Chapter 36
Palmer
Iwoke to the smell of coffee.
My nose scrunched. I didn’t want to wake up.
My body felt loose and heavy; a dull soreness had settled into my muscles. I shifted with a soft groan as I stretched my legs, and then I finally opened my eyes.
For a brief second, confusion washed over me. I wasn’t in my room. With a jolt, I realized that this was Roman’s room. I was in his bed, naked and feeling achy in the most delicious way.
Everything from last night rushed back all at once.
“Morning.”
The familiar gruff voice sent my heart skittering.
I rolled over and found Roman sitting up beside me, his back leaning against the headboard. His phone rested loosely in one hand while a mug curled steam into the air from the other. My mouth went dry at the sight of him.
He was shirtless.
The morning light streaming in through the tall windows traced the broad lines of his shoulders and chest as he lifted the mug to his lips, the muscles in his arm flexing with the simple movement.
A rush of disbelief coursed through me.
Roman arched a brow, and the faintest hint of a smirk tugged at his mouth. I wasn’t used to this version of Roman—the smirking one. It was like he was allowing me to glimpse a side of him that no one else did, and the thought made something warm and electric spread through my chest.
Roman took another slow sip of coffee before licking his top lip, never breaking eye contact with me.
My thighs pressed together at the memory of that tongue.
He leaned forward. “How are you feeling?”
I blinked, trying to gather my scattered thoughts into something resembling a sentence. “Uh—” I cleared my throat. “I’m…great.”
His lips twitched. “Just great?”
I pulled the sheets up to my chin, my face feeling like it was on fire. I wasn’t sure what it was about the daylight that suddenly had me so self-conscious, but I might erupt into flames right here in this bed.
Roman chuckled and leaned closer. My heart leapt into my throat, but all he did was kiss my forehead.
“I brought you some tea.” He nodded toward the nightstand. “And some water. You should drink something.”
He brought me tea?
Roman pulled back, giving me space as I pushed up into a sitting position. The sheets slid down my torso, and I grabbed them quickly before they could reveal how naked I still was.
As if Roman hadn’t seen absolutely everything last night.
A mug and a bottle of water sat on the nightstand. I grabbed the water first and took several long gulps, easing my dry throat. Then I reached for the cup. Steam curled up around my face, carrying the familiar scent of jasmine. My favorite.
A small smile spread across my face.
As I sipped my warm tea, a gentle calmness settled over the room. It was kind of the calm that felt fragile after everything that had happened the night before. Rays of sun slipped through the curtains, stretching pale gold across the rumpled sheets.
My gaze returned to Roman.
His attention was back on his phone, one hand cradling his coffee that he lifted occasionally to his mouth.
He was still shirtless, his chest bare and perfectly muscled, though I was pretty sure he’d pulled on a pair of sweatpants at some point—which was probably a good thing if he’d gone downstairs to get coffee and tea.
I watched him unabashedly as I took another sip, and then I noticed it. I almost choked on my tea at the sight of the bite mark on his shoulder.
Roman’s head snapped to me as I coughed and sputtered. “Oh my—God,” I wheezed, managing by some miracle not to spill my tea.
Roman frowned. “What’s wrong?”
I gaped at the mark on his shoulder…the mark that was in the exact shape of my teeth. My eyes flicked to his, horrified. “I bit you.”
Vaguely, I recalled it now, the building intensity as Roman was on top of me, how I was desperate to stifle my scream.
Roman glanced down at his shoulder, and he grinned. Actually grinned. When he looked back at me, he seemed very proud of himself. “You didn’t break the skin, though.”
My mouth fell open as the blood drained from my face. “I think—” I muttered, slapping a hand over my face. “I think I might just die of embarrassment right here.”
“You better not,” Roman grumbled.
I peeked at him from between my fingers. “Roman,” I groaned. “I bit you. Like some kind of animal.”
He leaned into my space, removing my hand. He held my wrist, careful as always with my healing palms. “I like my women a little feral,” he murmured. “I don’t mind a little pain, Golden. Maybe one of these days, I’ll get you to draw blood.”
Holy shit. I forgot how to breathe, especially when he was staring at me like that. Like he wanted to touch me again. Like he wanted to kiss me.
I very much wanted that too.
But then another thought hit me. I didn’t know what he expected from me now. How did this, whatever this thing was between us, affect things?
Was I just the nanny he occasionally slept with? Or something more?
Before I could begin to consider how to voice any of those thoughts, Roman’s phone went off.
That line between his brow deepened, and he reluctantly stared down at the screen.
His demeanor shifted. It was subtle, but he was instantly tense. His thumb moved over the screen and he straightened, widening the space between us.
I shivered in the absence of his warmth. “Is something wrong?”
He didn’t answer right away.
Roman stared at the phone for a few more seconds before lowering it and setting it at his side. “August wants to talk to us.”
“Okay…”
I wasn’t sure why that would be a bad thing, but the strain in his shoulders and the edge in his voice told me something wasn’t right.
Roman exhaled through his nose and pushed a hand back through his hair. “My brothers secured the house last night,” he said. “Boarded up the broken window. Everything should be safe.”
I nodded, still unsure where this was going.
“No one was awake yet when I went down to get coffee,” he continued. His eyes flicked down to his phone before lifting back to mine. “But apparently…they found something.”
“Found something?”
Roman nodded. “Whoever broke in must’ve left something behind.”
Unease crept up my spine as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood.
The blanket shifted as he moved, and I barely had time to admire the broad strength of his body before he reached for the clothes draped over the nearby chair. My face heated as he stepped out of his sweats and pulled on a pair of jeans and a soft cotton shirt that fit him perfectly.
I stayed where I was, watching him as a knot of apprehension twisted in my stomach.
What did August want? What did they find?
When I didn’t move, Roman lifted an eyebrow.
“You should get dressed.” He nodded toward the dresser. “I grabbed a few clothes from your room.”
A small pile of neatly folded clothes sat on his dresser.
“If those aren’t good,” he added, “you can go to your room. I just thought it might be easier if you had something in here.”
I stared at the clothes, stunned.
He’d picked out one of my favorite linen skirts and a long-sleeved top—one I wore all the time. The subtle thoughtfulness caught me completely off guard.
“Oh,” I said, fighting a smile. “Those are fine.”
I set the mug aside and hesitated before climbing out of bed, suddenly very aware of the fact that I was completely naked.
Roman seemed to notice my hesitation. Without saying anything, he turned and started toward the bedroom door. “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
As he turned the doorknob, a shot of panic ran through me.
“Wait.”
He paused, glancing curiously at me over his shoulder.
I clutched the sheet to my chest. “Just wait outside the door.”
I wasn’t entirely sure why, but the thought of Roman leaving—even just to go downstairs—made something uncomfortable twist in my chest.
I didn’t want him out of my sight.