by Nikki Ashton
It was Wednesday, two days after the coffee incident and two days after I’d been in Roman’s home and seen the pictures of him boxing. It was also two days since I’d started to have erotic dreams about him. Well, to put it plainly, in each one—and there had been three to be exact—he’d shagged me so damn thoroughly I’d woken up breathing heavily with a throbbing between my legs.
The second dream, which had been during my after-dinner, pre-Coronation Street nap, had been so bloody good that I’d had to get Roger, my little battery-operated boyfriend, out from the bottom of my knicker drawer.
Each of them had left me feeling mortified, sure that whenever I saw Roman he was fully aware of what we had been doing in my dreams. They seemed so real and I was having problems separating them from reality. My feelings for him were changing from those of simple lust, and I really had no idea what to do with them. He was still snippy and rude, but I relished our battles, and was finding them more and more entertaining. But I thought that if we kept up with the barbed comments and sarcasm, Roman would never realise that my feelings for him were changing. Being sarcastic was my weapon against turning into a simpering idiot around him. There were some days, though, that I set myself a little challenge to try and get him to smile after one of our spats: because when he smiled, it was beautiful, and gave a little poke to my heart.
Despite the fact that Roman was worming his way into my heart, it still didn’t stop those base feeling of lust that I had for him. On a daily basis he would leave me in a hot sweat and breathing heavily, without him even realising the affect that he had upon me. Today had been no exception, particularly because he’d come in dressed to work on-site in well-worn jeans, an open red-plaid shirt with a white T-shirt underneath, and work boots. Shit! Be still my beating heart and throbbing lady parts!
‘If Alan Cromwell finally rings, call me. I’m going to be on-site for most of today,’ Roman announced as he came in and threw some letters that he’d signed onto my desk.
‘You don’t say,’ I replied.
He might look more appetising than a Las Vegas all-you-could-eat buffet, but today was one of those days that I needed to bite back. The way my heartbeat increased whenever he was near to me was disconcerting and scary. No one had ever had me so tied up in knots like this before: not even Alex when we first met. I felt like a teenager falling in unrequited first love, and I hated and loved it in equal measure. So being a bitch helped.
‘Do you wake up every morning with a plan on how you’re going to piss me off?’ Roman asked without looking up from an invoice that he was studying.
‘No, not really.’ I shrugged. ‘It just comes naturally somehow.’
God, this was just the distraction I needed. Banter and snarkiness were much easier to handle than unrequited lust.
‘Well, while we’re on the subject of your sunny disposition, I need a favour from you.’ He perched on the edge of my desk, his denim-clad backside decidedly too close to my hand.
‘What?’ I snapped, wheeling my chair to the other end of my desk to look in my drawer for … nothing.
‘There’s a lunch tomorrow for local businesses and I’ve been invited to go. I need you to come with me, make notes of any contacts or leads. You know the sort of thing.’
My mouth dropped open as I stared at the inside of my desk drawer. I took a couple of seconds to consider my response, but I had nothing.
‘Summer, what the hell is wrong with you? Do you need your ears syringing or are you ignoring me on purpose?’
‘I’m thinking,’ I snapped, wheeling myself back towards him. ‘I was making sure I was available.’
I looked up and gave him the barest of smiles. Roman rolled his eyes and huffed.
‘Well, considering it’s during working hours, I don’t doubt that you’ll be available. That is unless you were planning on throwing a sickie or have booked a day’s holiday that I don’t know about.’ He inclined his head and stared at me, brows risen. ‘Well?’
‘No,’ I sighed. ‘Neither of the above, so I suppose I’ll have to go with you.’ My stomach was rolling with nerves at the thought of spending a couple of hours by his side.
‘Don’t sound so enthusiastic, will you?’
He let out a short laugh and shook his head as he stood up and went back to his own office.
As he settled himself at his desk, I risked a quick glance. I had no idea what was wrong with me, but I was becoming more and more drawn to him.
He picked up some papers and began reading them, his brow furrowing as he tapped a pen against his chin. With a sigh, he sat back in his chair, his eyes still intent on the papers, and when he flicked out his tongue to lick his top lip, I felt myself shiver.
