Page 90 of Roman

She was quiet for a moment, pushing at my hands. She stood and paced the room. “So, you expect me to marry you, hide on the estate, be a little on the side when you’re in the mood, while you, what, live here, screw whatever or whoever you want? You expect me to be a good little wife and keep my mouth shut? Grow old with nothing and no one? Maybe I would rather die quickly.”

I stared at her, shocked at her words. I recalled Luca’s advice and knew I had to fix this.

“No, Effie. I realize I worded that wrong. We will live at the estate. Together. As husband and wife. You will have the protection of my name. My men will watch over you when I am not there. I will adjust my schedule and be home more. We can travel. Have children if you want.” I took her hands back in mine. “You will never have to work again, Effie. Never have to worry about a mortgage or your safety.” She looked down, and I slid a finger under her chin. “You must feel this attraction between us, Effie. It is almost a living thing. I need you like I have never needed a woman. You calm me. Center me.”

“You paid those men all the money Marianne took?”

“Yes, I canceled that debt and then some.”

“So now I owe you.”

I shook my head. I owed her more than she would ever know. “I am not asking you to marry me because you owe me.” I cupped her face. “I cannot stand the thought of you out there alone. Without me. I want to protect you. Care for you. I want you to care for me. Calm me with your body and your lovely voice. Laugh with me and remind me not to be so serious all the time.”

She whispered the one word I couldn’t give her. “Love.”

“I can’t promise you that. This is what I am capable of. Caring for you. Protecting you. I vow to build a life with you. Be faithful to you. I will take my vows seriously.” I captured her lips, kissing her. “And that, Effie. That spark between us. It is what connects us.”

She was silent.

“Marry me.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Yes. You can stay here in the hotel. Live here. Be escorted by my men when you leave. But I will not see you again. I will carry on with my life and you will have yours, but it will be limited. As my wife, you will have everything.”

“Except love.”

“Men like me don’t love.”

She shook her head slowly. “You really believe that.”

“I know it. I offer you my name, my fidelity, my protection, and my bank account. It is all I have.”

Effie frowned, tears in her eyes. But she didn’t cry. She extracted her hands and walked away, stopping to face me.

“I disagree. I think you have so much more to offer. And what you can’t see is worth more than your bank account and everything else put together.”

The bathroom door clicked shut behind her.

EFFIE

I stared in the mirror, studying my reflection.

How could I look the same when my whole world, the life I knew, was changing? From the moment Roman Costas stepped into my diner, nothing had been the same. Everything I knew was gone. Any semblance of the life I’d had disappeared.

Now my choice was to marry the man.

So that I could stay alive.

I hung my head, cursing Marianne. Where she was, what she was doing, I had no idea. No doubt she forgot about me the moment those thugs dropped me in the trunk. She went on her merry way, once again shirking responsibilities and not caring who she was leaving behind or what she had done. She’d been like that her whole life, but not even I suspected her capable of doing what she had done to me.

Marrying Roman Costas. I had vaguely recognized his name when he introduced himself. I knew he was important. Powerful. His presence indicated he was scary.

How I had ended up here, I still didn’t understand. But I would forever be grateful to him for saving me.

Grateful enough to accept his marriage proposal? Or, really, his demand.

I wasn’t sure Roman was used to asking for anything. He was too much of a control freak. He took. He ordered. He commanded, and he got what he wanted.