and smirk.
“Obviously,” he says before I can comment, “I’m the charming one.”
Tate drops his head back and laughs. “I’m not sure that’s how anyone would describe you. Delilah, are you going to weigh in on this?”
Cole’s wife looks up at him, her pretty green eyes dancing. “I’m not sure I can offer my input in polite company.”
I snort. “Is that what you call the people sitting at this table?”
She gives me a genuine smile. “I was talking about Violet.”
Tate picks up his glass and tips it at her. “If you think Violet’s polite, you should have heard what she said to me last night while I was?—”
His fiancée smacks him in the chest with the back of her hand. “Nobody needs to hear that.”
I shake my head, even though I’m secretly happy to see them all so happy.
Even if it’s no thanks to me.
Chloe said my love language is acts of service, but if that were true, I would have prioritized my brothers’ happiness over proving that I was a better businessman than my father was.
I take a sip of my drink, reining in the need to check my watch again.
“Is that Beverly ?” Delilah says. The surprise in her voice has me swiveling in my chair.
My mom is standing by the bar, looking as poised as usual in an ice-blue gown that complements her eyes, with her hair swept up as always. Except that… I blink. She’s smiling as she talks to a man whose back is to us. He’s the same height as she is in her heels, with dark hair that’s thinning slightly on top. As he speaks, Mom touches her neck and laughs.
Confounded by what I’m seeing, I look over at my brothers. Cole’s brows are arched high, while Tate wears an amused grin.
“Is your mom flirting ?” Violet whisper-yells.
“I wouldn’t know,” Tate says. “I’ve never seen it happen before.”
“I think it’s great.” Delilah straightens, beaming. “She deserves a fresh start.”
As Mom talks to the unknown man, a whole host of conflicting emotions battles inside me. Despite the effort she’s been putting in lately, it’s hard to forget the years she wasn’t there for us.
“Anybody has to be better than Dad,” Cole mutters.
I grunt. That’s something we can all agree on.
As the conversation turns away from Mom, I take another sip of my whiskey. The sweet burn trickling down my throat instantly reminds me of things I shouldn’t be dwelling on. After the trip to France, I expected to be invigorated. I expected to work late every night refining our EcoTech bid. Though Ellis seemed positive about the acquisition over dinner, it’s far from a done deal. Especially now that Roger is pushing hard to prove Haverscombe Industries is a viable contender.
But I’ve been distracted, in a way I never have been before. Instead of finding relief from my obsession with Chloe, I’m just as tangled up in it as I’ve been for weeks. Maybe more so. Because now I know what she tastes like, what she feels like beneath me, and how she looks when she comes. And rather than getting it out of my system and moving on so I can focus on what I need to focus on, all I can think about is experiencing all of those things again.
And again.
Every time she enters my office, my fingers itch to touch her. When she stands near my desk, I can’t stop fantasizing about bending her over it—leaving her hair mussed from my hands, her lipstick smudged from my cock, and with that pleasure-drunk expression on her face I still see every time I close my eyes.
And I won’t do any of it.
I’ve crossed almost every line I swore I wouldn’t. I can’t cross that last one. I won’t fuck her in my office. Fuck if I’ll lead her on just so I can have her whenever I want.
I can at least cling to that.
“Incoming,” Tate hisses.
Startled by the venom in his tone, I look up, glass halfway to my mouth. Twenty feet away, Katherine is slinking toward me wearing a skin-tight black dress. I lean to one side, looking behind her for Roger, but don’t find him.
“Roman.” She hits me with the same doe-eyed smile she used to give me when she worked for Dad. The one that’s a blatant lie.
I take my time sipping my drink.
“To what do we owe this… pleasure?” Tate’s tone makes it clear it’s anything but.
It’s not often I have to fight a smile, but in this moment, it’s a challenge. Even though my brothers don’t know why I divorced her, they obviously have my back.
Their support washes over me, steady and grounding. I don’t deserve it, but I appreciate it anyway.
Katherine’s smile thins briefly, but when she returns her attention to me, she dials the wattage back up. “I was hoping I’d have the chance to talk to you in Nice.”
“Really? You didn’t try very hard. Unless you mistook my assistant for me, of course.”
Her shoulders stiffen and her expression turns brittle. “Oh yes, your lovely assistant. She reminds me of myself at that age. So young and innocent.”
Her brown eyes pierce into me, but I don’t give anything away. Katherine was never innocent, and Chloe’s nothing like her.
“What are you after, Kat?” The old nickname rolls off my tongue unbidden. I suppress a wince. It’s impatience, not affection, that made it slip out.
She smiles at the sound of it, making my hackles rise, and scans the table. “I was hoping we could talk in private.”
“Why would I want to do that?” We’ve barely spoken in years.
She lowers her voice. “Because I’ve got some information you might be interested in.”
Despite myself, my curiosity is piqued. Her current boyfriend is interested in EcoTech, and I wouldn’t put it past her to backstab Roger if she thought there was something in it for her. I just can’t imagine what that might be. And the last thing I want is to be alone with my ex-wife. It wouldn’t take more than that to ignite rumors I have no interest in igniting.
As if reading my mind, Cole straightens and looks from me to Tate. “Maybe we should get a drink at the bar.”
I nod my thanks as my brothers and their women leave the two of us alone.
Katherine eases into the empty chair next to me, turning so her knee knocks mine.
I shift away. “What’s this information you think I may want?”
She slides my glass from my hand and sips from it, leaving the stain of her lipstick behind.
Tension grips the back of my neck. “I hope you’re not wasting my time.”
