Roman's Having Sex Again

by Nikki Ashton

  I told him about the kiss and the shoes.

  ‘You could be right, because, as far as I know, you don’t go around kissing your ex if you hate them. As for the shoe thing, well.’ He paused and laughed. ‘I have no fucking clue how her shoes being neatly stacked in boxes proves that they’re together, but, hey, you’re Miss Marple, not me.’

  I smiled widely and let out a huge breath of relief. He didn’t hate me and he was laughing.

  ‘I’ll explain it to you one day,’ I replied with a giggle.

  ‘Yeah, I think you’ll need to. One thing that Caroline is going to need to explain is why the fuck she let that little shit into my house. Whether they’re together or not, she knows how I feel about that little wank-stain.’

  ‘Roman!’ I chastised.

  ‘Well, he is. Anyway, less about them, where are you now?’

  ‘Just dropped Pip off at home, why?’

  He took in a breath and I could hear the emotion shuddering through his lungs.

  ‘I need to see you; I’ve been so worried about you. Would you meet me at my house, just so I can see that you’re okay?’

  God, I loved this man. ‘Yes, baby, I will,’ I whispered.

  ‘Okay, I’ll see you there in ten minutes, I’ll leave the site now.’

  As we ended the call, a huge weight lifted from me, and the lightness of being loved by Roman made my smile huge.

  My car had only just come to a standstill, when I flung the door open and shot out of it, running towards Roman, who was pacing up and down his drive, obviously waiting for me.

  ‘Shit, I’m so sorry,’ he said, kissing me hard on the lips. ‘I shouldn’t have stormed out.’

  ‘It’s okay, I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have accused you.’

  Roman shook his head. ‘No, it was a natural thing to think. You know I don’t like Alfie, I looked like I’d been fighting, so I totally get it.’

  He laced his fingers through my hair and changed the kiss to a slow, deep one, making me whimper with desire.

  ‘Fuck, I missed you,’ he whispered against my ear, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me tightly to his chest.

  ‘What the hell were you thinking, going after Jack Abbott like that?’ he asked.

  ‘I just wanted to see whether I could find out anything. Emma is watching Caroline today, so— Oh shit,’ I cried, pulling away from Roman, ‘Emma has been calling me too.’

  ‘What do you mean she’s watching Caroline?’

  I waved him away as my phone rang out against my ear. Finally, Emma answered.

  ‘Em, I’m so sorry, there was no reception at the cottage where Pippa was. I saw your messages, but it totally went out of my head to call you back.’

  ‘It’s okay,’ she replied, sounding a little breathless. ‘Did Roman get hold of you?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, grinning. ‘I’m with him now.’

  ‘Oh that’s why you forgot to call me back,’ Emma giggled.

  ‘Yeah, but I am sorry. So, what’s happening?’

  ‘I watched her all morning and she just pottered around town. She bought a few things, picked up some dry cleaning and then went for a coffee.’

  ‘And that’s it?’ I asked, dejected that I’d been wrong.

  ‘No!’ Emma exclaimed.

  ‘No!’

  ‘No!’

  ‘What’s going on?’ Roman asked.

  ‘Emma saw something.’

  ‘Yes, I did,’ Emma said proudly. ‘So, she went for coffee, and then, ten minutes later, was joined by Jack Abbott.’

  ‘No way?’

  ‘Yep. I managed to get a table a little bit away from them, but I could see everything.’

  ‘Did they see you?’ I asked.

  ‘No, they were too wrapped up in each other. Holding hands and kissing, it was a bit gross to be honest,’ she replied with a tone of disgust. ‘He left before her, so I carried on following her. She picked up the little girl from nursery and then dropped her off at a bungalow.’

  ‘She’s taken Maisie to a bungalow,’ I relayed to Roman. ‘Could that be her parents’ place? Didn’t you say they lived in a bungalow.’

  ‘Yeah, could be,’ Roman said with a shrug.

  ‘What then, Em?’

  ‘Well, then she went back to Roman’s house. I waited just down the street, because I had a feeling that she was going to leave again.’

  ‘And?’ I asked, almost jumping up and down on the spot.

  ‘She did. She put three suitcases into her car and about four or five boxes and drove away. I’m following her now—she’s parking in the retail park just outside town.’

