Page 29 of Unstable

She couldn’t help but wonder who he was talking to. A girlfriend? Jealousy burned through her veins like fire. She had no claim on him whatsoever, but she hated the thought of Roman with another woman. It would explain why he’d never made a move on her, though.

She couldn’t help the words that spilled from her mouth before she could stop them. “Are you letting her know you’re here?”

Icy blue eyes lifted to hers. “Who?”

She nodded toward the phone in his hands. “Your girlfriend.”

He pinned her with a hard stare. “Do I seem like the type of guy who would marry you if I had a girlfriend?”

He had her there. “No, I—I’m sorry. It’s just…” She bit her lip. “It sounds strange, but I keep forgetting we’re… married.”

“I get it, believe me.” His rigid posture relaxed. “It’s kinda weird, right?”

“Little bit.” They shared a smile, and she dipped her head, happiness unfurling in her chest.

No girlfriend. Check.

“I can call that in if you’re done with it.” He finished typing, then gestured with his chin toward her list.

“It’s okay.” She shook her head. “I’ll take care of it.”

“If you’re sure.”

She had brought her phone along, mostly to take pictures since Knox had asked that she not speak to anyone while she was there, but it was still in her bag. She retrieved it and handed it to Roman. “Here, I’ll trade you.”

He cocked a brow. “What do you want me to do with it?”

“Just hang onto it. I won’t need it, right?” She wanted him to trust her. Mostly, she wanted him to know that she trusted him to keep her safe.

With a slow dip of his chin, he tucked her phone into his back pocket, then held out his phone for her to take, and she slipped it from his hand, her fingers brushing his in the process. Intent on ignoring the fluttering in her belly at the sensation of his warm skin against hers, she focused on the task at hand. She quickly scrolled through the closest grocery stores according to Google, then held the phone to her ear as she waited for the call to connect.

“Hi,” she said when a man on the other end answered. “I’d like some groceries to be delivered to…”

She threw a look at Roman, and he rattled off the address. She relayed it to the man, then rose from the chair, notebook in hand as she began to recite the items one by one. She felt Roman’s eyes on her as she moved toward the bedroom.

She sat on the edge of the bed, and her gaze fell to her left hand where it rested in her lap. The diamond sparkled in the sunshine pouring in through the window, and it shot little rainbows against the bedroom wall as she turned her hand left and right, examining it. The ring felt odd, yet her pulse kicked up each time she looked at it.

She couldn’t stop herself as she spun it around her finger and made a final request. “Um… One more thing if you have it…”

The delivery man confirmed her order, and she hung up, clutching Roman’s phone to her chest. Through the sliding doors, she stared out over the back yard, practically salivating at the thought of getting out into the afternoon sun and relaxing for a bit.

The past few days had been stressful, and she was grateful that the studio had agreed to send her away. They could just as easily have sent her to a hotel, but somehow Knox had managed to convince them that it was safer there. She definitely owed him for that.

Motion from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she watched as Roman opened the doors in the dining area and stepped onto the patio. God, the man was gorgeous. He moved with the powerful, innate grace of a man who’d been trained to fight and defend. His eyes never stopped roving over his surroundings, searching for danger even in the most unlikely of places.

She wondered what he was truly like, deep beneath the layer of cool indifference he wore like a cloak. She’d seen glimpses of that man over the past few days, and it had only served to pique her curiosity. She wanted to see him relaxed, wanted to see him smile—truly smile—and enjoy himself. She decided it was her new mission. By the time they left there, she was going to figure out who the real Roman Incardona was.

Flipping the lock, she slid open the glass door that led to the patio and crossed the brick patio to where Roman stood. “This is beautiful.”

“It is.” He glanced down at her. “Did you get everything taken care of?”

“Yep.”

He studied her for a long moment, and her heart banged against her ribcage. Finally, he turned his gaze back out over the pool. “Make sure you let me pay for it when it comes. I’ll forward the expense report to Knox, and he’ll take care of it from there.”

“Okay. Thanks.” She nodded before heading toward the pool. She stepped close, then dipped her toes in, loving the way the sun had heated it to the temperature of bathwater. She glanced back at Roman. “Since we can’t go to the beach yet, can I at least hop in the pool for a bit?”

He dipped his chin in a curt nod. “Let’s go change, and I’ll come out here with you. I should be able to hear the delivery guy well enough when he arrives. Did he give you a timeframe?”