Page 89 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

“But you’re not going to tell me.”

“Not yet. I’m guessing you’re not a fan of romance novels anyway.”

I shrugged. “No, but it’s different when I know it’s a story coming from you.”

“That makes it worse for me,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because it’s kind of embarrassing. It’s very vulnerable.”

“I won’t read it if you don’t want me to, but if you do want me to, I’d be happy to.”

Our meals were delivered shortly after. We ate and talked a bit about the weather and the usual things. She never brought up the sex and my reaction. She either forgot about it or preferred to ignore it. I was grateful for that because I had no idea what to say about it.

“I can’t believe it’s almost been a month,” I said as the server cleared our plates. “And Valentine’s Day is next week.”

“It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.”

“No,” I agreed, my gaze lingering on hers. “It doesn’t.”

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment before she said, “Thank you, Roman. For tonight, for the laptop… for everything.”

“Thank you. For teaching me how to let go a little. I’m looking forward to the next five months.”

Her smile widened, and for the first time in years, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

The rain started as we pulled into the driveway—a rare occurrence in LA. We stepped out of the car together, but instead of making a mad dash to the door, I glanced up at the sky, feeling the cool drops against my face.

Anthony pulled away, honking twice in his usual goodbye.

I stopped abruptly, grabbing her hand. She turned to me, her expression questioning.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing,” I said, pulling her closer. “Just this.”

Before she could respond, I leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss. She melted against me, her arms wrapping around my neck as the light drizzle turned into a full rainstorm. I barely noticed the rain. I was completely focused on her. Her lips were soft, warm, and tasted faintly of the wine we’d shared at dinner.

I deepened the kiss, my hands sliding to her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space between us. The rain fell harder, drenching us completely, but neither of us cared. Kaira clung to me, her hand sliding up to the back of my neck as we kissed. I had never felt a connection like this with anyone before. Something about Kaira broke down my carefully constructed walls, leaving me open and exposed.

When we finally pulled apart, she laughed breathlessly. “You’re full of surprises tonight.”

I smiled, brushing a strand of wet hair from her face. “Get used to it.”

33

KAIRA

Istared up at Roman, breathless from the intensity of his kiss. The rain was pouring down around us, soaking us both, but I barely noticed. All I could focus on was the way his hands felt on my waist, the warmth of his body pressed against mine.

“We should probably get inside before we catch pneumonia,” I said, my voice soft.

Roman nodded, reluctantly loosening his grip on me. He took my hand and we hurried inside, water dripping from our hair and clothes.

Once in the foyer, Roman reached out and gently brushed a raindrop from my cheek with his thumb. His eyes held a warmth in them that I hadn’t seen before. Gone was the cold, ruthless man that only made moves that benefited him.

“I’m glad you agreed to dinner tonight,” he said quietly.