Page 27 of Loving Roman (The Summer Twins #3)

–alice–

I wonder if knowing someone for only two months is too soon to fall in love?

I’ve been thinking about this more and more.

It feels silly to question my feelings, but I’m overwhelmed with how big they are for Roman in such a short amount of time.

I’m forty-seven years old, for goodness’ sake.

I should be more in control of my emotions.

Instead, I feel as though I’m a teenager, being led by my heart instead of my head—it’s scary.

What if I open myself up to the possibility of a future with him and something happens?

What if I lose him?

How would I cope?

I don’t think I could put myself through that devastation again.

I’m pulled out of my thoughts when Gloria, my boss, leans against the side of my desk and drops a familiar file in front of me. I suck in a breath, hoping she didn’t sense any bias in my report. She taps the folder.

“Thank you, Alice. This was a very thorough report. I don’t think we need to follow up any further.

This indiscretion is recorded on his file, but I think he can stay exactly where he is with no further reprimands.

” She looks over the petition as though she’s looking for someone, before leaning in and lowering her voice to a whisper.

“Personally, I want to high-five Jack. Looking out for his sisters the way he did. I felt proud of him.” She clears her throat and looks over the petition again.

“Of course, we can’t condone violence of any kind, but I know for a fact that my brothers would have done exactly the same thing if something like that had happened to me.

” I nod in agreement while the knots in my stomach release.

I’ve been waiting to learn the results of my report.

I didn’t feel the school dealt with the other boys appropriately; they received an additional one-day suspension, and that was it.

Even though I wasn’t supposed to share what I learned from the school with Roman, I suggested he should follow up with the principal.

He threatened to involve the police if they didn’t put harsher penalties in place for the boys.

The school did nothing further, so Roman is working with Marcus to deal with the situation through legal avenues.

I have a feeling the school won’t know what hit it.

Oliver has taken a personal interest in the situation and won’t stop until changes have been put in place to keep the girls safe from predators.

Something catches Gloria’s attention, and her eyes wander up and down whatever or whoever it is. She straightens and moves away from my desk. I can’t see from my seated position behind the petition, but can hear what’s going on.

“Hello, I’m Gloria. Can I help you?”

“Hi, Gloria.” I know that voice, so I stand. “I’m looking for—” His words cease as his eyes land on me, a bright smile stretching his mouth. “There she is. Thank you.”

Gloria looks between Roman and me as I move out of my cubicle to greet my boyfriend. My boyfriend . It seems such a juvenile title for someone who’s become so important to me. “Hey. This is a nice surprise.”

“I was running some errands over this way, and thought maybe I could take you to lunch if you weren’t busy.” His hands are tucked deep in his pockets—his signature move when he’s trying not to touch me. My lips tip up without guidance. I love he has the same need as I do whenever we’re close.

Looking back at Gloria, I check if she’s finished speaking with me about Jack’s report. “We were finished. You go. Enjoy your lunch with …”

Oops. I completely forgot my manners. “Gloria, this is Roman. Roman, this is my boss, Gloria.” They move closer, exchanging greetings.

Gloria tilts her head to the side a little. “Not Roman Armstrong from The Parkerville Project home?” She looks between me and Roman expectantly, and my heart lurches.

This will be the moment she reconsiders the accuracy of my report, and I lose my job. My stomach twists. I should have been transparent and told her about my budding relationship.

I swallow past the boulder-sized lump in my throat and nod. “Yes, this is the same man.”

Her eyes widen a little along with her mouth. “Now I understand why your report was so thorough. You were careful to ensure there was no room for an accusation of a conflict of interest.”

The tension across my shoulders evaporates with her approval.

Roman steps closer, offering his support. “Alice has treated the situation with Jack and the girls with the utmost professionalism.”

Gloria’s eyes flick between the two of us. “I can see that. I was just speaking with Alice about her report and my feelings regarding the matter. I was disappointed the school didn’t do more to protect its students. ”

Roman pushes his shoulders back further, and his grin grows. “Well, funny you should say that. I received a call this morning with some great news.”

Gloria and I both give Roman our full attention. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Principal Jacobs has been relieved of his position as of this morning. The boys have also been expelled. The superintendent was furious with the way the matter was dealt with and stepped in. Apparently, there are protocols in place within the department for situations involving bullying, assault, sexual exploitation, and the like. The current vice principal has been temporarily promoted to the principal’s role until the position can be advertised and filled permanently.

It seems Oliver’s lawyers were swift and decisive. ”

Relief washes over Gloria’s face, and I blow out a long breath. “Well, that should have been the immediate response. I’m glad righteousness prevailed,” Gloria says, and I nod in agreement.

“Me too. We dropped the lawsuit against the school, but the boys have also been formally charged with sexual exploitation. I discussed it with Oliver and Marcus and felt it was important to take the extra step to ensure the boys get the support they obviously need. We feared that if we didn’t take action, they’d slip through the cracks, and who knows how their behavior would have evolved as they grew. ”

A smile touches my lips as pride fills my heart for this man. Of course, he’s thinking about the safety of the girls in his care, as well as girls in general, but he’s also trying to help the boys who did the wrong thing.

“You’re right. The boys definitely need counseling, and the seriousness of the situation should be reflected in the punishment and action taken,” I tell him.

Gloria smiles at Roman. “I’m glad the kids have you as their advocate.” Her grin grows wider. “I don’t suppose you’d give that up and come work for me? ”

Roman laughs and shakes his head from side to side. “Not a chance.”

“Damn.” She looks between me and Roman. “I guess you two should head out for lunch, then.”

