Page 7 of Sapphire Storm

Eyes locked onEthan’s,Roman Walkerunsnapped the front button of his jeans.

“Mr. Walker.” The clear forcefulness in Ethan’s tone causedthe fitfluencer’s hands to freeze. Ethan spoke quickly, before he could beseized by thoughts of pushing the man to the bed in the adjacent room and findingout if he went rigid or pliant under the force of Ethan’s thrusts. “We’re goingto reset here. I’ll have the staff bring the slices down to one of our conferencerooms, and then our events director Jonas Jacobs can join us. That way we’ll besure that you and the Peyton family are getting everything you’re entitled tounder your contract for this event.”

Roman Walker didn’t move. His jaw was tense with anger.There was a firm set to his brow that hadn’t been there before.

“Okay,” he said softly, “but then after will you fuck me inthat bed?”

“I’m very flattered, but no. I will not.”

I’ll just jerk off to the fantasy of doing so for anhour later tonight while scrolling through your socials,Ethan thought ashe stepped from the room.

“Gotcha,” came the young man’s voice behind him. Thesoftness was gone, replaced by cold, hard anger. “I guess you only fuck marriedmen with kids,Michael.”

His spine became a steel rod. The one leg he’d stepped outinto the hallway froze. When he turned, he saw what a thin veneer of seductionhad lain across Roman Walker’s anger. The young man’s eyes were ablaze, and hisnostrils were flaring. As Ethan stepped back inside the suite, closing the doorall the way behind him this time, he realized with a racing heart and sweatypalms why the guy looked familiar—the reason had nothing to do with his socialmedia profiles.

All of it came together in a single instant that left himbriefly dizzy and breathless before he managed to compose himself.

“That’s not my name,Ronnie Burton,” Ethan saidquietly.

Roman’s nostrils flared. “I figured you changed it at somepoint when I saw you on that stupid fucking show.”

“It was never my name. Just like Roman’s not yours.”

“Whatever. Everyone in California changes their name.”

Ethan tried for levity. “Everyone inSouthernCalifornia changes their name.”

“Nor Cal too. They just change it to something likeStarshine or Rainforest. Whatever. It’s Roman now. Legally. Don’t call meRonnie or I’ll...”

The fact that he couldn’t finish the statement with a threatwas a good thing, Ethan thought.

Figuring it was the only way to be a gentleman in thisscenario, he sank to one knee and picked up the man’s designer jacket. When hewent to hand it to him, Roman took it with one hand and hurled it to the floor.“No thanks,Gramps. Over and out!”

Ethan couldn’t suppress his surprised laugh. “Wow. Okay. Soyouwere BeachBoy24?”

Roman nodded angrily and looked to the carpet.

“A two-pronged attack. I see. Knock me down online and I’mmore vulnerable to the charms of a young man like you when you get me alone.Clever boy. So is this why the Peytons are having their wedding here? Becauseyou recognized me on Netflix?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. They don’t know who you are.”

“So this is just a coincidence?” Ethan asked.

The young man swallowed. “Sapphire Cove was on Diana’s shortlist. Rachel was leaning toward Montage in Laguna. I convinced her to have ithere after I saw you on that stupid-ass show andGoogledyou.”

“So you could…what exactly?”

Roman’s anger seemed shot through suddenly with a lightningbolt of shame. He chewed his bottom lip. His chesty grunts made it sound likehe was trying for words that were dying somewhere around his heart.

“Get me to try something with you and then accuse me offorcing myself on you?” Roman didn’t answer. “Get me fired?”

“Something like that,” the young man whispered, eyes on thecarpet.

“Seems extreme. Why don’t we just talk?” Ethan asked.

“Okay.” It sounded like there was a frog in Roman’s throat.“I’ll go first. You ruined my parents’ marriage, and you ruined myfucking life.” The guy was breathing fast and hard now, hisperfectly sculpted chest rising and falling with a rhythm that looked close topanic.

Most people wouldn’t call residency in a major celebrity’smultimillion-dollar beach house and a Bentley a “ruined life,” but it wasn’tEthan’s place to judge. Besides, in Roman’s outburst, he’d heard more grief andpain than aggression and hate.

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