Page 80 of Along Came Amor
She shot him a stern look. “I am not sharing a room with you.”
That strict teacher voice probably shouldn’t turn him on so fucking much, but it did.
“Ava.” He lowered his eyebrows and tried to mimic her serious tone. “There are six bedrooms. You can sleep in a different one every night if you prefer.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, but she shook her head. “Really, it’s okay. I can stay at the resort. Didn’t Jasmine have a room reserved?”
Roman went around to open Ava’s door before the driver could do it. “Ashton and Jasmine were going to stay here. It’s my home when I’m visiting, and I let friends and family use it whenever they want.”
Ava stared up at the house. Roman glanced at it, taking inthe cream- and sand-colored exterior walls, the terra-cotta roof, the glass balconies jutting out from the second story bedrooms, and the proliferation of surrounding palm trees. It was a far cry from the blocky peach concrete house where he’d spent his childhood in Bayamón.
“You want me to stick to your rules?” he murmured.
Her head whipped around to look at him. “What does that have to do with this?”
“You agreed that I could plan our evenings. I plan for you to stay here.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Evenings. Not nights.”
They were interrupted by the arrival of Oscar, the man who maintained the house and served as butler when Roman was on the island. Oscar was in his late fifties and medium height, with a trim graying beard, shaved head, and stylish round glasses. His tan skin had yellow undertones, and he had a penchant for brightly patterned shirts. The one he currently wore was teal with orange and pink roses.
Oscar greeted them in Spanish, and Roman made introductions. Ava switched over to Spanish to speak with him, and before long, Oscar left to supervise the unloading of their bags.
Ava made a sound of distress. “I’m not even sure I’m staying here yet.”
“Let me show you something.” Roman led her through the house, with its pale tiled floors, high white walls, and sleek greige furniture. The décor was kind of blah for his taste, but he hadn’t outfitted this place. Besides, the interior wasn’t the draw. He slid open the glass doors that led onto the patio.
Ava gasped when she saw the pool, and Roman knew he had her. The turquoise water glittered in the sunlight, a cooland inviting counterpoint to the oppressive humidity in the air. Lounge chairs with marigold yellow cushions sat under striped umbrellas, and the side of the patio where they stood was furnished with a low table, two armchairs, a long sofa, and a round outdoor daybed adorned with a mountain of pillows. At the other end was a grill, bar, and counter with four high chairs. A hammock hung between the arches leading out to the pool. The wicker furniture was dark brown with teal cushions—not as fashionable as what was inside, but in Roman’s opinion, more comfortable. Above their heads, a ceiling fan stirred the thick air. The space wasn’t huge, but it was lush and private. High walls enclosed the yard, and thick foliage—a combination of hedges, palms, and ferns—made it cozy. It was his favorite part of the whole house.
Roman glanced over at Ava and caught the ripple of her throat as she swallowed.
“All right, I’ll stay,” she said.
Score!Out loud, he said, “Are you hungry? We have an on-site chef who can make whatever you want.”
“It’s okay,” she murmured, backing away. “I’m going to freshen up.”
“Sounds good.”
Roman led her to the only bedroom on the first floor. “This one is yours. If it doesn’t meet your needs, we can have your bags moved to a different one.”
The room was decorated in white with turquoise accents. It held a king-size bed, low dresser, small writing desk, and chaise lounge. The adjoining bathroom had both a large shower stall and a soaking tub, which was why he’d selected this room for her. She’d once let it slip that while she enjoyed baths, the tub in her apartment was too small for her long-legged frame.
She gave the room a cursory glance and nodded. “It’s fine. Thank you.”
Then she went inside, shutting the door behind her.
Roman stared at the door and sighed. What had he expected, an invitation? At the very least he was hoping she’d join him for a bite to eat before their meetings. Maybe he could have the chef whip something up to entice her out.
But before he could check his spreadsheet for her favorite foods, his watch buzzed with an all-caps text from Camille.
Camille:URGENT. CALL NOW.
Roman groaned. “Already?”
The text was followed by two fire emojis. According to their code, one fire meant customer service issues, two was public relations, three was personnel, four was financial, and five was a family emergency.
With a sigh, Roman pulled out his tablet and got to work putting out fires.
