Page 94 of Forbidden Games

She considered it for a full thirty seconds. “I’m going to shower andthenI’m going to go find him.”

“That’s my girl!”

18

Allie’s intentions were all well and good, but she couldn’t find Roman.He wasn’t in his office, and no one seemed to know what his schedule was—and he hadn’t answered any of her calls. By the time the afternoon rolled around, she was on the verge of despair.Maybe I misread the entire situation and he really wasn’t interested beyond the gym and now he wants nothing to do with me.

Not sure what else to do, she sent him a quick text.I’m sorry. I’d like to talk. Can we meet somewhere?

Her phone buzzed before she had a chance to set it down.Where are you?

He wouldn’t respond to any of her calls, but he responded to a text—because of course. Down was up and up was down, just like it had been since she’d met Roman.The gym.

Stay there. On my way.

Her heart leaped into her throat and she had to swallow several times before she was able to force her thumbs to type out a reply.Okay.

She tried to busy herself with paperwork, but she kept watching the clock and wondering what was going on. Allie wanted to talk, for sure, but Roman’s abrupt texts made her wonder all over again if this was a mistake.

No. Stop it. You care about him, and you’re going to fight for him, damn it.

She clung to that thought for the next twenty-five minutes. When someone knocked on her office door, she nearly bolted out of her chair. “Come in!”

Roman walked through, and the sight of him was like coming home. He wore a pair of dark slacks and a button-down shirt that did wonders for his shoulders, and the look he gave her when he breached the door was one of a returning hero. As if he had craved the sight of her as much as she’d wanted him.

She opened her mouth to say all the things she’d had running through her head for the last day, but stopped when she registered that he wasn’t alone. A petite silver-haired woman stepped into the room. Her face was ageless enough that Allie couldn’t tell if her silver hair was trendy or all natural, but she could only be termed a handsome woman. Her bone structure was a little too strong to be merely pretty, and she carried herself with a confidence that filled the room.

Roman shut the door and turned to Allie. “I’d like to introduce you to Clare Belford—the investor who hired me.”

She froze. “I know that name... You’re the woman who runs Safe Places.”

“I am.” Clare’s voice was low and melodious. “I’m really impressed with the operation you’re running.”

“I—Thank you. I love your work. You make such a difference in so many women’s lives.”

Clare moved closer to her desk. “Roman here told me about your concerns—which are perfectly valid—and I wanted to meet you to reassure you that I have every intention of staying true to your vision. I would like to incorporate your shelter into Safe Places and expand Transcend to pair new gyms with the current shelters in the cities Roman suggested. And I would also like to hire you to stay on as general manager of both the local shelter and the original gym. I know it’s not the same thing as owner, but I’m prepared to allow you full autonomy provided you operate within the parameters you’ve already established.”

Allie couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. It was everything she could do not to cry. In all her imaginings of how things would go down with her shelter and gym,thiswasn’t even on the list of possibilities. She cleared her throat. “That sounds wonderful.”

“Don’t give me an answer now. Think it over and let me know by the end of the week.” Clare reached out and shook Allie’s hand. Her grip was just as confident as her personality. “I’m glad we were able to meet.”

“Me, too.”

Roman waited for the door to close behind Clare to speak. “I’m sorry.”

She still couldn’t quite process the turn of events. “I thought you couldn’t talk about who your investor was.”

“I signed a nondisclosure agreement. It’s standard because the job can get a little sticky when it comes to negotiations and some investors would rather not be identified beforehand for their own reasons.”

The dots connected with a snap she could almost hear. “You asked her to talk to me.”

He hesitated. “While it would have been great if you’d trusted me on this, I understand why you didn’t now. You have more than just your life at stake, and going into the situation with only my word isn’t sufficient. I knew if you met with Clare, you would understand that this will only mean good things for both the shelter and the gym—and more women than you can reach on your own.”

Allie took a breath, and then another. “Roman, I don’t know what to say.”

“Then just... I have to apologize—actually apologize. I was pissed that you wouldn’t trust me, but I was asking you to do all the bending and I wasn’t putting anything on the line to keep us on equal footing. So here it is—I love you, Aphrodite. I know it’s too soon and you have reservations, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to be with you. If that means you need time, then I’ll give you as much time as you need.” The tense look on his face conveyed how much he liked that idea, but he charged on. “We can go as fast or as slow as you want, butIwantyou. So unless you don’t want me back, this is happening.”

God, she was more than a little in love with him, too.

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