Trapped by the Bastard's Kiss

Chapter 6

Warm sunshine made the pavement outside the cafe hot and unpleasant, even though he had opted to leave his jacket in the car. Roman felt the fresh sweat trickle down his back under his dress shirt. He had forgotten his sunglasses, so his eyes were also burning from the heat and the bright sunshine. After a beat, he raised his hand and wiped at his forehead and realized the situation was worse there. He was melting under the scorching sun, yet he had no desire to leave.

Roman shook his head at himself. He really couldn’t believe he was doing this. He was standing outside the cafe watching a woman like a creep, instead of sitting at his desk, surrounded by cool air and thinking of new ways to create millions for his bank account.

Earlier in the day, Roman had talked to Sean. After only three days of digging, his friend had come to him with some news. Frederick Pollen was hiding his activities a little too well, but not everyone thought like a crooked old man. Becky Quin certainly didn’t. Sean had no trouble digging into her life.

The things Sean had uncovered about Becky had been both unexpected and fascinating. They had both come to some interesting conclusions about her. But even with all the information Sean had gathered, Roman still felt like there was something missing.

His heart had been racing the moment he spotted her in the cafe with another woman. Roman hadn’t bothered to give the other woman a second glance. His eyes had only been on Becky. He had never felt this way before. Roman had never been so intrigued by a woman before. And yet, here he was, stalking her like a common criminal.

He couldn’t explain it. He just had to know more about her. And not from distant digging only. He wanted to interact with her. Hear her voice and watch her expressive eyes change with every topic. He didn’t even care if they discussed the color of stones as long as he spoke to her.

As he watched Becky through the cafe’s large front window, he saw her gather her bridal magazines and head towards the counter. Her companion had left a few minutes ago. Thank goodness. Roman had been able to see Becky hadn’t been so comfortable with the other woman. He had almost stormed into the cafe to get rid of the slim, stiff woman.

He shook his head at himself, trying to snap out of it. This wasn’t like him. He was a successful businessman, used to being in control of every situation, both in business and out. But with Becky, he felt like he was completely out of his depth and acting impulsively. But was he leaving? No. Roman took a deep breath and followed her inside.

As Roman quietly stood behind her at the counter, he realized Becky was not yet aware of his presence. Never one to miss an opportunity, he took the time to study her up close.

Damn. He had thought her body was amazing at dinner three nights ago. But seeing her in a pair of tight jeans, Roman saw that she had a set of sinful curves. Her hips flared out of her narrow waist, the perfect size to grip, and… Roman shook his head. That line of thought led to death, he was sure. He shouldn’t have been thinking about that. Not about Becky Quin. She was Cole’s fiancee.

Roman was so engrossed in his internal debate over right or wrong that he missed the moment she collected her order from the barista and turned to leave.

In a matter of seconds, Roman almost had a cold, chocolate milkshake bath. His hand shot out to grab steady her disposable cup, whose cap thankfully stayed in place, securing the creamy liquid within.

Becky gasped in shock and dropped everything else on the floor at their feet. The magazines landed with a rather loud thump in the quiet cafe.

“I’m so sorry,” Becky said immediately, as she suddenly completely let go of the cup he was holding and dropped to her knees to pick up the magazines and her milkshake straw. She hadn’t even looked at him.

The Barista behind the counter looked startled but seemed uncertain whether to come over and help, or mind his own business. After a second, he seemed to think the situation didn’t need him and went into the back, leaving them alone.

Roman carefully placed the plastic cup back on the counter and then looked down at Becky, who was still collecting her fallen magazines. The sight of this woman on her knees in front of him made the dirtiest thoughts run through his head. Roman cleared his throat and shook his head. Not helping, he reminded the devil, squabbling with the angel on his shoulders.

The sound of him clearing his throat seemed to remind the young woman that she was on her knees in front of a man she hadn’t even looked at. Becky suddenly froze in the process of collecting the last magazine and then looked up.

Expressive brown eyes blinked at him in shock when her brain obviously clicked and she realized she knew him.

“You?”

Roman wasn’t sure he read her tone right. Was she shocked or mesmerized? “I’m sorry,” Roman said, trying to keep his cool. “I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

Becky quickly got back to her feet. It was nothing graceful, and she imagined she had looked like a baby giraffe standing for the first time. Thankfully, the man didn’t add to her embarrassment by trying to help her.

Although, his intense gaze was fixed on her, making her heart race faster than the clicking of her cousin’s high heels had just moments ago.

The man towering over her by almost a foot was the embodiment of tall, dark, and handsome. If she had thought he looked good in jeans and leather the other night, that was nothing compared to how breathtaking he looked in a white dress shirt open at the collar, like he had simply removed his tie and tried to look more casual, and black slacks. He looked like a temptation.