“Thanks, Gloria. Would you like me to bring you back a sandwich?”

She heads toward her office. “No thanks. I’m heading out shortly. I have a hankering for some soup today.”

As soon as we clear my building, Roman tugs me around the corner, presses me up against the wall, and kisses the breath out of me. He pulls back, touching his forehead to mine. “Hey.”

My smile grows, as it always does when I’m with him. “Hey.”

“It was so hard to keep my hands to myself and not kiss you in front of your boss,” he huffs out.

“It was tough for me, too.” I pat his chest. “I appreciate your restraint.” I press up to kiss him again. We kiss for long minutes, tasting each other until a throat clears nearby, startling us apart.

“Enjoying your lunch?” Gloria asks with a smirk.

Embarrassment steals my ability to respond, but Roman doesn’t miss a beat. “Absolutely. She’s delicious,” he tells my boss without taking his eyes from mine.

Gloria bursts out laughing as she backs away from us. “That may well be, but you should feed your woman. I’ve noticed she gets grumpy if she misses lunch.”

She walks away with a wink, leaving us alone.

My cheeks heat further, and I’m not sure how I’m going to face her after lunch.

Roman gently cups my face in his hands. “I know this isn’t the most romantic of places, but I can’t hold the words in any longer.

” His dark brown eyes lock with mine. “I love you, Alice.”

His heartfelt words fill all the empty spaces in my heart .

They mend the cracks in my soul.

They bathe me in warmth and happiness.

This man loves me, and I know I love him, even though I’m terrified of losing him. Deciding it’s better to have him in my life for even a short while than not at all, I take the plunge. “I love you. So much.” It feels so freaking good to say the words out loud instead of in my head.

He moves back in, kissing me roughly, and I feel the relief pouring off both of us that we’ve finally said those magical words. The words I’ve only ever said to one other man and my family.

“C’mon. Let’s feed you.” He grasps my hand, pulling me away from the wall and down the street. We’re both smiling like loons as we walk toward my favorite sandwich shop. We order lunch and then take it across the street to the park to enjoy the sunshine while we eat.

On the way back to work, I feel an almighty pull on my arm as someone snatches my purse, pulling me backward until I lose my balance and fall on my backside with a heavy thud.

It all happens so quickly.

Before I can look up, Roman’s running down the street after the thief. He cuts through parked cars in pursuit, and I lose sight of him.

A stranger stops to help me up just as I hear the sharp squeal of tires on asphalt and a sickening thud.

People shout and scream, and my breath gushes out of my lungs as my heart ceases to beat.

Panic claws its way swiftly through my body, and time stands still as I get to my feet and turn toward the commotion.

My feet move forward of their own accord.

Step by step, faster and faster they carry me until I’m running forward, chanting—“No, no, no, no, no”—the entire way.

Cars are stopped on the street at all angles, car doors hanging open left and right.

A significant crowd has gathered around the scene, blocking any chance I have to see what happened.

With legs of Jell-O, I push my way through, my gut plummeting down to my feet, my world spinning as I lay eyes on the denim-covered legs of a prone body sprawled on the asphalt.

I drop to my knees, and my lunch makes a reappearance as my body shakes and tears stream from my eyes.

Violent shakes take over, and I struggle to hold in the sobs that are desperately trying to escape.

I’m so lost in my grief, I don’t notice who’s picking me up. A hand cradles the back of my head, gently guiding my face into a hard chest. Fresh citrus fills my nose, and I sag into the comfort this embrace offers me.

“Shhh, shhh, shhh, Tesoro. You’re okay.”

The shakes that overtook my body begin to subside, and my breathing settles as I suck his familiar scent deep into my lungs. Clutching on to him, he holds me upright on shaky legs. “Y-you’re a-live!” I stutter out on a shuddering breath.

He cups my face, studying my eyes closely. “Yeah, Tesoro. I’m alive. I’m fine. I promise.”

I run my hands over him everywhere I can reach, checking for injuries—finding none. “I … I … thought—” I turn to look over my shoulder, but Roman cups my face to stop me. “I thought he was you.”

“It wasn’t me. I’m okay. I promise. The person you saw on the ground is the guy who stole your purse.

He ran right out in front of a car. The driver couldn’t stop in time and hit him pretty hard.

” He rubs his hands up and down my back, comforting me.

“There was a doctor nearby, and she stepped in to help. Someone called 911, so the ambulance is on the way. He’s moaning now, so I think he’ll be?—”

I rise up, holding his face in my hands and press my closed mouth hard against his, then pull him back in tight to my body, listening to his heart thumping in his chest. His hand comes up to caress my hair as he kisses the top of my head.

We stay until the police and ambulance arrive to take care of the thief.

He’s taken away in the ambulance as the police take statements from eyewitnesses.

They return my purse to me, and we walk back to the office.

I’m still shaky and feeling unsteady from the shock of thinking I’d lost Roman.

How quickly my life could have changed again.

One minute we were enjoying a lunch date and the next I thought I’d lost him. Life’s just so fragile.

As we step into the building, Gloria comes out of her office and stops dead in her tracks as she notices my face. I’m certain I look a mess.

“What the hell happened?” She moves forward, looking between the two of us for an answer.

Roman shuffles me forward, sits me in a chair, and I wince as my butt connects with the seat. Now I know Roman’s safe and things have calmed down, the pain in my shoulder and backside is making itself known. Roman explains what happened, and Gloria insists I spend the rest of the day at home.

“I’ll see you on Monday.” She hugs me. “Take care of yourself.”