Page 6

Chapter Six

Eva

M y brand-new desk finally arrived. Getting the box up to my apartment in the elevator proved to be quite an experience. There was a lot of cursing and threatening to push the desk down the stairs.

At the moment, it’s resting just outside my door.

I couldn’t move it another inch. I think I need a week before I have enough strength to move it into my spare room, which will be my home office.

I’m sitting on my couch after a long day of work. Roman takes it out of me. I find myself on high alert when he is around, trying to understand whether he hates me or is just a grump all the time.

I’m so grateful that he offered me my own office at his company. It will be helpful to be there on some of the days where I will need his opinions to make final selections.

But the idea of working so close to him stresses me out.

Not just because of his demeanor, but because my stubborn body seems to think every move the man makes is sexually charged.

Even just watching him rub his chin when he thinks draws my attention in ways that are highly inappropriate for a work setting.

My phone chimes next to me.

I’m upstairs, hanging at Roman’s. Come say hi.

Butterflies take over in my stomach at the thought of going to Roman’s penthouse. It’s his personal space. The idea of being there feels too intimate to someone who seems so closed off to me.

I’m just relaxing on the couch. Maybe another time.

That’s exactly what we’re doing. Just come relax on a couch with your favorite person in the world.

Why don’t you come down here?

Stop being weird. All of my buddies are here. You haven’t met them yet. Get your ass up here, or I’ll send one of them to force you.

Ugh … FINE!

He is such a spoiled brat. Taking no for an answer is virtually impossible for him. I guess that’s why he makes a good lawyer.

I stand up and look down at my clothes. I’m wearing cream-colored sweatpants and a long-sleeved white cotton shirt. My hair is thrown up in a gold claw clip. It seems kind of ridiculous to get changed to go do the same thing upstairs.

Changing my outfit would be for the benefit of one person. I’m not letting myself go there. I don’t care what he thinks. I’m sure he only dates models who sleep in silk and eat lettuce like rabbits.

I grab my glass of wine and slip on my cozy slippers, then head for the elevator. I ride the elevator up the one floor to the penthouse. Once I’m outside his door, I take a deep breath and knock.

Someone who isn’t Roman shouts, “Come in.”

I turn the knob and walk hesitantly into the penthouse.

The first things I see are the lines of large arched windows along the long wall in the distance in front of me. They are all framed in a black iron material that gives it a sleek, modern look.

The walls in the foyer are wooden. One of them has a massive abstract painting hanging on it.

I see some of the guys chilling out on the couch off to the far right of the room. To the left is the kitchen, which has white countertops with black cabinets.

The place is decorated in a mix of dark and light colors, but they play off each other well. There is gold accent pieces scattered throughout that make it trendy and upscale.

Of course, the designer in me has to analyze any space that I walk into.

“There she is.” Walker’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.

I look over at everybody sitting on the large white sofas. The big screen is playing a baseball game. Everybody is holding a beer and dressed casually.

I spot Roman, sitting on the end of one of the sofas, dressed in black athletic shorts and a crisp, clean white cotton shirt. He has on a black baseball hat and looks even sexier than he does in a suit.

“Eva! Come sit next to me,” one of the guy’s shouts with a big grin on his face.

“Sawyer, fucking watch it,” Walker warns with a scowl on his face.

I roll my eyes at him. His protective nature is a little much.

I take a seat next to the handsome stranger. “Loosen up, bro. I can sit next to a boy. I’m not eleven anymore.”

“I’d be careful. You sit too close to that one, he’ll get the wrong idea,” another one says. He extends his hand, and I lean across Sawyer to shake it. “I’m Colton.”

“Colton.” I smile. “I’ve heard of you. The doctor.”

“That’s me. Hopefully, you’ve only heard good things.”

“Of course. I didn’t hear anything about the time you thought the oysters were sitting on a bed of mashed potatoes and ate an entire spoonful of salt, then shit your pants.”

The entire room erupts into a fit of laughter. I even spot Roman trying to cover his grin, but it disappears the moment his eyes meet mine. He looks away quickly.

“Dude, what are you doing, going around and telling that story?” Colton eyes Walker, who’s sitting on the other couch with Roman.

Walker shrugs his shoulder. “Sorry, man. The story’s too good not to share with the world.”

Then Walker asks me, “You good with your wine, sis?”

I glance down at my glass, which is still filled halfway. “I’m good. Thanks.”

“Just let us know if you need a refill. Roman here’s got a cellar filled with wine. We all went for beers tonight, but this one claimed he had a rough day at work and needed a stiff drink.” He points at Roman, who is holding a crystal glass with amber liquid in it.

Wait a minute. He had a rough day at work.

But he and I spent the day together. I look from his glass up to his face, where his eyes are studying me intently.

I glare at him with burning, reproachful eyes.

He had the hard day at work. He’s the one who makes things unnecessarily tense. Has he ever tried smiling?

“Are you liking the city so far?” Colton asks.

I smile at him. “I do. It’s a lot different from Chicago, but I love it. And I get to live by my best friend, so that’s a plus.”

Walker rolls his eyes. “Ugh, Jessie. I can’t believe you still call that girl your best friend.”

Sawyer’s eyebrows raise. “Someone have some strong feelings for this girl?”

Walker laughs. “Yeah. I feel strongly that she is extremely annoying.”

“Well, the feeling’s mutual,” I say to the group.

I think I detect a flash of sadness in my brother’s eyes, but it’s gone before I can be sure.

The rest of the evening is rather nice. My brother’s friends are all surprisingly pleasant. I apparently still have to meet Dean and Lincoln, but I can tell my brother has found a good group of guys.

