Page 44 of Unstable

For the next few minutes, they lapsed into silence. Roman avoided her completely as he immersed himself in something on his phone, and she stared out at the beach, lost in thought. She swore she’d seen something in his eyes earlier, heard something in his voice. She’d shelved all thoughts of exploring any possible attraction between them over the past few days, but now she wondered… Was it possible he felt the same way about her?

The waitress delivered their meals, tearing her from her introspection. She hovered by the table for a moment, her eyes fixed on Roman, and Irina bristled. The jealousy she’d felt earlier flared once more, sending heat racing over her skin. “Can I get some ketchup, please?”

Gabi’s head whipped in Irina’s direction, and she quickly nodded. “Of course.”

She headed back toward the kitchen, and Irina glanced across the table at Roman. He’d set his phone down and was currently digging into his food, completely unaware of her internal struggle.

Irina offered a tight smile to the waitress as she returned with the ketchup, but it was a futile effort because Gabi’s gaze was locked on Roman. Anger simmered in Irina’s stomach, sending prickles of heat over her skin. It was irrational to feel possessive of him, but she couldn’t help it.

She picked up her fork and speared a scallop, then lifted it to her lips. Her heart raced in her chest, making it almost impossible to swallow. Twirling her fork between her fingers, she bit her lower lip and surreptitiously studied the man across from her. They’d become friends, sort of, over the past few days, and she hated to ruin that… but part of her needed to know if there was more simmering beneath the surface.

She slipped off her sandal and crossed her legs, shifting slightly closer to him as she did so. She moved her foot experimentally, and she watched him stiffen as her toes brushed the inside of his calf. Both of them froze, waiting for the other to move. Her chest lifted and fell rapidly, and she fought to control her breathing as excitement and pleasure curled through her. For several long minutes, they remained that way, both refusing to give an inch, either to pull away or to push for more.

“How is everything?”

The appearance of the waitress again made Irina drop her foot to the floor, and she watched Roman turn toward her.

“Good, thanks.” He offered a polite smile, apparently blissfully unaware of Gabi’s obvious interest.

Her gaze roved over the dark ink covering his arms. “I’ve always wanted a tattoo,” she gushed. “How many do you have?”

“A few dozen, maybe?” Roman looked thoughtful. “I lost count a while back. I’ve been adding to the collection for several years.”

Irina’s eyes widened as Gabi traced one design curling around his forearm. “I love this. How long did it take to do?”

“Ah…” He shifted slightly in his chair. “A couple hours.”

“Wow.” She smiled hugely. “Well, I’ll let you finish. Just let me know if you need anything,” she said as she stepped away, letting her gaze linger on Roman just a little too long.

Unable to comprehend what she’d just seen, Irina stared at Gabi’s back as she retreated inside the restaurant. Her gaze bounced back to Roman, but he was focused on his food once more, and she swiveled her head toward the doors the waitress had disappeared through. It was almost as if Gabi didn’t care that Irina was sitting right there. She tossed her napkin on the table and slipped back into her sandals. “I’ll be back. I have to use the bathroom.”

She headed indoors, her eyes searching for the bathroom sign, and she cut across the dining room to the back corner. After she used the bathroom, she stood at the sink washing her hands, studying her reflection in the mirror. What was wrong with her? She knew she shouldn’t let the situation bother her so much, but she couldn’t reconcile the confusing mixture of feelings welling up inside.

Roman hadn’t given any indication of being attracted to the waitress, despite the fact that he was, in reality, an attractive single guy. Irritation flared at the memory of Gabi’s blatant ogling of the man who was—to the eyes of the public, at least—Irina’s husband.

She knew Gabi hadn’t missed the ring on his finger, because she’d watched her gaze drop to his left hand before greedily drinking him in again. Irina understood where Gabi was coming from. The sight of those tattoos peeking out from under the shirt, along with all those hard muscles, made her stupid. She could no longer deny the attraction she felt to him, but he hadn’t given any indication of wanting her, either.

Irina knew she would be complicating matters, but she needed to know once and for all exactly where they stood. If nothing else, she was at least going to show the waitress that it wasn’t okay to ogle a man right in front of his wife—or temporary wife, as the case might be.

Tossing the paper towel in the trash, she straightened her shoulders and pulled open the door. Her heart beat erratically, but she fought to keep her expression neutral as she stepped onto the deck and strode toward their table. She bypassed her seat and rounded the table, headed straight for Roman.

His eyes widened a fraction, and almost as if he knew her intentions, he shoved his chair away from the table. Curving one arm around his neck, Irina slid onto his lap, heart pounding so hard she swore he could feel it slamming against her ribs where her chest brushed his.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His voice was pitched low, and his warm breath hit her cheek as he spoke. “You’re drawing attention to us.”

Irina turned her head slightly and met his silvery blue gaze. “If either of us is drawing attention from someone, it’s you.”

One corner of his mouth kicked up in a smirk. “The waitress?”

She rolled her eyes. “Like you had to ask. I can’t believe she practically hit on you right in front of me.”

“Jealous?” His tone had a mocking quality to it, and she bristled.

“No,” she snapped. “It’s the principle of the thing.”

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke. “Keep your voice down. People are looking.”

His words only served to irritate her even more, and she angled herself slightly away, her brows drawing down in anger. “Let them look. As far as she knows, we’re married, and it irks me that she keeps checking you out.”