Rin looked up and saw Roman helping the elderly gentleman off the floor as if he weighed less than a child. He was put on his feet, and Roman steadied him, keeping his hand on his elbow until he was stable again.
Rin slowly got to her feet, wincing at the ache in her hip but ignoring it. She’d had worse. “I’m good, thanks, Roman. Told you I was clumsy.” She turned to the stereotypical-looking grandpa she’d taken to the ground as if they were reenacting a WWE scene. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to take you to the ground with me.”
“Heh. I think I’m the one who should be apologizing to you, young lady,” he told her with a twinkle in his eye. “You probably could’ve righted yourself if I hadn’t interfered and tried to help. I keep forgetting my strength isn’t what it used to be.”
An older woman snuggled up to the man, putting her arm around his waist in support. “Come on, Superman, how about we go and get a piece of that delicious-looking cake?” She winked at Rin. It was obvious the woman was trying to take the sting out of the fact that her man wasn’t as strong as he used to be.
At that moment, Rin almost felt sad about her family curse. She’d never thought she needed a man to make her life complete or meaningful, and still didn’t, but seeing how sweet the man and woman were to each other, and how protective, made a pang of jealousy streak through her.
“Varinia, are you sure you’re all right?” Roman repeated, after the older couple and the woman who’d backed into her had left.
“I’m fine.” Rin waved off his concern. At his look of disbelief, she insisted, “Happens all the time. I’ll probably trip over my own feet at some point tonight.”
When he still looked concerned, she conceded in a lower, more serious voice, “I’ll most likely have a bruise. But I always have bruises. Nothing’s broken, promise, it’s all good.”
She smiled to try to reassure him and was about to suggest they go and sit down to chat—until she saw her mom heading their way.
Her mom’s man-dar was working overtime tonight and Roman was a fine specimen.
Rin looked over at him. He’d changed out of the torn jeans and long-sleeved Henley, and was now wearing a maroon polo with a pair of dark blue jeans, so dark they could almost be black. He had the same boots on he’d been wearing earlier, but obviously wasn’t carrying his leather bag anymore. He looked good. Really good.
“Damn,” Rin muttered, seeing her mom checking Roman out as she approached. She felt extremely protective of the man and even a bit…territorial. She turned her back to her mother and looked up at Roman. “My mom’s on her way over here. I was going to wait a bit before introducing you, but—”
“Well, well, well…who do we have here?” Cassia purred as she reached their side.
Rin sighed, but did what was expected of her and turned to face her mom. “This is Roman…uh…”
“Reese. It’s good to meet you.” Roman held out his hand, and didn’t even flinch as Cassia took hold of it with both of hers and patted it with way too much gusto.
“The pleasure is all mine,” she gushed.
Rin held back the eye roll that wanted to come out at the simpering tone in her mom’s voice. She hadn’t been around Roman all that long, but she really didn’t like the way Cassia was eyeballing him…as if he was a meal and she hadn’t eaten in days.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”
Roman smiled and answered Cassia’s implied question. “I’m a friend of Varinia’s. She invited me. It’s good to meet you.”
“Oh, so you know Rin already. Great. Come on, you have to meet Tina. I can’t believe Rin kept you a secret.” Her mom widened her eyes a margin at Rin before turning her hundred-watt smile back to Roman.
Roman looked amused at Cassia’s response, but took it in stride. “I’d be happy to meet the other birthday girl.”
Rin reluctantly followed along behind Roman and her mother as she towed the poor man across the room to where Tina was sitting. More than once in the past, a guy Rin had liked had totally forgotten about her once he’d met her sister. She really, really didn’t want that to happen this time. She hadn’t gotten to talk much to Roman yet, but knew without a doubt that she’d find him even more fascinating than she did already…if he didn’t get enamored with her sister before she had a chance.
The trio arrived at the table where Tina was holding court with the group of men. Cassia stood next to her firstborn and totally ignored Rin.
