Page 31 of The Devil After Dark
I pushed my skirt down without responding. Then I pushed his arms out of the way and stepped away from him.
“I mean it, no more. Take me out like a decent human if you want to see me.” Cassio just blew me a kiss as I stormed out of his office.
thirty-four
LIANA
I was still fumingby the time I made it back to my own office. I knew it would be quiet here. My colleagues would have all left the office about an hour ago, but I needed to breathe and I wasn’t ready to go home. I was still replaying the conversation with Cassio in my head—and maybe snarkily muttering to myself as I sorted through papers on my desk, chucking ones I didn’t need in the recycle bin and organizing the rest. I nearly fell out of my chair at the quiet knock on my door. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Rome said from the doorway. “Is everything okay?”
I pressed my hand to my chest as I let out a relieved breath. “It has just been a day,” I responded as I shook my head in my embarrassment of being startled and likely being seen taking out my frustration on my papers.
“Well then, how about I buy you a drink and either you can tell me about it or I can distract you from it?” Rome offered. I sat and stared at him, my mouth slightly open at my shock. Had Rome just asked me out? Or was this a friendly offer? Right then I realized howincredibly pathetic I was. The only friends I had were the ones that worked with me in this office. I didn’t associate with anyone outside of clients and client functions. I had apparently thought this was so okay that a simple offer to grab a drink had me completely clueless as to what Rome’s intentions might be. “We don’t have to get a drink, but I could give you a ride home. You just missed the last bus,” Rome said as if he recognized my confusion.
I looked at the time on my phone. Gods I had missed the last bus. I closed my eyes and sighed. Then my phone buzzed. Cassio had messaged me. Fucking Cassio. I raised my eyes to Rome. “Thank you, I think I will take you up on that drink.”
My phone buzzed two more times in quick succession. I ignored it and gathered my things quickly. As I followed Rome to the lift I opened the messages:
I’ll have a car there for you in ten minutes.
Don’t leave with him.
Don’t you dare fucking leave with him.
I shoved my phone into my purse without responding. Fuck Cassio. I had told him what I needed and he practically spit in my face over it. Rome held the car door open for me. “How about we stop at that spot on the corner by your place? I assume they know how to pour a glass of wine,” he said as I slipped into the seat.
“Yes, they do know how to pour a glass of wine and they have good mixed drinks too,” I responded. Rome smiled and closed the door. I watched him round the hood and slide into the driver’s seat. “Why were you at my office?” I asked suddenly. It was far past business hours and it’s not like he would know I was there.
“I was coming back from something and saw the light on in your office window,” Rome said casually as he pulled onto the street. “I probably should have called first, but I thought if you were there Imight be able to check in … you haven’t called or messaged, so I assume everything is okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” I said stiffly and pressed my thighs together. As fine as things could be sitting in Rome’s car and remembering I had no underwear on after the man who told me to stay away from Rome had torn them off. He glanced at me, his eyes narrowing, before looking back to the road.
“Fine means something is wrong. And by the way you were organizing tonight I would venture a guess you might be a little upset,” he said, not looking back at me.
“Some of my clients are difficult, that’s all,” I responded and looked out the window. He was silent long enough I felt the need to elaborate, “I have to keep calm and collected in front of them and sometimes when I’m alone I just let it out. I’m a little embarrassed you walked in on that.”
Rome chuckled as he pulled into a parking spot near the bar we were going to. “Cassio is one of your clients, right?” he asked casually.
I glanced at him before looking away again. “Yeah, he recently hired us.”
“Ah, well, I have known him for a long time and he can be difficult. Be careful around him,” Rome replied as he turned the car off. “But, you don’t need to be embarrassed. No judgement from me, Liana. I know I’ve done worse in similar situations.”
I tried to ignore his comment. I just wanted a drink. Maybe Rome and a drink could distract me from everything going on.
Rome definitely could distract me from everything. He had me laughing so hard I had almost peed my pants at the bar. Unfortunately, all of my worries and frustrations came flooding back to me as we stopped outside of the gates to my condo complex. I looked up inthe direction of my unit. “You know there haven’t been more murders surrounding the shooting,” Rome said gently. “We haven’t seen any weird activity near your home either. You’re safe, Liana.”
I turned to look at him.Safe.It was such a strange word after the last few weeks—after everything with the shooting and Cassio. After knowing even with patrols, no one had noticed the man breaking into my condo. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head away at the thought of Cassio. “Hey. Hey, now, what’s wrong?” Rome asked as I felt his warm hand caress my cheek and turn my face back towards his. There was gentle concern in his eyes and I also saw the desire as he stepped closer to me. “Tell me what’s wrong, Liana,” he whispered.
My heart was pounding in my chest. Rome was thoughtful and he was here trying to make sure I was okay. I should tell him I wasn’t. I should ask him to take me somewhere else. Why was I trying to flee from Cassio? I wanted him so badly, but I was fleeing from the thought that I was just going to end up like the side piece I had been in my last relationship. My phone buzzed and I quickly inhaled. “Thank you so much for tonight, Rome. I had a really good time and actually forgot about all of my client worries,” I managed to say. “Maybe we can do this again?”
Rome’s hand slid from my cheek and he smiled at me. “I would very much like to do this again,” he responded.
“Great. Well … goodnight,” I said cautiously.
“Goodnight,” Rome replied with a nod of his head.
I gave him a small smile and turned to open the gate before anything else could happen. I was one foot inside the gate as I watched Rome walk down the street towards his car. I let out a breath and closed the gate firmly behind myself. Then I pulled out my phone and opened the message.
You disobeyed me.
