Page 18 of Tempted By her Daddies

“Cathy? But it doesn’t sound anything like Cathy.”

“I know.” That reminded him, he needed to call his sister. She was the only family member he still kept in touch with. She’d stuck by him when his mother and father disowned him.

Although Tiberius had helped him get everything he wanted from the family estate. And Hadrian checked in every once in a while.

Perhaps not all members of his family hated him.

“Another epiphany?” she asked.

He shook his head, suddenly realizing that he’d been standing there like a numpty while she sat with unattended scrapes.

“I apologize.” He kneeled in front of her and reached for the laces of her skates.

“What . . . what are you doing?” she asked in a strange voice, reaching out a hand to touch his.

He froze.

He hated being touched.

Detested it with strangers.

He snatched his hand away. For some strange reason, he didn’t feel completely disgusted at her touch.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” he replied in a husky voice. “I’m just a weirdo who doesn’t like being touched.”

“Don’t call yourself that,” she said fiercely. “There are lots of people who don’t like to be touched. And I should have asked first.”

Wow.

Not everyone was that accepting of his ‘quirks.’

“Thank you. What’s wrong?” he asked as she stiffened, her eyes moved around their surroundings.

Had she seen something? She was tense.

“You shouldn’t be kneeling in front of me,” she told him. “You need to get up.”

“Why can’t I kneel in front of you?” He looked around again, but no one was really paying them much attention. What was the issue?

“Well . . . you . . . I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem right. You shouldn’t kneel to me.”

There was a light blush on her face. His confusion grew. Why wouldn’t it be right for him to kneel in front of her?

“I’m just going to take your roller skates off, then help you put your shoes on, all right?” he asked gently.

“Um, yes. It’s just that I can do that.”

“With sore knees and scraped up hands? I don’t think so. Now, give me your shoes.” He used his firm voice.

The one he hadn’t realized he had until . . . well, until just before.

Roman held out his hand. He wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Roman wasn’t entirely sure why this made her uncomfortable.

With a sigh, she shuffled off her backpack. He took it from her, not wanting her to use her hands too much.

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