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“You bet. Hey, Thayne, take me off speaker, there’s something we need to talk about. Just the two of us.”
“Sure thing.” Thayne snatched up the phone, switched off the speaker, then grinned at everyone before walking out of the kitchen.
“Wow,” Jerry deadpanned, his gaze focused on Cara. “Looks like your mom’s going to get her Christmas wish after all.”
Cara wrinkled her brow. “What wish is that?”
Jerry waved a hand toward the room at large. “You know, daughter home for Christmas with her man.”
Cara spun toward Roman. “Have there been rumors or something?” The kitchen, with an audience, was probably not the best place to confront him. But a complete stranger had called her Roman’s “woman” more than once.
Roman stood. “Look, I don’t know who said what, but I’ll be having a word with Thayne as soon as he’s off the phone. The more important thing is that you have a way home now.”
“Yeah.” Cara swallowed.
“And don’t worry, Mia and I aren’t going to be your plus two. But let me help you load your stuff in the truck.”
“Wait. So we’re not going to Texas?” Mia asked, her chin lifted as she looked from Cara to Roman. “I wanted to meet Ruby. She’s younger than me, but we like the same things.”
Yeah, so Cara had maybe told Mia some things about her niece.
Roman grasped Mia’s hand. “Maybe another time, sweetie.”
Mia pushed out her lower lip. “That just means no, Daddy. I’m not a little kid anymore that you can trick.”
Roman’s brows shot up. “I’m not trying to trick—”
Mia tugged her hand away from his and ran out of the kitchen.
“Mia!” he called after her. “Come back here.” When there was no return of his daughter, Roman looked at Cara. “Sorry about that. She’ll be fine.”
“It’s all right,” Cara said. “I mean, if you wanted to come, then I wouldn’t mind.”
Roman studied her face, and she could see the flicker of interest there. “You wouldn’t?” he asked in a quiet voice.
“I’ll be down the hall, or somewhere . . .” Jerry said, but neither of them were paying attention.
Cara was drawn into the warm brown of Roman’s eyes. “My mom would be over the moon. Not because you’re my ‘man’—which we’d have to set my family straight on—but because she loves a crowd.” She drew in a breath. “Oh wait, my entire family would geek out because you’re Roman De Marco.”
He tilted his head, amusement crossing his face. “I am Roman De Marco.”
Cara laughed as warmth buzzed through her. But even as she entertained the idea of Roman coming to Texas with her, she knew it was unrealistic. “Don’t feel bad about saying no.” She set a hand on his arm. “You’ve got a million things going on between now and when filming starts again.”
Roman looked down at her hand, then back up at her. “Not really.”
Cara’s breath caught. “You don’t?”
“I mean, I do, but everyone should take a vacation, right? Especially during the holidays.”
“Right,” she said.
He stood closer now, and Cara dropped her hand because touching him was making her pulse crazy.
Sounds drifted in from other parts of the house, but they were all muted. The only thing Cara was aware of was that she and Roman were alone in the kitchen once again. And the last time they’d been alone, they’d kissed . . .
“You’re leaning,” she whispered.
Roman’s mouth curved. “I am?”
Cara wanted to throw her arms about this man’s neck and kiss that smile. But boundaries were a very good thing right now, especially if he was coming to Prosperity Ranch. “If you’re coming to Texas with me, there has to be a strict policy against leaning.”
Roman chuckled softly, and Cara was ninety-nine percent sure that he would have kissed her if Thayne hadn’t walked back into the room.
She stepped away from Roman, but his gaze remained on hers, searching, questioning, as Thayne rattled off a few things about the private jet. Like which gate it would be at and the name of the captain.
“Great,” Roman said, his gaze still on Cara’s. “Pass along the message that there will be three passengers instead of one.”
