12
D inner and a movie didn’t happen the next night, or the one after.
Unsurprisingly so, Roman was busy, as his late-evening text had let her know in very few words.
Trying not to get put off by that, Alessandra decided to keep herself busy in other ways.
She video called Mia, did a few laps of the pool after sunset, ordered dinner and dessert, and started a new book she’d been meaning to read for a while.
On Thursday morning, bright and early, Annika arrived for her first day as their new cook.
She was in her mid-forties, had cerulean eyes and a kind smile on her face.
Alessandra instantly liked her. Together, they compiled a list of likes and dislikes in terms of food.
Since Roman had left the house before Alessandra had even gotten out of bed, they had to settle for her preferences alone.
“Don’t worry, dear,” Annika had told Alessandra, patting her hand resting on the island top reassuringly. “Russian men are not that picky with what they eat. We’ll figure this out.”
After preparing a light lunch with whatever was available in the fridge, Annika left the house to stock up on groceries. Alessandra considered going with her just so she could get out of the house, but she didn’t want to impose, so she decided to keep that thought to herself for the time being.
It was a few minutes past six, and Annika had left for the day, when Alessandra heard the front door open. She dried her hands on a towel and stepped out of the half-bathroom on the ground floor, meeting Roman’s gaze as he tossed his keys on the entry table in the foyer.
“Hey,” she said, surprised by his early arrival. Her heart thumped a little faster in his presence, an excitement she hadn’t expected buzzing underneath her skin.
“Annika leave?” he asked, glancing in the direction of the darkened kitchen.
“Yeah, you missed her by about fifteen minutes.”
He nodded, bending down to remove his shoes. “How did you like her?”
“She’s nice. Have you met her before?”
“No. She was a recommendation from someone I know.”
Alessandra watched him as she leaned against the banister. “She was asking about your food preferences. I didn’t know what to tell her.”
Roman straightened, reaching for the buttons of his shirt. “Meat of any kind works for me.”
She fought a smile because he really was such a man. “Duly noted.”
Her eyes followed his fingers work on the buttons until his chest was exposed, revealing the black ink on his skin. The sight of him, so achingly male and virile made lust flare in her system. She moved her gaze up in an effort not to give herself away.
Roman’s lips curved with a knowing smile as he removed the shirt completely. “So, that movie you were talking about.”
“Yeah?”
“Did you pick it out?”
“Uh…” Her eyes flicked to his chest then up again. “It’s on Netflix.”
“Good.” He passed her as he took the stairs to the bedroom. “I’m going to take a shower. You want to order something to eat?”
“Annika left a casserole for us.”
“Order something,” he said, his voice brooking no argument. “You can have the casserole for lunch tomorrow.”
Alessandra watched him disappear down the hall and thought about what she wanted for dinner, feeling strangely pleased that he was keeping his promise of spending time together.
Without much inner debate, she decided for pizza, as she had initially intended.
She pulled out her phone, searched for her favorite Italian restaurant and placed a quick order for one mushroom pizza and one meatlover.
She was in the living room, the movie paused on the opening credits when Roman came back downstairs. He had changed into a pair of gray sweats and a T-shirt, his feet bare, and Alessandra tried not to stare.
“You ordered?” he asked, joining her on the couch, legs spread wide as he grabbed the remote.
“Yep.” She stood before he could hit play on the movie. “Wait a sec. Do you want something to drink?”
“What do we have?”
“Annika bought some OJ, and there was already a six pack of beer in the fridge when we moved in.”
“Beer, then.”
She smiled, walking out of the room to grab his beer and a glass of orange juice for herself. When she returned, she handed Roman his drink and hesitated on where to sit. She decided for the couch instead of an armchair, though she scooted up to the opposite end as she tucked her legs under her.
Roman stared at her profile for a moment, and she wondered if he was going to ask her to move closer. But when he played the movie and took a swig of his beer instead, disappointment washed over her.
