There was a beat of silence. “It’s been difficult moving on with life. Even though I wasn’t there for Hannah much, I loved her. As cliché as this may sound, I always thought there’d be more time. I can’t believe I almost lost both of you girls in such a short time. Thank God you’re okay.”
Lydia looked helplessly at Roman who finally stood. “Would you care to join us for lunch?”
That wasn’t what she’d had in mind. Well, she didn’t know what she wanted Roman to do to make the awkward situation better.
“I don’t want to intrude,” he said, but he kept eying the empty chair at the table like he really did want to intrude.
“Please, join us,” Lydia insisted. “This is Roman Draksel. Roman, this is Warren Montgomery.”
Her uncle looked surprised. “Draksel? Like the young man Hannah was seeing?”
Roman adopted a suitably somber expression. “Yes, Nathaniel was my brother.”
Lydia’s uncle sat and gave Roman a sympathetic look. “Losing a brother is a difficult thing. There are days when I find myself reaching for the phone to call my brother, only to remember that he’s gone. We lost him seventeen years ago. Poor Lydia was eight at the time.”
The waiter brought their salads, giving Lydia time to think. Where the hell had her salad fork gone? Then she remembered Roman had taken it away so she snagged his. Roman didn’t appear to be interested in eating.
“Would you like to see a menu?” The waiter asked her uncle.
“No, I’m meeting someone soon,” he assured them. “I’ll only intrude on this table a little longer.”
With a smile, her uncle reached across and patted her hand which was kind of awkward while she was holding a fork.
Lydia wasn’t sure how to feel about her uncle’s behavior. Older than her father by two years, her uncle had been determined to be the shining star in the family. As a result, he worked most of the time when Lydia visited Hannah. Lydia didn’t have any contact with the man after her father’s death. Well, his personal assistant sent notes and extravagant gifts for special occasions. The same was true for his relationship with Hannah. From what she remembered, her uncle had been too much of a control freak to drink heavily so maybe guilt was the cause of his strange behavior.
“I’m surprised to see you out here,” Lydia said as she moved her salad around. “Do you have a business meeting?”
“Your aunt wanted to do some shopping. Not sure why she had to come all the way down here.”
Lydia’s aunt and uncle lived near Seattle, but her aunt had friends in Pacific Grove and traveled to this area every month or so. Her aunt’s presence was no surprise, but her uncle only traveled for business. Hannah was probably the only rich girl who had never gone on a single family vacation. Warren Montgomery was far too busy for that sort of thing.
Great, no one was talking! Lydia never did like uncomfortable silences. “Is Aunt Victoria out shopping now?”
“Yes.” Then her uncle shifted uncomfortably in his seat before speaking again. “I suppose you should be the first to know, we’re expecting a baby.”
Lydia had taken a sip of iced tea and she spit it across the table, barely missing Roman. Never one to worry about tact, she gasped out, “Why? Aunt Victoria hates children.”
“We were surprised. Victoria is in her mid‑forties so we assumed that her late cycle was due to early menopause. I had a vasectomy years ago, but I suppose it reversed itself.” By the end of the explanation, her uncle’s voice was more like a mumble.
“Well, congratulations are in order,” Roman said. While speaking to her uncle, his eyes hadn’t left Lydia’s. Obviously, he was worried.
“No, congratulations most certainly are not in order!” Lydia snapped. “They completely ignored Hannah growing up. That was on the days she was lucky. On the unlucky days, my aunt tried to make Hannah feel like a failure. These people should never be allowed to procreate. Good Lord! How could you do this to a poor innocent baby?”
Roman shifted his weight and cleared his throat.
“You’re right,” her uncle finally said. “Hannah deserved better growing up. I should have taken you in after your father died, but Victoria was in a bad place and I was wallowing in my own self‑pity at the time.”