Not sure I could handle much more of watching him without groaning with longing, I got up to close his office door. Just as I rounded my desk, the door to the main office swung open and a tall, statuesque woman, with a curtain of long, auburn hair that hung down to her waist, walked in. Her body was tiny and encased in tight, leather, skinny trousers and a baggy white T-shirt. Diamonds adorned her ears and wrists, but what really caught my eye, were the beautiful pair of Gianvito Rossi black suede ankle boots—I could answer questions about shoes on Mastermind.
The woman was stunning: she even took my breath away. Holding her hand was an adorable little girl of about five or six, with strawberry blonde curls and Cupid’s bow lips.
‘Can I help you?’ I asked.
‘Sorry, is Roman here?’ the woman replied, straightening her back and moving the child to stand in front of her.
As I opened my mouth to respond, Roman came through the doorway.
‘Caroline?’ Roman said, stopping in his tracks. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’
Roman’s hands went to his hips, as he stared at her, waiting for her response.
‘Hi Roman. It’s been a while,’ the woman said.
‘Yeah, you could say that.’ He shook his head, looking confused. ‘So why now?’.
The woman smiled at him. ‘I was passing and thought, why not? Plus I thought you’d like to see Maisie.’
Caroline bent down to speak to the little girl.
‘Maisie, you remember Uncle Roman don’t you?’
Maisie didn’t say anything, but started sucking on her fingers, looking up at Roman with huge eyes.
‘Hi Maisie,’ Roman said, his frown replaced with a soft smile. ‘You’ve grown a lot since I last saw you.’
‘I’m nearly five,’ she replied, smiling back. Her eyes were shining as she showed off perfect, little white teeth, before wrapping tiny arms around her mother’s legs.
The child was as beautiful as her mother, and Roman obviously adored her.
‘Well, you’re much prettier than I remember,’ Roman said as he scruffed a hand over her head, messing up her curls and making her giggle. God, he really was determined to blow up that one remaining ovary of mine—along with my heart.
Something akin to jealousy pulled at my chest. I would never bond with a child of my own, and I couldn’t help but think this woman had been blessed with far too much: beauty, a child and gorgeous boots—yet there was something hard and cold about her narrow-eyed stare.
‘So?’ Roman looked up at Caroline, crossing his arms over his chest.
She shrugged. ‘I really am sorry. It just seemed easier to stay away, the way things were.’
Roman cleared his throat. ‘Yes, I guess so. Although I’m sure he had something to do with it.’
Caroline chewed on her bottom lip, but remained silent. Finally, Roman spoke.
‘So what brings you here, Caroline?’ he asked, his voice tight.
Caroline gave him a small smile and sighed. ‘I just thought it was silly to stay away.’
‘You’re both okay, though?’ Roman patted Maisie’s head.
‘Yes, we’re fine. Are you free for lunch and a catch-up?’ Caroline asked. ‘It’s a bit early I know, but if the boss can’t take a couple of hours off, then who can
?’
‘Hmm, no can do, sorry.’ Roman shook his head. ‘I’ve got to go on-site today, we’re running behind on a warehouse conversion the other side of Rickeby.’
As Roman spoke, I noticed how Caroline hung onto his every word, smiling brightly.
‘Ah, so the boss is going down there to kick ass, is that it?’ she asked with a tinkling giggle.
Roman’s mouth twitched up into a very brief smile. ‘Something like that. It’s really all hands to the pump. Summer’s just lucky I haven’t given her a hammer and some nails.’
I had to stop myself from gasping. Roman was joking with her: all I ever did was piss him off. Jealousy was no longer pulling at my chest, but was now stabbing at it violently. The conversation between was a little uneasy, but it was clear they’d been close at some stage, but what their relationship had been was difficult to know. Maybe they were exes? They certainly weren’t together now. Roman had never mentioned a girlfriend, and he’d kissed me with enough passion to make me think they weren’t currently together, but whatever their relationship, it was evidently special.
Roman turned and held a hand out towards me. ‘Sorry, Caroline, this is Summer my PA. Summer, Caroline Peters, an old friend of mine.’
