Roman

by Sawyer Bennett

  What in the fuck is he doing here?

  My eyes cut back to Lexi and she gives him a grin before singing the last words and strumming her instrument one last time. The entire place erupts into cheers, the loudest being from Brian Brannon, who stands up from his stool and claps heartily in approval. My own hands come together to clap, unable to stop myself and the amazement over her performance.

  "Thank you," Lexi says into the microphone, and once again, that husky voice slams into me like an aphrodisiac. How can a woman's voice have that much of an effect on me, but then again...it was like listening to an angel sing just a bit ago.

  "I've got one more song tonight, and it's my favorite," she says into the mic as she softly strums. "You regulars in here have heard me sing it before, but tonight...I'm just really feeling this tune, so I'm going to share it with you again."

  A lone voice calls out from the back of the room, "Get it, Lexi," and then a few wolf whistles, before she starts to play.

  And then she launches into "Somewhere over the Rainbow," in a jaunty, upbeat tempo while her Dr. Marten taps in rhythm on the wooden platform. Her voice causes tingles to pop out over my skin and I marvel at the way her dark hair shines under a lone pendant light that radiates down on her from above.

  So fucking sexy.

  So goddamn perplexing as my eyes move back to Brian once again, who is listening to Lexi with a huge smile on his face.

  I contemplate turning around and walking out, because I have no clue why the CEO of the Cold Fury is here. I also have no clue what his relationship is with Lexi, but whatever it is, it's a very personal one for sure. I can just tell by the looks they exchange as she sings.

  But ultimately, my curiosity gets the better of me, and besides, I came all this way tonight to see this woman, so I'm not about to give up yet.

  While Lexi sings, I listen with half an ear while I order a bottle of water at the counter. The girl behind the counter seems positively put out that she can't make me a cup of coffee, but I make sure to float a few bucks in the tip jar all the same.

  In the dim yet cozy atmosphere of The Grind, I find my way to the opposite side of the room from where Brian Brannon sits and choose a low-slung chair that rests up against the wall where I can observe Lexi.

  I sip my water while she sings, and I watch the interplay between her and my ultimate boss.

  When she finishes her song, she says "Thank you" again to the cheering crowd and reminds them she'll be back again the following evening. Then she stands up and I notice that people start flocking to the stage, not to talk to Lexi, but to put money into a tip jar sitting on the wooden platform that I hadn't noticed before.

  Lexi, however, steps off the stage and walks up to Brian Brannon, who stands to greet her. He holds his arms out and she walks into them, laying her cheek against this chest briefly as he embraces her. They hug for a long moment, then they pull away, although his hands hold on to her shoulders. Lexi looks up at him with absolute adoration as he talks to her, and she nods at something he says. Then Brian leans down and kisses her on her cheek softly before pulling away and walking toward the door.

  I watch as Lexi stares after him a long moment, a wistful look on her face that causes my stomach to churn. What the fuck is between them? Given the hug and the kiss, my mind immediately turns to the worst scenario.

  That they're dating.

  Is that why Gray was so cold to her? Because her father is dating someone that's probably her age?

  So fucking weird, and so fucking disappointing for me if that's true.

  But is it true? Lexi was just flirting with me this morning in the locker room, and it's something I need to know for sure.

  My thoughts are jolted as I realize Lexi is walking toward me with one hand holding her ukulele by the neck, sometimes stopping at tables to exchange a few words with the patrons, probably giving her praise for her performance. She walks away from the table that sits right next to my chair and doesn't even see me as she starts to pass by.

  "Lexi," I call out, and she spins around on me, her face once again lighting up with welcome as she recognizes my voice before she even sees me.

  "Roman," she exclaims as she steps back toward me, and I'm oddly invigorated by the happiness I hear in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

  I stand up from the chair and my eyes shoot down to the instrument in her hand. "Finding out that you have a hidden talent, apparently."

  She grins even as her cheeks turn pink. She holds up the ukulele and shrugs. "It's a weird talent, for sure."

  "It's a talent," I say pointedly. "And your singing and playing were beautiful."

