Moment of Weakness (Embracing Moments Book 1) (20 page)

Roman stepped back, allowing me space to change. “You go out first, head to the cash register, and I’ll sneak out. She won’t even notice.”

“Okay,” I said, dropping the dress to the floor.

“Jesus Christ, woman!” Roman groaned, running his hands through his hair. “You trying to kill me?”

Reaching for the pile of folded clothes, I chuckled. The tank top had a built in bra, which meant my breasts were on full display. My panties were the only article of clothing I had on, but even they exposed more than they covered. Did it even matter? He had already seen every part of me, and the way he was staring at me, in complete awe, had me feeling nothing less than beautiful. “You should come over tonight. I can cook you dinner.”

Roman nodded and cleared his throat. “Yeah . . . yeah . . . I’ll be there. I just have a few things I need to do first, and then I’ll come up.”

“Sounds good,” I said, pulling the tank over my head. I swung my purse strap over my shoulder and brushed past him. My hand was on the door when I felt his arm circle my waist. Pulling me off my feet, he brushed his lips against mine as he stole another kiss.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said, his mouth raising up into a smile. A second later, he placed me back on my feet and slid the lock across the door.

Walking up to the cashier, I placed my dress on the counter. Lacey had just finished paying when she cast me a sidelong glance. “Where’s Roman?” she asked.

I shrugged my shoulder. “I don’t know. I’m not his keeper.”

“Yeah, I know. He’s yours,” she shot back.

Shit.
She was on to us
.

“Let it go, Lace,” I said through gritted teeth as I handed the cashier my credit card. From my peripheral vision, I could see Roman walking out the side door of the boutique. As I thanked the cashier and grabbed my bag, Lacey stood by the door, waiting for me to join her.

Although she remained quiet, the grin that spread across her face spoke for her.

She totally knew.

Roman once again offered Lacey the front seat on the way home, and besides throwing me some curious glances, she hadn’t let on that she knew anything. I knew it had to do with Roman being in the car, but I was thankful because it bought me some time. As soon as Lacey had a chance, I knew she would want the scoop, and well—I didn’t know what to tell her. The truth was, I didn’t know where Roman and I stood, or how things would play out. There was a connection that sparked between us whenever we were together, but I hadn’t given it much thought past that. Another month and a half, I’d be back at school, and Roman would be gone, probably pissing off his next assignment. A slight ache hit my chest at the thought, and I pushed it away before it had a chance to grow.

I COULDN’T GET
over how much I hated our kitchen at the moment. The endless amount of cabinets and crazy number of drawers made it impossible to find anything. Not knowing what to make wasn’t helping the matter. The offer to cook dinner for Roman was spur of the moment. A desperate attempt to spend more time with him. Rummaging through the cabinets, I debated on ordering takeout. There was a great place right outside of town that delivered fine cuisine. No. That wouldn’t work. I told him I’d cook dinner. The more I allowed my mind to think about it, the more I regretted the offer. I didn’t even know what Roman liked to eat, which was just another reminder of how little I knew about him.

The buzzing of my cell across the counter pulled me from my temporary battle of overthinking. Snatching it from the counter, a laugh rocked through me as I read the message.

Lacey: So tell me
. . .
changing room sex
. . .
sexy and exhilarating or awkward and cramped?

Me: How about
. . .
I wouldn
’
t know.

Lacey: Oh w/e
. . .
I
’
m not buying that. But if you feel like sharing details, I
’
m just a text away ;-)

I shook my head at her text and typed out another message.

Me: Ever hear of a stuck zipper? He was helping me. We kissed. And then you interrupted. True story.

My phone buzzed a moment later.

Lacey: So you guys figured it out then? That first kiss was more than just a kiss?

My thoughts drifted back to our conversation we had that day at the pool.

Me: Maybe? Idk. I know I like him and whenever we’re together
. . .
I can
’
t explain it.

Lacey: Just be careful okay? I love you and you’re my best friend. Getting involved with your security detail seems risky. With everything going on with your father, I worry about you and I just think it
’
s wise you know who or what you’re dealing with.

Me: I know Lace. I’m not sure what this is between Roman and me. And I’m certainly not ready to give us any sort of title.

Lacey hit the hammer straight on the nail. There was so much about Roman I didn’t know, and trying to pull information from him was like fishing in an empty pond.

My phone buzzed again, this time it was Roman.

Roman: Finishing up, I should be over soon.

I sent Roman a quick reply acknowledging his text and told Lacey I’d text her later. Walking back to the cabinet, I pulled out a pot and filled it with water. I sure hoped Roman enjoyed a classic American dish because hot dogs with macaroni and cheese would have to do.

I wasn’t sure what Roman’s definition of
soon
was, but twenty minutes had gone by, and he still hadn’t arrived. Being alone with nothing but my thoughts was torturous. Lacey’s words and the truth behind them gnawed away at me. Rather than sitting and waiting, I grabbed my phone from the counter and stalked off upstairs. My intention was to go to my room and relax until Roman came, but as I passed my father’s office door, I walked through it.

