“Wait, what? What do you mean ‘got your name?’”
“It’s my name that’s spray painted all over the windows.”
“B, what exactly is written on the windows?”
She paused. “On the big windows it has Bianca spray painted in black. And then on the door it says ‘It’s you or her.”
What?
My heart was in my throat. I opened my mouth and then closed it again. “What is that supposed to mean? Who could’ve done this?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice was barely audible. “Nina’s beckoning me over. I have to go. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”
“B, you’re going to be fine. I’m on my way.”
I could tell she was walking toward a crowd as the background noise got louder. “I thought your plane didn’t leave until Wednesday.”
“I’m backing out of my driveway now. I’m coming to you. I’ll be there in a few hours, baby.”
“Good,” she whispered. “I need you.”
Saying goodbye, we ended the call. I dropped my phone in the passenger seat as I angrily shifted gears to reverse. Rolling the car backward, my eyes darted to the rearview mirror. I had only rolled back for a second when I did a double take. Stunned still, my stomach plummeted as the figure stood at the end of my short driveway.
My hand shook as I shifted the gears to park, but it wasn’t from fear, I was pissed. My eyes narrowed as I glared. Jumping out of my car, my body felt hot with loosely controlled rage.
First Ashton tries to come between me and B and now this!
Trying not to lose my composure, I stopped a few feet away and barked, “What the fuck are you doing here, Meredith?”
----------
Chapter Seventeen
“Have you reconsidered? Have you talked to Monroe? She still won’t take my calls,” Meredith informed me in a deceptively demure voice.
From her short brown hair adorned with a bow to her pale blue dress and cowboy boots, Meredith appeared sweet and innocent. But I knew the truth.
“Have I reconsidered what? Reconsidered telling Monroe that I forgive you for being creepy as hell? Or reconsidered filing charges against you myself? Your old boss doesn’t want to deal with you because you stalked me and your fix for that is to show up uninvited to my house?”
Meredith’s cheeks reddened, but she moved her hands to her slim hips. “Roman, be reasonable. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”
I started seeing red. “Be reasonable? Are you fucking kidding me?” I yelled. With a gulp of air, I settled myself down and lowered my voice. “You crossed a line and you don’t think you did anything wrong. That is the problem. Get the fuck off of my property before I call the police.”
I turned around and stalked back to my car.
I need to get to B. I don’t have time for this shit.
Meredith’s voice cut through my thoughts as I opened my car door. “You aren’t going to call the police.”
I turned and looked at her as she continued, “Monroe is nosey and I was her assistant for a long time. You think I don’t know how an open investigation will look to Charlotte Spence? You think I don’t know why Monroe was the one to file a restraining order and not you?” Her eyes were wide and wet with tears, but her words were frantic, desperate, displaying something else entirely. “The Roman Harper I fell in love with wouldn’t let something so petty ruin my life. Is this who you’ve become since you sealed the deal with Bianca?”
My jaw tightened as I stalked over to her.
Her eyes darted around as she shrank into herself, backing away.
“Do not ever speak her name again. Do you understand me?”
After a moment of hesitation, she tucked her hair behind her ear. “It’s the only way to get your attention.” Her voice was meek, yet accusatory. “She’s changed you.”
I felt my eyebrows come together in confusion at her tone.
She has lost her mind.
“I’m not wasting any more time on this,” I muttered, marching back to my car.
“Just do this for me and I’ll leave you alone. I swear to God, Roman. Just do it!”
Talking over the tail end of her sentence, I interjected, “Move out of my way. I won’t stop the car again.”
I slammed the car door shut and turned my music all the way up. It was an angry song from my run mix so it fit my mood perfectly. Revving the engine as a warning, I backed my car up as Meredith jogged to her own. As my tires screeched down the street, I saw her pull away from the curb.