  "Awww," she says sweetly. "Thanks. But seriously, what are you doing here?"

  "I struck out with you due to bad timing," I tell her as I take a step toward her. "Thought I'd try to get your phone number one last time before I give up."

  "You don't strike me as a man that ever gives up," she says, and then points back down to the seat I'd just vacated. "I've got a bit of time, though, before I start if you want to talk."

  "Start what?" I ask.

  "I'm working until closing at 10 P.M.," she says, and moves to take the chair next to the one I'd been sitting on, resting her ukulele against the side. She pats her hand on the cushion beside her and nods toward it. "So sit down, take a load off, and I might even give you my number."

  I plop back down into the chair, angle my body toward her while my fingers fidget with the paper on the water bottle in my hands. No sense in beating around the bush. "So, I need to throw this out there...I saw Brian Brannon in here listening to you."

  Another rush of pink to her cheeks accompanied by an alarmed look. "Oh, that..."

  "Yeah, that," I mimic in a teasing tone so I keep this light as it should be. "Are you dating him? Because while I'm all for casual dating with no commitment, I totally cannot get on board with sharing you with my boss."

  Lexi's eyes open wide in astonishment and she exclaims, "God no! Are you kidding me?"

  "You two look awful close," I point out. "And I could tell this morning in the locker room that things weren't cozy between you and Gray. Before I try to get that number from you, I need to know if I'm wasting my time."

  "You're not wasting your time with me," she says hurriedly, and then leans toward me, and with a lower voice continues, "I can't tell you the nature of my relationship with Brian Brannon, at least not yet, but you can absolutely believe it's not romantic."

  "What?" I ask in a joking manner. "Are you like his secret love child or something?"

  The minute Lexi gasps, I realize I've hit the nail on the head, and then it's confirmed by the guilt I see on her face.

  Holy shit.

  I lean in closer to her and whisper, "You're his secret love child?"

  "No," she practically hisses at me. "I mean, yes...I'm his daughter, but you cannot tell anyone. He and Gray aren't ready to announce it, but I'm not a secret love child. Well, actually, it was a secret my mom kept from me and I just found out several months ago, but I wasn't created out of love. At least not on his part, I don't think..."

  Her words trail off, leaving a sad vibe behind as she stares at her hands. I reach out, put my hand under her chin, and lift it up. "I won't tell anyone, Lexi. Your secret is safe with me."

  She lets out an exhale of relief, and I'm surprised when her own hand comes up and she pushes her fingers through mine. She pulls my hand down into her lap and lays her other hand on top. "I'm sorry. This is just really weird, and awkward, and I like the time we've spent talking, as little as it's been. I hate to lay this on you, and as you can see, my life is a little tumultuous right now. Maybe you should walk--or run--in the opposite direction."

  "Now why would I do that?" I ask her seriously. "Do you know how long I've been searching for a woman who can play the ukulele?"

  My goal is achieved as she laughs, and it's warm, rich, and husky, which warms my blood and again speaks to my dick for some reason. "You're crazy," she say
s softly.

  "Totally," I agree with her. "But seriously...what's the deal? How did you find out he was your father and why didn't you know before?"

  Lexi glances at her watch, apparently decides she has time, and says, "My mom never told me Brian was my father. They broke up before she found out she was pregnant. I didn't find out until she was sick with cancer and dying, about a year ago."

  I feel a vague sadness for her losing her mom, and a slight happiness for her finding her dad. But those feelings are dulled, as it's hard to have true empathy for her situation when I don't understand the significance of family. I was never close to my parents back in Prague, and I left home at the age of thirteen to play hockey abroad. I've only seen my parents a handful of times since, and we hardly talk. I've been on my own for so long it's a bit difficult for me to understand the concept of familial bonds. Add in the fact that in professional hockey you can get traded and uprooted at any given time, it's always been a bit hard for me to form deep bonds with people in my life.

