apter 34

Blair stored her handbag and placed her phone on her desk before pushing open Roman’s office door, shutting it behind her with more force than necessary.

She barely gave him a second to react before stepping forward, arms crossed, her gaze sharp. “You gave us away.”

Roman didn’t look up right away. He just leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose like he’d expected this. Maybe he had.

His voice was calm, unreadable. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Blair narrowed her eyes, stepping closer. “Kara noticed. She saw it, Roman. The tension.” She’d admit it was partly her fault. “The way you acted. You walked in, handed over the mail, and didn’t even say good morning to me. No hello, nothing. And she knew. It was that obvious.”

Roman sighed, rubbing his jaw, finally looking at her. “I wasn’t thinking about it like that. I’m not used to hiding my relationships.”

“Exactly,” Blair shot back. “You weren’t thinking. And now she knows about us. She won’t say anything, but it’s only a matter of time before other people pick up on it, too. If we couldn’t even hide…” she waved a hand between them, “this in just one morning.”

Roman tilted his head, studying her. “This?”

Blair faltered. “You know what we…are doing together.”

“What is that?” There was a look in his eye she couldn’t quite read.

She sucked in a sharp breath, pulse hammering. He was so frustrating when he did this. The shithead.

Her fists clenched. “The point is, I don’t want everyone to know.” If things didn’t last between them, she wanted to hold her head up high. She certainly didn’t want to be some dirty little secret that Roman had dumped. “About us sleeping together.“.

Silence. Thick. Heavy. Charged.

Blair could feel the tension rolling off him, his whole body tight, restrained.

“Is that all it is?”

What did he want from her? Blair didn’t know. All she knew was that she wanted something she wasn’t sure he would ever give. And because she was so unsure of herself, she wanted to push him. Wanted him to react.

She wasn’t sure why she was pressing his buttons. It was like he was holding back from saying something, from doing something.

Her voice dropped, dangerous now. “We’re scratching an itch.”

It wasn’t true. Not for her.

But if Roman only saw this as physical, then maybe she needed to convince herself of the same.

Roman’s nostrils flared. His chair scraped across the floor as he stood abruptly. The chair hit the windows behind him.

He didn’t hesitate. He closed the space between them. “Careful, Blair.”

She let out a breathless laugh. “Or what?”

Wed, 18 Jun

94%

Heat bloomed inside her. Excitement over what could happen by pushing him. Even though they shouldn’t be doing this here.

Even though this was the worst possible time.

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His fingers curled into fists at his sides, his chest rising and falling. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating off him, see the tight pull of his jaw.

Blair lifted her chin. “What are you trying to do? I’m not afraid of you, Roman.”

That did it.

Roman grabbed her, his hands firm but controlled, pulling her flush against him. His lips crashed onto hers, all control snapping in a single moment.

Blair barely had time to react before she was kissing him back, her fingers threading into his hair, her body pressing into his like she couldn’t get close enough.

It was wild, consuming her with a rush of heat and need.

He kissed her like he was trying to shut her up. But also like he couldn’t stop himself.

And she let him. She wanted him to. She wanted to rip his clothes off.

She knew they shouldn’t. She knew she wasn’t making sense. But so much had happened in just a few days, and she didn’t even know what she wanted anymore.

Roman’s mouth moved down her throat, and she tilted her head back, giving him better access.

The door rattled.

They ripped apart like they had been caught committing a crime. It was like someone had poured ice water over her body.

Blair wiped her lips quickly, trying to catch her breath just as the door swung open.

Jessica. Standing in the doorway, her expression perfectly composed, except for the sharp amusement dancing in her eyes.

Behind her, Kara looked horrified, mouthing “I’m sorry” as she hovered in the background.

But Jessica had already stepped inside like she owned the place.

“Roman,” she said smoothly, tilting her head. “Hope I’m not interrupting.”

Blair’s stomach twisted. Oh god. Her lips were still tingling from Roman’s kiss, her whole body still buzzing. But now she was ice cold. The bitch was back. And she still didn’t have a handle on how Roman felt about her.

Roman took a step back, shaking his head, clearly trying to collect himself. His voice was sharp. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Jessica smiled, that slow, knowing smile that made Blair want to slap it right off her face. “Oh, come on. You know me. I never needed an invitation.”

Roman exhaled, clearly restraining himself. “Jessica, I hadn’t seen you in a year, and now you think you can come and go from my office as you please? We have lawyers use them. We have nothing to say to each other.”

Blair so wanted to know if he meant that or was it hurt talking.

Jessica’s gaze flicked to Blair, like she had just now decided to acknowledge her presence. “I think we do.”

16:12 Wed, 18 Jun

Blair stayed perfectly still.

Refusing to react. Refusing to give her the satisfaction.

Jessica smiled wider, her eyes glinting. “It’s cute. Really. This whole… thing.” She gestured vaguely between them. “But let’s be honest, Roman. It’s history repeating

nothSelf. We have unfinished business.”

Blair’s pulse spiked, but she said nothing. This wasn’t her fight. Not yet.

Roman’s voice dropped loquun

Jessica arched a brow,

talk.”

“We’re done, Jessica.”

Aged

by his tone. Before saying to Roman. “Tell your little secretary to leave so the adults can

Blair’s fingers curled into fists. She wanted to hit the woman. Just who the hell was she calling a child? Jessica wasn’t here to reminisce. She was here to reclaim Roman or cause trouble. Blair wasn’t about to let that happen.

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