I looked at Roman’s face, but it was giving nothing away.
‘Nice to meet you, Summer.’ Caroline said and looked from me back to Roman. I thought I saw the ghost of a frown on her face, but then it was gone. ‘What about a coffee instead then? You got time for that? Then you can tell me all about your work,’ she said, draping her arms over Maisie’s shoulders.
‘Okay, but it’ll have to be take-away from the café on the corner. We can have a quick chat while we’re walking down there.’
‘Excellent, let’s go.’
‘I’ll just get my gear together. Summer, call me if you need anything,’ Roman said to me as he went into his office.
‘Will do.’ I looked up to smile at Caroline, but she was concentrating on tapping something into her mobile.
Leaving his office Roman came over to my desk and leaned over it. My breath hitched as his face was inches from mine.
‘I doubt she will, but if my sister calls or pops in, say I’m out with a client. Don’t mention that Caroline was here,’ he whispered. ‘Okay?’
‘Yes, no problem,’ I replied. Minutes later Roman and Caroline had gone, with Maisie’s hand in Roman’s, and I was left alone, feeling deflated and wondering what the hell was going on.
‘Tell me again why I’m here,’ I asked Roman as we stood amongst the crowd of people milling around the Civic Hall.
We were attending the civic lunch that Roman had talked about the day before, and I couldn’t honestly say that I was enjoying it.
Once Roman had left the office with Caroline, I hadn’t seen him until this morning and he’d been all manner of grumpy. I wondered whether it was his meeting with the lovely redhead, but he’d barely spoken other than to bark orders at me. Not that it was any of my business, but I was hoping he’d tell me how he knew her, and why I wasn’t to mention her name to Tiffany. Unfortunately he wasn’t spilling any beans or even uttering her name
We’d eaten lunch and now it was ‘networking time’, although I was desperate to leave because I was hating every minute of it. I was hating it because the whole time I’d had to sit next to Roman, all I’d wanted to do was touch him. I wanted him to tell me that he had feelings for me too, and everything would be perfect. I knew that was never to going to happen, because the only feelings that Roman had for me were those of irritation and disdain.
I didn’t want to be that woman: the one who yearned for someone that they couldn’t have, but Roman Hepburn didn’t make things easy. He looked and smelled so damn good. While I wanted him to touch me, I wanted it to be the way a man touches his woman, the woman that he adores and can’t keep his hands off. Not because the space between them was so tiny, that every time he lifted his fork to his mouth his elbow brushed the side of her boob, sending her into mini spasms of ecstasy.
Sitting so close to the man that was taking up my every thought meant that the whole lunch had been one long, frustrating strain on me. His accidental touch and that damn aftershave he wore was making me a tad horny. I was so turned on that the poor bakery owner, sitting opposite me, was lucky I hadn’t poked her eyes out with my nipples by the time dessert was served.
‘I need you to make a note of any contacts or sales leads,’ Roman whispered, bringing me back from my thoughts. ‘Plus, I heard you talking to the guy from the UPVC window company about the possibility of some sort of affiliation. It’s a great idea and I’ll be giving him a call.’
My grin was huge and I felt myself grow another couple of inches. I’d been suggesting that to Mr. Barlow for the last couple of years, but he’d told me it would never work.
‘Okay,’ Roman said, without taking his eyes off a group of three men standing in front of us. ‘That over there is Geoff Williams, the guy that is supposedly taking over as Chief Planning Officer for the council, so I wouldn’t mind having a chat with him.’
‘So go over then.’ I took a sip of my rather warm sparkling white wine. ‘He looks bored, he might be grateful for some of your witty repartee.’
Roman raised his eyebrow and allowed a small smile to touch his lips before striding over to Mr. Williams.
‘Hey, Summer, I thought it was you.’
I turned to see Holly Jenkins, now Robertson, the co-owner of Darrington Hall, a local hotel. Next to her stood her tall, good-looking husband, Liam.
‘Hi Holly!’ I exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. ‘Look at you, you look fantastic. How old is the baby now?’ I asked wistfully, the thought of Holly’s baby causing my heart to do a little flip.