“Tina, I’d like you to meet Roman. Rin invited him and I knew he just had to meet you while he was here.”
“Roman,” Tina said and nodded her head in greeting, holding out her hand as if she were the Queen of England, the man she was being introduced to a mere peasant.
Roman’s lips quirked up in a smile, as if he was amused at Tina’s reaction, but politely took her hand in his and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you. Happy birthday.”
“Thanks. Are you from around here?”
“Unfortunately, no.” Roman looked up and caught Rin’s eyes before he continued. “I’m only a few hours away though…not too far.”
“Did you get some cake, Roman?” Cassia asked in a sugary-sweet tone. “I can get some for you, so you can sit for a while and get to know Tina. Rin, can you please go and find one of the caterers? I have a question.”
Rin could see right through her mom’s request. She didn’t need to speak to any of the wait staff; she simply wanted Rin out of the way.
She turned to leave, figuring it was easier than butting heads with her mom, but Roman grabbed her hand and held on tightly, preventing her from walking away.
“It was nice to meet you, Tina. I hope you have a great night.” He then turned to Cassia and answered her question. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I promised Varinia I’d have a piece of her birthday cake with her, so if you will excuse us…” His voice trailed off, waiting politely for her permission, which he didn’t really need in the first place.
Both Tina and Cassia looked surprised at his obvious brush-off, but Tina’s lifelong training on how to be polite in any situation kicked in, and she smiled sweetly. “It’s okay, I know how much Rin likes her cake. She never could resist sweets. Take your time and I’ll talk to you later, after my sister goes up to her room. She always goes to bed early. She’s kind of a party pooper.”
Roman smiled, although Rin could tell it was forced, and nodded at both Tina and their mom, then they headed off to the table with the cake.
“Sorry about that,” Rin murmured when Roman didn’t say anything.
He didn’t respond verbally, merely hooked the hand he was still holding around his biceps. He leaned forward and grabbed two plates of cake, along with a pair of forks, then turned and headed for the corner of the room where Rin had originally been waiting for him.
Rin kept her mouth shut as they walked, not able to read his mood and not knowing exactly what to say. He’d draped her hand around his arm, so she was quite close to him as they maneuvered their way through the tables and chairs in the room. Once again, she could smell his unique scent as they walked. It was faint, but even after his shower, he still somehow smelled like fall.
Rin wanted nothing more than to put her head on his shoulder and snuggle into him, inhaling the comforting scent that had taken her out of her nightmares for years. But she really didn’t want him running screaming from the room, freaked out when she started sniffing him.
Roman put the slices of cake on a table and held out a chair for her. Rin sat, then watched as he pulled out his own chair and settled into it. He put an elbow on the table and leaned close, facing her.
“Let me first say that I had no ‘immediate connection’ with your sister, as you put it, and I’d much rather be sitting here with you than her.”
Rin simply nodded, fascinated at the look of irritation on his face at her family’s attempt to hook him up with Tina.
“Second, if you didn’t look exactly alike, I don’t think I would’ve ever
guessed you were related.”
She ignored the looks comment. She knew she didn’t hold a candle to her prettier sister. “I’m sorry about that. My mom is really a good person; she’s just had a weird life and feels as if Tina is her, and our, last chance to be happy. She goes overboard.”
Roman didn’t look appeased. His “hmmm” was noncommittal, and Rin somehow knew he was being diplomatic and not wanting to say anything really harsh about her relatives. He went on. “And so you know, what you eat when and what time you like to go to bed has nothing to do with me liking you. Maybe your sister was telling the truth and trying to somehow turn my attention, or maybe she was lying for the same reason, but regardless, I feel comfortable with you, Rin. I’ve enjoyed talking with you. I’m attracted to you.”
“She wasn’t lying,” Rin told Roman honestly. “You don’t have to try to make me feel better for being a fuddy-duddy. I’m okay with it, honestly.”
He chuckled. “You have a hard time taking a compliment, don’t you?”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I meant it as one. But obviously I’m rusty,” Roman admitted a bit self-deprecatingly.
