Dumped By My Ex But His Uncle Wants Me

CHAPTER 1

Avery Whitmore

I stared at the third bottle I was drinking for the night while waiting for Cole to show up, my eyes struggling to stay open as the tingly taste of the liquor blurred the thoughts in my mind. They say alcohol seems to take away worries, right?

The dim light in the bar didn't help matters as the atmosphere was the perfect place for relaxing and letting off stress but then I wasn't there because I wanted to relax. My hand dragged around the cup lazily as I tried hard to stop thinking about all that transpired during the day. The memories kept pressing against me and anger welled up in me.

My boss had called me that morning. I had walked to his office after I dropped his call and that was how I was slammed with disheartening news.

"We have no choice but to let you go, Miss Whitmore," Mr Dune said, his eyes gentle behind his trimmed glasses.

I shook my head in confusion and refusal, "Let me go? You are relieving me of work. Did I do something wrong?" I questioned, my voice tightening.

"You did no wrong. It was just the management decision to cut away excess from the company," he said, his tone icy.

My stomach knotted, "And you think I'm the excess? I have been committed to my work and have always delivered well," I said, my voice breaking.

He shrugged, "Well, unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to help you. The management had come to a final decision,"he replied flatly.

My hands trembled as the fear of being unemployed gripped my heart. This job was an answered prayer to me, it wasn't even up to a year. I couldn't accept this, because how would I be able to pay Danny's hospital bills? I couldn't accept this.

My hands clenched into a tight fist, standing my ground, "I won't accept this, Mr Dune. You can't sack me on such flimsy terms," I said, firmly.

Mr Dune rubbed his hands together,his eyes glinting with something mischievous as his eyes hovered over my body. "Well, maybe I would be able to convince the management,"he said, a low grin spreading across his face.

Oh...such a good man.

My brows shot up with hope, "Thank you so much, Mr Dune," I said, dipping my head respectfully.

His tongue flicked over his lips, his eyes not leaving mine as he stood up and closed the distance between us. He held my hands, his fingers tracing up my arm while his other hand snuck round my waist.

"Sir, what are you doing?" I asked, edging back a little as unease crawled up my spine.

His lips curved into a big hideous smile, "You don't have to be afraid, I'm just feeling the softness of your body. You want to remain in the company, right? How about you give me a suck?" He asked, his breath sour against my ear as he let his eyes roam shamelessly.

"Suck?" I asked, my brows furrowed.

His eyes widened in surprise, "Yes, suck my dick. I will talk to the management on your behalf," he said, his breath hitching with sick anticipation.

I shrank back, irritation evident in my eyes, "Suck yourself, you old fuck," I yelled at him in anger.

I brushed my hair back in frustration as I opened his office door and slammed it in frustration. Silly me, thinking he was a good man.

I had left his office with a heavy heart, and was walked out of the company by the security men. A part of me regretted not giving in to his demand but then I promised myself to keep myself until marriage and I wasn't going to compromise that now.

Cole, my boyfriend, had pulled strings to get me this job. I wondered how he would react if he found out that I had been sacked but then I was in a tight corner, I needed the help I could get.

I pulled out my phone to call him but the call didn't go through. "Oh no, Cole, please pick up the damn call," I muttered underneath my breath.

After several attempts of calling him and not answering, I left him a message, "Hey babe, I really need to see you. Let's meet at our usual spot, please,"

I checked my phone to see if he had replied to my message when I realized that I was on my fifth bottle and there was no message from him either. I raked my hand through my hair as the air suddenly became hot, prickling warmth crawling up the back of my neck. My pulse kicked up and I swallowed hard, trying to mask the rising discomfort twisting inside me.

'I need some fresh air,' I muttered beneath my breath, standing up from the stool but my foot slipped and I fell backwards, the room swaying in my blurry vision.

A gasp tore through me. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for a big fall but it didn't. Instead, a pair of strong hands wrapped around my waist, firm and steady, preventing me from falling. My breath hitched and my heart fluttered in my chest as my gaze met piercing blue eyes staring at me.