  ‘Oh my God, we’ll come to you.’ I glanced at Roman who shrugged and shook his head, clearly wanting an explanation.

  ‘Shit, she’s got out of the car and is going towards the travel agents. And Jack is waiting is here too, he’s by the door.’

  ‘Emma, stay in your car.’ Then something struck me. ‘You are on hands-free, aren’t you?’

  ‘No,’ she snapped, ‘Henry is driving. Say hi, Henry.’

  ‘Hi,’ Henry shouted.

  ‘Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?’ Roman asked, exasperated.

  ‘It’s fine,’ I sighed. ‘Emma and Henry have them in their sights.’

  ‘Who? And why hell isn’t Henry taking the mixer delivery at the club?’

  ‘Henry, why aren’t you taking the mixer delivery at the club,’ Emma asked, hearing Roman’s loud bawl over the line.

  ‘Because I’m playing Dukes of Hazzard with you.’

  ‘Because—’

  ‘Yeah, I heard,’ I giggled. Then something struck me. ‘Oh shit!’

  ‘What?’ Emma asked.

  ‘When we moved her in here, she had a couple of boxes and one suitcase.’

  I turned to Roman who was trying to listen in to our conversation.

  ‘Get inside quickly,’ I said, pointing at the door.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, striding towards the door, with his key in his hand.

  ‘I think Caroline might have taken some of your stuff.’

  ‘Oh no,’ Emma cried, ‘you think?’

  ‘Maybe,’ I replied, ‘but, Em, you need to keep them there somehow. Just until we get there, okay?’

  ‘Roger and out.’

  The line went dead as I heard a roar and crashing from inside the house. I rushed in to see what was wrong.

  ‘Roman?’

  He stormed into the hallway from his study.

  ‘The fucking bitch! She’s taken my laptop and she found the safe.’

  ‘Safe?’ I enquired, ‘I didn’t know you had a safe?’

  ‘Yeah,’ he said with flaring nostrils, ‘a safe that did have ten grand in it.’

  ‘Oh my God, how the hell did she find it and get into it?’

  Roman held up wire with what looked like a pen on the end of it.

  ‘This maybe?’ He held it towards me.

  ‘What is it?’ I took it from Roman and, at the same time, we both said: ‘A camera’.

  ‘How did you find it?’ I asked.

  Roman shook his head and his cheeks pinked. ‘I might have had an epic temper tantrum in there. Let’s just say my books are no longer in alphabetical order.’

  ‘Oh God.’ I laid a hand on his shoulder and frowned. ‘You put your books in alphabetical order? You weirdo.’

  ‘I’ll fucking kill them,’ Roman snarled as he manvouevered through the traffic. ‘Just give me one damn pop at him, and he won’t know what’s hit him. Forget not wanting to hurt another man with a punch—he’s getting one of my best.’

  I laid my hand on his knee, hoping that it would calm him down, but he was too far gone to even realise it was there. I could have got my boobs out and wiggled them in his face, and I don’t think he would have seen them through the red mist.

  As we screeched into the retail park, my eyes searched for Emma’s car. I had to giggle wondering how she’d remained incognito in a pink Fiat 500
. Then I had to wonder how the hell the six-feet tall Henry had managed to get behind the wheel: he was probably driving from the back seat!

  ‘There they are,’ I screamed, making Roman jump.

  ‘For fuck’s sake, Summer. You just burst my eardrum.’

  ‘Sorry,’ I whispered. ‘There they are.’

  He turned to me and grinned. ‘God, I fucking love you.’ I grinned back and gave him a coy smile.

  When we parked up a few cars and a row down from Emma, Roman stopped me from getting out of the car.

  ‘I want you and Emma to stay in the car, okay?’

  ‘No, not okay,’ I replied, crossing my arms, ‘he’s made a fool of my sister.’

  ‘I mean it, Summer. I don’t want you getting hurt if things get nasty.’ His voice was a deep, sexy, growl, and if this was a different time and place, I’d have jumped him.

  ‘Well, things won’t get nasty,’ I replied. ‘They can’t, I don’t want you to get into trouble for hurting him.’

  Roman looked at me for a second, then he put a hand behind my head, pulled me to him, and gave me a searing hot kiss.

  ‘Like I said,’ he whispered against my lips, ‘I fucking love you.’