“You said you’ve been working all day. What do you do?” Rin knew her question came out of left field, but she wanted to steer the conversation away from herself, and what time she may or may not go to bed, and the fact that it seemed Roman was trying to flirt with her.
“I’m a wilderness guide.”
“A wilderness guide?” Rin repeated, having no idea what the heck that was. The look on her face must have been comical, because Roman burst out laughing, and held out a fork to her so she could eat the cake he’d picked up for them.
“Yeah. I get hired to take people out into the great outdoors and teach them how to survive. I also run tours along the Appalachian Trail in the summers.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Don’t get what?”
“You get paid for that?”
“Yeah, Varinia, I get paid for it. You’ve never taken a tour and had a guide with you? Whitewater rafting? Hiking? Horseback riding? Anything?”
Rin laughed and took a bite of the cake. It was delicious, of course. As if Cassia would have anything less than orgasmic cake at the last-chance party for her daughter to find a man. “No. I’m not exactly an outdoorsy girl.”
“Now that’s a shame,” Roman said, clearly teasing her. “Nature is beautiful and there are so many wonderful things to do outside. You’ve seriously never been camping?”
“In a tent? No. I’ve spent the night in my car when I had to drive cross-country once, but I don’t think that counts.”
“No, that doesn’t count, and it definitely wasn’t safe.” He mock glared at her. “I’d love to take you on one of my overnight hiking trips to show you what you’ve been missing.”
“Really? Um, I don’t do nature very well.”
“Then you haven’t done nature with the right person.”
How he could say something so innocent, but still make it sound dirty, was beyond Rin. And he was so smooth she couldn’t tell if he was doing it on purpose or not. Even though she’d never had the urge to sleep outside with the bugs and in the heat, somehow she knew Roman would make it a completely different, and exciting, experience.
Feeling flustered, and trying to keep herself from agreeing on the spot to go camping with him—and do anything else he might want to do with her—she blurted out, “Where do you live? You told my sister you aren’t from around here, but that could mean you’re from tons of places…”
As if he’d been around her forever rather than the thirty or so minutes they’d spent together, he followed her train of thought easily. “Not too far. I live over in western Pennsylvania. I could’ve driven home tonight, but it’s been a long day and I’m tired. I’d planned on getting a good night’s sleep and heading back in the morning.”
Rin was curious now. It wasn’t every day she met a wilderness guide. Heck, she’d never met one. “There’s not much that’s nature-y about Columbus, Ohio.”
“You’d be surprised how many hidden trails there can be in a city, but yeah, I wasn’t hiking or anything today. I spent the day with a group of Girl Scouts. The troop leader hired me to show them some of the things that the Boy Scouts are learning. Apparently, some of the members in the group found out what their brothers were getting to do with their troops, and demanded the same thing. I got to show them how to tie knots, pitch tents, and recognize things like poison ivy and oak in the woods. It was awesomely fun, but I’m beat. I had no idea ten little girls could ask so many questions. I swear if I hear the word ‘why’ one more time, I’ll scream.” Roman smiled as he said it, so Rin knew he was teasing.
Every word out of his mouth made Rin want to get to know him better. “So I take it you don’t have kids?”
“Nope. Never been married either. You?”
“No. Not even close. How old are you?” As soon as the question came out of her mouth, Rin was embarrassed. “Oh God, I’m sorry. Don’t answer that, it was extremely rude.”
Roman chuckled. “It’s okay. It’s only fair, since I know that you’re twenty-five today. I’m thirty-four.”
Rin grinned at him, happy she’d guessed his age right earlier. Thirty-four was older than she thought she’d ever be attracted to, but it wasn’t as if she wanted to jump a grandpa’s bones, so she’d take it. “Actually, our birthday isn’t for another couple weeks but Mom didn’t want to chance it.”
“Chance what?”
Lord. She hadn’t meant to say that. “That long story I mentioned earlier, involving soul mates.”