For a moment, I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the sudden warmth that rushed through me, making my inside heat up because of the way our bodies were in close range.

I blinked slowly as my eyes traced his sharp jawline, and handsome face and then dropped to his plump and firm lips making me swallow hard. A kind of weird feeling pulled in my lower belly as his mint scent wafted through my nostrils making me want to sniff him.

"God...you smell so good," I said, aloud in my drunkenness before I could think about it.

The stranger's lips curled into a smirk as he gazed at me, his eyes taking me all over again, "You can't wait to throw yourself at me so badly?" He said, his eyes darkening.

"What!" I exclaimed, pressing my hands against his chest, shoving him away but it was just like pushing a wall.

He didn't move but instead pulled me closer to himself. What's going on? Who was this handsome stranger? And to make it worse, I was feeling a weird sensation go through my body or was it because I was feeling tipsy?

"Wasn't it your plan to get my attention? Luckily you succeeded," he said, shoving me into his arms.

I shook my head, "No, no," I muttered, wiggling but he was stronger.

He carried me through a hallway, resting my back on the wall for support, making me stand on my feet. My chest rose and fell as I stared at him, "Who are-" I opened my mouth to speak but he interrupted.

"I know you pretended to fall so you could get my attention. Are you suddenly shy now when I'm in front of you?" he murmured, eyes glinting with smug certainty.

'What's he talking about? I don't even know him. This is a misunderstanding.'

"I-" my voice trailed as he tilted his head and placed his lips on mine.

My eyes widened, astonished by the kiss. My first kiss. I tried pushing him away but my strength didn't match his. His hand grabbed my ass while his tongue slid into my mouth.

"Mmmm," a sound escaped my mouth as my body began to act directly opposite to what my brain wanted.

'Why am I feeling like this? This is strange.' I said internally as his touch seemed to spark a weird fire in me. No, I had to do something. Anything to stop this but I found myself leaning towards him.

'I must be crazy or under a spell.'

"Stop," I said, my breath hitching as I finally found myself. "I don't understand what you are talking about."

He raised his brow, "I see that you want to pretend that you didn't want this but it's too late for that because I'm going to give you exactly what you want," he whispered darkly, his voice firm and unyielding.

His response did something to me as if igniting something that had been dormant as I felt something cold between my thighs. He held my leg, wrapping it around his waist while my other leg was on the floor.

His firm hands slipped into my skirt, caressing my thighs as his fingertip hit my wet cunt. The moral alarm went off in my head again but before I could react, he pushed my pants aside and slid one finger into my slippery cunt.

"Ah,"

"See? You've wanted it for too long, my fingers inside of you," he muttered against my ears, thrusting in and out of me. "I'm going to fuck you until you won't have the nerve to stalk me ever again."

"No!" I yelled, mustering all the strength I had to push him away.

This man was crazy.

I scrambled away as I pushed him away, ignoring the ache I was feeling between my legs. How could I have allowed myself to get touched by such a pervert? My head throbbed as I made my way out of the bar and it ached more when I realized Cole didn't show up at all.

*****

The ring of my phone woke me up from sleep the next morning, pain shot through my head as I picked the call without checking the ID. "Hello, Avery Whitmore speaking.."

"Avery!!!" A familiar voice broke through the speaker.

I pulled my phone away from my ear slightly, "Why are you yelling?" I asked, resting my head on the pillow.

"You need to check your phone right now," Ava said, her voice carrying a sense of urgency.

The call was still connected and when I checked my phone, what I saw almost made me dazed. I couldn't believe my eyes, it was a picture of Cole and a woman looking all loving in their wedding outfits.

"No, this can't be real," I said, shaking my head in disbelief despite seeing the evidence myself. "It could be one of his many works, you know he is a model, right?"

"That jerk left you for another woman, can't you see it? You can go confirm by yourself," she said, sadly, and sent the location of the venue to me before disconnecting the phone.

I stared at my phone as many thoughts went through my head. Cole and I had come a long way, there was no way he would ditch me. I clicked on the messages I sent to him the previous day and he was yet to view the messages.