  ‘Okay,’ I whispered back, and opened the door, surreptitiously fanning myself.

  ‘Hey,’ Roman said by way of a greeting to Emma and Henry. ‘What’s happening?’

  Henry shook his head and raised his eyebrows.

  ‘Daisy Duke here has let all their tyres down.’

  ‘Good thinking,’ I said, high-fiving Emma.

  ‘Yeah, but she wasn’t sure which white van was Jack’s,’ Henry replied, glancing sideways at Emma. ‘So she’s let them down on all three white vans that are parked here.’

  Roman groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

  ‘And you couldn’t stop her?’ he asked Henry.

  ‘Have you tried stopping Summer when she’s adamant about something?’ he cried. ‘Emma just bats those damn eyelashes at me, and I can’t deny her anything.’

  I high-fived Emma again. ‘I offer blow jobs,’ I whispered conspiratorily.

  Roman looked at me and shook his head. ‘Okay, I think we need to call the police, and let them deal with it.’

  ‘Yeah, me too,’ Henry agreed.

  Emma and I both moaned, but I knew that Roman was right. I didn’t want him to throw any punches, and hopefully the police being here would stop that.

  He tapped out a number on his phone and, smiling at me, waited for a reply. He told the dispatcher that he thought someone had stolen from him and that they were in a restaurant, but the dispatcher didn’t seemed to think it warranted a squad car.

  ‘But I know she’s taken ten grand of my money,’ Roman barked down the phone, ‘I found a camera.’

  He sighed heavily and walked towards his truck. The phone still at his ear, he pulled out a hammer from his tool box in the covered flatbed and walked over to Caroline’s car.

  ‘So, you won’t send anyone?’ he asked, pausing for the reply. ‘Okay, well, I think you should know that I’ve just smashed the window on her car and am about to punch her partner.’

  He ended the call, put his phone in his pocket, and smashed the windscreen of Caroline’s car.

  Emma and I gasped, and Henry bent over, resting his hands on his knees and shaking his head.

  ‘Bloody hell, Ro,’ he moaned.

  ‘Well, maybe they’ll send someone now. When they get here, I’ll make them search her car, and I bet the damn money and my laptop, and whatever else she’s nicked, are in there.’

  A couple of minutes later, Jack came storming out of the travel agents, his face dark and angry as he spotted all of us around Caroline’s car.

  ‘What the fuck do you think you’re doing?’ He stopped in front of Roman and stared at him. His jaw was tight and I was scared that he’d be the one to throw the first punch—then Roman would be bound to fight back.

  I wasn’t scared that he’d hurt Roman, rather, the other way around. Roman was a boxer, he knew how to punch. I just hoped that boxers knew how to punch not to hurt someone too.

  ‘I want my property back,’ Roman said, moving toe to toe with Jack.

  ‘Have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Abbott replied, with a scoffing tone. ‘Now, I think you owe me for a new windscreen, don’t you, Hepburn?’

  ‘Why do I owe you?’ Roman asked, narrowing his eyes. ‘I thought that this was Caroline’s car, and that you two were no longer together. Aren’t you with Pippa now?’

  Jack’s sneer disappeared as he glanced at me and then back to Roman.

  ‘Yeah, we know all about you stringing her along. What was that for anyway?’ Roman poked him in the chest. ‘Just for kicks?’

  Jack took a half pace back, and I grabbed the back pocket of Roman’s jeans, trying to stop him from advancing on Jack.

  ‘Well? Why do it, Jack?’

  ‘I don’t have to answer to you,’ Jack replied and looked towards Supabreaks Travel, where Caroline was now hovering in the doorway.

  Roman followed his gaze and glared. ‘You!’ he shouted to her. ‘Get over here and give me my property back. Now.’

  Caroline hesitated and then walked over to us. She was wearing the Manolo Blahnik loafers that I’d seen in the box at the cottage.

  ‘I don’t have anything of yours,’ she said, standing behind Jack. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you? You’re crazy.’

  ‘No,’ Roman said. ‘The only crazy thing about me is ever helping you. Now where’s my money and my laptop?’

  Caroline looked at him and lifted her chin defiantly.

  ‘Don’t have it, so you’ve just caused criminal damage for no reason.’

  ‘Don’t lie, you bitch,’ I spat out.