Roman relaxed against his chair. “It’s not like I have anywhere else to be. Hit me.”
“I don’t want to. I’m liking this.”
“This?”
“Us, talking normally, without you looking at me like I’m an escapee from the looney bin.”
“Come on, Varinia, it can’t be that bad. I’m sure I could tell you some things about me that would freak you out just as much.”
“Like what?”
He considered her for a moment before confessing in a low voice, as if there were other people around who would love to hear what he was about to tell her, “I used to sneak out of bed at night when I was little to watch princess movies. I don’t know why we had them, since I don’t have any sisters, but I loved them.”
Rin gawked at Roman for a moment. He looked so sheepish that she couldn’t help the guffaws of laughter that escaped her. She laughed so hard she actually snorted, then covered her face in embarrassment. Could she be any more of a dork?
At his chuckle, she looked up and sighed, still smiling. “Okay, okay. I think that’s more sweet than embarrassing though. But you fessed up, so I will too. But I’m only doing it because in another few weeks, it won’t matter anyway.”
Roman put his hand on her forearm and said seriously, “If you really don’t want to tell me, don’t. It’s fine. I don’t think anything you could say right now would make me think less of you. In case you haven’t realized it, I like you. It probably sounds creepy, but from the second I saw you standing behind me in the lobby, I’ve been drawn to you. And I don’t know what happens in a few weeks, but I really hope that whatever it is we have lasts longer than that. Talk to me.”
“Uh, well, okay.” Rin took a deep breath and asked what she’d been thinking since she’d first gotten close enough to Roman to smell him; again, the question seemingly coming out of the blue. “You asked me in the lobby if we’d met before.”
Roman nodded but didn’t speak, letting her get whatever it was she wanted to say out at her own speed.
“I know we haven’t, but the thing is, I feel like I know you from somewhere,” Rin insisted, putting off telling the story of her family legend.
“Wanna hear something weird? I do too, it’s why I asked earlier. But I swear I’ve never laid eyes on you before in my life. There’s no way I would’ve forgotten you.”
<
br /> Ignoring the warm and gushy feeling she got from his words, Rin asked, “Maybe you met Tina and just forgot? We are twins, so even though she looks different from me, you know, with her hair and her clothes and stuff, we’re still identical.”
“No, I haven’t met her either,” Roman denied. “And while she might look different, I’d be able to tell you apart even if you had the same haircut and were wearing the same clothes. You look pretty much exactly alike, from your beautiful green eyes to your cute nose and full lips, but there’s just something about you that makes you very different from Tina.”
“Oh. Um. Thanks.”
“There goes that not-accepting-a-compliment-very-well again.” Roman reached out a hand and ran a finger over her cheek briefly before pulling back. “I’m drawn to you and it’s not about anything that Tina also has. This is gonna sound corny but…it’s as if my soul recognized yours.”
Rin could only stare at him. She felt her heart speed up.
That was it exactly.
Before she could respond, he asked the question that wasn’t all that much of a subject change since they’d been talking about souls. “Now…long story about Tina trying to find her true love?”
“Okay, um, yeah. But you can’t tell anyone here. It would embarrass both Tina and my mom.”
“Of course. I know we just met and you don’t know me at all, but I wouldn’t break your confidence.”
Rin took a deep breath and began the crazy story. “It all started thousands of years ago with a woman named Theodosia and her husband, Lucius…”
Chapter Five
“It’s amazing that the ring has been passed down for hundreds of years from mother to daughter,” Roman said in awe, as if trying to wrap his mind around the possibility.
“I know. Some of the stories about my ancestors I remember, but I know lots of others are lost, which makes me sad. The thing is, though, for some reason, it’s been…broken, for lack of a better word, for the last few generations, and why my mom calls it a curse now instead of a legend. My great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother weren’t lucky enough to find their true loves by the time they were twenty-five.”
Ever My Love: The Lore of the Lucius Ring (The Legend of the Theodosia Sword Book 2) Page 44