  Still, learning this little bit of her history, I find myself even more drawn to her. She's still fabulously mischievous, funny as hell, and sexy as all get out. Her backstory makes her even more interesting, and her singing made her a million times more attractive to me. Not quite sure how I feel about her being the daughter of Brian Brannon, which makes her hockey royalty, but I know I absolutely want to take her out, and I absolutely want to get in her pants. I assume, however, that with a woman like Lexi, there's a certain order to things.

  So I go ahead and ask, "You're going to give me your number, right?"

  "Why, yes I am," she says without hesitation.

  "And when might you have time to go out?" I push.

  "I'm working tomorrow night, but the day after I'm free."

  I shake my head. "I'm flying out to Boston that day for a road trip. I'll be back next Wednesday."

  She shakes her head. "I've got to work Wednesday and Thursday nights, but I'm off on Friday."

  "Fuck," I mutter. "We've got a game that night. Assume you have to work Saturday?"

  Lexi just stares at me contemplatively for a moment before she says, "You know what...I'm going to see if I can switch shifts with someone else on Wednesday if you want to go out then."

  "Shifts?" I ask curiously. "You mean you have shifts of performers here that sing?"

  Lexi laughs, deep and husky again.

  My dick still likes it.

  "No," she says while chuckling. "I'm just a barista here. I make coffee and bus tables. The singing is just on the side. Georgia, the woman who owns the place, pays me a little extra and I make good tips singing, but I really just make coffee for a living."

  I grin at her. I mean, she's fucking cool. A ukulele-strumming, sexy-singing, bean-grinding barista. "Okay, Wednesday it is."

  "Wednesday," she agrees, then reaches into her back pocket to pull out her phone. "What's your number?" she asks.

  I give it to her and watch as she punches it in. My phone starts ringing and I pull it from my pocket.

  Lexi holds her phone up to her ear, and I mimic her motion as I connect the call. "Hello?"

  She grins at me. "Hi, Roman. It's Lexi. I was just calling to tell you that I have to get back to work, but I'm looking forward to Wednesday."

  I can't help it. I laugh and grin back at her. Speaking into the phone, I say, "I'm looking forward to it too."

  "Just so you know," she says playfully. "I don't have sex on the first date. Well, not always. Sometimes. It depends on how it goes."

  Jesus, fuck...is she kidding me? Please tell me she's not kidding me.

  I stare at her, my eyes boring into hers to try to glean the truth. She just stares back at me with sparkling eyes full of mischief, and I have no clue if I'll get a kiss from her on Wednesday or if we'll fuck like animals.

  Strangely, I'm okay with not knowing. Makes the anticipation that much better.

  "Well," I say into the phone as I lean in closer to her. "I guess we'll find out on Wednesday, won't we?"

  "I guess we will," she whispers back into the phone, and I think I'm officially hooked on this girl.

  Chapter 8

  Lexi

  I don't understand. I'm not usually afflicted with sweaty hands when meeting people because I'm not prone to suffer from nervousness. I've traveled the country, performed in front of probably thousands of people over my adult life. I've done bungee jumping and sky-diving, and once swam with sharks.

  Well, granted, I don't know if my hands were sweating when I was swimming with the sharks, but I doubt it. I wasn't nervous.

  Not like I am now.

  Which is exactly how I felt after meeting Brian that first time earlier this week. Racing pulse and sweaty palms.

  Before I ring the doorbell to Gray and Ryker's house, I tuck the bottle of wine under the arm that doesn't have my purse slung over the shoulder and briskly rub the bottoms of my hands on my wool skirt. It's one of the more sedate pieces of clothing I own: a dark brown and taupe plaid, which I paired with a brown turtleneck, because let's face it, working in a coffee shop and tending bar doesn't really require dressy outfits. Luckily I had a pair of camel-colored boots to pair with the outfit, and I think I look moderately respectable.

  And I sure hope so, for tonight is the dinner that Gray had suggested we have at her house. It's an important night and I'm also a little blown away that Gray and Brian decided to forgo flying out to Boston today to watch the Cold Fury play on Sunday. It's why Roman and I couldn't go out tonight. Instead, Gray is going to fly out Monday and catch up with the team in New York for their game there on Tuesday. But basically, they put aside their duties as CEO and general manager of the Cold Fury to have a private, get-to-know-you dinner tonight.

