Page 22 of His Smile
“Because from what I can tell there is only one person’sopinion Rahina actually listens to,” Roman answered dryly. “And that is you.”
Chewing on her bottom lip with a scowl, Rubina glanced backat the screen. Rahina had her hands against Calvin’s chest in a halfheartedattempt to push him away as he leaned down to whisper into her ear.
“God, I hate him,” she said through clenched teeth.
“As do I,” Roman responded with a warped sense ofcheerfulness that Mosca knew to be wary of.
Not taking her eyes from the scene on the monitor, Rubina'sshoulders sagged a bit as she reluctantly gave in to the madman standing nextto her. “You’re a criminal.”
The statement wasn’t quite a question nor an accusation, butRoman answered with twisted good nature. “That I am.”
“You’re dangerous,” she said as if reminding herself of thefact.
Roman simply smiled, that large familiar smile that had beenmissing for weeks now, a smile that should have set the room on edge but onlyfilled the men that knew him well with the flooding sense of relief. Thank God,he was back Mosca thought without an iota of guilt. Mikhail even relaxed in hisseat at the silent realization and whipped out his phone, most likely to textAlexei the update.
“Indeed,” Roman replied.
Clenching her fists at her sides, she turned and facedRoman. “But I hate Calvin more, he is a cheating lying piece of shit.”
“Hate does not even begin to cover what I am currentlykeeping in check,” Roman confessed, staring back at the screen.
Completely giving in, Rubina let out an exhausted sigh.“Then what are you waiting for, please go and stop that,” she gestured to thescreen. “Before she does something stupid.”
As if he was a hound of hell finally set free, Roman walkedtowards the door.
“Don’t make me regret this,” Rubina called out just as heopened the door. Turning to look back at her, his eyes glowed in amusement asthey clashed with the intensity of hers. “I promise if you hurt her, you willregret making an enemy of me.”
Every man’s face in the room except for Roman’s lifted insurprise at the temerity.
Non-pulsed Roman smirked. “I can honestly say I believeyou.”
Chapter 10
Rahina did not like the way Calvin was looking at her. Hiscaramel colored eyes were looking at her with a much undeserved possession shedid not appreciate. There was once a time she thought that his eyes were sobeautiful she had often found herself daydreaming silly thoughts of what theirchildren’s eyes would look like—she was an idiot. Calvin Masters turned out tobe a smooth talking, six-foot-nine compulsive liar.
Hardly listening to his empty words of reform and cajoling,Rahina rested her hip against the rod-iron railing and looked him up and downtrying to determine what she ever really saw in him. How could someone sojuvenile ever end up on her radar? It was like facing an embarrassing memory.
“You can’t just stop loving me that easily,” Calvincontinued to try and gain some ground in his argument.
Looking over the railing, she cast a bored eye over thecrowd, there were fewer people than there was an hour ago; the party was comingto an end. Smiling, she waved at few friends as they made their way to the doorbefore turning back to Calvin.
“Oh yes I can,” she replied dryly. “I’m a very pridefulperson, it might not seem that way but let me assure you I am. You walked awayfrom me, Calvin,” she pointed a gold painted nail at him in accusation. “Youwere the one who told me you didn’t have it in you to be faithful.Coincidently, breaking up with me just before I received private messages fromone of your groupies bragging quite proudly, she slept with you and was even sothoughtful she included pictures of your sleeping face.”
Calvin at least had the dignity to wince at the allegation.Running a smoothing hand over his wavy black hair in frustration, the tallplayer shifted on his feet. “Come on, Rah,” she had to hold back the flinch atthe sound of the nickname he used to use, a name she once liked. “Just tell mewhat to do, tell me how I can fix this.” Stepping forward, he put his hands onher exposed waist. The contact to her skin surprisingly did nothing, nofamiliar wanting, simply nothing at all.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mario stand from thelounge seat immediately. Rahina knew he had been watching the entireinteraction looking for any opportunity to break them apart. Besides from hersister, no one hated Calvin more than Mario. Sparing him a silent but heavilyinfused glance, she reassured him she had this handled. Because she couldhonestly say for the first time, she did have this thing with Calvin handled.The exciting ten-month relationship she had with a ballplayer was her firstreal relationship, her first head-over-commonsense love and though she hadgotten past the broken heart portion of it, she could never really admit shewas past the hurt until now.
Tilting her head up so that she could look directly in hiseyes, she smiled sweetly. His long fingers tightened possessively at her hip ather sudden promising response. “Calvin, listen to me carefully,” she began in asweet voice. “We do not belong together, and we will never be together. Soplease stop calling my phone, your number is blocked. I wish you a successfulcareer and have a happy life.” And with a decisive step back, Rahina pulledfrom his grip and turned away.
Her phone, which was hanging from a cross body gold chainpouch, buzzed at her hip. Checking her phone, she stared disapprovingly at themessage. Rubina’s text said it was too crowded and she was taking an Uber backhome. Annoyed, Rahina looked around the club noticing the open patchy spots inthe slowly thinning crowd. What was Rubina talking about, at this point peoplewere leaving, the party was almost over?!
Attempting to see if she could catch Rubina still at thefront of the club, Rahina hurried down the metal stairs all the while typing ascathing reply to Rubina along the lines of betrayal and abandonment on herbirthday.
“Rahina!” She heard Calvin’s heavy footsteps behind her onthe stairs. “We aren’t done, we are going to finish talking about this.”
“We are finished talking Calvin,” she yelled back as shereached the main floor.
Smiling and thanking her friends that greeted her as shepassed by, Rahina squeezed through the remaining milling people. She recognizedmost of them as friends and loose connections through Mario. Often time shewould joke with Mario and accuse him of using her party as really just a partyfor himself. Making it to the front door, she smiled at the large, presumablyRussian, bouncer who stood watchfully next to the door. Since the party wasnear its last leg, the front door wasn’t nearly as crowded as the exit door onthe opposite end of the wall.