My mind was troubled and I couldn't sit still. I jumped off my bed, rushed into the bathroom to have my bath. "Ava must have been wrong. Cole loved me so much and wouldn't leave me for another."

I doubted the news and when I got to the venue Ava sent to me, my breath froze.

There he was. My boyfriend standing in the aisle in a tailored suit smiling at a woman in a white dress like she were his entire world. My chest tightened painfully as they were about to say the wedding vows.

My breath came heavily as hot tears slipped down my face as I watched the man I gave my heart to say his vows to another. I wiped away my tears, something cold took its place inside me.

He couldn't just leave me just like that, no notice, no heads up and no breakup, I needed to know the reason he betrayed me and he was going to look me in the eye and say it himself.

I straightened my shoulders, stepping into the aisle, walking towards him with anger.

Avery Whitmore

Murmur replaced the peaceful hall as wedding guests stared at me like I was some crazy woman. The priest officiating the ceremony stopped as he saw me walking in their direction, making Cole turn, facing me.

I didn't miss the surprise look on his face as I charged towards him. Did he think I wouldn't find out? Was his plan to keep me in the dark? What was he trying to achieve doing that?

"Avery, what are you doing here?" Cole muttered, walking close to me.

I didn't let him say another word when my palm struck his face, earning a gasp from the guests. "How could you do this to me?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I did everything a good girlfriend should do and this is how you are going to pay me back?"

The woman beside him asked, "Who's she?"

"It's nothing to worry about babe. She's just a nobody," he said, covering his cheek with his palm.

His brow furrowed, mockingly, "I don't remember owing you anything, Avery, it's actually the other way round," he said, eyes flashing in anger.

The last words he said triggered something in me, my eyes narrowed in anger as tears pooled in my eyes. "A nobody?" I said aloud, my voice shaky, a trembling sensation shook my entire body. How could he say I was a nobody when he made me fall heads over heels for him? Even though he had always shown up and helped me since we started dating. I wasn't a lazy person either, I had invested time and effort in this relationship, even let go of opportunities because I wanted to be with him and now he dumped me.

I was trying not to say much so that he would save face but hearing his reply came as a shock to me.

"Are you even my boyfriend because I can't recognize you anymore?" I said, my voice cracking as I stared at him in utter disbelief, tears blurring my vision. "I thought we were both perfect for each other."

The wedding guests gasped as they heard my words. A mix of shock and surprise filled the eyes of the lady he was about to marry, "What's going on, Cole? What's she talking about?" She asked, confusion curling into her words.

I wiped away the tears that trickled down my face with my palm, not minding how the hall had been thrown into an uproar.

Cole's hands were clenched into fists as his gaze narrowed on me, anger filling their depth.

I didn't want to be someone who ruins people's wedding but my heart was too attached to him that all I wanted was an answer to the heavy question in my heart.

"What did I do to deserve this? You knew you are the only person I would ever love," I choked on my sob, breaking down completely as my weight came crashing down making me squat as my sob grew louder.

Before I knew what was happening I felt strong hands grip me, dragging me away from the aisle and just before I was thrown out, I heard Cole explaining to the guests that I was just an entitled person he helped and that the ceremony should continue.

"Entitled?" I muttered as the security dragged me out. I found it unbelievable that Cole called me entitled. Just before the door closed, I cried out with a heavy heart, "Why did you make me fall for you if you were going to dump me at the end, you asshole?" I yelled, struggling to loosen myself from their grip but they were too strong.

Tears streamed down my face as the men dropped me on the pavement, coming to the reality that I had just lost my only source of income and also the man I love in less than 24hours without knowing the reason behind it. "No, I can't give up," I said, bracing myself.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, attracting my attention. It was a message from the hospital. "This is Hopsin hospital. Your attention is needed right away because your brother is in a critical condition and needs surgery immediately," The message read.

I shook my head, frustration kicking in, "No, no, not now," I said, my heart tightening in my chest.

Why does all this have to happen at the same time?

