I extend a hand to Lincoln for a moment, but it feels inadequate. I pull him in for a hug and slap his back. “Congratulations.”
When we pull away, his eyes seem misty. “Thanks, man. I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad.”
“You’ll make one hell of a dad,” I say sincerely.
As the guys bring out more drinks and cheers to celebrate the great news, I watch Lincoln and the way he tends to Kylie. Whispering in her ear, asking if she’s okay, bringing her sparkling water. His focus is entirely on her, but he’s happier than I have ever seen him.
I take a seat on one of the barstools.
Walker follows me, phone in his hand. “I hope you don’t mind, but I told Eva I was here. I thought maybe she could stop by and say hi.”
I try to keep my expression neutral, but a spark of excitement flickers in me. I reach for my drink to hide the heat of my smile. “Oh, yeah?” I ask casually. “Nice.”
Two of the women come up to us with those smiles that I’m all too familiar with. It’s the kind of seductive smile that promises a good time if I give them a chance. But the chance they are looking for isn’t to get to know me; it’s to get their hands on my money.
Suddenly, the mere idea that this was a preferable lifestyle to me is almost laughable.
“What are you boys whispering about over here?” a tall blonde in a tight gold dress asks.
I don’t even register what Walker’s response is—something obnoxious and flirty, I’m sure. I’m too busy listening for a knock at my front door, wondering if Eva is busy or if she’ll show up.
Walker never did tell me if Eva answered him back.
Several minutes go by, filled with laughter and giggles, and then I feel a woman’s hand on my shoulder.
“What?” I ask, coming back to the moment.
“Your place is amazing. I can’t believe the view you have of the Empire State Building.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty phenomenal.”
“There she is.” Walker opens his arms wide.
I realize how close this woman is standing next to me, her hand still on my shoulder.
I feel Eva before I see her. The air around me shifts with her energy in the room.
Eva walks into her brother’s arms, and the first thing I notice is her tight, dark jeans and sheer black top. I can see everything underneath, even her lacy black bra. My dick twitches in my pants, just as excited to see her as I am.
She looks effortlessly beautiful. Not like the other women in the room—it’s obvious they spend hours in front of the mirror. Eva just has this way where you know she doesn’t need to do that, and she still outshines them all.
The instant she looks at me, I feel the pounding in my chest and wish I could take her in my arms. Instead, I watch as her gaze bounces from mine to the woman next to me to her hand on my shoulder.
She smiles softly. “Hello, Roman.”
I notice a shift in her eyes, just for a moment. A flash of something she quickly smothers. Disappointment? Hurt?
I don’t get a chance to respond before she moves on to say hello to the rest of the guys. It’s like a dagger to the heart to see her walk away from me like I’m not worth anything more than a hello.
For the first time since we started fooling around, I hate that we have to keep it a secret. If only it wasn’t so complicated with the man standing in front of me.
I’m not sure how to handle this. I can’t exactly hang all over Eva without inviting questions.
“Excuse me,” I say to the woman whose hand isstillon me.
I pour myself a second drink as I watch Eva from across the room. She is being introduced to Kylie, who seems genuinely thrilled to meet her. They share an easy laugh that I wish I were on the receiving end of.
Every part of me is screaming to pull her aside, touch her, say something—anything to remind her that I only have eyes for her.