A moment of silence stretches between the two of us. I try to divert my eyes from his body, but they keep going back for more.
“What can I help you with?”
“You really don’t have to …”
“Just tell me where I can help,” he demands.
I glance uneasily over my shoulder, contemplating whether I want to accept his cold offer to help. Then I think about the number of trips it will take to unload my car on my own.
My lips thin with irritation. “I could use help unloading my car. It’s just outside.”
He nods his head. “Let’s go.”
The elevator ride down to the lobby is silent. I can’t help but worry that this is what it will be like to work with Roman. It seems as if he hates me—yet he hired me.
I lead him outside to my car and open the trunk. He dives in and grabs a box filled with my favorite books.
“You don’t have to grab that one. It’s so heavy,” I say sympathetically.
“It’s fine, Eva. Just grab what you can.”
We work like this for the next hour. He keeps his head down and makes sure to carry all the heaviest items.
By the time we’re done, I’m sweating underneath my sweater. Yesterday, it was seventy and sunny. Today, it’s cloudy and fifty. Just one of those months where you can wake up and need a coat and strip down to a T-shirt by the afternoon.
Just as I drop the last bag from my shoulder to the ground in the family room, I reach for the bottom of my sweater and yank it off. I throw it over a stack of boxes as I survey the mess. I’m only one person who’s only been on this earth for twenty-seven years. How do I have this much crap?
I lift my head to find Roman’s eyes furiously taking me in. They land on my chest, where I believe my cleavage may be popping out of my tank top. The sports bra that I have on tends to push them up.
He’s giving me the same look he did in his office. It’s unfamiliar to me. It sparks a strange kind of excitement that makes my panties wet.
I watch his hands curl into tight fists at his sides, like he’s fighting against an immense amount of rage within him. I don’tknow if it’s me who creates that rage in him or if he just carries it around with him, but it’s equal parts scary and enticing.
“Well, thank you for your help,” I tell him as my breathing accelerates.
His eyes remain focused on my chest as it moves up and down rapidly. They hold a firm warning in them as they meet mine.
“Let me know if you need anything. The city can be a dangerous place.”
With that, he turns away without so much as a goodbye and walks out of my apartment.
My entire body is stiff with tension. I’m not sure what to think about the fact that Roman is the friendly neighbor my brother was referring to. I wouldn’t usefriendlyas the adjective to describe him.
Mysterious. Confusing. Grumpy. Those are more fitting for the man I now call my client.
He is exactly the opposite of any guy I’ve ever been around. I like to laugh and have fun. He seems to be where fun goes to die.
But then there’s the way my body responds to him. When his eyes darkened after I took my sweater off, the room filled with so much energy that I felt it wash over my skin. It was like he touched me with just a look.
I survey the chaos that is my new apartment. I can’t spend the time worrying about what he thinks of me or why he seems to be such a coldhearted prick. I need to spend the weekend getting this place in order so that I am ready to hit the ground running on Monday.
The first room that I need in order is my bedroom. If I’m going to survive working with Roman, a good night’s sleep will be a must.
I head into the master bedroom and can’t help but smile. The large windows and white walls with crown moldings make the room seem so spacious.
I can’t believe my dream is becoming a reality. I’m a business owner in New York City, who landed an account with the best luxury hotel company in America. It’s more than I could have hoped for.
A knock at my door pulls me from my thoughts. I twist the gold knob, and my best friend from high school, Jessie, is standing there, holding a bottle of champagne and two flutes.