My head throbbed as I grabbed my bag and when I turned to leave, my head hit a wall...more like someone's chest. "I'm sorry," I apologized without looking at the person I collided with.

"Do you always go about colliding into people?" A cold but firm voice said. I had heard that voice before, it wasn't really familiar but I felt I had heard it recently but I couldn't remember where I heard it.

I raised my head to look at the person and I stepped back in surprise as my eyes locked with a pair of piercing blue eyes, his neck-length hair was styled to the back while a few strands covered a side of his forehead. The dark blue suit he wore hugged his frame accentuating his tall and muscular build and I couldn't help but trace his sharp chiseled jaw with my eyes. He had that irresistible, grown and matured man charm, looked like he was in his forties but God! How could a man be so breathtaking?

"Did you follow me here?" He said, his brows furrowed with displeasure, his gaze scrutinizing me.

His voice broke into my thoughts and my cheeks flushed as I realized I was drooling over a man who was twice my age.

My eyes narrowed at him, "Follow you? Do I know you?" I said, my tone taking a pissed edge and also I wasn't ready for some chitchat with a stranger.

"You, don't remember?"He said, voice low but laced with doubt. "Maxwell sent you to seduce me last night."

"What! Who is Maxwell?" I said, trying to remember all that happened last night and when the fragments began to piece together, my face flushed in embarrassment.

His brows furrowed in confusion, "You weren't the lady he sent?" He asked, again in disbelief. His eyes softened, more gentle than last night, "I apologize for my mistake.I would compensate you for the inconveniences."

I exhaled deeply realizing that I would have slept with a total stranger thereby losing my virginity in the process because of some misunderstanding.

"Compensate?" I said in disbelief. "There's no need for that because we didn't practically have sex."

"I insist," he said, stubbornly, giving an older man vibe.

"Well, I'm Roman. The groom's uncle," he introduced himself. "By the way, why would you want to crash my nephew's wedding ceremony?"

My jaw dropped, "You are that asshole uncle?" I asked, my eyes widened in surprise then turned to disgust.

His brows furrowed slightly at my question. "That's not nice," he said, politely.

"Well, I said it purposely so that you would know that your nephew is a complete jerk," I said, my anger showing in my words.

I held the strap of my bag tightly, I already spent time here and I needed to go to the hospital. "I can't waste any more time. I need to go to the hospital," I said, my voice tight with urgency.

"Let me drop you off then." He offered and I couldn't turn him down again.

"Thank you so much," I muttered, clasping my hands together in gratitude because I needed to get to the hospital as soon as I could.

The ride to the hospital was almost in total silence and I could feel my body tense under it. I held my bag tightly against my chest as the thought that the stranger I almost had sex with was Cole's uncle made my heart beat against my rib .

His hoarse voice broke through the silence, "If I may say, you could have handled whatever was between you two behind doors instead of embarrassing yourself in front of so many people?" He said bluntly, the weight of his words heavy on my heart. It was a harsh truth but I didn't want to hear any of that.

"Behind doors...huh? You are preaching to me about settling things when your nephew should be the one hearing this," I muttered, anger welling up in me. It annoyed me so much that I was seen as the unreasonable one when all I wanted was an answer. To think that I was starting to think he was a kind man that I had misunderstood but hearing him say something so insensitive made me pissed. He's just like the others.

"Stop the car," I said, my hands clenching into a fist.

"What! We are just a few minutes away," he said, surprise lacing his voice as his gaze darted to me.

"I said stop the fucking car," I said, brushing my hair behind my ear as he pulled over.

I opened the car door and stepped into the walkway. I slammed the door loudly, keeping my eyes focused despite him calling me repeatedly.

As soon as I got to the hospital, I ran to the reception and met with the nurse. "I'm Avery Whitmore. I was calling some moment ago concerning my brother, Danny Whitmore," I said in a rush, my heart pounding against my chest.

"What took you so long? She said, her voice laced with urgency. "Danny's condition has heightened and if the surgery is not carried out on him within 24hours, he might not survive it. You have to pay a deposit of Ten thousand dollars so that the treat can commence, until then he won't be treated."

