He shifted so their knees nearly touched.
Roman caught her stare and held it. “I’m proud of you, Sadie.”
Her parents told her that often. Heck, even Eli had told her the same. But when Roman said it, her insides went all melted honey in chamomile tea.
“Why?” She picked at the hem of her dress.
He didn’t even know her. What did he have to be proud of?
His gaze bore into her. “You did what you set out to do. You were set that you’d change the world with the law. That’s what you’re doing.”
Not exactly. Mostly, she settled arguments for clients and tried to get them as much money as she could. Being a divorce attorney wasn’t exactly saving the world the way she’d hoped. She did believe that her work mattered, and she enjoyed family law. But nothing was what she’d expected—in her career or in life.
The fact that she’d become a divorce attorney had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with the fact Roman had walked away. That was simply the first step in a long line of steps that brought her to this particular professional choice.
“Thanks.” She glanced away. His intense gaze was just too much.
They sat together in silence, Lothario hopping to her lap and settling there before nudging her so her hand rested on top of his little head.
She could feel the fissure forming in the mask she prided herself on. The one that she’d perfected. The one no one had ever been able to see through. Roman didn’t seem to realize how bare she’d been stripped. Nerves exposed, she wished the sofa would swallow her whole.
Roman moved closer to her on the cushions.
Sadie didn’t scoot away. Didn’t want to.
“I want a shot.” Roman’s voice was softer than she’d ever heard it before. “With you. I want a shot.”
That determined focus Roman could direct at a person hit her straight in the chest. There was a time when she’d have given anything for a lifetime of that kind of focus.
She reached out to him, gifting herself with this one moment. She traced the pad of her thumb over his lips and along his jaw, reacquainting herself with the sculpture of his face.
Exposed nerve endings all over her skin fired and purred.We’re touching Roman Dvornakov!They seemed to hum.We like it. Keep touching him.
He turned his cheek in her palm so his mouth pressed against her fingers. Then he picked up her hand in his and linked them together.
Sadie moved closer to him, tipping her face so it aligned with his, allowing herself to run the tip of her nose along the length of his. Their breaths mingled. She was pretty sure he was going to kiss her.
Damn it all, she couldn’t let that happen.
“I can’t,” she said.
Roman didn’t pull back. “Give me one reason.”
“I’m committed to…” What could she say?Her job? Yes,she’d decided when she moved back that her focus had to be on her work. It was what mattered and guys like Roman—or any relationship at all—interfered with that commitment.
“I just…there’s just…” She pushed against his shoulders, finally moving away. “I’m not on the market.” Her body screamed at her that this was ridiculous. Her career couldn’t do the things that she knew from experience Roman could accomplish.
She had decided, after an abundance of stilted relationship attempts and abrupt stops, that she was 125 percent committed to her career.
“There really is someone else.” He looked the way she’d felt when she discovered that the healthy cookies she’d bought at the bakery near her apartment in The Loop neighborhood of downtown Chicago were really calorie-laden carb balls.
Dammit, everything was confusing right now. Once again, he took her silence as an affirmative, and Roman looked like he’d been struck.
He stood then, holding his hands out in what seemed to be surrender. “Sorry. I didn’t realize—”
The door pushed open and Babushka breezed through.
Lothario had retreated to his doggie bed. He lifted his head up, gave a little grunt, and settled his head back on his paws.
