Page 15 of His Smile
“I meant what I said the other day, you have a beautifulsmile,” she blurted out without any thought.
Like a switch being flipped Roman’s laughter died, and hegave her burning look before changing to a tight, mean smile. “Enjoy yourengagement party.”
Walking towards the door, Roman grabbed the handle.
Spinning around on the ball of her foot, she felt the fabricof her clothing spin around her legs as she watched him about to leave. Shedidn’t want him to go not yet, not like this. “Why would I want Dev when I haveyou?” she threw out the question as her last Hail-Mary.
He didn’t turn around; his broad back didn’t move as hestood perfectly still. “You have no idea who you are playing with, Rahina.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” she allowed. “But I do know I like beingaround you and I think you like being around me too.” She held her breath asshe uttered the presumptuous words. She had hoped he liked her, and she knewthat if he really did hate her company as much as he claimed, he would’ve madeit undoubtedly clear to her weeks ago.
Seeing that he wasn’t going to say anything, she spokeagain. “Will you be in your office for lunch tomorrow?”
Turning to look over his shoulder, Roman raised one brow andgave her a tired stare. “Why ask? Nothing seems to stop you.”
Chapter 7
“It’s amazing that none of your dealership employees bat aneye at the fact that you stroll in every day with that gun strapped to yourchest.”
Sitting on the couch, Rahina sat with her sock-clad feetpressed to the edge of his coffee table as she balanced a textbook on herinclined lap. She had been highlighting various lines in the book andoccasionally chewing on the end of her pink marker. Looking back down at hislaptop screen, Roman thought of the handful of employees downstairs as heopened an email marked important.
“I don’t speak to them, there is a manager who oversees themand that manager reports to Alexie.”
“So, they are more like decoration?”
Roman cut his eyes to hers from his screen, taking note ofher playful expression as she waited for a reply to her goad.
Leaning on one arm of his office chair, he gave her a thoughtfullook. “I suppose they are just as decorative as your degree.”
With her mouth agape, Rahina clutched the left side of herchest as if she had been mortally wounded. “Oh wow,” she said in shock. “Thatwent to the bone, you cruel man.”
Resisting the urge to smile, Roman gave a small shrug beforelooking back to his laptop. “I aim to kill.”
“Well, consider me fatally wounded from that low-blow,” shemurmured, turning back to her book.
The email was from Tasha Lannic, the woman he assigned torun one of his most information lucrative businesses, The Iniquity. Located ina five-story unmarked building, The Iniquity was the largest most exclusivebrothel in the Northeast offering every conceivable scenario the clients couldimagine. There was nothing The Iniquity could not offer, and for that, theclients paid handsomely. However, money wasn’t the topic of this current email.Muting the sound, Roman played the attachment. Roman watched impassively as theChief Justice of Massachusetts lie on a bed fitted in plastic, the man made anexpression of pure ecstasy as two young men pissed on his naked body. What wasa couple of million dollars in profit compared to a lifetime of unquestioningloyalty from a man with public sway and power?
Looking back up to Rahina, Roman watched with a knowingsmirk as her legs bounced restlessly against the table. She was antsy. It waspathetically easy to see she was no longer interested in studying. When she hadburst into his office earlier, she practically leapt across the room in aflurry of smiles and long limbs. Roman had wondered if the energetic dancerever not smiled.
The memory from last night of her smiling at the young manon the video resurfaced in his mind. Seeing her smiling and following the otherman out of the room stirred at something long forgotten inside of him.
“Ugh, I can’t do this anymore,” slamming the book shut,Rahina stood up and stomped purposely over to him.
Closing his laptop, he watched as she perched at the cornerof his desk, letting her long legs hang down over the sides as she leaned backon to her hands. As usual, she wore her clothes from practice, today it was aloose peach colored tank-top that nearly reached her knees with black tightsunderneath. Settling his gaze on the large puffy ball at the crown of her head,Roman found himself picturing her again in her attire from last night. The finelines of her beautiful face did not take his breath away, her tall, gracefulfigure draped in exotic fabrics did not make the world stop around him. Seeingher dressed like that, smiling and glowing with extraordinary beauty didsomething worse, it tempted and toyed with dormant dark craving he hadforgotten about. Her dazzling smile only served to scratch at the walls ofsomething darker, something far more consuming—something he had been trying toshield her from.
“So, what do you do when you’re not up to nefarious deeds?”She asked, swinging her feet in boredom.
“You are assuming I am not always up to nefarious deeds,” hecountered.
Sitting forward, she grinned with anticipation. “You’retelling me that at every moment of every day you’re always Mr. Big Brawny andBad?”
Hi didn’t miss the way her large almond eyes scanned hischest with ill-concealed captivation. Either she wasn’t aware of her blatant looksof longing or didn’t care, either way, it was a completely new and amusingexperience for him to be openly lusted after. “There is never any rest for thewicked,” he replied.
Laughing, she shook her head. “Nuh uh, I refuse to believethat. So, that would mean you’re a bad-ass even in the shower?”
Adjusting slightly, Roman leaned one elbow nonchalantly onthe arm of his chair and propped up his chin with his fist as he raised onebrow pointedly at her. “I wear a waterproof gun holster in the shower.”
Her smile grew exponentially before she doubled over inlaughter. Gripping the edge of his desk, she laughed silently before catchingher breath. “Okay, what about when you sleep?” She managed between breaths.
