Page 28 of Unstable

Irina wondered what was going through Roman’s head at the moment, because whatever it was had twisted his face into an expression of… dismay, maybe? She couldn’t quite tell. He was probably disappointed at the prospect of having to put up with her for the next couple of weeks.

Roman seemed to get tenser and more on edge each time she mentioned their fake marriage. She knew he was worried about doing his job and keeping her safe, but they were hundreds of miles from home. No one had noticed her at the airport, or if they had, no one had approached to ask for a picture or an autograph. She had caught Roman looking behind them from time to time during the car ride, so she assumed he was checking to make sure they hadn’t been tailed.

As for the bedroom situation… That was going to be a nightmare. Which was too bad, because for the next two weeks, it was just the two of them in that tiny little house, with nowhere to go and nothing to do… except each other. The thought almost caused her to laugh out loud. Hey, a girl could dream.

She turned to the man in question. “Can we go down to the ocean now?”

“Not yet,” he replied. “This place has plates and cups and things, but no groceries to speak of whatsoever. Let’s order some food to be delivered, then we can go out later.”

“Why don’t we just run to the store? That would save us a lot of time,” she pointed out. “Besides, it’s only right up the road.”

She had seen a little plaza on the way in that contained a grocery store as well as a handful of various other shops dedicated to beachwear and such.

He shook his head. “Not a good idea.”

“Seriously?” She propped her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “Am I allowed to do anything?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Right now, I’m the only thing standing between you and some psychopathic stalker.”

She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t suggesting we announce my identity over the loudspeaker.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “You wouldn’t have to. Beautiful women attract attention everywhere they go.”

He thought she was beautiful? Her heart warmed at the compliment, and she forced herself to tune back in to what he was saying.

“Anyone who listens to country music or has picked up a magazine over the past two years knows your face. Plus, you have social media followers everywhere. They all saw your posts, and you never know where you might run into one of them. It’s safer for now just to stay in.”

She made a little face, and the corners of his mouth twitched. “Let me get a better feel for the place, then we can discuss it.”

“Fine,” she sighed, turning toward the door. “I’m going to go sit by the pool.”

“Hold up.”

She threw her arms up as she whirled back to him. “What now?”

His lips pressed together for a moment, and she wondered if he was fighting a smile again. Jerk.

“Let’s make a list of the things we need to order, then you can unpack and do your thing.”

Without another word, she traipsed back to the living room and pulled a notebook from her purse. She kept it handy in case any good lyrics ever came to her, so she could write them down before she forgot. Taking a seat at the dining room table, she flipped it open to a blank page then jotted down a few basic items. Eggs, milk, cereal, bread.

“Bacon,” Roman added from over her shoulder.

She lifted an eyebrow and glanced up at him. “I can’t eat that stuff.”

“Don’t like it? Or does it make you sick?”

“I love it, actually.” She shook her head. “But Louis would kill me if he found out.”

“Louis can pound salt. Besides”—he shot her a rare smile—“you’re on your fake honeymoon. Live a little.”

She dropped her eyes back to the paper in front of her, her cheeks burning at his teasing remark. This was such a strange situation they’d found themselves in. How in they’d gone from practically enemies to married in the span of less than two weeks, she would never be able to comprehend. She wished she could get a better read on him, because she had no idea what he was thinking half the time.

Sometimes he was such a jerk. Other times, he acted like a doting boyfriend. She had caught herself in the car when she laid her hand on his leg, and she was surprised he hadn’t pulled away. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to say anything in front of Donald. Or it could be because, deep down, he was as attracted to her as she was to him.

She couldn’t be sure, but she wasn’t going to ask. He wasn’t exactly communicative on a good day, and she wasn’t about to make things more awkward by bringing it up. What she did know for sure was that he never would have come to her on his own. Had the situation with her stalker not escalated, he would probably have just gone on living his life without giving her a second thought.

She tapped the point of the pencil against the page several times before scribbling bacon on the blue line. They added several more items for dinner plus fresh fruits and vegetables. As she wrote, he pulled out his phone and began to text rapidly.