Page 3 of Roman & Olivia
“Clearly, he doesn’t think as highly of me as you do. I thought we were getting closer. I really thought he’d started to see me as something more—” She cut herself off with the wave of her hand. “It doesn’t matter. The point is, I can’t go alone, so you’re going too.”
He studied her, reading enough between the lines to see what she was saying. This guy was blind to the fact that there was a beautiful woman who would probably throw herself at his feet if only he was willing to give her attention. He didn’t like it. Honestly, whoever this guy was, he probably wasn’t good enough for his Liv.
Still, he could see her hurting. “This… Mason. You really like him?”
She sighed. It was one of those sighs that an actress might make when she met her true love in the movies. “He’s amazing. He’s interested in politics, but not like you think. He wants to make a difference, and he knows the way to do it is to work his way up. His dad isn’t even making it easy on him.”
“I thought you said he’s working for his dad.”
She nodded. “But he had to go through the interview process like everyone else.”
He snorted but kept his disbelief to himself. Chances were low that this Mason had to do much to compete with the others.
Olivia was practically drooling over the guy as she continued to talk about him. Roman watched, only interested because itwas clear this guy was made for her—at least to her way of thinking.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” he said when she took a moment to breathe. “But why didn’t you just askhimout?”
She peeked at him, then down at the ground.
He didn’t need to hear her speak the words. In fact, he hadn’t needed to ask the question at all. Roman chuckled. “You are far too old-fashioned for your own good.”
This time she sent him a sharp look. “Excuseme, but this is not about being old-fashioned. This is about making sure that my heart is protected. I’m not going to chase after someone who isn’t interested.”
He could understand that. Olivia had her share of broken relationships. He’d held her when she’d had her heart broken, and it had taken everything in his power not to take down the men who had hurt her.
Lifting her chin with his finger, he stared at her long enough for her to understand that what he was going to say next was honest. “He’d be crazy not to see how amazing you are.”
She huffed, her eyes bright with emotion. “Yeah, well, I think I’m a little too awkward for him to notice anything like that.”
Roman snickered. “I don’t believe that for a moment.”
“It’s true,” she insisted. “Whenever he gets close, it’s all I can do not to fall on my face with embarrassment.”
He shook his head. “You’re one of the most composed people I know.”
“Not with him,” she insisted. “But it’s fine. I’m fine.” She flung her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek to his chest. She was a head shorter than he was, and it had always been easy to hold her when she needed his comfort. His arms came around her, and he rested his chin on her head. “Thank you, Roman. I owe you big.”
“Yeah, you do.”
2
Olivia Whitten
Olivia dragged her hands down her dress, but it did nothing to ease the clamminess of her palms. Roman would be here any second. She’d spent hours getting ready—but not for him. This would be the first time Mason saw her outside of the office or around town. She’d borrowed a dress from her roommate—a beautiful emerald gown that nearly dragged on the ground. Cammi was several inches taller than Olivia, but they were about the same shape. The dress hugged her figure perfectly, and she felt like a complete fraud as she stared at herself in the mirror.
“You look gorgeous. Don’t even worry about what he’s going to think.”
Olivia looked over at her roommate. Cammi stood in the doorway, her arms folded and a smirk gracing her lips.
“Seriously, you’re stunning. Mason is going to eat his heart out.”
Olivia opened her mouth to tell her that Mason wasn’t the one who would be taking her out, but the doorbell interrupted her. Before she could say anything, Cammi darted from the room.
“Coming!”
Olivia rushed after her. “Cammi, wait?—”
The door swung open, and Olivia’s words died in her throat. Roman stood on the other side of the door with a rose in his hand. He was dressed in a black suit with a black shirt and a black tie that shimmered against the opaque background. His hair had been styled with product, his short dark waves falling on his forehead in an almost effortless way.