Losing myself in my thoughts, I drove on autopilot. The early Sunday afternoon traffic wasn’t bad so the faster I drove, the clearer my mind became. The music pounded against the speakers and everything was a blur. The blind rage made me focused and strategic while driving. I was driven by my need to protect Bianca. So I couldn’t help but count down the minutes and the miles until I would see Bianca’s face again.
I hate driving in New York, I grumbled silently as I slowed to a crawl. I didn’t have much longer left in the drive and the closer I got, the more anxious I became. Rush hour traffic ensured that I wouldn’t be able to reach Bianca until after sunset.
As I idled behind an Audi A8 with tinted windows, my phone rang. Glancing down at the screen, my heart ached and yearned for her at the same time.
“Are you okay?” I asked, skipping any type of greeting.
“I’m fine,” she answered. I could hear the tremble in her voice and knew she was lying.
“B,” I challenged.
“Well, I’m better than I was. I’m better knowing that you’re coming.” She paused. “You are still coming, right? I mean, I understand if you can’t. I know you had that meeting with the Virginia Arts program head and…”
Shit!
I had forgotten all about the meeting with Virginia Arts.
I’ll just call and reschedule. Yeah, I’m sure that’s going to make me look like a dick since it’s at the last minute, but it is what it is. I’ll apologize, try to reschedule and hope for the best.
I felt bad for not remembering the meeting, but if I was being completely honest with myself, Bianca could’ve called at any time and I would’ve left. It didn’t matter if I was in a meeting with Charlotte or the President of the United States, if Bianca needed me, I would be there in a heartbeat.
“B, listen,” I interrupted. “I’ll always be there for you. It doesn’t matter what else is going on.”
“God, I love you.”
I smiled hearing the relief in her voice.
“I love you, too. And I should be there in thirty minutes.”
An hour and forty-two minutes later, I pulled into the parking garage a few blocks away from Park Place.
That rush hour traffic was no joke.
“Never again,” I grumbled as I pulled my bags out of my backseat.
Shrugging my duffle bag over my shoulder, I locked my Mustang and hurried to the apartment building. Not wanting to bump into anyone or be rude, I refrained from breaking out into a sprint.
Rushing through the lobby, I impatiently rode the elevator to the ninth floor. Pulling out my key, I turned the lock and entered.
“B?” I called out, entering the well-lit apartment slowly. Every light seemed to be on.
She must be scared, I thought, looking around. I didn’t want to be too loud because I didn’t know if Amber and the baby were there.
Slipping my jacket off, I hung it on the coat rack. Inching further into the apartment, not wanting to scare her, I called out a little louder. “B? I’m—”
My next word halted on my lips and my legs stopped me in my tracks. I was pretty sure I stopped breathing momentarily. The duffle bag slipped from my shoulder and smacked the hardwood floor. My heart pumped hard and fast as warmth spread throughout my entire body.
“Bianca,” I breathed, my sight focusing on the sexiest woman I’d ever seen in my entire life.
Wearing my paint splattered t-shirt and the shortest pair of black shorts,
Bianca was breathtaking. My eyes traveled from her curly mass of hair framing her face to her protruding nipples as they clung to the slightly damp t-shirt. My eyes lingered where the shirt and shorts stopped. Her thighs were exposed and I couldn’t help imagining them wrapped around me. My eyes travelled down to her slippers and then back up her body again.
When our eyes met, she tilted her head to the side. “I’m glad you’re here. I missed you.”
Barely having enough time to register what was happening, I caught Bianca as she leaped into my arms. Wrapping her legs around my waist, she buried her face into my neck. Her skin felt warm and damp against mine and I savored her smell. I inhaled deeply, letting the vanilla and coconut infiltrate my system.
“I missed you too,” I whispered into her ear as I carried her to the couch. Before sitting, I left a trail of feathery kisses down the length of her exposed neck to the collar of the t-shirt. “How are you?”
Readjusting her legs, she made herself comfortable straddling me. Her knees pressed against the outside of my legs and her hands rested on my shoulders.