I wiped the sweat on my face nervously, "Oh...God!" I said, my voice trembling. Where would I get that huge amount of money?

"Is there a way to keep him stabilized? I promise to bring the deposit."

"There's nothing we can do, Miss," The nurse said with a small helpless shrug, her lips pressing together as if the words tasted bitter, eyes already soft from apology.

Tears streamed down my face and my head pounded so much that I began to sob, "Why are you so cruel? I just told you I would get the money, just start the treatment already," I wailed, my cry attracting the gazes of other people.

"Excuse me, if you aren't ready. Would you mind stepping away?" The nurse said without pity.

Could today get any worse?

I stepped away, allowing the next person to be attended to.

I paced about the hallway, thinking of how I could get the money within a very short time, borrowing money was everything out of the question because I didn't have a job currently for them to lend me such huge amount of money but then I remembered that I was yet to receive my severance fee from my former workplace, Reilly Corporation.

******

I stood in front of my former boss who was doing everything except paying attention to me. "It's only right that you pay me, sir. Moreover the month was about to end anyways," I said, convincingly.

"I have nothing to give you, Miss Avery. There has been a complaint about you which made the management restrain from paying you your severance." He informed me, his tone flat.

"Please boss, help me. I didn't do anything that would require such. I can't let my little brother die," I pleaded with him.

He cleared his throat, "There's a way I can help you but you would have to consider what I requested you to do yesterday," he said, without sympathy.

Frustration welled up in me as I watched the old coot lick his lips as he moved closer to me. The circumstances were too much and enough for me to do what he requested but I couldn't bring myself to, my pride wouldn't let me. I looked the perverted man in the face, "Suck yourself," I said, turning to exit his office.

It was already dark outside by the time I left my former workplace. I reached into my bag to pull out my phone when I realized that it wasn't there, "Oh my God, can't the day get any better?" I muttered, but there wasn't any sign of the phone inside.

I had walked a great distance when the atmosphere changed and rain began to drop. I had located a nearby phone booth to call Ava so that she could come pick me up with her car when I noticed three men who looked like thugs walking towards my direction.

I fidgeted and was hoping they would walk away but they didn't. "Hey beautiful, the weather is cold, come, let me warm you up," one of them said, laughing maniacally.

I dropped the phone and hurried out of the booth, clenching my handbag against my chest as I hastened my step. Fear gripped my heart as I ran along the deserted alley, silently praying in my heart that the thugs would stop chasing after me but they ran after me along the silent alley. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me but then until I tripped on a stone spraining my ankle in the process sending me crashing to the floor.

"Ahh Ahh, I'm going to enjoy slamming my rod into that big butt of yours tonight," the second thug said, with a maniac laugh.

Fear gripped my heart and I began to scream for help as two of the thugs walked closer to me.

"Save your voice, no one is going to help you, sexy," the third thug said, shining his teeth.

"Get your hands off me," I yelled, struggling with them as they held my clothes and wanted to rip it apart. "Please, I beg you," I cried.

Was this how I would lose my virginity after keeping it till marriage all this while? What's the essence of it all? Maybe I should have let my boss have his way with me, I would have gotten Danny's hospital fee through that rather than getting harassed by these ugly stinking men.

I had subjected it to fate as tears trickled down my face for the umpteenth time that day when a yellow light flickered in the distance and someone was coming from it. Relief and fear tangled in my chest as I tried to focus on the face behind the light but the edges of my vision were already fading. Before I could recognize them, my consciousness slipped away.

Avery Whitmore

"Avery!"

Someone called my name, tapping my cheeks gently.

"Avery,"

My eyes opened slightly, adjusting to the dim light, then settled on the face staring down at me.

"Thank goodness you are awake," Roman exhaled as he relaxed back into the car seat.

I blinked back tears but I couldn't hold them any longer, making me burst into tears. Just the thought of the ordeals I had passed through in two days made me cry more.