Of course, the man couldn’t just apologize. Nope, that apology had to be followed by a long‑winded excuse. Lydia was trying hard to get her temper under control. She wanted to scream but that was a bad idea. After several deep breaths, she spoke. “There was no way you could have taken me away anyway. Even though my mom is a total flake, she’s still my mom.”
“Actually, she isn’t.” Those softly spoken words were Lydia’s breaking point.
“What the fuck!” Her shout brought stares from several other restaurant patrons. Had it not been for Roman, a manager would have already come over to ask her to keep it down. “Now, I know you’ve been drinking so I am going to assume that’s why you’re coming out with all of these fucked up confessions. If that woman isn’t my mom, why would she keep me all of those years? Seriously, it would have been much easier to find a new husband without the built in family.”
“The trust in your father’s will may have something to do with it. Almost everything went to you, but she could draw on the trust for living expenses. I can’t think of any other reason for her to raise you.”
Well, that made her feel so much better. Nothing like being told that you were nothing more than a way to get money.
“Who is my real mother?” Lydia demanded. Roman obviously sensed her distress because he moved around to her side of the table and placed both hands on her shoulders.
“Mr. Montgomery,” he began, “while I understand you have a lot going on, my wife is recovering from an illness and this stress is not good for her.”
“Wife?” her uncle asked in confusion. “When did you get married? We didn’t receive an invitation.”
“It was a small event,” Lydia said numbly. “I’m not sure I would have invited you if it had been a large event.” There was a twinge of guilt over the pleasure her uncle’s flinch gave her. Under normal circumstances she might have tried to sugar coat it some, but these were far from normal circumstances.
“Perhaps I should go,” her uncle said.
“After answering Lydia’s questions,” Roman said almost angrily.
Her uncle nodded. “At the time, I was caught up in my own life so I don’t know all of the details. At some point your father had a relationship with another woman who became pregnant. That woman wasn’t interested in being a mother, but your father wanted you. Few people know this. Lillian acted as your mother, but I’m not sure of her reasons.”
Lydia snorted. “Probably to keep my father’s money,” she said bitterly. “He would have left her and she’d have had to give up some of the luxuries she enjoyed.”
Her uncle nodded. “Sadly, that likely affected her decision.” He stood to leave. “I’m sorry for disturbing your lunch. I’m also very sorry about . . . . everything.”
Lydia didn’t look at him as he walked away. She didn’t want to.
“Are you okay?” Roman asked.
“No. That was a lot of information to absorb. Would you mind taking me somewhere else? I’m pretty sure my aunt will be joining my uncle soon.”
He squeezed her hand and nodded.
Just then his phone rang. Roman looked momentarily confused as it sang out “I’m too sexy.”
The tension drained from Lydia’s body and she burst into hysterical giggles.
Roman raised an eyebrow. “Can I assume you are responsible for my phone’s disturbing behavior?”
She covered her mouth and nodded. When her giggles were under control she spoke a little breathlessly. “Admit it, you love it.”
“I do not love it,” he said. “I expect you to fix this problem.”
With a saucy smile, she said, “Okay, but the next one might be embarrassing.”
“We’ll discuss this later,” he said
as he pulled his phone out and answered the call. Lydia was impressed with how much he was improving with the phone. He still couldn’t make calls, but he could at least answer incoming calls most of the time.
“What is it Andrei?” he asked by way of introduction. After a long pause, he let out a frustrated breath and motioned for Lydia to follow him out of the restaurant. He dropped two hundred dollar bills on the table on the way out. When they were away from the crowd, he interrupted the caller. “Listen, Andrei, while I respect your love and devotion to your wife, you need to get her under control. She simply cannot continue to behave this way.” He paused again and the color bled from his face. “What exactly do you mean when you say Drew will be on a plane tomorrow?” Another pause. “There is no room at my house. I already have houseguests. Why can’t he stay with Justin and Isaiah?” Roman gave a satisfied smile which quickly faded. “That seems hard to believe.” He was pacing now. “Isaiah is not picking on Drew. Isaiah doesn’t pick on anyone. Dammit Andrei! I do not have time to deal with your annoying offspring.”