It didn’t help that Roman projected raw sexuality with the way he just held himself. She had heard he was quite popular with the ladies. Actually, according to Cole, Roman was a man w***e. He slept with any woman with a pulse, young, old, married, or single. He didn’t care. Cole told her Roman spent thousands of dollars paying settlements to pissed-off husbands and even some fathers for going after their underage daughters. It all sounded very ugly, and she was disgusted hearing that. Although, when she had done an online search on Roman, purely out of curiosity, she had barely confirmed half of what Cole had said. This made her wonder how much of his reputation was hateful opinions, and slander, and how much of it was true. However, looking at him now, she wouldn’t have a problem believing women of all ages threw themselves at him like animals in heat.

Part of her suddenly wondered what it would be like to be with Roman Mazzeo. Becky quickly jerked her head to disperse that inappropriate thought.

“Sorry,” she stammered, taking a step back to create more breathing room between them. Even the man’s cologne seemed to be tempting her to take another whiff. “I didn’t see you there.”

Roman’s lips quirked up into a small smile. “No harm done.” He looked at the magazines in her arms. “How are the preparations going? You must be excited.”

Becky felt her face flush. She glanced down at the magazines she now clutched against her chest like a shield. “Uh, yeah. I was just having coffee with my cousin. Going through some ideas. She wanted to help me pick out a dress and finalize on some other details.” Becky suddenly clamped her mouth shut. She realized she was babbling.

Seemingly unbothered by her embarrassment and the evident heat in her cheeks, he gave her a slow, single nod. “I see. Well, good luck with that. And good luck with your photography as well,” he added.

“What?” Becky stared at him in shock. “How did you know?” she blurted out.

The man shrugged. “Just a lucky guess, I suppose.”

Becky wasn’t buying that. “Are you checking up on me?”

“Is that not what a good brother would do? You are getting married to my brother, after all.”

“Half-brother,” Becky corrected without thinking.

Roman’s face twitched for a split second, but she saw the anger before a smirk lifted from the corner of his lips. “I see Grace is already training you well,” he said.

Becky’s heart sank as she realized she had stepped on a landmine. She could feel the tension in the air, and the weight of her words was suffocating. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape route, but she knew deep down that she had to face the consequences of her words. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her body language betraying her nervousness. The silence hung heavy in the air, as if waiting for her next move. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. Honestly. I know nothing about your family and all the dynamics.”

“Really?” Roman arched a disbelieving brow. “You already know I am the bastard son. The shameful secret of the great, dignified Pollen family. That sums it all up.”

Becky felt a lump form in her throat as she looked up at Roman. She could feel the weight of his words, and the pain they carried, even though he obviously tried to hide it. They were tangible. She felt guilty for being the one to bring up that topic and make him feel uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Roman,” she said softly, meeting his gaze. “I didn’t mean to point out your position in the Pollen family. It was insensitive of me.”

Roman watched her for a moment, his expression inscrutable. But then he let out a small smile and waved a hand, as though dismissing the entire thing. “Don’t worry about it, Becky. It’s not your fault,” he said, trying to put her at ease. “I am not part of Frederick’s family. And I count that as a blessing.”

She didn’t know how to respond to that. The atmosphere was still heavy with unspoken emotions, and Becky didn’t know what to do. She wished she could take back her earlier words and make things less awkward. But she knew that wasn’t possible. In the end, she simply nodded, indicating that she understood, even though she didn’t, really.

“You were on your way out?” Roman suddenly asked, thankfully changing the topic.

“Yes,” Becky readily answered. She nodded for good measure, relieved that the topic had shifted away from his family. Suddenly remembering her drink, she looked around. She spotted her chocolate milkshake on the counter and picked it up. She then turned to Roman and offered a polite smile. “I’ll be on my way now. It was nice seeing you again.”

Roman smiled as though he knew she didn’t mean it, but gave her another nod. “Nice seeing you too, Becky. I’m sure I will be seeing you around again.”

Becky paused, already turning to leave, and looked at him. Her insides twisted at the thought of seeing Roman again. The man made her uneasy in a way she couldn’t explain, even to herself. Thankfully, good manners won over her apprehension and confusion. She gave him a little smile she knew probably looked tight and forced and left at a dignified speed, fighting the urge to run out of the cafe as though the devil himself knew her name.

Roman watched her go until she was out of sight. The smile he had kept on his face faded into a frown in a heartbeat. That hadn’t gone as he had expected. He wasn’t even sure what he had thought would happen, but somehow he felt he was left with more questions than answers. He certainly didn’t understand why the woman fascinated him so much.

From the moment she recognized him, Roman had sensed the tension in her demeanor. She seemed uneasy around him, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of curiosity and intrigue about her.

Roman scratched at his stubble and then shook his head and started for the entrance of the cafe. He couldn’t even pretend he had come in there for a cup of coffee. He needed his head checked; Roman thought with a groan.