Page 83 of The Promise

And there was something ...

Something about knowing she fit here—found herself a spot at a table that, before now, hadn’t even existed. With these people. His mother.

In his life.

He was also relieved that his mother had seen a different side of her. One that she’d only revealed to him before. Now, it was evident to everyone why he felt the way he did about Karine. What drew her to him. Underneath that hazy exterior she used to sport—the one that was muddled, confused and suspicious of the outside world—lay a young woman who was funny, charming, perilously sweet, and maybe needed just a little bit of help with her confidence every now and then.

He wasn’t surprised that she shined in front of others—beautiful things always did, though. Karine was certainly that. There was no doubt about it.

While Roman’s thoughts whirled in his mind, keeping him silent and unwilling to draw Karine’s attention away from the rest of the people at the table, she and Michelle were in the middle of a new conversation. Apparently, the two had found a secret trail in the woods and wanted to show him. Claire interrupted everyone’s chatter by turning on music in the room, the sound filtering out from built in speakers overhead and all around.

“Now, nobody said anything about dancing, Claire,” one of the bulls joked, making Roman’s mother reply with a laugh.

He knew the truth.

“She’s playing this music because she misses my father,” Roman said softly to Karine when she turned, and pouted those pretty lips of hers at him. “It’s their favorite thing to do at night—he listens to music, and she reads beside him.”

Karine’s pout bloomed instantly into a smile. “That’s ... sweet. You should have brought him.”

Maybe.

Some shit couldn’t be helped.

“He was busy,” Roman replied.

He wound an arm around her waist, and pulled her closer to him until she was practically on the edge of her chair. The rest of the room drifted away, even his mother’s attempts to get a shy Masha to sway to the beat with her, faded with Karine so close to him. Michelle chose that moment to head away from the table, and he was silently grateful.

“You seem happy,” Karine said in a whisper, the tips of her fingers raising to trace the smile playing on his lips.

“I am. Are you?”

She nodded. “Very. I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun before.”

“A shame, that.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Roman lifted a brow. “Oh?”

Karine shrugged. “It’s just better with you.”

The way she said it so unabashedly was music to his ears. Roman kissed her, then, leaning between them to close what distance remained, and he didn’t care who watched. From the way the room silenced, but for the music, of course, he didn’t doubt that everyone’s eyes were on them. Karine must have sensed it too, because she broke away from the kiss, blushing.

The prettiest pink.

All the way down her throat, too.

Goddamn.

They needed to be alone.

Soon.

“It’s too bad if you want more of that apple pie because I’m going to take you away now,” he told her, unable to tear his gaze away from the sensual curve of her mouth.

She bit down on her lip. “I’ve been waiting to hear you say that all night.”

“Really? I thought you were enjoying yourself.”