Page 102 of Prelude To You

When I put the coat on, it wrapped me in a soft hug, and for a moment I imagined myself back in Roman’s arms.

I grabbed my small evening bag and the gift bag with the cameo. And Roman’s note. It was everything that belonged to me. I was leaving behind so much. As Roman said, these memories had to last a lifetime.

I lingered, reliving the moment just a few hours before, when I made the decision to sleep with Roman. And everything that followed. Every merciless touch, every fiery kiss, every sweet whisper, every delight of eager anticipation and all those moments he sent me soaring into oblivion. And him inside me, filling me, giving me so much pleasure…

Oh God, stop. Just leave already.

I opened the bedroom door to the rest of the penthouse, somehow deliriously expecting to find Roman there. But anunsettling silence greeted me, and I made a beeline for the elevator. I had to get out of here. Now.

“One moment please,” a deep voice called out, scaring the living daylights out of me. I spun around.

A man emerged from the shadows, all suited up, ensconced in a predatory vibe.

Ignoring the fear in the pit of my stomach, I found an outlet for my despair. “And who the hell are you?”

“I’m Steven,” he said, as if that explained everything.

My heart was pounding in my throat for all the wrong reasons. Was this creature here to make sure I hadn’t taken anything from the penthouse? Was this really happening right now?

“I’m here to make sure we’re all on the same page,” he continued, as if reading my thoughts. His tone was delicately sprinkled with all the warmth of a starving reptile. “To eliminate any possibility of photos, videos or other recordings of what happened here tonight.”

What happened here tonight, dear God.Why did he make it sound like we were sacrificing baby goats at Satan’s altar? Then a terrible feeling invaded me. “Please tell me you don’t work for Roman.”

“I do… I sure do,” he said, his smirk apparently permanent. “So, if I could check all the devices you have on you right now, we can speed this up and have you on your way.”

My heart sank. A silent whimper escaped my lips. Was this really what it all came down to? It took a minute for my heartbreak to morph into gritty composure.

I put my small evening bag, the gift bag and the note on the dining table. “Help yourself,” I said, forcing him to step toward me. “I have nothing with me.”

“Where’s your cell phone?”

“I left it in the car coming over.”

He remained stone-faced. Still, he sauntered over and checked everything, which took him all of ten seconds. It was when he read Roman’s note that a glimmer of concern passed over his features.

He folded the note up again and glared at me. “You need to know that you will not see him again. I’m sure you’re still hoping right now, but there is simply no possibility of that ever happening. It will also not be a good idea to try to find or contact him. That would only lead to embarrassment for you both. Just so we’re clear on that.”

At that moment, everything came crashing down. Agony brushed my spine. It wasn’t like Roman hadn’t told me up front. But then things changed. Unless the entire night in the penthouse was my goddamn imagination.

Steven handed back my evening bag and the gift bag. “We’re all good here,” he said. “You can leave.”

“You still have something that belongs to me,” I said calmly.

“Oh, this?” He looked at Roman’s note, shrugged casually and handed it back to me.

My ability to be gracious started to wear down. This guy wasn’t here to do anything other than intimidate the hell out of me. Which didn’t say much about Roman or the women he dated, if he needed this guy to handle them afterward. My graciousness took a drastic detour.

“How does it feel to do Roman’s dirty work?” I asked.

“It feels fine. But I don’t consider it dirty work. You’re the first woman who wasn’t vetted beforehand, so this almost qualifies as dirty work.”

I snarled. “Vetted?”

“You’ve met Cassandra. Lovely woman. Heiress to a candy fortune. A class act. She’s vetted.”

Nausea stirred up in my stomach. “How romantic,” I said.

“You should take it as a compliment,” he added without an ounce of irony. “Roman has never felt the need to break the rules or buy a woman expensive jewelry. Tonight, he did both. That’s why you’re going to leave here and you’re going to forget what you did and who you did it with.”