Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Irina wondered what was going through Roman’s head at the moment, because whatever it was had twisted his face into an expression of… dismay, maybe? She couldn’t quite tell. He was probably disappointed at the prospect of having to put up with her for the next couple of weeks.
Roman seemed to get tenser and more on edge each time she mentioned their fake marriage.
She knew he was worried about doing his job and keeping her safe, but they were hundreds of miles from home.
No one had noticed her at the airport, or if they had, no one had approached to ask for a picture or an autograph.
She had caught Roman looking behind them from time to time during the car ride, so she assumed he was checking to make sure they hadn’t been tailed.
As for the bedroom situation… That was going to be a nightmare.
Which was too bad, because for the next two weeks, it was just the two of them in that tiny little house, with nowhere to go and nothing to do…
except each other. The thought almost caused her to laugh out loud. Hey, a girl could dream.
She turned to the man in question. “Can we go down to the ocean now?”
“Not yet,” he replied. “This place has plates and cups and things, but no groceries to speak of whatsoever. Let’s order some food to be delivered, then we can go out later.”
“Why don’t we just run to the store? That would save us a lot of time,” she pointed out. “Besides, it’s only right up the road.”
She had seen a little plaza on the way in that contained a grocery store as well as a handful of various other shops dedicated to beachwear and such.
He shook his head. “Not a good idea.”
“Seriously?” She propped her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “Am I allowed to do anything?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Right now, I’m the only thing standing between you and some psychopathic stalker.”
She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t suggesting we announce my identity over the loudspeaker.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “You wouldn’t have to. Beautiful women attract attention everywhere they go.”
He thought she was beautiful? Her heart warmed at the compliment, and she forced herself to tune back in to what he was saying.
“Anyone who listens to country music or has picked up a magazine over the past two years knows your face. Plus, you have social media followers everywhere. They all saw your posts, and you never know where you might run into one of them. It’s safer for now just to stay in.”
She made a little face, and the corners of his mouth twitched. “Let me get a better feel for the place, then we can discuss it.”
“Fine,” she sighed, turning toward the door. “I’m going to go sit by the pool.”
“Hold up.”
She threw her arms up as she whirled back to him. “What now?”
His lips pressed together for a moment, and she wondered if he was fighting a smile again. Jerk.
“Let’s make a list of the things we need to order, then you can unpack and do your thing.”
Without another word, she traipsed back to the living room and pulled a notebook from her purse.
She kept it handy in case any good lyrics ever came to her, so she could write them down before she forgot.
Taking a seat at the dining room table, she flipped it open to a blank page then jotted down a few basic items. Eggs, milk, cereal, bread.
“Bacon,” Roman added from over her shoulder.
She lifted an eyebrow and glanced up at him. “I can’t eat that stuff.”
“Don’t like it? Or does it make you sick?”
“I love it, actually.” She shook her head. “But Louis would kill me if he found out.”
“Louis can pound salt. Besides”—he shot her a rare smile—“you’re on your fake honeymoon. Live a little.”
She dropped her eyes back to the paper in front of her, her cheeks burning at his teasing remark.
This was such a strange situation they’d found themselves in.
How in they’d gone from practically enemies to married in the span of less than two weeks, she would never be able to comprehend.
She wished she could get a better read on him, because she had no idea what he was thinking half the time.
Sometimes he was such a jerk. Other times, he acted like a doting boyfriend.
She had caught herself in the car when she laid her hand on his leg, and she was surprised he hadn’t pulled away.
Maybe he hadn’t wanted to say anything in front of Donald.
Or it could be because, deep down, he was as attracted to her as she was to him.
She couldn’t be sure, but she wasn’t going to ask.
He wasn’t exactly communicative on a good day, and she wasn’t about to make things more awkward by bringing it up.
What she did know for sure was that he never would have come to her on his own.
Had the situation with her stalker not escalated, he would probably have just gone on living his life without giving her a second thought.
She tapped the point of the pencil against the page several times before scribbling bacon on the blue line. They added several more items for dinner plus fresh fruits and vegetables. As she wrote, he pulled out his phone and began to text rapidly.
She couldn’t help but wonder who he was talking to. A girlfriend? Jealousy burned through her veins like fire. She had no claim on him whatsoever, but she hated the thought of Roman with another woman. It would explain why he’d never made a move on her, though.
She couldn’t help the words that spilled from her mouth before she could stop them. “Are you letting her know you’re here?”
Icy blue eyes lifted to hers. “Who?”
She nodded toward the phone in his hands. “Your girlfriend.”
He pinned her with a hard stare. “Do I seem like the type of guy who would marry you if I had a girlfriend?”