He hadn’t even kissed her yet. She hadn’t seen him in almost twenty-four hours, but he seemed in no rush to initiate physical contact. With a quiet sigh, she propped her elbow on the arm of the couch, resting her chin on her closed fist as she turned her gaze to the TV screen.
???
Their food was delivered thirty minutes into the movie. As they sat down to eat, Roman looked at the open box in front of him, a hint of amusement coloring his face.
“Did I get it right?” Alessandra asked, watching his profile. “I didn’t ask you want you wanted.”
“It’s actually my favorite.”
“Really?”
He looked at her. “Really.”
She smiled. “It wasn’t that hard of a guess after you told me you’d basically eat anything with meat in it.”
He looked like he wanted to laugh. Instead, he grabbed her wrist to pull her closer on the couch.
When her thigh was pressed to his, he cupped her cheek, leaning in for a kiss.
Alessandra melted into his touch, unwilling to admit even to herself how much she enjoyed this softer side of him.
The kiss was gentle and all too short, and she pushed back the itch to crawl into his lap and ask for more.
“Thanks,” Roman said against her lips, brushing his thumb over her skin. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the smell hit me.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied quietly.
When he let go, Alessandra moved only a few inches away, just enough so they both had some space to eat without bumping elbows. They ate as they continued to watch the movie, and she couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed someone’s company so much.
“That’s stupid,” Roman muttered between bites of food when the main character shot one of the bad guys and his body went flying backward dramatically. “Nobody who’s ever been shot moved back twenty feet.”
Alessandra glanced at him. “I’ve never seen a gun being shot in real life.”
He met her gaze, looking surprised by her confession. “Never?”
“No.”
“You want to learn how to shoot one?”
She laughed, but all too soon realized that he was dead serious. “You’re not joking.”
“I told you before; I have nothing against you learning new stuff or pursuing your passions. If it’s for self-defense, even better.”
A feeling of warmth settled in her chest. The more time she spent with her husband, the more she was starting to realize that she liked him quite a lot. She briefly considered his proposal. “Maybe someday.”
He nodded. “Whenever you’re ready, just let me know.”
They watched the movie in silence for a few minutes, and when Roman was done with his pizza, he eyed Alessandra’s half-eaten one. “What’s on it?”
“Mozzarella and mushrooms. You want some?”
He made a face at the mention of mushroom, though he reached for a slice anyway, taking a large bite. “Mmm. Decent.”
Alessandra shook her head with amusement. “I can’t believe you have room for more.” She put back the unfinished slice in her hand. “I think I’m done.”
Roman dragged her box in front of him, continuing to eat like he hadn’t just demolished his own food. She’d never seen him eat any type of fatty foods before, but he seemed to be enjoying tonight’s choice of dinner.
“You want another beer?” she offered.
He nodded, not moving his gaze from the TV screen.
As she returned from the kitchen with his beer and another glass of juice, her phone vibrated in the back pocket of her jean shorts. She handed Roman the bottle and reached behind her for the phone. The text popping up on the screen nearly made her heart stop as she saw Luca’s name attached to it.
Hey .
It was just one word, but it was enough to strike terror into her heart.
She hadn’t heard from him since the day she was officially engaged to Roman.
Him reaching out after so long made her knees buckle.
Not because she was still emotionally attached to him, but because he was being reckless.
She feared Roman’s reaction if he ever found out that her ex-fiancé was texting her.
Without thinking too much about it, Alessandra blocked the number and deleted his text, along with all previous conversation history.
“Something wrong?”
Her head snapped up at the sound of Roman’s voice. He was watching her attentively, his blue eyes fixed on her face.
“Nope.” Her voice came out a little high. “All good.”
Fearing he might want to press the issue, she shoved the phone into her pocket and sat down with her glass of OJ. From her peripheral, she saw that Roman was still looking at her, so she feigned ignorance as she kept her eyes on the TV screen.
A moment later, Roman pushed the empty box to the side and settled back against the couch with his beer in hand.
Alessandra let out a shaky breath, saying a silent thank you to the Heavens that her phone hadn’t been lying on the coffee table when the text came.