Roman stared at his phone with his mouth open. “He hung up on me.”
“I take it your call didn’t go well?” she asked with a smile.
“My nephew, Drew, will be boarding a plane for San Francisco tomorrow. It looks like he’ll be staying with us until I can make other arrangements,” he said angrily.
Lydia thought for a moment. “I don’t remember meeting Drew.”
“You probably have, but were lucky to be one of the few people he didn’t harass. I doubt you’ll get that lucky with him living under the same roof.”
“So what’s the problem?” she asked. “Are you upset about losing your privacy?”
“That’s part of it,” he admitted. “I also don’t need that problem when I’m trying to keep you safe. Drew is young and unpredictable. Considering his mother’s instability, I’m not surprised that he’s a little off. That woman should be put down. Apparently, Andrei needs to clean up another one of her messes and needs to keep Drew away from her for a little while. She has a tendency to get Drew involved in her trouble.”
“Then it seems like a good idea to send him out here,” Lydia said. “Is he dangerous?”
Roman considered that for a long moment. “Yes and no,” he said.
“Care to elaborate?” she asked.
“He can be dangerous and he has proven that many times in the past. He’s also impressionable. Around his mother, he’s more of a problem. He’s on his best behavior around Tempest. He follows her around like an obedient puppy.”
“How old is he?” Lydia didn’t remember meeting any younger cousins. He sounded like he was probably in his early teens.
“I believe he recently turned twenty‑two,” Roman said after some thought.
“Based on what you said, I assumed he was younger.”
“Well, adolescence seems to last forever in our kind. It goes from about age twelve until nearly thirty.”
Lydia shuddered. “Then I’m even more glad I can’t have children. Eighteen years of teen rebellion is more than any parent should have to handle.”
“It is a challenge,” Roman said.
“At his age, I’m guessing Drew gets on Aiden’s last nerve by following Tempest around?”
“That’s an understatement, and it’s why we can’t put him with them.” A thoughtful look passed over his face. “He does well with Sofia. Maybe she’ll agree to take him with her when she leaves.”
Lydia patted his arm. “He can’t be that bad.”
“Tell me how you feel tomorrow.”
“Come on,” she said and grabbed his arm. “Let’s head home. I have a surprise for you. Sofia and Ursula agreed to stay out until late tonight so I could give it to you.”
His lips curled up into a sexy grin. “A surprise that requires privacy? Will this involve another one of your games?”
“You’ll have to wait and see,” she said and tried unsuccessfully to flip her hair. Damn, that had been one of her sexiest moves.
“Then we should hurry home,” he said and tossed her over his shoulder.
“Roman!” she squealed. “What are you doing?”
He chuckled. “Getting you home as quickly as possible. I know another place we can stop for lunch. They’re fast and more secluded. The mischievous twinkle in your eyes leads me to believe that we’ll both need a lot of energy.”
Chapter Twenty
Lydia made a dash for the kitchen and found the supplies Sofia had picked up sitting on the counter. As requested, they were in a plain brown paper bag. Sofia was proving to be a great partner in crime.
Roman was still standing in the foyer, hands tucked in his front pockets. One eyebrow lifted in question when he saw the paper bag.
“Wanna go upstairs and watch a dirty movie?” she asked with a sexy grin and a wiggle of her hips.
Roman’s eyes widened. “A dirty movie?” he asked, obviously intrigued.
“This movie is guaranteed to get you hot. There is also this sexy club we should visit. It’s in the Los Angeles area, but I’m sure you’ll find it worth the trip.”
Roman removed his hands from his pocket and moved forward slowly. “Tell me more about this club.”
“After the dirty movie. I want you in the mood.”
His lips spread into a sexy grin and he looked down at his pants. Lydia followed his gaze. “I’m already in the mood. That seems to be a constant state when I’m with you.”
She crooked a finger at him and started walking backward toward the stairs. “Let’s go watch that movie.”
