Page 71 of Taking What Was His

They were stopped from talking when the waitress came to drop off their beverages and to take their orders.

After she left, Roman laid his arm on the back of the bench behind Beth. “Did your mom tell you that I want you to be my best man?”

“Yeah. I’m totally cool with that.”

“Nice,” Roman said, and they did another fist bump.

Beth scowled at both of them as they continued to make plans for their future.

“Do I get a say in this?” she hissed.

The guys stopped abruptly and looked at her.

Roman shrugged. “I guess if you really have to.”

Jayden laughed.

She rolled her eyes. She saw the wicked light in the man’s eyes and knew he was enjoying this.

“No, by all means, go ahead,” she said and threw her hand in the air.

The guys nodded and went back to planning. By the time the waitress brought their food, Jayden had negotiated two siblings and a reception with the whole family to celebrate.

Since she agreed, she didn’t say anything and ate, enjoying the food and watching the guys bicker and joke through dinner.

Before long, Roman had paid the bill, and they were all headed to his place.

It didn’t take long before she was pulling up right beside him in the underground parking, got out, and grabbed her bags from the back seat. She locked up and smiled when Roman took the bags out of her hands. She and Jayden followed him into the building, into an elevator, and up to the sixth floor.

“This way,” he said and turned right.

Beth took in everything. The building was classy and very upscale. She could definitely see him living here.

She was excited to see his condo. You could tell a lot about a person from looking at where and how they lived. Were they clean and tidy, or did they have clothes and plates strewn around and a sink full of dishes?

He unlocked the door, stepped in, and held the door, allowing them to come in. Her first sight was of a wall of windows on the far side of the large living room. It was a beautiful view of the city, especially at night with the streetlights and stars glowing, and cars and people bustling down on the street. There was a fireplace on one wall with shelving on either side. The shelves were filled with books and pictures of his family. She saw the book she guessed he was reading on the table by the sofa.

The walls were a cream color that matched the slate on the floor that ran throughout. He’d placed a large colorful rug under the furniture to soften the stark look.

The furniture was dark brown leather and large enough to fit his body comfortably.

The place was tidy. She glanced into the kitchen. All she saw on the counters was a coffee maker. The cabinets and the island base were a rich maple.

“I like this.”

He tossed his keys on the table by the door. “It’s good for now.”

“Did you buy this?”

He shook his head. “No, I took over a lease. I don’t want to live in a place like this. I want a backyard and grass I can mow.”

She chuckled. “I get it. I’m not a condo or apartment type of person, either.”

Roman grinned. “Jayden, bring your bags, and I’ll set you up in the spare bedroom. It’s pretty basic, but it has its own bathroom.”

“Cool, now I don’t have to share with my mom.”

“Hey,” she called out. “What’s wrong with me?”