Ms. Calloway (Book 2 in the For Better Or Worse Trilogy)

Chapter 19

I look between his hand and him, deciding whether I want to play this game of pretend where everything is okay and we're just a couple of lovers dancing the night away. There's a hint of unease radiating off of his being. One dance couldn't hurt. My hand finds his and it's like a shield falls directly on us. A bubble that separates us from them. He leads me through crowded rooms full of well dressed business partners, coworkers, and close friends. The burning gazes of everyone we pass is hard to ignore. At first I'm confused by the sudden attention, but then I remember who I'm with. The man of the hour will always allure those around him. Roman Berkshire is a hard man to look over. Rather than be consumed by heavy gazes, my attention also turns to Roman. However, my eyes don't look at him with curiosity or longing, but with comfort and peace. We weren't on the best of terms, yet he still felt like my rock.

It wasn't until my surroundings changed from glamorous clothing and clinking of champagne glasses to twinkling stars and vines. "Where are you taking me?" The panic twined through my voice is hard to mask, so I don't bother trying.

A hurt expression falls over his face. Guilt immediately snaps me out of the horror that was crawling to the surface. "I thought I'd take you somewhere a little more private."

I sigh softly. Time had made me jumpy and untrusting. Even though Roman kept me at his home for protection, I still didn't know if I could trust him. Though, my body said otherwise. "Okay." Cautiously, she follows him as he guides me to the maze. Privacy. Isolated from the rest of the world. "We're back here again, huh?"

"I promise this time there will be no depressing story that you have to sit through. This time there's something beautiful at the end. No bringing down the night, I promise."

"Roman, you didn't bring down the night." Eyebrows furrowed, I looked at him perplexed. "Yes, your past is sad. Everything that you've been through is disheartening. But, I'm thankful you told me. At the end of the night everything made so much more sense. I was in a dark tunnel that introduced the sunlight. So, don't apologize for making yourself seen." I didn't realize how passionate I was about this prior to this conversation. Roman and I are at a strange place, but something about him sharing his story with me did help to understand him better. I also know that his sharing was special. A secret that he couldn't share with most of his family, however felt like he could share with me. Depressing or not, that night wasn't ruined by his truth. "You shouldn't feel unable to talk about your past because you think it's depressing or boring."

He's looking at me now with wonder in his eyes. Similar to the way you would look at a unicorn. "You are truly something special, Sawyer Calloway."

A blush develops on my cheeks from the compliment. However, a rush of confusion falls over me. Did I say something all that baffling? Unable to come up with a proper response I say nothing. Deeper and deeper into the maze, greenery and flowers hug us from both sides. It's just as mesmerizing as the first time I found myself here. The beauty never fails to amaze me. This entire night feels much more different than the last time. Contributing to those feelings is my hand in the warmth of Roman's.

We dive deeper and deeper into the maze when I suddenly hear violins. My head snaps to Roman who's attempting to hide a smile. As we get closer, the music grows in volume. It's not long until we reach the gazebo which is covered with twinkling lights and a small quartet playing the violin. "Roman, what is this?" I whisper as not to interrupt the musicians.

"A moment to steal you from everyone else and have some time with you." His hand finds my lower back, leading me towards the gazebo. He helps me up the steps, bringing me to the center of the gazebo like a scene in one of those romantic movies that are too far fetched to believe.

"You can take my attention whenever you please. I'm staying at your place with nowhere to go."

"That's not the same. You're free here. You can choose to dance with me or not. I want you to want me." Something that I never expected to see from Roman is desperation. When did the roles change? "So, will you dance with me?"

I bite my lip, considering his offer. Though, do I really need to? I know what I want, no matter how much I fight it. A few minutes of allowing myself to feel like that girl that first arrived in Seattle and had a crush on her boss, doesn't sound too bad. Without another thought, I agree to the dance with a welcoming smile. A few minutes. That's all.

His hands find my hips instantly, clearly afraid that I'd change my answer. The sudden and unexpected touch sends shivers down my spine. Yeah. He still has that effect on me. Following his direction, I carefully wrap my arms around his neck and draw him in closer. There's a second where it feels awkward. Like we're strangers meeting for the first time and thrown together. But then, he brought in my hips close to his, holding me with a firm grip. All at once, the moment changed from strange to comfortable. Not the boring kind of comfort, but an understanding comfortable. I hear the music from afar, but I can hear the sound of his breathing even louder.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask. I want to cower away from his gaze, but I can't. I need to stand strong and tell him that I'm stronger than he thinks I am.

"Doing what?" He holds my gaze. Neither of us will give the other the satisfaction of feeling intimidated.

"This." I look around at our surroundings until I find him again. "All of this. What is it? Why are you doing this?"

He's silent. By the look in his eyes, I can see that he's forming an answer in his head. I don't know if I should consider this an act or a way to express himself in the best way he knows how. "I'd do anything to see you smile again, Sawyer. I thought I made that clear."

Do you feel the chemistry between Roman and Sawyer?

What do you want next?

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