She leaned down, giving me a quick peck and then she pulled away.
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I sat up so I could reach her lips. As soon as we connected, the love, the longing, and the fear took over. I kissed her hard and with enough passion to take her breath away. She moaned in response and the sound drove me crazy. Something deep in my gut tightened as I felt her full lips move against mine, making me even harder.
Everything I wanted to say to make her feel better, I put in that kiss. Everything I needed to say about how I felt about her, I put in that kiss. I put all of me into that kiss.
Impulsively, I groaned loudly when her tongue grazed mine, sending shivers up and down my spine. My heart thudded in my chest and because we were so close, I could feel hers doing the same.
When we pulled apart, I just stared up at her, in awe. I stared at her mouth, partially because I was waiting for the answer to the question and partially because I wanted her to put her lips on me again. When her tongue darted out and ran over her bottom lip, I ran my hands up her exposed thighs, resting on her hips. I squeezed, fingers flexing in anticipation.
“How are you?” I repeated, failing to keep the lust out of my voice.
“I need you,” she murmured, shifting her weight so that she was positioned directly above my hardening dick. Her brown eyes burned into mine.
I was trying to stay focused on how she was doing, but her body, her scent, her entire being was too intoxicating. I closed my eyes.
Holding on to her hips, I moved against her with an upward thrust.
She moaned and I knew she felt me.
Removing my hands from her hips, I cupped her face, letting my thumbs stroke her cheeks. “I need you too, B. But first things first, I need to know what happened today and that you’re okay.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to talk at all. I just want my sexy boyfriend to fuck me. Is that too much to ask?” She smirked, rotating her hips again.
“B,” I groaned, letting my head roll back. I dropped my hands lower, moving slowly over her chest.
No matter how tempting it is. No matter how badly I want to be inside of her. We will talk and then I will have my way with her, I thought, running my hands over her heavy breasts. I attempted to convince myself silently, but I felt my resolve slipping. She has to talk to me first and let me know that she’s okay. After that, we can—.
Bianca’s lips pressed against mine again, stopping my thoughts immediately.
Letting my hands tangle into her hair, I tugged gently, causing her head to fall back. With access to her hard nipples, I sucked each one through the shirt.
Bianca squirmed in my lap, making my growing hard-on uncomfortable against the zipper in my pants.
“I’m about to bust out of these jeans, B.”
“Then you should take them off.” She tried to wriggle out of my lap so that I could get undressed, but I kept her from moving.
Using the last bit of will power I had, I held her in place. “I’m not taking anything off until after you talk to me.”
She held my gaze and once she saw that I wasn’t backing down, she sighed. Her body slumped and her shoulders sagged as she fell onto the couch beside me. “Where do you want me to start? The fact that the police said they would be in touch or the fact that I got bitched out today.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
She tucked her legs underneath her and turned toward me, waving off my shock with her hand. “I don’t want to cry again. Let’s just enjoy our time together.”
Grabbing her hand from the air, I brought it to my lips. “What happened?”
“The police came and investigated. We filed a report and they dusted for fingerprints and they found a partial print. Hopefully they’ll catch whoever did it and they can explain why they wrote my name of all things.” She shook her head in dismay. “After we got the go-ahead, Nina and I called a cleaning company and had them scrape the paint off of the windows. Then we had a long talk. She said that she trusts my eye and my skill level, but between the emails reaching out to artists with my name on them and the graffiti on windows, it isn’t working out. She didn’t fire me, but…” Her eyes watered and she exhaled slowly, regaining her composure. “I’m no longer heading up the next event. She’s um, concerned about the drama surrounding me.”
Wrapping my arm around her warm body, I pulled her close to me. “I’m sorry, B.”
She rested her head on my shoulder and I nuzzled into her hair. The coconut oil smell filled my nostrils.
“It’s not your fault,” she said quietly.
