Page 93 of Sinful Temptations

Anybody watching from the back seat would’ve thought we were nuts.

Roman came up licking his lips. “Hmmm, apple.”

Giggling, I slapped his chest. “I told you.”

He looped his arm over my shoulder and guided me forward. With each step toward the door, the eyes of the passengers stared down at me. Embarrassment oozed in like melted cheese, warming me from the inside out. “They’re all looking at me.”

“Of course they are. They’re all jealous.”

“Not helping.” I hissed at him.

“You’ll be fine. Just do what you do best.”

I rolled my eyes his way, capturing his gaze. “And what’s that?”

“Your job.”

I expected to see sarcasm in his expression. But Roman meant every word. “Besides,” he said, “I told them you had to help Luca rescue a foal. The cheese puff one you told me about last month.” His words were like vanilla custard, sweet and comforting.

“You mean Cream Puff.” I giggled, yet tears pricked at my eyes. I paused at the door, turned to him, and rested my hand on his chest. His heart pounded beneath my fingers. He placed his hand over mine and that simple touch had my chin quivering.

“Hey.” He tilted his head, capturing my eyes with his intense gaze. “What’s wrong?”

Tears threatened to erupt like a volcano and I sucked in a shaky breath, forcing them away. I shook my head, stalling for time.

“Come on. You can tell me.”

“Why are you so nice to me? And don’t say I’ll figure it out. Because I haven’t.”

He curled my hair behind my ear, and that simple movehad my heart melting. But when our eyes met and the intensity burning in his honey pools mesmerized me, all my breath stole from my throat. The air stood still.

His expression wobbled. “I like seeing you so happy.”

Oh, God.My heart swelled to maximum capacity. When I captured his gaze, I knew with one hundred percent certainty that I was falling in love.

But in the same second, I also understood that he couldn’t possibly feel the same way.

I had to fight my stupid feelings. Love was not real. Not with anyone, and definitely not with a man as special as Roman.

Neither Luca nor the other guys made me feel like Roman did. They were just sex. Roman was so much more. He captured me with all my being. He made me glow like a field of sunflowers. He made me whole, complete.

But we could never be together. It wasn’t right.

We were at totally different stages of our lives. And I had so much baggage I could fill an airbus. Roman needed someone young and beautiful and free of emotional stumbling blocks.

I eased back from his embrace. “You’re so sweet.”

He blinked at me, his expression morphing into one that I couldn’t read. Disappointment maybe, or confusion. He lowered his eyes and released a huge sigh. Clutching my shoulders, he turned me and gave my butt a gentle slap. “Come on. We’ve gotta get going.”

“Hey—”

Holding my shoulders, he guided me to the door. “Up. Go.”

“Jeez, when did you get so bossy?”

“When you started slacking off.”

“I’m not—” I couldn’t finish my sentence. It would have been a lie. He was right. I had been slacking off. Time to getmy tour leader hat back on. But that pledge catapulted off course when some of the group started clapping. A blaze of heat colored my flesh at my deceitful lies.

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