I’m still wary when it comes to Roman, but even he managed to loosen up a bit. I caught him laughing a couple of times, making me wonder if maybe he’s just tense around new people.

Maybe he just needs to warm up to me. Maybe he doesn’t know how to move past a business relationship.

Around nine, most of the guys begin filtering out until it’s just me, Walker, and Roman.

Walker looks between the two of us. “I still can’t believe you guys are working together. You’ll need to let me know what it’s like, working for the most eligible bachelor of New York.”

A flicker of frustration flashes across Roman’s face.

I raise my eyebrows at him. “So, you’re New York’s most eligible bachelor? Is this an official title or just something my brother has deemed fitting?”

For the first time, he cracks a smile at something I said. My heart does a little flutter in my chest.

“It’s a stupid title.”

Walker chuckles as he stands up and throws away his beer. He leans on the kitchen island and folds his arms across his chest.

“You didn’t answer my question,” I reply.

He accentuates his annoyance by rolling his head back. I bite down hard on my lip to cover the smile that wants to take over.

“One of the magazines in the city makes this list every year.”

“So, it’s true. You are this year’s most eligible bachelor of New York.” I purse my lips and nod slightly. “I didn’t realize I was working for someone with such elite status.”

Walker’s laugh echoes from across the room.

Roman turns to him. “Fuck off. I told you I don’t like that shit getting out. Get out of here.”

My brother holds his hands up in defeat. “Sorry, man. It’s just too good.” He looks over at me. “I’m gonna head out of here. I’ve got a big case I’m working on. Need that beauty sleep. You need me to walk you to your apartment?”

My eyes widen. “I live one floor below this. I think I can manage it on my own.”

“Fine.” Walker eyes Roman. “You’ll make sure she gets home safely.”

“I can manage that,” Roman responds.

With that, Walker walks out of the penthouse, leaving me and Roman alone. The second he is gone, the energy in the room shifts to the familiar tension that is there whenever we are together.

I look over at him, and his eyes are boring into mine intensely.

“I’ll be fine, getting myself to my apartment,” I say softly as I stand up.

He stands with me. “I said I would make sure you get home safely, so that is what I’ll do.”

I sigh. “Suit yourself.”

He follows me all the way to the elevator. “Has Walker always been this protective of you?” he asks as I press the button to my floor.

I keep my eyes trained on the doors in front of me. “For as long as I can remember.”

“That must have made things difficult in high school.”

The elevator doors open, and we walk down the hall to my front door.

“You have no idea. Even though he was living in the city, he still had eyes on me. Boys were warned by their older brothers not to touch me.”

“Shit,” he exhales. “It’s not like he’s out there, treating women like queens.”

“I think that’s part of why he doesn’t trust men with me. That, and we just don’t have the best relationship with our parents, so he kind of took on a protector role. It’s no wonder I went to college as a virgin.” I pause abruptly at the door. “I’m sorry. I just overshared.”

He looks completely taken aback. My cheeks feel like they are on fire. I’m mortified that I just shared that with him. There’s no doubt in my mind this man knows his way around a woman’s body.

What would he think if he knew just how inexperienced I was?

No, I’m not a virgin anymore, but I’m also totally uncomfortable with my own body and what to do with it.

He stands awkwardly in front of me, clearly caught off guard by my admission, before his eyes catch the large box lying against the wall.

“What’s this?” he asks.

“Oh, that’s just my new desk for my office. I got it up the elevator but needed a break before I carried it into the office. It weighs a ton.”

He measures me with a disapproving look. “Why didn’t you ask for my help?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I told you, I’m just upstairs if you ever need help.”

“I don’t need help. I just needed a break.”

He grabs the box and nods his head toward my door. “Open.”

He’s so overbearing. I want to refuse, but he’s also my boss. I should just let him do his thing and not make a big deal.

Once the door is open, he steps into the apartment and walks down the hall, carrying the box like it doesn’t weigh one hundred pounds. His biceps are something to behold. They are flexed and stretching his sleeves like they can’t be contained.

He places the box in the middle of the room that will be my office, then looks around with his hands on his hips.

“I can have some built-in bookcases put in this room for you,” he suggests.

“Oh, I’m sure you don’t want to do that to this room. What about the next tenant?”

His dark eyes find mine. “I’m not worried about the next tenant. Would you like the bookcases?”

“I love built-ins,” I admit softly.

Who doesn’t love the idea of a wall full of built-in bookcases? I’m an interior designer after all.

He nods his head like it’s settled. “I’ll start on them this week.”

My head tilts to the side as I try to understand what he means. I think he spoke wrong. “ You will get started?”

“Yeah. My grandpa was a carpenter. I love building things. It’s a stress reliever for me. Unless you would prefer, I hired someone?”

Images of Roman in my office—shirtless with nothing but a pair of jeans, boots, and a tool belt, sweat dripping down his chest, trickling further to what I’m sure is an insane set of abs—flood my brain.

Crap. I can’t say no. It’s a nice gesture. My libido will just have to deal with it. I’m going to need to invest in some strong vibrators.

“No, you can build it. I’m just … surprised. I wouldn’t have pegged you as someone who does much manual labor.”

I look him up and down, clearly checking out his body. A smirk spreads across his stupid, handsome face.

“I don’t usually offer to build things for someone … but I make an exception when the project’s tempting enough.”

My words get caught in my throat. Is he saying I’m tempting him, or the project is? There is something lazily seductive in his look.

My body instantly flushes.

“I’ll see you on Monday, Eva,” he says casually, then walks past me and out of the office.

I hear the front door close while I’m still standing in my office, wondering what just happened.