Page 29 of The Roman's Woman (A Singular Obsession)

“I don’t own it. I simply run it,” he hedged.

Mentioning that he and his family had controlling interest wouldn’t help matters right now. He stared at her downbent head, his stomach somewhere around his knees.

“Sophia, all I wanted was a chance to get to know you. I never wanted to hurt you. Please believe that.”

There was another long pause but eventually she nodded. “I believe you…but I think you should go now.”

His face fell. He couldn’t blame her for how she felt. But it was too soon for him to give up. “All right. Um, I’m going to be in town for a few days. Can we talk later? Have coffee or something? I could come by the lab.”

A look of what he hoped was mock horror spread over her face. “Absolutely not.”

Gio wrinkled his nose. “I am sorry about that, too. The accident was my fault. I should have done it some other way. Surprising you at work was a bad idea.”

“Yeah, no shit,” she muttered, looking down at her hands.

He frowned. “I had no idea lab work was so dangerous. You should use some of that grant money to hire an assistant to work with the hazardous chemicals.”

Sophia sat up straighter. “I like to mix up my own solutions. Consistency is better when you do it yourself.”

“But if it’s dangerous—”

“Gio.”

He stood, uncomfortable. He wanted to press her. Her safety was everything to him, but it would have to wait until he was in better standing with her. And he would be. All he needed was one more chance. There would be no need for another.

“All right. I’ll go. Is Kelly staying here tonight?”

She shrugged.

“You shouldn’t be alone. Ask her to stay. You need to be monitored. Chemical pneumonitis is a possible complication, or so I’ve learned in the last few hours.”

“Look, Gio—”

“I’mstaying,” Kelly called out from the bedroom in a sing-song voice.

Embarrassed to realize everything he’d said had been overheard, he flushed. “I’ll be in touch, okay?”

Deciding that giving her a chance to say no would be a bad idea, he took his leave.

****

Kelly popped out of the bedroom, wineglass in hand, bouncing up and down in excitement.

“Oh, my freaking God!” she said, sloshing her glass.

Sophia frowned. “I’m glad you brought chardonnay instead of a red…and that I don’t have carpet,” she said dryly as some of the wine landed onto the hardwood floor.

“Oh, sorry,” Kelly said, putting down the glass and curling up on the couch next to her. “Day-um.I knew he was handsome from the tabloids, but in person, he’s gorgeous! Like knicker-dropping gorgeous. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband, but that hair and thoseeyes. Not to mention that square jaw—doesn’t it just make you want to lick it up and down? Did you do that with the billionaire?”

Yes.

She shot her dear friend a dirty look and some of that enthusiastic energy subsided.

“Okay, okay. He’s a liar, and we hate him. I’m totally on board with that, for however long you want to play it that way.”

Sophia collapsed on the couch cushions. She drew her knees up, hugging them to her chest. “You think I should forgive him, don’t you?”

Kelly laughed. “Actually, I think you should punch him in the balls…and then possibly maybe think about having coffee with him so he can continue groveling for forgiveness.”

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