Page 43 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

I stared at the pages, my mind racing with a hundred reasons to doubt this. But as I glanced at Roman, who was watching me with an unreadable expression, I knew there was no turning back.

I picked up the pen and signed my name.

Roman signed below it.

The tension in the room eased slightly as the board members began gathering their things, but I felt like I’d just signed away a part of myself.

“Let’s go,” Roman said. “We’re all set here.”

We left the boardroom together and walked back to his office.

“Now what?” I asked with a resigned sigh.

“Now, we face the sharks.”

“Didn’t I just do that?”

He smirked. “Those were guppies compared to what we’re about to deal with.”

“Is it too late to back out?” I asked sullenly.

“Yep,” he said with a grin.

We walked back to the elevator.

“Just let me do the talking,” he said when we stepped out into the lobby.

I frowned, not fully understanding what he was talking about. Chaos erupted in the lobby. Cameras flashed, reporters shouted questions, and microphones were thrust in our direction. The press tended to report on every detail of Roman’s life but I just didn’t understand how this was news.

Then again, he wanted people to know about our “engagement.” The board had probably invited them all here.

Roman’s hand settled on the small of my back, guiding me forward with an ease that suggested he had done this a thousand times before. I tried to keep my head down, but the noise was overwhelming.

“Who’s the lucky lady, Roman?”

“Mr. Kelly! Is she the secret Kardashian?”

“Is that the homeless woman from the auction?”

Were they referring to me? Did people think I was homeless?

Roman stopped abruptly, turning to face the sea of reporters. He pulled me closer to his side and I froze, trying to give off non-vagrant energy.

“Kaira has been in my life for some time now,” he said smoothly, his voice cutting through the commotion. Everyone stopped talking, hanging on every word he said, getting it all on their cameras. “We wanted to keep things private, but you jackals are never going to give me privacy. So we’re ready to share our happiness with the world.”

He turned to me, his eyes locking onto mine. There was a flicker of something—an apology, maybe? Before I could wonder what he was sorry for, he leaned in and kissed me like he fucking meant it.

The world tilted on its axis. The flash of cameras faded into the background as his lips moved against mine. My brain was too stunned to respond but my body knew exactly what it wanted. I leaned into him, my hands clutching the front of his suit jacket as I deepened the kiss.

For a few seconds, there was no crowd, no cameras, no reporters. Just him and the magical kiss.

When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, my heart hammering in my chest. Roman’s hand lingered on my waist. He flashed a small, almost imperceptible smirk.

“Let’s go,” he murmured, guiding me toward the waiting car.

As we slid into the back seat and the door closed, muffling the noise outside, I turned to him, still reeling. “What the hell was that?”

He raised an eyebrow. “That was our first public appearance as a couple. It went perfectly.”