Roman pulled me into his embrace, patting my shoulders until I stopped crying. "It's okay. Everything is under control," he said, softly.

I raised my head to look at his face and my stomach flipped, heat crawling through me as I melted away under the weight of his intense gaze.

"How did you find me?" I asked, my voice barely steady as tension between us finally cracked open.

He cleared his throat slightly, tearing his gaze away. "I happened to pass by and I can't leave someone who needs help," he said, his voice full of concern. "Why are you out here by this time?"

"Why do I always run into you?" I asked,my voice barely above a whisper.

"I should be asking you that. Your appearance tends to be a bother," He said, his brows arched as he sent a pointed look my way.

I pulled away from him, "What's wrong with my appearance?" I asked, finding his words annoying.

"Not only do you bother me, I have to bother about how you almost ruin my nephew's wedding too," He said, his voice thick with irritation.

My lips curled into a faint smirk, "I'm sorry but that serves him right," I said, the words slipping with cold satisfaction.

Roman's eyes darkened slightly, his jaw tightening as the words left him,"What you did was the most foolish thing to do," he said, his tone low and cutting. "You have no idea what you have caused today."

His words cut deep through me making me want to cry but I held myself back. Did this man always have to be harsh? Despite how much I knew that he was right, my heart still bled for what Cole did to me.

My lips curled into a thin straight line, "I don't give a fuck about it," I said, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. I rubbed my aching temple, "Can you stop attacking me already?"

He shook his head and faced his side of the window.

The car came to a halt, "We have arrived," the driver said.

"Where are we? I didn't even tell you my house address," I said, looking out of the window. what I saw made my jaw drop in awe.

"This is where I live," he said, a hint of something unreadable in his voice.

Why would he bring me to his house? I had been nothing but a burden to him and not only that, how could he still accommodate the person who almost ruined his nephew's wedding? I turned to face him, searching for a hint in his expression. His face was neutral, yet the intensity in them made my chest tighten. His gaze burned through my body, lingering in a way that sent heat rushing to my cheeks. Just some minutes ago I was pissed at him for not seeing things from my point of view and next, I was feeling weird, just by being close to him. This man's gaze seemed to undo some things in me that I didn't understand. I didn't feel this way around guys who were my age, not even Cole.

The ghost of his touch from last night crawled between my legs, couldn't help but hold myself back, reminding myself that he was that asshole uncle but then the urge to kiss him was so strong. I shouldn't be thinking about this when I'm in a close range with him but I couldn't help it. I clenched my fist together, suppressing the turmoil going on inside of me.

His voice broke into my dirty thoughts, "It's quite late," he said, measured and firm. "I'd advise you to go back tomorrow," he said, icily, like I was not allowed to decide for myself.

He opened the door and stepped out, stretching his hand out for me to take. "Why are you so kind to me?" I said, taking his hand, and stepped out of the car. "What if I get chased out by your wife?"

"Take it as compensation for misunderstanding your intentions last night," he added, his voice low and sincere. "There's no wife...yet."

I felt my heart warm at his manliness, he was nothing like Cole at all, if only he knew how I wanted him to touch me like he did last night and how come someone who was this wealthy didn't have a woman?

We entered the house, my eyes widened at the sprawling glass front with marble floors, high ceilings, it was as if I were in a paradise.

He took me upstairs, opening the door to a room, the room was even bigger than my whole apartment. I had never thought Cole's relative was this rich, I had never really known about his family because he always came up with one excuse after another.

"You can stay here for tonight, if you need anything, let me know, I'm in the next room," he said,his voice low and steady, as if trying to ease the unease trembling beneath my skin.

He exited the room giving me some privacy. It had been a long stressful day and my body ached so badly. I locked the door, stripped myself bare and went into the bathroom to have a cold shower, taking my time in the bathroom.

I went to bed, and pulled the duvet up to my chin, the warmth swallowing me as the steam from my shower still clung faintly to my skin. My phone wasn't with me so I couldn't reach Ava. She was probably pacing her room, worrying sick over me, the guilt settled in my chest.

