Roman pulled back, giving me space as I pushed up into a sitting position. The sheets slid down my torso, and I grabbed them quickly before they could reveal how naked I still was.
As if Roman hadn’t seen absolutely everything last night.
A mug and a bottle of water sat on the nightstand. I grabbed the water first and took several long gulps, easing my dry throat. Then I reached for the cup. Steam curled up around my face, carrying the familiar scent of jasmine. My favorite.
A small smile spread across my face.
As I sipped my warm tea, a gentle calmness settled over the room. It was kind of the calm that felt fragile after everything that had happened the night before. Rays of sun slipped through the curtains, stretching pale gold across the rumpled sheets.
My gaze returned to Roman.
His attention was back on his phone, one hand cradling his coffee that he lifted occasionally to his mouth. He was still shirtless, his chest bare and perfectly muscled, though I was pretty sure he’d pulled on a pair of sweatpants at some point—which was probably a good thing if he’d gone downstairs to get coffee and tea.
I watched him unabashedly as I took another sip, and then I noticed it. I almost choked on my tea at the sight of the bite mark on his shoulder.
Roman’s head snapped to me as I coughed and sputtered. “Oh my—God,” I wheezed, managing by some miracle not to spill my tea.
Roman frowned. “What’s wrong?”
I gaped at the mark on his shoulder…the mark that was in the exact shape of my teeth. My eyes flicked to his, horrified. “Ibityou.”
Vaguely, I recalled it now, the building intensity as Roman was on top of me, how I was desperate to stifle my scream.
Roman glanced down at his shoulder, and he grinned. Actually grinned. When he looked back at me, he seemed very proud of himself. “You didn’t break the skin, though.”
My mouth fell open as the blood drained from my face. “I think—” I muttered, slapping a hand over my face. “I think I might just die of embarrassment right here.”
“You better not,” Roman grumbled.
I peeked at him from between my fingers. “Roman,” I groaned. “I bit you. Like some kind of animal.”
He leaned into my space, removing my hand. He held my wrist, careful as always with my healing palms. “I like my women a little feral,” he murmured. “I don’t mind a little pain, Golden. Maybe one of these days, I’ll get you to draw blood.”
Holy shit.I forgot how to breathe, especially when he was staring at me like that. Like he wanted to touch me again. Like he wanted to kiss me.
I very much wanted that too.
But then another thought hit me. I didn’t know what he expected from me now. How did this, whatever this thing was between us, affect things?
Was I just the nanny he occasionally slept with? Or something more?
Before I could begin to consider how to voice any of those thoughts, Roman’s phone went off.
That line between his brow deepened, and he reluctantly stared down at the screen.
His demeanor shifted. It was subtle, but he was instantly tense. His thumb moved over the screen and he straightened, widening the space between us.
I shivered in the absence of his warmth. “Is something wrong?”
He didn’t answer right away.
Roman stared at the phone for a few more seconds before lowering it and setting it at his side. “August wants to talk to us.”
“Okay…”
I wasn’t sure why that would be a bad thing, but the strain in his shoulders and the edge in his voice told me something wasn’t right.
Roman exhaled through his nose and pushed a hand back through his hair. “My brothers secured the house last night,” he said. “Boarded up the broken window. Everything should be safe.”