Closing the door behind me, I stood in the office, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness. It wasn’t often that I was in here, so navigating around it in the dark wasn’t something I was confident I could do. My father’s large mahogany desk and the two leather chairs that sat before it came into view. The same cabinet my father had pulled Roman’s file from was also visible. As I tiptoed across the quiet office, I ignored the little voice in my head that told me this was wrong, intrusive.

I wanted to know him. I
needed
to.

The drawer opened with ease, and my eyes and hands worked in sync as I paged through the organized folders. My father was a firm believer of having paper copies of everything. He looked at it as being prepared. Technology was great, but not foolproof. Landing on Roman’s file, I hesitated a moment and then pulled the manila folder from its dedicated space. With my back pressing against the desk, I paged through it. The first page had a picture of Roman fastened with a paperclip and listed basic information, his birth date, social, blood type, and a list of his current and previous addresses. The following pages detailed everything from food allergies to job history, broken bones, and even his previous year’s tax returns. Yet, there was no mention of Roman’s family. No names, nothing about their murder.

That’s odd. How can that even be?

At the sound of footsteps in the hallway, I dropped Roman’s file to the desk and stood up straight. Not realizing how long I had been in the office, I glanced down at the clock sitting on my father’s desk and then rushed toward the door. The last thing I needed was for Roman to walk in on me intruding on his life.

Halfway out the door, my stomach rose to my throat as I glimpsed at the person in the hallway. The tall, lean figure that moved from room to room could easily be confused with Roman. But there was no way Roman would be dressed in all black and sporting a full-faced ski mask. Someone else was in the house, and the need to get out of there took over. I had to get to Roman, but the only way to do that was to sneak past
him,
and there was no way that was happening. Stepping back into my father’s office, I pulled the door shut with shaky hands, careful not to make a sound. My heart pounded against the inside of my ribcage as I looked around the dark office for a place to hide. The closet was small, but it would have to do. I darted toward it, yanked the door open, and then pulled it shut behind me. Dropping to the floor, I scooted back, wedging myself into the corner.

God, did it even matter? If he came in here and opened the door, he’d see me.

With trembling hands, I pulled my cellphone from the back pocket of my shorts and fumbled to get the screen unlocked. Just as I was getting ready to send Roman a text, the main door to the office swung open, knocking off several of my fathers framed certificates from the wall. Afraid the light illuminating from my phone would give me away, I re-locked it and tried to calm my erratic breathing.

Please, Roman. Where are you?

Peering through the slats, I watched the man walk toward my father’s desk, tearing open each drawer. He stopped. Straightening himself, he picked up the manila folder I had dropped on the top of the desk just a few minutes ago and paged through it. With a sneer on his face, he dropped the file back down and turned toward the filing cabinet. As he tore through the files, I leaned forward, watching with a nervous stare, trying to take in every detail from his height to his dark attire.

Maybe this was the guy who was threatening my father? The small space of the closet had my lungs feeling constricted, making it hard to breathe. Now was not the damn time to have a panic attack. If things couldn’t get any worse, the loud sound of my phone ringing tore through the office like a symphony orchestra. My body stiffened.

No, no, no.

I scrambled to quiet it, but it was too late. My skin was clammy from the thin layer of sweat that covered it, and my breathing was labored and uneven as I watched him walk toward the closet door.

Shit.

I cupped my mouth with the palm of my hand, but that was also pointless. He walked straight toward the door, and there was no doubt he’d find me. It was no longer about trying to hide, but how to escape. With every step he took, the faster my heart beat in my chest, the loud sound pulsing through my ears. Everything moved in slow motion before me. Watching the door knob turn, I sucked in a deep breath, preparing myself for the moment the door opened.

As soon as the door cracked, I propelled my body forward, throwing all my weight into the door. The door flew open, knocking the guy off balance. Standing to my feet, I made a run for the office door. I just needed to get down the steps, and if I screamed loud enough, maybe Roman would hear me. Two feet from the door, my entire body jerked backward, pain running from my scalp down the back of my neck from my hair forcefully being pulled in the opposite direction. Tears formed at the corners of my eyes as I was dragged backward, my body being slammed against the wall. Strong fingers curled around my neck, and the tips of my toes scraped across the floor as I tried to remove myself from his grasp. Kicking my feet, I clawed at the hands that held me in place.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

Hot tears streamed down my cheeks, and the more I tried to scream, the tighter his grip on my throat became. My vision blurred.

“Julia? Are you up there?”

Roman.

Roman! I’m here. I’m upstairs. Please hurry.

The voice inside of me wanted to call to him, but the ability to scream was hopeless. The large, rough hands wrapped around my throat choked me, and it was hard to breathe, let alone scream. Everything in me wanted to fight back, but my arms felt heavy and my legs had just about given up. As my eyes fluttered shut, I could have sworn someone walked through the office door, but the only thing I remembered before succumbing to complete darkness was the excruciating pain that ran along my jaw.

My eyes flicked opened as strong arms wrapped around me. “Roman?” I cried out, a strong metallic taste coating my mouth.

“Shh . . . I got you. You’re okay.”

Cradling me against him, he lifted me from the ground. I was so desperate to curl into his chest, but every muscle in my body felt weak, impossible to move. My eyelids were heavy, and even those I struggled to keep open. It hurt to cry, but I couldn’t help it; sobs left me, one after another, my entire body trembling as my eyes fell shut once again.