He had her there. “No, I—I’m sorry. It’s just…” She bit her lip. “It sounds strange, but I keep forgetting we’re… married.”
“I get it, believe me.” His rigid posture relaxed. “It’s kinda weird, right?”
“Little bit.” They shared a smile, and she dipped her head, happiness unfurling in her chest.
No girlfriend. Check.
“I can call that in if you’re done with it.” He finished typing, then gestured with his chin toward her list.
“It’s okay.” She shook her head. “I’ll take care of it.”
“If you’re sure.”
She had brought her phone along, mostly to take pictures since Knox had asked that she not speak to anyone while she was there, but it was still in her bag. She retrieved it and handed it to Roman. “Here, I’ll trade you.”
He cocked a brow. “What do you want me to do with it?”
“Just hang onto it. I won’t need it, right?” She wanted him to trust her. Mostly, she wanted him to know that she trusted him to keep her safe.
With a slow dip of his chin, he tucked her phone into his back pocket, then held out his phone for her to take, and she slipped it from his hand, her fingers brushing his in the process.
Intent on ignoring the fluttering in her belly at the sensation of his warm skin against hers, she focused on the task at hand.
She quickly scrolled through the closest grocery stores according to Google, then held the phone to her ear as she waited for the call to connect.
“Hi,” she said when a man on the other end answered. “I’d like some groceries to be delivered to…”
She threw a look at Roman, and he rattled off the address. She relayed it to the man, then rose from the chair, notebook in hand as she began to recite the items one by one. She felt Roman’s eyes on her as she moved toward the bedroom.
She sat on the edge of the bed, and her gaze fell to her left hand where it rested in her lap.
The diamond sparkled in the sunshine pouring in through the window, and it shot little rainbows against the bedroom wall as she turned her hand left and right, examining it.
The ring felt odd, yet her pulse kicked up each time she looked at it.
She couldn’t stop herself as she spun it around her finger and made a final request. “Um… One more thing if you have it…”
The delivery man confirmed her order, and she hung up, clutching Roman’s phone to her chest. Through the sliding doors, she stared out over the back yard, practically salivating at the thought of getting out into the afternoon sun and relaxing for a bit.
The past few days had been stressful, and she was grateful that the studio had agreed to send her away. They could just as easily have sent her to a hotel, but somehow Knox had managed to convince them that it was safer there. She definitely owed him for that.
Motion from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she watched as Roman opened the doors in the dining area and stepped onto the patio.
God, the man was gorgeous. He moved with the powerful, innate grace of a man who’d been trained to fight and defend.
His eyes never stopped roving over his surroundings, searching for danger even in the most unlikely of places.
She wondered what he was truly like, deep beneath the layer of cool indifference he wore like a cloak.
She’d seen glimpses of that man over the past few days, and it had only served to pique her curiosity.
She wanted to see him relaxed, wanted to see him smile—truly smile—and enjoy himself.
She decided it was her new mission. By the time they left there, she was going to figure out who the real Roman Incardona was.
Flipping the lock, she slid open the glass door that led to the patio and crossed the brick patio to where Roman stood. “This is beautiful.”
“It is.” He glanced down at her. “Did you get everything taken care of?”
“Yep.”
He studied her for a long moment, and her heart banged against her ribcage. Finally, he turned his gaze back out over the pool. “Make sure you let me pay for it when it comes. I’ll forward the expense report to Knox, and he’ll take care of it from there.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She nodded before heading toward the pool. She stepped close, then dipped her toes in, loving the way the sun had heated it to the temperature of bathwater. She glanced back at Roman. “Since we can’t go to the beach yet, can I at least hop in the pool for a bit?”
He dipped his chin in a curt nod. “Let’s go change, and I’ll come out here with you. I should be able to hear the delivery guy well enough when he arrives. Did he give you a timeframe?”
He held the door for her as they entered the house, and she threw a look at him over her shoulder. “He said it would be about an hour.”
She paused in the living room, one hand on her suitcase.
She should do the right thing and take the back bedroom.
But doing so would put more distance between them than she wanted—and she desperately wanted to use this time to find out if the attraction was mutual, or if she was the only one who felt something.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to Roman’s. He watched her with those intriguing blue eyes that didn’t miss a thing, and butterfly wings battered her insides under his scrutiny. The way he watched her sometimes… His actions didn’t quite line up with his words.
Heat flared over her skin, and her fingers twitched at the memory of his muscular thigh beneath her palm. She had a golden opportunity to explore whatever this was between them, and she wasn’t going to pass it up.
She tipped her head, peering up at him through her lashes. “Are you sleeping with me tonight?”