My eyes were devoid of sleep, making me roll on the bed, my stomach also growled because of hunger reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything all day.

'Roman must be asleep by now, the last thing I wanted was to disturb him after everything he had done for me today.'

I stood up from the bed, putting on the robe I found hanging in the bathroom. The empty wardrobe showed that he didn't have a woman. It was soft and the only thing in the room that wasn't soaked through like my drenched clothes.

I unlocked my room door and tiptoed downstairs gently making sure that I was careful not to make noise. I had seen the kitchen earlier and tiptoed to its direction.

The lights in the kitchen were off and I could only see the switch with the reflection of light from the dining room. The bulb in the kitchen came on immediately I set foot into it and my jaw dropped at the big and elegant place.

I walked to the refrigerator and opened it, my mouth salivating at the various types of food stocked with them. I thought he said he didn't have a wife. So then, how could his refrigerator be so stocked or did he do grocery shopping himself? Wait a minute, why was it my business? He was a billionaire and could do anything he wanted.

I grabbed the food I could eat and was about to close the refrigerator door when I heard a sound behind me and immediately I froze.

The chicken I carried dropped to the floor as I saw Roman standing behind me, hands in his pocket, his eyes boring holes into my body.

My gaze dropped from his face down to his bare chest, he wasn't putting on any shirt, leaving room for imagination.

His trousers sat dangerously low on his hips, hanging there like they couldn't wait to get stripped off. The line along his torso didn't help matters.

"I...I" I stammered, my eyes roaming his chest but then I dropped my gaze when I realized that I was staring too much.

He closed the distance between us, standing all tall while I had to raise my head to stare back at him.

He tilted his head, leaving a little space in between our faces, our lips almost touched, and his breath fanning my face. His gaze fell on my open shoulders, I pulled the cloth to cover me well before I met his gaze again.

"What are you doing in the kitchen wearing...almost nothing?" He asked, his voice lowering as his gaze lingered, warm and unguarded

"I...I didn't want to bother you. I was hungry so I decided to help myself," I said, forcing steadiness into my voice even though my hands tightened at my sides.

His eyes wouldn't leave mine as silence fell between us, I swallowed a bit of saliva as I broke the stare.

"I remember telling you to let me know if you need anything, didn't I?" he said, his voice calm but authoritative , concern settling in his tone.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm not bothered so don't think I am. You are a guest in my house so let me treat you like one," he said, unruffled, eyes sharp but composed.

I nodded my head slightly.

I exhaled, my cheeks heated as he took a step away from me and bent to take the chicken on the floor. He disposed of the chicken, turning to me.

"It's late to eat heavy food. How about I make a filling yogurt mixed with cereal and oat?" he suggested, his voice gentle.

"That sounds delicious," I said, relaxing to the warmth exuding from him.

I watched him prepare the meal and I couldn't help but imagine Cole preparing it for me. I couldn't believe myself for thinking about that asshole.

Roman served me a bowl while he sat opposite me, I scooped a spoonful into my mouth earning a moan from my lips. My eyes brightened as the sweetness and flavor hit, making me raise my hands in thumbs up to him.

My heart was also warm at his kind gesture and thoughtfulness, the food almost made me forget all that I had gone through in the past few days. I dropped the spoon slowly, tears pooling in my eyes but I was holding them back.

I couldn't hold back the tears again, as they trickled down my cheek.

"What's wrong?" Roman asked, standing up to his feet, and came to my side, pulling me into his embrace.

I let out a dry laugh, "God! what's wrong with me? Why am I being so emotional?" I said to myself then tilted my eyes to look at Roman.

I was about to open my mouth to thank him but the words didn't come as I got cut up in his ocean blue eyes. The air suddenly felt tense and I felt his grip tighten around me, but not too tight. His eyes dropped to my lips, making me lick my lips nervously.

His hand reached out to my face, his thumb wiping away my tears, our eyes locked for a moment as the tension in the air intensified, making me lose every reasoning. My hand held his hands slightly, then I stood on my toes slowly and leaned in and placed my lips on his.