  With my palms dry--for the time being--I ring the bell and suck in a few deep breaths until the door opens and Gray is standing there with a welcoming smile.

  "Hey, Lexi," she says softly as she takes a step back. "Come on in."

  "Thanks," I murmur nervously as I enter the foyer, taking a brief look around. While their house is really big, it isn't ostentatious, but rather looks to be warm and inviting. The large living room just beyond where we stand has plush brown couches scattered with scarlet pillows. There's a fire going in the hearth and soft music is playing in the background.

  "Ryker and Dad are in the kitchen, opening up some wine," she says.

  "The girls aren't here?" I ask.

  Gray shakes her head. "We thought it would be best not to tell them what was going on until we got the official results back."

  "Oh," I say, slightly disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing the two girls who seemed to transform Gray in that photo I'd seen into a warm, open woman.

  Gray turns fully to me, reaches an arm out, and touches me lightly on the shoulder. "Just on the off chance those results come back different from what we all expect, okay?"

  I take heart in the fact that she said what we all expect, which means to me that she's accepted I am who I say I am. That means that she'll perhaps give me a real chance to be a part of her life.

  "Oh, I brought this for you," I say as I clumsily hand the bottle of wine I'd picked up on the way over here.

  "That's really sweet," Gray says with a gracious smile as she takes the bottle and looks at the label.

  "I'm not sure if it's any good," I blurt out. "I don't know much about wine."

  "I'm sure it will be great," she assures me. "Come on. I just took the beef tenderloin out of the oven and it needs to set for about twenty minutes. Let's go open this puppy up and you guys can see what it tastes like."

  "Just as long as no one holds it against me if it's awful," I say teasingly, and Gray laughs.

  Gray actually laughs at something I said, and it sounds warm and genuine. I have to wonder why she's all of a sudden so accepting of me.

  She leads me into the kitchen and I see Brian leaning with his elbows on the large island in the center of the kitchen. His eyes light up wh
en he sees me, and within moments, his hands are on my shoulders and he's leaning down to kiss my cheek. My eyes cut to Gray to see her reaction, but her back is to me as she hands the wine I brought to her husband, Ryker.

  When my dad--Brian--no, my dad pulls away, I turn to Ryker. "You don't need any introduction. I'm a huge fan of yours."

  He steps past Gray and holds his empty hand out to me with a warm smile. "It's great to meet you, Lexi."

  Brian immediately moves to the bottle of wine that's already open and pours a glass. As he hands it to me, Gray asks, "Dad said you'd just moved here about seven months ago. Were you always a Cold Fury fan?"

  Her tone is inquisitive, but I also know she's measuring me up as well.

  "No," I tell her honestly. "Wasn't a fan of hockey at all. But I started reading about it when I learned Da--I mean, Brian, owned the Cold Fury. And I started watching it, and of course, I watched all the playoffs and you win the Stanley Cup. It was really exciting."

  "Have you been to any of the games this season?" Gray asks.

  I shake my head. "I'm saving up some of my singing tips to get a ticket. Maybe around March."

  Gray's face remains impassive, but Brian immediately says, "Well, that won't do. You can have a ticket to any game you want to go to. In fact, you can sit up in the owner's box with--"

  "Dad," Gray interjects bluntly. "Not until the test comes back."

  "And I don't need you to give me a ticket," I say firmly, my eyes cutting from Brian back to Gray. "I can buy my own."

  Gray flinches slightly and lowers her gaze.

  "Listen," Brian finally says, addressing the elephant in the room. "How about we all agree that we'll just take the next few weeks until the test comes back to get to know each other. And, Lexi, if the test concludes what I expect it will, you will most certainly not be buying tickets to the game. It the test reveals otherwise, then worst-case scenario is that we've become friends."

  I hear Ryker snort, but I don't dare look at him. In fact, I don't dare look away from Brian, who seems to be pinning me in place with a "dad" look that I've never experienced before. It says there's to be no argument.