Page 75 of Forbidden Games

He’d grown up rich with distant parents. Her heart ached a little for the boy he must have been. So alone. In that, at least, there was a thread of similar experiences. The main difference was that Allie would have given anything for her parents to be gone and leave her alone. Well, her father at least. She shuddered.

“It’s okay.” His arms slid around her from behind. She tensed, waiting for him to ask what was wrong, but Roman just turned her to face him and held her closer. Comforting her without prying.

Even though she knew better, Allie clung to him. She wasn’t weak for wanting to lean on someone for just a few seconds.It’s so hard being strong all the time. I don’t know if I can take it. I’m about to fail, and when I do, I’m going to take so many women down with me.Words pressed against the inside of her lips, all her worries and fears that she never gave voice to bubbling up inside her. She clamped her mouth shut and buried her face against his shoulder.

No matter how good the sex, or how wonderful he seemed to be, she couldn’t afford to forget what Roman’s ultimate goal was—the gym and shelter. He might have shelved his ambition temporarily, but that was all it was. Temporary. Spilling her fears would just give him ammunition later.

What if he could actually help?

He can’t. No one can.

Worse, his version of help might be to sell the damn thing out from underneath her. It wasn’t as easy as that, but once she started missing bills, it opened a door she couldn’t close. If she didn’t figure something out, and fast, she wouldn’t have any choice at all in the matter.I need a plan...a better plan than just pushing forward and hoping for the best.

“It will be okay,” he murmured and stroked a hand down her back. “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay, Allie.”

She wished she could believe him.

Allie took a breath, and then another. Self-pity wasn’t her MO. She was the fighter, the one who took people under her wing. She stepped back, and Roman let her go. To hide her embarrassment, she ducked under the spray again. By the time she cleared the water from her eyes, Roman had turned off his showerhead and was drying himself off with an oversize fluffy white towel. He returned with a second one, and she stepped into it after turning off the water.

Roman kissed her forehead. “Come to bed with me, Allie.”

Despite the turmoil in her head, there was only one answer. “Yes.”

10

Roman woke to find Allie gone. He sighed and rolled onto his back.It shouldn’t have surprised him that she’d bolted, but disappointment was sour on his tongue. He stared at the vaulted ceiling for a few long moments before he forced himself out of bed. Lying around all morning wasn’t going to do anything but give him more time to debate what the fuck he was going to do.

Accepting her terms was probably a mistake.But the thought held no strength against the memories from last night. He wouldn’t take that choice back, no matter how thoroughly it might bite him in the ass later.

He pulled on a pair of shorts and headed out into the main living space of the villa. It was a sprawling room containing a kitchen and furniture artfully arranged around the wall that opened to the beach. Roman stopped short at the sight of Allie walking up the steps, sand on her feet and her blond hair windblown.

She grinned. “The sunrise is seriously beautiful today.”

She didn’t leave.He tried to get his reaction under control and to smile in return. “Itisparadise.”

“That’s true.” Allie dropped a kiss on his lips as she walked past. “I got coffee started. How do you take yours?”

Roman had never lived with a woman before. Even when he’d dated—occasionally seriously—his schedule prevented this kind of casual morning interaction. It had never felt like a loss until that moment. He followed Allie into the kitchen. “Black.”

“I should have known.” She’d reclaimed her shirt and shorts, and they looked even better in the daylight than they had the night before. She brought two mugs from the open-faced cupboards and poured coffee into them. After setting his in front of him, she doused hers with enough cream and sugar to make his teeth hurt. She shot him a look from beneath her lashes. “What can I say? I like sweet.”

“I see that.” Even this early in the morning, he was smart enough not to comment on it. He took a cautious sip. “You stayed.”

She stirred her coffee. “I almost left, but it didn’t seem right to sneak out like a thief.” Allie made a face. “Plus, Becka was otherwise occupied last night, so I don’t expect her up and around until a little later. I donotneed to walk in on some kind of morning-after shenanigans.”

He almost asked, but Roman was... He didn’t know how to term his relationship with Becka’s sister anymore. They were friends once, albeit not close ones. They might be friends again if Gideon ever forgave him for meddling in their relationship. At this point, he’d be lucky if he was invited to the wedding.

Either way, it was none of his damn business who Becka Baudin went to bed with. He wasn’t her brother, and he wasn’t her friend. Her sister might have an opinion on that, but Lucy wasn’t here and Roman wouldn’t win any points by running back to her and telling tales. No, Becka was a grown-ass woman and he was going to stay the hell out of it.

Roman leaned against the counter. “Big plans today?”

“We were going to go snorkeling off the reef on the other side of the island. They have a boat that takes you out and they provide lunch, too.” She hesitated. “Do you want to come?”

Yes.

He tempered his reaction almost as fast as it arose. Jumping at her and yanking her into his arms was only going to spook her and make him look like a fool in the process. Instead, he saluted her with his mug. “Only if I’m not intruding.”

Allie raised her eyebrows. “As if you’d let that stop you.”

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