“What the fuck, Lavinia?” Josh’s voice is loud and grating, shattering the safety of Roman’s arms. “You’re dating him and you’re angry at me for bringing my girlfriend?”
I’m turned away from him and in my peripheral vision, I see him reach out to grab my arm. I brace myself, but Roman is there before Josh can touch me. He grabs Josh’s hand, twisting it away from my body.
“Be very careful how you speak to my girl. You lost the right to talk to her and touch her when you walked away. You don’t get to blame me for taking my chance and you don’t get to blame her for being happy. Unlike you, I want to give her everything she deserves, everything she asks for, or needs.”
Jaw flexing, Roman leans in towards Josh. “And if you ever try to touch her, I’m going to break your goddamn hand. Are we clear?”
I try so hard to keep my heart inside my body, gritting my teeth and grabbing it with both hands as it tries to escape my chest and land in front of Roman, demanding to be loved—I can be so dramatic sometimes. I need to have more self-respect for myself. Roman is helping me out as a friend, and I’m not going to fall for the first person who respects me. What the fuck is that about?
Josh turns red but doesn’t get the chance to say anything more when Jessie opens the restroom door and steps out. Her eyes bounce between me and Roman, down to Roman’s arm around my waist, and back to Josh.
“Everything alright?” She asks.
“Couldn’t be more perfect.” I smile at her, taking Roman’s hand and leading him away.
TWELVE
LAVINIA
“Thank you for doing that,” I whisper to Roman, as I walk him to the family suite.
“I told you he’s a fucker with the personality of a wet blanket,” Roman says. “Seriously, let me go back and I’ll take care of him for you right now.”
“I need a drink,” I say.
I push open the door and walk into the suite. I look around for my family and find my dad talking to Drew and Roman’s father. My mom is talking to Mrs. Maddox, Jules is with the grandmothers and Aunt Constance. Jules looks up when I walk in, her blue eyes looking down at Roman’s and my joined hands, and raises an eyebrow.
I’ll tell you later, I mouth.
“Your parents are here,” I tell Roman. “I didn’t see them before. Do you want to go meet them?”
Roman’s expression blanks as he turns to find his parents. Neither of them is looking in our direction. He turns back to me with a smile on his face, but I don’t miss the tightness in his eyes.
“And leave my girlfriend to fend for herself? I don’t think so.”
Before I can say we don’t have to pretend anymore, Josh and Jessie walk into the family suite. It’s like a ripple goes throughmy family and friends and suddenly they’re on high alert, looking from Josh to me. Roman leads me to the bar and orders me a lemon drop.
“How do you know I like lemon drops?” I sit down at a stool and adjust my skirt so I’m not accidentally showing more thigh than I intend to.
“I’m a very good stalker,” Roman says.
I wrinkle my nose, trying not to laugh. The bartender sets the drink in front of me, and I pick it up, licking the sugar off the rim. Roman’s eyes are heated, tracking my tongue as it disappears into my mouth.
For the first time, I notice what he’s wearing. Black pants with a black shirt that he’s left unbuttoned down to his chest, the sleeves rolled up to show the tattoos on his arms, his hair is wet, but as it dries, pieces of it curl and fall on his forehead.
I think I swallow my tongue with the lemon drop.
“Lavinia, there is something I have to ask you,” he says, voice dropping low. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
I nod, still distracted by his chest. There are tattoos peeking out through the gap in his shirt and I want to see more of them. The ones on his arms are distracting enough.
I see a hint of a compass by the crease of his elbow and most of his forearm is tattooed with part of the world map, wrapping around his arm. The work is intricate and detailed, the lines thinly defined. Gosh, it must have taken hours, days of pain and patience, to get it.
Roman puts two fingers under my chin and tilts my head back until our eyes meet.
“Eyes up here, Blossom.” He smirks. “On second thought, feel free to eye-fuck me any time.”
I roll my eyes and look away from him, taking a sip of my drink so I can pretend my cheeks are heated because of the alcohol.
