Devoured - Cathryn Fox Page 0,48

walk away. I head toward Roman, who is standing still on the basketball court, his eyes dark and deep, locked on mine as I saunter toward him.

I keep my steps even and measured, resisting the urge to run, not only to put distance between Richard and me, but because of the need to be close to Roman, to revel in the way his strength always wraps around me. I step up to him, and as he lightly runs his fingers down my arm, he dips his head, positioning his mouth inches from mine. Being close like this, his strong hands on my body, has a way of soothing my worries—making me think things will be all right. But not everything will turn out all right, and I can’t think about the loss that’s going to slice through me when this man goes back to New York.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice low and steeped in concern.

“I feel 100 percent better.” I crinkle my nose. “And I was bored.” Okay, maybe bored isn’t the right term. Maybe lonely is a better way to put it. Without his big presence in the villa, it was just a big open space. Stark. Empty. Lonesome. That’s insane, considering I love alone time.

He frowns and rubs his hands up and down my arms to chase away the goose bumps. “Did you think I couldn’t handle this?”

“Well, you did say you were terrified,” I say with a laugh. “But I can see you have everything under control.”

“The kids are great.”

“Honestly, I just needed a breath of fresh air.” Needed to see you. “The kids seemed so happy to have you here.”

“Not true. They were all asking for you.”

My heart flips and my gaze rakes over his irresistible face. My God, what have I gotten myself into here? “Really?”

“Really.” Concerned eyes move over my face. “You do look a lot better.”

I laugh at that. “After last night. My God, I couldn’t have looked worse today had I tried.”

“Not true. You were adorable.”

“You, my friend,” I say, and poke his chest, “have become an awesome liar.”

He frowns at that. “I don’t lie, Peyton. Well, except for this pretend marriage, but we’re fighting an unfair system and had no choice.” He looks past my shoulders. “What did asshole want?”

Unwanted thoughts of Richard push back the warmth in Roman’s touch, leaving room for dread to invade and spread through my blood. A hard quiver goes through me. “He asked about our wedding, and where we got married. Paula’s been doing some digging. I think they know something, Roman.”

“They don’t know anything.” He clenches his jaw and his muscles ripple. “They’re just trying to rattle you.”

“I never let on, but I think he succeeded.” I shake my head, guilt eating at me. “This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have dragged you into this mess.”

“It’s fine.” He shakes his head, takes a deep breath and lets it out fast. “Maybe we should just get married for real,” he blurts out.

My entire body goes stiff. Holy, that flu must have affected my hearing, because no way did he just say we should get married for real. “What did you just say?”

“Maybe we should have a ceremony here, something small. We could play it off that we decided to renew our vows on the beach.”

“Are you serious?” Maybe I’m still in bed, lost in fever and having a bad dream.

But the thoughts of being with Roman, coming home to him every night, the two of us sharing hopes, goals, the good and bad, is not a bad dream at all. It’s a fairy tale and I don’t believe in them. I need to keep myself grounded in reality. It’s the only way I won’t get hurt.

“You still there?” he asks, his gaze roaming my face. “You went somewhere else for a second.” He frowns. “I’m not so sure you’re over this flu just yet.”

“I am. I’m fine. You just took me by surprise.”

“I can tell.” He laughs, pulls me to him and after all the kids file back inside, he presses a kiss to my forehead. “You can stop looking at me like I just grew another head, Peyton.”

“I’m not going to ask you to go through with a ceremony, Roman. You’ve done enough already, and I know how you feel about marriage.”

“You’re one to talk,” he says, his voice low and intimate. His eyes narrow, like he’s waiting for a counterargument. But I have none.

“When you’re right, you’re right.