Page 26 of Possessed By Roman

I deal with the condom before returning to bed and pulling her into my arms, her head tucked against my chest. I can feel her heart beating against mine, still racing, and I press a kiss to her hair. I tighten my arms around her, burying my face in her hair, and let myself have this.

Just for now. Tomorrow, I'll worry about the consequences.

Chapter Five

Cora

I have been living in Roman’s apartment for a week. Somehow, in the middle of all that, Roman Taylor became the person I spent nearly every waking moment with. And somehow, that has become its own problem.

Not because I dislike being around him. It’s quite the opposite. That is exactly the problem. I am sitting on the couch with my laptop open in front of me, staring at an assignment I finished nearly ten minutes ago without bothering to close the document.

I should probably start on the next one, considering I have already informed my university that I am dealing with a family emergency and will be away from classes until I know more. But concentrating on school has become increasingly difficult.

My father is still missing. Every time I think about it, fear settles heavily inside me. I immediately start wondering where he is, whether he is hurt, and if he knows we’re looking for him. The guys keep me updated when they can.

River is still in D.C., following every possible lead connected to my father’s disappearance. Roman speaks with him often, and although River has found things that suggest my father didn’t simply disappear on his own, they still haven’t found him.

Royal has been working on the drive. He visited two days ago to give Roman an update, carrying his laptop with him and looking as serious as I have ever seen him. He had finally broken through the encryption.

Apparently, the drive contains far more information than any of them expected. My father had gathered files, documents, names, transactions, and enough evidence to suggest that Alexander Duggan is involved in something much bigger than anyone originally thought.

Royal copied everything onto a secure system, but going through it all and figuring out exactly what Alexander is involved with is taking time. And the worst part is that there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.

So I distract myself. Schoolwork helps. A little. Having Roman around also helps.

Over the past week, our relationship has changed so quickly that sometimes I wonder if I imagined the first few days. We cook together, watch movies, argue over games, and spend hours talking about things that have nothing to do with my father or the investigation.

And then there is the undeniable attraction. The sex. Roman has shown me things about my body I never knew, learning what I like right alongside me. Whatever invisible line he had been trying to keep between us disappeared days ago.

The problem is that somewhere along the way, I stopped simply liking him. I started falling for him. Hard. I close my laptop. That thought has been bothering me for days. Because I don’t know if Roman feels the same way. He wants me. I know that much.

Roman doesn’t exactly hide his attraction anymore, although he still has this strange way of becoming quiet whenever things get too personal. He will answer my questions about himself. Tell me stories about his family or his time in the military. And listen whenever I talk about my own life.

But he rarely volunteers what he feels. Especially about me. Sometimes, I catch him looking at me, his expression becoming softer for a few seconds, and I think maybe I’m not imagining the connection between us.

Then he seems to remember himself. The walls go back up. And I am left wondering if I am the only one falling in love. The thought scares me more than I want to admit. Because eventually, my father will be found. Eventually, I will be safe enough to go back to school.

And then what? Does Roman simply return to his life? My chest tightens. I don’t want that. I don’t want to leave him. The sound of footsteps pulls me from my thoughts. Roman walks into the living room, and my brain immediately loses its ability to function.

He has obviously finished his workout and taken a shower. His hair is still damp, and he is wearing a fitted black T-shirt and jeans, which should not be enough to make me forget my own name, but unfortunately, it is.

His eyes immediately find me. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

He walks closer. “Sorry for leaving you alone all morning.”

I glance at the closed laptop. “You were working out. And I wasn’t bored, I did some of my assignments.”

He sits beside me and leans back against the couch. “I was going to cancel my tattoo appointment today.”

I turn toward him. “Why?”

His expression becomes serious. “Because I don’t like leaving you alone.”

My heart immediately does something stupid. I clear my throat. “I’m not a child. You don’t have to babysit me.”

“I’m aware.”