Page 15 of Cold

ChapterSix

VITO

Romare was a puzzle.

I watched him over the top of my laptop. He sat in the living room, curled up on the couch chuckling at a cartoon. Ever since our discussion about his cat and his family the day before, he'd been off.

There was something wrong with him. On the outside, he looked like any other upbeat, bright, young man. But every once in a while I caught him watching me.

Not in a harmless way, no, it was the gaze of a predator. I knew that look. I used that look. But as soon as it flickered across his freckled features, it was gone again. And I was left wondering if I was going off the deep end.

Romare pulled his legs up closer to himself and smiled. That look did something to me. Despite everything he'd gone through, there was an air of innocence about him. Who are you, Romare? His gaze flickered over to me and the frown that had consumed his face the entire morning came back.

"Do you need something?" he asked as he sat up. "Am I...supposed to be doing something?"

I frowned. "No, of course not."

Romare fidgeted. "Are you sure?"

I raised a brow and he went back to watching Tv. Squirrely little thing. Romare was constantly on edge, but that wasn't a surprise. After his time with the Russians, he was a mess.

A knock rapped on the door, and I walked over to it with my gun drawn. I peeked through the peephole carefully only to be greeted by a puff of pink hair and a big, pearly grin. Tom.

I opened the door. "You almost got shot."

He rolled his eyes. "Always so dramatic," he said as he looked past me and smiled at Romare. "There you are! How are you?"

Romare stood up from the couch and adjusted my shirt carefully. "I'm alright," he said quietly, but there was a smile on his face. "How are you?"

"Isn't he just adorable?" Tom cooed. "And he has manners. You don't find that in young people anymore." He turned and snapped his fingers. "Hurry up, girl! We don't have all day."

A woman quickly hustled through the door. She laid two suitcases on the floor before she went back out into the hall and grabbed two more. Once she was done, she panted and looked at Tom for approval.

"That's all," he said. "Go away."

"Yes, sir."

I closed the door after her and raised a brow at Tom. "New assistant?"

"Yes, of course. If you keep the same ones around for too long, they get comfortable and nothing is worse than being comfortable." He waved a hand around. "Come, Romare. Let's look at what I've brought you. We can have a little fashion show."

His eyes lit up. "All of this is for me?"

"Every last one, sugar." He patted Romare on the head and grinned at me. "Isn't that right, Vito?"

My stomach tightened and I sucked in a sharp breath. There was nothing wrong with Tom touching him, but at the same time there was. "I will rip your hand right off."

"Testy," Tom teased before he winked at me. "Fine, I'll behave. Let's get some underwear on you first, Romare, and then you can try all of this on." He held up two packs. "Pick your poison. Boxers or briefs?" He raised a brow. "Or panties?"

I swallowed so hard it hurt. Living life detached from everyone and everything, I hadn't looked at a man for more than five seconds. A quick hook up, a fling, a weekend thing; that was all I had in me. And I never gave a damn about them. Their faces blurred together even now.

So why was I so different around a boy I had zero intention of even letting into my bed?

"Um." Romare touched the packs slowly. "I-I don't know how to choose," he said softly. "I was never allowed..." He trailed off and then quickly quieted as if he thought better of what he was saying. He plucked each pack from Tom's hands and turned to me. "Um, what do you think?"

Those doe like gray eyes gazed up at me and my heart stopped. A pang of emotion shot through me. Fuck, go away! I didn't want to feel a damn thing, I never did. But the sweet, shy look on Romare's face was hard to ignore.

"I don't have a preference," I said tightly.

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