Liam beamed. ‘She’s seven months,’ he replied. ‘She’s amazing and gorgeous and looks just like Holly. Do you want to see a photograph?’
‘No, she doesn’t!’ Holly cried as she slapped a hand against his arm. ‘God, he’s such a doting daddy. Ava is going to be spoiled rotten. She’s got him wrapped around her little finger.’
‘Well, that’s what daddies should be like with their daughters.’ I smiled at Liam. ‘So we know fatherhood is going well, what about being a husband?’
Liam grinned. ‘Equally as brilliant.’
‘Oh God,’ Holly gasped. ‘Even after a month that sounds weird. My husband.’
I couldn’t help but notice the look that passed between them: loving and tender. It was beautiful to see, but I also couldn’t help feeling a little envious at their obvious love for each other and their little baby back home.
I felt a hand on the small of my back and turned to see that Roman had returned.
‘Holly, Liam, this is my boss, Roman Hepburn, he now owns Barlow’s.’
Holly smiled while Liam took Roman’s hand and shook it.
‘Nice to meet you.’ Liam said. ‘So, how’s business so far?’
‘It’s going well—so far,’ Roman smiled. ‘Could be better.’
‘Ah, well, talking of business …’ Liam said, at which point Holly edged me away from the two men.
‘You didn’t want to listen, did you?’ she asked with a groan. ‘He’ll talk for hours about refurbs and extensions, and, to be honest, I’ve heard it a thousand times before, bless him.’ Holly looked across at Liam, who was now in deep conversation with Roman, and gazed at him lovingly.
‘Nope,’ I laughed. ‘I’ll hear it all word for word when we get back to the office. He’ll bellow for me if he needs me.’
‘I have to say,’ Holly said, looking at me over the rim of her orange juice, ‘he’s a bit tasty.’
I almost choked on my wine, coughing and spluttering as Holly grinned at me.
‘You fancy him then?’ she asked.
‘Ssh, he’ll hear you, and, no, I don’t!’ I stressed.
‘Well, why not?’ she hissed. ‘You’d have to be blind not to.’
‘He’s my boss, I just don’t see him li
ke that.’ There was no way I was going to tell her that was exactly how I did see him, every day and every night. ‘We work together and that’s it.’
‘So did Liam and I.’ She nudged me and gave me a cheeky grin. ‘And look how that ended up.’
‘Well, I can promise you, it won’t be the same with me and Roman. He’s a misery guts, for starters.’
Holly winced. ‘Ooh harsh, but he’s still a very good-looking misery guts.’
I shook my head. ‘As hot as he might appear, he’s too grumpy for my taste,’ I lied. Who was I kidding? I was starting to find his sharp tongue quite sexy.
I sighed and took another sip of my wine, just as Liam and Roman re-joined us.
‘We need to go, beautiful,’ Liam said as he linked his fingers with Holly’s. ‘I’ve got that meeting with the landscaper at three and I need to sort a few things out first.’
‘Okay. Well, it was great to see you, Sum’. We should meet up for a drink sometime. I know Mags would love to see you.’
‘Yeah, that would be brill’. I’ll call you.’
Liam shook Roman’s hand again. ‘Don’t forget to call me about the building work, Roman.’
‘I will, and thanks for that, I really appreciate it.’
Once Holly and Liam had gone, Roman took out his phone and tapped something into it.
‘What was Liam talking about?’ I asked.
‘Hmm.’ Roman continued tapping away.
‘Liam, when he said to call him.’
Roman’s head shot up and large smile lit up his face. ‘They’re adding a pool and a gym to the spa and adding some conference rooms to the hotel, plus Holly is desperate to increase the size of the dining room too. He’s heard good things about us, so has asked me to quote for it.’
‘Wow, that sounds like a big project,’ I gasped. ‘That would be brilliant if you got it.’
‘Yeah, it would,’ Roman replied. ‘It would take a lot of pressure off, and he doesn’t want it started until the back end of the year, so we’d have time to finish The Palisades, the warehouse and the French conversion—if we ever get started with it.’