“You told R that you have a boyfriend?” Marlee frowned.
Sadie took a deep breath through her nose, her mouth pressed into a thin line. “I cannot believe this is happening.”
Well, frankly, neither could Roman, since he had no idea whatwashappening.
“Mar, I got your juice,” Eli said, his presence breaking the tension in the room.
He set the cup of juice on the table beside the bed where Marlee sat snuggling Luke.
Photos complete, Roman tucked Louise back in her fabric-lined bag. “I’ll get these to you soon.”
“You could give them to Sadie,” Marlee suggested, “R.”
“I feel like I’m missing something here.” Roman adjusted the strap of Louise’s bag around his neck.
“With these two, you probably are,” Eli said, deadpan. “Ignore it. That’s what I do.”
“I’ll make sure you get the pictures.” Roman had no phone, but he was pretty sure, if he asked nicely, Eli would let him use his phone to call a car or the security guys at the front desk would let him use a hospital phone.
Or you know what? He’d just walk over to the all-night diner across the street and grab some grub. Then he’d use their phone. Bonus, he’d get second supper.
“Thanks, Roman,” Marlee said, nuzzling the baby still snuggled against her.
“Congrats on little Luke,” Roman replied.
He lifted his chin to Eli. Eli returned the gesture. A quick nod to Sadie—who had gone remarkably still—and he headed out the door. Roman moved down the corridor of the hallway, past the nurses’ station, and through the heavy security doors, stopping at the elevator.
He pressed his thumb on the down button.
“Rome,” Sadie said from behind, breathless. “I—”
Roman turned and Sadie went full-on Sadie.
“Marlee knew there was a military guy,” she said. “She only got the first letter of your name out of me. I didn’t… What we had that weekend, it wasn’t something I wanted to share with the rest of the world.”
Roman shoved his hands in his pockets.
“There’s no guy,” he called her bluff.
“I never said there was,” she replied, innocent like she hadn’t misled him.
Was she serious? Getting away on a technicality? Oh yes, Sadie loved her fine print. She dropped that camouflage veil over her facial expressions, turning into a calculated courtroom attorney.
“Let’s clarify this, shall we?” Turned out he had an attorney mode, too. “Since you’re trying to get yourself off on atechnicality.”
The lip gloss she’d painted on her mouth in the car glistened as she parted her lips. He knew that look. She was ready to take full advantage of whatever technicality bullshit she was going to pull.
Yeah, he really did have that attorney mode, too. Cool and calm with a solid dose of calling her out. “You nose-fucked me, connected with me, and then let me believe you’re seeing someone else?”
“That’s not how it was.” Even as she said it, she backed herself smack-dab against the wall, crossing her arms.
He moved closer, not wanting to spook her, keeping his tone soft. “That’s not what it felt like.”
Sadie’s nostrils flared.
His blood pounded.
Sadie up against a wall? She was spit and fire and—he stepped back. Away. Not that he didn’t like her fire. Hell, it was one of his favorite parts about her. He just didn’t want to screw up a shot with her.