She sighs, placing her hands on her crossed legs. “I thought you might like to know that Roger is planning to preempt your acquisition. He’s got an inside track at EcoTech, and he thinks if he goes in hard, he can beat you to the punch.”
Straightening, I splay a hand on the table. “Who’s his inside track?” I can’t imagine it would be Ellis, but if a board member is manipulating things behind the scenes, then I’d like to know.
Her shrug is careless. “I’m not sure. An old college friend, I think.”
Irritation rips through me. That information is next to useless. Old college friends are par for the course in this industry. We all have them, but I doubt Ellis would let a relationship that flimsy influence his decision.
My ex-wife searches my face, her mouth forming a little pout. “Don’t you think it’s been long enough?”
Annoyed by her game-playing, I grit my teeth. “Has what been long enough?”
“I know I hurt you,” she says softly.
The gentleness of her tone only irritates me further.
“But it’s been years. You’ve punished me enough. Don’t you think it would look good to your investors, to potential stakeholders, if you were to settle down like Cole and Tate? If you want to send a clear message about the King Group’s strength and unity, what could do that better than the two of us reconciling?”
I rock back in my chair, barely containing my distaste. “Literally anything.”
Hurt blooms in her eyes. I’ve seen that expression before, and I doubt it’s any more real now. I don’t bother indulging it.
“So do you actually have information about Roger’s bid, or was it just an excuse to try to weasel your way back into my life now that I’m CEO?”
She huffs, the wounded look disappearing. “I told you what I know. If you want to get your bid in first, you should accelerate your plans.”
My nod is sharp. “Thank you for the information. I appreciate it. I’m not sure if your boyfriend will.”
She opens her mouth, but before she can respond, my mother glides up to the table.
“Why, Katherine, how lovely to see you.” Her voice is cool, her words blatantly insincere.
Katherine’s lips form an equally fake smile as she straightens. “Beverly. It’s been too long.”
“Has it? It doesn’t feel that way.” Without pausing, Mom focuses on me. “Roman, darling, can you escort me to my car?”
Mom has never asked me to escort her to her car, but I’ll gladly oblige if it will give me some space from my ex-wife.
I stand and tug on my cuffs to straighten my jacket. “Of course.”
Katherine eases to her feet as well, and gripping my forearm, leans forward. “I don’t think it will look good for you if you start a relationship with your assistant.”
I step back, forcing her hand to drop away. “I have no intention of it,” I say, my voice as cold as my mother’s was. “Believe me, my father made sure I learned that lesson.”
Without waiting for a response, I turn and usher Mom toward the entrance.
“I never liked that woman,” she says.
I glance at her without slowing. “I’m surprised you thought enough about her to dislike her.”
“I was at your wedding. You didn’t smile.”
That causes me to stumble for an instant. “Did you smile at yours?”
“No.” She presses her lips together, but she keeps her attention fixed ahead. “That’s how I knew she wasn’t the woman for you.”
“There isn’t a woman for me.” We come to a stop on the steps outside. “One failed marriage is enough.”
With a hand on my arm, she looks up at me with an expression filled with more emotion than I thought her capable of. Despite her height and her heels, I’m still inches taller than her. It’s strange, looking down at someone who once seemed so distant and unapproachable. It’s even stranger seeing that person look vulnerable.
“There is a woman for you, Roman,” she says. “Being an island isn’t the defense you think it is, trust me. You’ll build your walls so thick that eventually no one will be able to get close to you, even the people who most want to be there. You’re doing a disservice to them and yourself by not letting them in.”
I stare at her, at the glossiness of her eyes. This is the most genuine emotion I’ve ever seen from her, and it stirs an ache deep in my chest.
Blinking, she squeezes my arm. “I let the way I was raised and the things my parents taught me control my life for too long. And it cost me. It cost me a relationship with you and your brothers, and it led me to accepting my role in a marriage that was anything but happy. Your father played on those things. That’s his greatest skill, identifying a person’s weakness and using it against them, using it to manipulate them. It’s why he was so good at business.”
“Until he got greedy.”
She nods. “His own flaw took him down in the end.”
“And you’re happier now?” I study her face as I ask. This is the most personal conversation I’ve had with her in longer than I can remember. If she can make the effort, then the least I can do is meet her halfway.
“I am. I think this must be what freedom feels like.” She touches her cheek and lets out a little self-conscious laugh. “Anyway, here’s my car. Thank you for walking me out. And for god’s sake, don’t take that woman back. You deserve better.”
A reluctant smile tugs at my lips. “I won’t.”
She sniffs and pulls her shoulders back, returning to her usual poised self. “Good.” With that, she sweeps elegantly toward the car, where her driver is holding her door open for her.
With a shake of my head, I turn to go back into the building. Before I can enter, though, I stop. I don’t want to be here. Cole and Tate are inside flying the flag for the King Group, so there’s no reason I can’t leave.
I take out my phone and message Phillip. Then, grinning, I message Tate, anticipating how he’ll respond.
Taking off early. Enjoy the party.
My phone dings as his reply hits in record time.
Who are you and what have you done with my brother?
I chuckle, though my humor fades as I consider his question. Something in me has shifted, and whether it’s for better or worse remains to be seen. My goals and priorities are the same —they have to be. While leaving early from a social event, even with many of our competitors and clients still networking, may be excusable, being distracted the way I have been in the office can’t continue. I need to put more effort into regaining focus. I need to put any thoughts of repeating what happened with Chloe permanently out of my mind.
Whatever that takes.