Page 53 of Breakaway

“We?” Nevaeh asks, fighting a smile.

“We. I’ll go with you.”

Her tee rides up, barely hiding her tits. She takes her mug from the table and presses it to her lips, holding my gaze.“Whatever you want, Roman.” She looks me up and down with a seductive smile. “We need to take him back tomorrow.”

“Awesome,” I say, right as the dog nestles on my lap and lies down. “Do we need to take him for a walk tonight?”

“In two hours. For now can we watchPeaky Blinders? Is that okay with you?”

“I’ll never say no to Tommy Shelby and his family.”

Nevaeh laughs. “You and your love for this show.” She shakes her head. “In all honesty, I understand. I thoughtGame of Throneswas good, but this one is a masterpiece.”

“Wait till you watchVikings. That one?—”

She presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. “Stop. One show at a time, okay?”

I raise my hands in front of me in surrender. “Sure.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes, watching the fourth season. Suddenly, she leans over, her hot breath fanning over my skin. “Don’t think you’re off the hook. I still have questions about your trip to Cancún.”

I turn my head, meeting her gaze. The tension between us is palpable, and it takes a lot for me to not touch her.

“Looking forward to it,” I whisper, fully acknowledging that the dog is the only reason why I haven’t kissed her.

And probably why I haven’t done more than that.

1 ?????? ? ????? ???????, ????. — Pat yourself on the back, Roma.

Not the literal translation.

Chapter 21

Some Secrets Are Worth Keeping

NEVAEH

Sittingon a chair in the kitchen, I watch Roman put a plate stacked with pancakes and a little bowl of sour cream on the table. Our eyes meet, and a smile rises on my lips. Big and open. I just can’t help myself when he’s around.

“How did you sleep in Cancún? Are your nightmares…” I fall silent, suddenly unsure if I should’ve brought it up.

“I sleep better when other people are around,” he says, placing two glasses and some apple juice on the table. “Crawford and his friends rented a villa. It was all good.”

A pang in my chest quickly erases the smile from my face, and jealousy flares in my heart. I twist my lips and squint at Happy, quietly snoring on the floor beside me. The feeling is all consuming, I can’t even find the words to fill this awkward pause.

I saw the pictures from his trip. All the beautiful girls who were there with him. The Stories he posted for his Close Friends list. I wish I hadn’t asked Angie to show them to me. Seeing them didn’t do me any good, only brought me distress and made me feel miserable.

He thought I wasn’t over my ex. No surprise he’d want a rebound.

“Good to know.” I force the words out of my mouth and avert my eyes to the pancakes, avoiding looking at him at all costs. “Okay, can you tell me again what this is?”

“Draniki. Potato pancakes. Nothing fancy, but still delicious.”

“Is it, like, a national dish?” I raise my eyes and see him studying me with a gentle smile on his lips.

“Kinda. Potato pancakes are something you’ll also find in Polish cuisine, in Lithuanian, and in so many others. I’ve tried them in all those countries,” he says with a shrug, setting his elbows on the table. “And I simply love them.”

I place a pancake on my plate, cut off a little piece, and put it in my mouth. It’s savory, with a little bit of salt and probably some onions. The longer I chew, the closer he inches to me. His eyes are glued to my face.

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