“I don’t know,” she murmurs, looking out the window. “You’d have to tell me more about her.”
He inhales deeply, drumming his fingers along the steering wheel. “She’s … incredibly smart. Organized. Very Type A. Logical and driven. Honestly, the complete fucking opposite ofme,” he says, unable to stop. “She has this … great laugh. It drives me crazy when I get to hear it, but she’s also pretty closed off, so I don’t hear it as often as I’d like. She doesn’t like asking people for help or letting them know when she’s struggling. She actually quite … stubborn, but fuck if I don’t like the thrill of changing her mind.”
This time he does look her way as he gets caught by a red light, the glow casting beams within the car. She faces him fully, a pained expression crossing her face, before turning away as the car starts moving again.
“She sounds … like a lot. Are you sure she’s worth the hassle?” Her voice comes out quiet as she toys with her fingers in her lap.
One minute.
“Yeah, she’s worth it,” he says, drawing to a stop in front of a one-story house. He puts the car in park, before turning to face her. For a while, they both just stare, then he clears his throat. The cabin of his car has somehow increased in temperature despite the air conditioning being on.
“Roman,” she says, her eyebrows pinched together in thought.
He leans forward, resting his elbow on the console. “Jahlani.”
“What are you doing?” she asks in a whisper as she looks up at him. She licks her lips, and his eyes mark the motion, his patience running thin.
He knows the answer she wants but decides to tell her what she needs to hear.
“I’m trying very hard not to cross this line that we have here,” he murmurs, tracing a finger through the air between them, “but the longer you stay in here with me, the harder it’s becoming.”
She shuts her eyes, her head shifting slightly as a sound of disdain climbs its way out of her throat. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
His head falls to his shoulder as he watches her take several deep breaths. “But you came anyway.”
Her eyes open, her lips parting. “You … stole my bag,” she murmurs. “I didn’t have a choice.”
He laughs, running a hand down his mouth. “You always have some kind of rebuttal.”
She shrugs, turning to grip the door handle. “Thanks for the ride. Let me know if you need help again. I really didn’t mind. I’ll see you?—”
Roman’s hand shoots out before he can stop himself and he’s pulling her closer toward him by her wrist. She lets out a sharp exhale, as she catches herself with a hand to his chest, a few inches from him. He wets his lips, his pulse punching against his skin as he draws himself further to her, their noses brushing.
“Jahlani.”
“Don’t,” she says, her breath ghosting his mouth as she curls her hand into his shirt and he wonders if it’s to restrain him or to restrain her. “Don’t do it. You’re a mess. I’m a mess. This won’t work. The rules.”
“Fuckthe rules.”
He sighs deeply, a low rumble in his chest, his jaw clenching as he grazes his nose across hers. A discreet exploration of what she’s willing to give. The skin on the right side is slightly raised, a tiny ridge that tells a story. He makes a mental note to ask her about it next time. She lets out a shuddering breath, a tremor that flows through her body when his lips continue to trail along the bridge of her nose and begin a deliberately slow descent down the side of her cheek before he presses a soft kiss to it. It’s gentle. Feather-light. A toe in the deep end of the pool to test the waters.
He sucks in air and pulls back, letting her wrist go. She blinks back at him, pupils skimming across his features.
“Thank you again,” he says, his voice coming out thick. “For watching Lucy.”
Her fingers trail across her cheek as she gives an absentminded nod. “Sure,” she says, clearing her throat. “Goodnight, Roman.”
He watches as she slips out of the car and walks toward the door. She spends an alarming amount of time with the key, and he rolls the window down.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she calls back, but her breath is shaky. “Just an old lock.” He sees it land on the floor and a string of curses fall from her lips. He unclips his seat belt and cranes his neck.
“You need me to?—”
“Nope. I got it.”
She pushes with her shoulder and the door swings open. As the porch lights flicker, he laughs as he pulls away from the curb.