Roman followed her up the stairs obediently. When they reached the bedroom, he stopped inside of the door. “I should probably admit that I’ve never done this with a woman.”
“You watch a lot of dirty movies alone?”
“No,” he admitted and looked a little embarrassed. “This is new for me. Should I undress?”
Did he really have to ask? “It doesn’t really matter what the setting is, the answer to that question will always be yes. Seeing you naked always makes me want to do the happy dance.”
He chuckled and started to undress. “I love your blunt nature. I love the fact that you aren’t afraid to tell me what you feel.”
She couldn’t help but stare at his well‑muscled chest when the shirt came off. “I’m really hoping to feel you soon.”
“Trust me; you will,” he assured her. “You’ll feel every inch of me.”
“Promise?” she asked.
He nodded and slipped his pants off.
Lydia forced her gaze away from his body and put the DVD in the player, carefully concealing the case in the bag. “You are really gonna enjoy this,” she assured him with an impish grin. She slipped out of most of her clothes, leaving her bra and panties on because Roman always enjoyed removing them himself. Then she slid into bed with the remote control in hand. Leaning forward, she barely brushed her lips against his, eliciting a growl from Roman.
“Woman, I’m not sure we need a dirty movie.”
“Sofia told me about your fetish,” she said and lightly raked his chest with her fingernails.
Roman tensed. “Sofia told you this?”
“Mmmm hmmm,” she said and hit the play button.
Roman’s eyes widened as the opening credits to Cinderella began to play.
“Apparently, you have a thing for Disney princesses. Since you haven’t had Cinderella yet I figured this would get you really hard.”
“Lydia,” Roman said in warning.
She gave him her naughtiest smile. “There’s this place in Anaheim where you can even go to get a princess makeover. Wanna see me change from Rapunzel to Cinderella? Does that get you hot?”
Roman laughed harder than she’d ever heard him laugh. “Disneyland? That was the sexy club you were talking about?”
She grinned and snuggled into his side. “I couldn’t resist.”
He continued to chuckle. “You never cease to amaze me.” Then he s
obered. “How are you handling things? You’ve had more shocks than I have today.”
That was an excellent question, but she wasn’t sure how to answer it. “I don’t know how I feel. Obviously, I’m pissed about Hannah’s mom being pregnant, but then I remember that I’m going to have a new cousin. With Hannah off playing dead, I may be the closest to a loving relative that kid has. I can’t pretend the baby doesn’t exist. Which actually makes me more pissed because now I have to call my aunt.”
“And about your mother?” he pushed.
“Now, that’s a good question. The whole situation is kind of ironic. Here I am saying I wish she wasn’t my mom and it turns out she’s not. After what I said, one would think I’d be overjoyed, but I’m not.”
He stroked her back and kissed the top of her head before grabbing the remote and turning off Cinderella. “It was strange timing.”
“The thing is, she’s still my mom. No denying that she sucked as a mom, but she was better than Hannah’s mom. What I told my uncle about it being all about money doesn’t make sense. My mom has issues, lots and lots of issues, but she’s not all about the money. She’s all about finding a man to love her. If she was about the money, her husbands would be rich. Sure, my mom has the guys sign pre‑nups, but that’s smart.”
“I have to ask you something,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Did she know about the problems you had with the men in her life? Did she know they tried to hurt you?” He sounded angry again.
Lydia shook her head. “There was this one time that my mom was suspicious, and that husband was out of the house so fast I didn’t even know they were splitting up. After that, she kept asking me if anything had happened and telling me we could have him arrested. That incident got me six months of therapy.”
“Why did you lie to her?”
This really wasn’t something she liked talking about. Still, maybe it was time to talk, and it felt right talking to Roman. “I was fourteen when it happened and blamed myself. By that age, I was doing my best to shock everyone around me. I dressed in skimpy clothes, said crude things, and kissed boys at school. So when my step‑dad grabbed my ass and tried to kiss me, I figured I was asking for it.”
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