“The police are investigating and once we know who is behind all of this, you can talk to Nina again. She’ll see that you had nothing to do with this. She can’t just write you off. She has to reconsider and give you another chance. You deserve another chance.”
Bianca didn’t say anything. The silent apartment enveloped us as I stroked her back. Seconds turned to minutes and Bianca remained quiet.
“I need to think about what I have and what I’m thankful for and not my setbacks,” Bianca pointed out softly.
Before I could respond, she uncurled her body from the side of mine and stood up.
“And one of the things I’m most thankful for is you.” She reached out for me, pulling me to my feet. “Get your bag and find something for us to watch. I’m going to get some wine. We’re going to spend some quality time together.”
I grabbed my duffle bag and slung it over my shoulder. Making my way to her bedroom, I paused. She was standing on her toes, stretching to grab a bottle of wine on the top shelf of a cabinet. The shirt she wore rose, giving me an unobstructed view of her perfect ass. Tilting my head to the side, I licked my lips.
“Ahem.” Bianca cleared her throat and my eyes snapped back up to her face. She was looking over her shoulder at me, smiling sexily. “When I asked you to find something to watch, I didn’t mean my ass.”
“Well next time be more specific! And you knew exactly what you were doing with those little ass shorts on.”
Bianca laughed heartily, letting her head fall back. The sound was music to my soul. My heart stammered.
With two wine glasses in one hand and a bottle of 2007 Sassicaia in the other, Bianca turned and strutted over to me.
“I need something to make me forget about this day.” Her words were playfully teasing and I chuckled under my breath as I followed her. “I’m talking about a movie or something, Ro!”
As soon as we entered her room, I dropped my bag. “Yeah, I’m sure you are.”
She put the glasses down first and the moment the bottle of wine met the nightstand, I grabbed her by her waist.
She yelped and half-heartedly squirmed out of my arms. “What are you doing?”
Tossing her to the center of the bed, she landed on her stomach. I smiled as her shirt shifted, exposing her barely contained ass in those little shor
ts. She kicked her legs leisurely.
“Don’t move,” I commanded, gently. Her body froze.
My eyes were glued to the black fabric that stretched across her round ass. The bottom peeked out, tempting me.
Grabbing my t-shirt at the base of my neck, I pulled it over my head. Unbuttoning my jeans and stepping out of my shoes, I quickly undressed.
Letting my fingers dance over the back of her legs, I crept up her thighs, squeezing just under the curve of her ass.
Her response was a muted moan. “Mmm.”
Looping my fingers into the top of her shorts, I kissed the small of her back. “You wanted to spend quality time.” I kissed the span of flesh before the swell of her ass. “And I can’t think of any better way to kick off our night of quality time.” I kissed her again before pulling her shorts all the way down.
Tossing her shorts to the ground, I spread her legs slowly.
Shit.
I licked my lips, anticipating the moment I could taste her. I wanted to take my time and tease her, but the delicious glistening I saw at the apex of her thighs took me over the edge.
I swore under my breath as I ran my hand over my dick. Turned on wasn’t quite strong enough to convey how I felt in that moment. I had been anxiously waiting for her all week. Lowering myself to the bed, I crawled over top of her, careful not to let my dick rest against her wetness. Instead, it rested against the crack of her ass.
Sitting on the back of her thighs, I tugged her t-shirt up and she helped me maneuver it over her head and arms. I threw that to the ground too.
Kneading my fingers into her back muscles, I massaged her.
Between contented sighs, Bianca murmured, “That feels so good.”
Smiling, I worked the muscles from her shoulders to her lower back and then back up again. Leaning forward, the underside of my dick moved against the softness of her skin.
Feeling me slide against her, she groaned which instantly made me harder, bobbing in excitement.
Kissing up her spine, over her shoulder and around her neck, I settled on suckling the spot behind her ear. “Do you still want to watch a movie?” I whispered, letting my lips graze the shell of her ear. “Because if you have something else in mind, I’d love to hear it.”
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