Page 59 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

Roman walked in, freshly showered and dressed in gray sweatpants and a simple black T-shirt. His dark hair was damp, and he looked more relaxed than he was.

I quickly returned my gaze to my book, pretending not to notice him as he approached. I wanted to ignore him and pretend he was nothing more than an obnoxious insect.

But Roman was not the kind of man you could simply ignore. It wasn’t just his size—it was his whole aura. He walked into a room and demanded the attention of everyone in it whether he meant to do it or not.

“Wine?” he asked, holding out a glass.

“No, thank you,” I said without looking up.

He surprised me by putting the glass on the small table beside me instead of walking away. I glanced at him, expecting a sharp remark or a sarcastic comment, but instead, he stood there quietly for a moment.

“Should you be drinking in here?” I asked.

Truthfully, I didn’t really trust myself. He might be fine, but I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t spill my glass on an irreplaceable tome.

“It’s furniture,” he said. “It can be cleaned. Or replaced.”

I raised an eyebrow, unsure how to take his nonchalant response. Was he trying to tell me he didn’t care about the furniture, or was it a test to see how I would react? Either way, Roman was standing here, in his library, offering me wine and speaking softly, almost gently.

He pulled up another armchair, positioning it so that it faced mine, and sat down with his own glass of wine.

I could feel a standoff coming. Again. I picked up the glass of wine and took a drink. I was going to need the liquid courage to deal with him.

“I was out of line earlier,” he said.

I blinked, lowering my book. That was the last thing I expected him to say. “Which time?”

He nodded and took a sip from his glass before licking his lips. I nearly moaned when I saw him do it. It reminded me of him kissing me. That tongue that promised pleasure.

I shook off the thoughts and gave him my full attention.

“This house has been too quiet for too long. It could use a little laughter. You were right.” He shook his head. “I’ve been living here a certain way but that doesn’t mean it’s the right way.”

His honesty caught me off guard. Roman didn’t apologize, at least not in the time I had known him. But there was something in his expression—an openness I hadn’t seen before—that made me believe he was sincere.

I put my book down, leaning forward slightly. “I didn’t think you’d admit that.”

He smirked faintly. “Neither did I.”

We sat in silence for a moment before he continued.

“I’ve spent so many years in my business world, treating everyone like they’re trying to take something from me. It’s become a reflex.”

“Like if you don’t get them first, they’ll get you?” I asked gently.

He nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Yeah.”

“That sounds like a lonely way to live,” I said, keeping my tone soft.

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought I’d pushed too far. But then he let out a quiet breath and looked back at me.

“It is,” he admitted. “But when you’re in it, you don’t really notice. It’s second nature to me.” Then he paused, looking into his glass as if it held some hidden truth that he was reluctant to share. “Until someone comes along and makes you see things differently,” he added quietly, almost to himself.

I felt my heart do a quick skip. Was he talking about me? I wanted to press him, to ask who had made him reconsider his fortress-like existence, but I feared destroying the fragile truce we had just built. Roman was a wounded animal. I had to tread lightly. If I started asking questions or imposing my thoughts and beliefs on him, he was going to bolt.

Instead, I chose a safer question. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

Roman glanced up at me, his eyes searching my face as if trying to decide how much to reveal. There was something in his gaze that made my chest ache—a vulnerability I hadn’t expected to see. For the first time, Roman wasn’t the arrogant, guarded man who infuriated me. He was just… human.