  I couldn’t help it, even though I knew I should have kept quiet.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Caroline said, shaking her head dismissively, ‘and it has what to do with you?’

  ‘She’s my girlfriend,’ Roman answered. ‘So it has plenty to do with Summer.’

  ‘Plus, you’ve both been taking my sister for a ride. Why was that, by the way?’

  Jack and Caroline glanced at each other, and then turned back to us. Caroline swallowed, and I could see the jealousy flash across her face.

  ‘You weren’t too happy about that part of the plan I take it?’ I said. ‘Your partner sleeping with my sister. For what I’m not really sure; its not as if she knew anything of importance.’

  Caroline looked at Jack, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. Jack shifted under her gaze and turned to Roman.

  ‘Caro’ is right, you’re crazy and you owe us to repair her car.’

  Emma sidled up beside me and whispered into my ear. ‘She was a bit shocked about Pippa, wasn’t she?’

  I gave Emma a quick nod and turned back to Caroline.

  ‘Didn’t he tell you that Pippa hadn’t given him any information,’ I said, moving forwards a step. ‘She didn’t know anything. I’m not sure where he got the details about the Cromwell job, but it wasn’t Pippa.’

  Caroline swung to face Jack, and pulled on his shoulder. ‘You said she was the one who told you all the figures, and the combination to the safe. What the—’

  ‘Shut up, Caro’,’ Jack said in a low tone, his eyes flashing with anger.

  ‘No!’ she cried, pushing against his chest. ‘You said it was all just to get the details we needed. And you swore to me you hadn’t slept with her, you bastard!’

  ‘Sorry to burst your bubble on that one,’ I interjected, ‘but according to my sister, he wasn’t even that good.’

  Jack turned to face me, his nostrils flaring and his hands fisted. ‘You fucking bitch—’

  He took a step forward, and I felt Roman move at the side of me.

  ‘Ro, no!’ Henry caught hold of his arm. ‘He’s not worth an assault charge.’

  ‘You fucking talk to her again, or even attempt to touch her, and I’ll kill you.’ Roman’s
tone was low and menacing, and Jack Abbott flinched visibly.

  At that moment, a police car pulled up alongside of us, and two officers got out.

  ‘Okay, everyone, what’s going on?’ A tall, grey-haired officer asked.

  ‘She has property of mine, which may be in her car,’ Roman explained, never taking his eyes off Jack.

  ‘He smashed my partner’s car windscreen.’

  ‘Jack, tell me how you got the damn details, if it wasn’t from her sister?’ Caroline demanded angrily.

  ‘Can we all just calm down,’ the second police officer, a younger, blonde-haired man, said. He turned to Roman. ‘Sir, did you smash this windscreen.’

  Roman nodded. ‘Yes, to get you here, because otherwise they’d have got away with my money and my laptop.’

  ‘Do you have any proof they have your property, sir?’

  Roman shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out the pen camera. ‘This was hidden in my study where my safe is; I’m assuming that’s how they found out the code number.’

  ‘You told me that girl gave it to you!’ Caroline practically screamed. ‘You said a few glasses of wine and she was telling you anything you wanted to know. You damn liar!’

  ‘Miss, please calm down,’ the younger officer said softly. ‘Are these acusations true, sir?’

  ‘Of course not,’ Jack snapped. ‘Caroline, just shut the fuck up.’

  ‘Hey.’ The grey-haired officer put up a hand. ‘I suggest you don’t speak to the lady like that.’

  ‘How did you get the information?’ Roman asked. ‘If it wasn’t Pip who told you about the Cromwell deal, and how much I was paying my gang, so you could poach them from me, then who was it?’

  ‘Yes, Jack,’ Caroline said, tears now rolling down her cheeks. ‘Who the hell did give you the information? Was it that idiot, Alfie Chambers?’

  Roman cursed, and I gasped at Caroline’s mention of Alfie, as we both looked at each other and came to the same conclusion.

  ‘Roman,’ I whispered.

  Roman grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.

  ‘Let him hang himself, baby,’ he said quietly.

  Jack turned to Caroline and took a deep breath. ‘I don’t know what Alfie has to do with all of this. I did what I did for us. For you, because you damn well wanted him to pay for what he did to your precious Michael. You were supposed to move in and find out about the rest of his deals, but you couldn’t manage it, so I thought of the fucking camera.’