Chapter 23 #2
I inhale sharply, too stunned to reply.
Why, oh why, did I put on makeup and do my hair to come out to this restaurant? How did I not realize that simple act would break my streak of anonymity?
“She’s been getting that all week,” Roman says smoothly, without missing a beat.
Proving, once again, he’s a bit too good at lying for my taste.
“I haven’t seen the video,” he continues, “but people keep saying the resemblance is uncanny. Happy birthday again.” He pats the kid’s back and then practically shoves him toward his father to make him go away, but the kid stands firm and ogles me.
“You look exactly like her,” the kid says, eyeing me suspiciously. “I’ve watched the video a bunch of times.”
“It’s not her,” Roman barks. This time, his tone isn’t nearly as friendly.
The father grabs his kid’s arm and pulls. “Sorry, Roman. We’ll leave you alone. Go Crusaders.”
As they walk away, I cover my face with my hands. “I think I might throw up.”
“Iris, come on.” There’s unmistakable irritation in Roman’s tone.
“One person recognized you this entire week? That’s pretty good odds, when you think about how many people we’ve interacted with or passed on the street.
Plus, the kid wasn’t even sure it was you.
” He takes a long sip of his water and places his forearm on the table.
“About my son. I never talk about him with people I don’t know, okay?
So I was never gonna mention him to you, not in the beginning.
For days, that simply wasn’t an option. But I’m mentioning him to you now.
And not only that, I’m sitting here telling you about my new fucking team, which is highly confidential.
Don’t you think that’s ‘telling,’ too—or do I not get any credit for that? ”
He’s not coming across as furious. Only severely annoyed and testy. But it’s enough to make me realize, once again, he’s definitely not the perfect Prince Charming I’ve been making him out to be in my mind. “‘Credit’?” I mutter. “What does that mean?”
“Never mind.” He rubs his forehead, looking acutely exasperated. “Look, my son’s mother and her husband are going to be traveling in Europe this summer for six weeks, so I’m taking Maverick that whole time. It’s the longest I’ve ever had him, and I want to be fully present for him.”
I stare at him. I understand his words, but I don’t know why he’s saying them to me.
Roman continues, “I also have to go to minicamp during the time my son will be with me, so I’ve hired a nanny for that small window of time.
But other than that, I’ll have him by myself till training camp starts in mid-July, which means I can’t take on any unnecessary distractions.
Football, my boy, finding myself a new home in LA.
My dance card will be maxed out once I leave here. ”
I still have no idea why he’s telling me this stuff, so I reply with, “Yeah, it sounds like you’re going to be very busy.”
“Very busy. Even when I’m not working out with the team this summer, I’ll still be working hard with my personal trainer.
Harder than ever. Plus, Coach and I are gonna need to construct a whole new offense.
I’ll need to do some team bonding stuff, too.
” He shakes his head. “Add my son staying with me on top of all that, and I won’t have any time to pursue any kind of relationship with you. ”
“What?”
“If the timing were different, I admit I’d be tempted to give it a whirl, but—”
I can’t believe my ears. “Roman, from the start, we talked about this being a fling with an expiration date. All that’s happened is you’ve moved that expiration date up by twenty-four hours.”
Roman looks flabbergasted—like what I just said to him was the last thing he could have imagined coming out of my mouth.
“Remember how I said the timing wasn’t right for me to date anyone after I got back home?
News flash: ‘Anyone’ includes you, Mr. Football Superstar.
I know that might be hard for you to believe, but I didn’t say that as an attempt at reverse psychology or a ploy to get you to pursue me.
When I said it, I meant it, and I still do.
” I scoff. “Unlike you, apparently, I value total honesty.”
Roman looks as indignant as if I’d physically slapped him across the face. “Okay, Miss Honesty. Tell me the truth. You genuinely have zero desire to date me after we leave here?”
“Zero.” I think that’s the truth. But if by some chance I’m wrong about that and my subconscious knows something I don’t, then I don’t mind giving Roman a taste of his own deceptive medicine.
Roman narrows his dark, blazing eyes and his nostrils flare.
Clearly, I’ve royally pissed him off. “You’re honestly telling me,” he grits out, “under oath, if I asked to date you after we leave here, if I said that to you, like expressly, you’d one-hundred-percent turn me down and say ‘No thanks, Roman’? ”
“Correct.” As I say the words, I cross my fingers underneath the table, just in case there’s a sliver of my damaged, traitorous heart that might stupidly be tempted to say yes to dating Roman, if asked.
“Why is that so hard for you to believe?” I ask, annoyed by the expression of disbelief on Roman’s gorgeous face.
“Is it because you think you’re so irresistible, no woman could possibly turn you down, or that you think I’m so pathetic, I should leap at the chance to date any man who’d stoop to ask me? ”
Roman scoffs. “Give me a fucking break, Iris. Both scenarios are ridiculous, and you know it.”
“Do I? I have no idea how your mind works, Roman. Honestly, when it comes to you, I don’t know what’s real and what isn’t.”
He jerks back in his chair, like I coldcocked him. “Fucking hell, Iris.”
“I know I lost my mind briefly for the entire world to see and laugh about,” I huff out. “But I assure you, I’m not actually crazy. That was a blip. Temporary insanity.”
“I know that. You think I don’t know that?”
“So, as charming as you are, and as much fun as I’ve had with the fictitious version of you, my rational brain knows—”
“Would you please stop—”
“—that I just got out of a long-term relationship—”
“—discounting everything—”
“—that ended horribly.”
“—that’s happened between us? Me not telling you about my son doesn’t make anything that’s happened between us any less real.”
We stare each other down, until, finally, I break the thick silence.
“Look, I’m sure you’re normally irresistible to every woman you have flings with, but like I told you before, I’m not interested in jumping into anything with you or anyone else, so there was no reason for you to explain all the reasons you’re not interested in ever seeing me again.”
Roman’s jaw muscles pulse. “That’s not what I said.”
“You said you don’t have time to try to see me after you leave here, and what I’m saying is, good, because I don’t want to see you. Not even if you begged me.”
His eyebrows ride up. “Wow.”
“It’s nothing personal. How could it be, when I barely know you—if I know you at all?
” I snort. “The last thing I need is to jump into a long-distance anything with a fling I don’t even know when he’s simultaneously starting a new, demanding job while also trying to be more present for his young child. ”
Roman’s dark eyes are positively on fire. “Glad we’re both clear.”
“We are. Crystal.” I put down my fork, my blood simmering. “It’s our last night together, Roman. And, suddenly, I don’t want to spend it being romanced by you or getting to know you. And I certainly don’t want to spend it arguing with you.”
Roman’s chest heaves. “How do you want to spend it? With me sleeping on the couch, I presume? Or do I need to get another room for the fucking night?”
I lean back in my chair and return Roman’s molten glare.
I don’t know why my body is craving one last, hot-as-hell horizontal tango with this hunk of a man, when my brain feels so angry and disillusioned and deceived.
But the fact remains, it is, desperately, and I’m not willing to deny my body the pleasure, no matter what other emotions I might be feeling.
“I guess you don’t know me any better than I know you,” I spit out.
“No, Roman, I don’t want to spend tonight with you sleeping on the couch or anywhere else.
I want to spend it with my naked body entangled in yours, and with you giving me as many orgasms as humanly possible before it’s time to say goodbye for-fucking-ever in the morning. ”