A pull. It was stronger than any wave current in a hurricane wind. She literally felt the hair on the back her of her neck stand up. Her core pulsated uncontrollably; her nipples hardened and strained against the fabric of her dress. Haltingly, she pulled back from Diego's neck and hesitantly looked up. They had an audience. Standing on the second floor at the landing that overlooked the living-room was Roman. His eyes were heated and unflinching as he watched her swaying in Diego's arms. He was biting his bottom lip hard and gripping the railing so tight she could see the veins flexing in his hands.
Her breath caught in her throat as she saw him standing there. Her heart drummed at a relentless pace. Her tongue wet her dry lips. She saw his eyes narrow as they focused on her tongue. Kristen swallowed a cry forming in her throat. Fuck! There was nothing she could do to stop her feelings for this man. No one who could distract her body from the lust that was prickling her skin like fingers. She wanted him. She wanted him so bad she could taste it. If only it could be that simple.
She watched him and he watched her as she continued to dance with Diego, holding eye contact that was so intense if it were liquid fire it would burn the whole house down with everyone in it in a matter of seconds. After a while she couldn't take it anymore and asked Diego if they could go outside. He took her hand and led her out. Kristen looked over her shoulder and up to find Roman still standing upstairs, watching them. Their eyes held as the door closed behind her and Diego.
The night air was cool and damp. It felt and looked like it might rain. She and Diego walked to the bottom of the porch and lingered on the stone-paved walkway.
"So," he casually began, sticking his hands deep in his pockets. He shook off a chill and continued. "How was your date with Roman?"
Kristen weighed her response over in her mind before answering him. "It was nice. We had a good time."
"What'd you do?"
"We went out to eat. Then we uh... He took me to his apartment. To show me where he stayed."
Diego's eyebrow rose at that but he didn't say anything in response, which surprised her.
She wanted to keep to herself what she and Roman had talked about; not only to protect Roman's privacy but to protect the bond she felt had formed between them. A bond that was rudely interrupted when Roman all but threw her out of his apartment. The attraction for Diego was still there but it wasn't the same, especially after sharing that long held eye contact with Roman while they were dancing. She was relieved her attraction to Diego had abated. Lord knows she couldn't see her way through the crazy mess Joy was dealing with.
Diego changed the subject and started talking about miscellaneous things but Kristen barely paid attention to him. She kept looking back towards the house, wondering where Roman was; secretly hoping he would come outside and find her.
"So" Diego huskily began, standing close to her and rubbing his hands up and down her bare arms, "what would you like to do tonight? Are you hungry? There's food inside but I thought maybe you'd like to go somewhere private and eat."
Kristen tore her eyes away from the house and looked at Diego. "That sounds nice."
"There's a great spot in the city I'd like to take you to. It's a buffet. They serve all types of delicious food from Chinese to Italian to Soul-Food-"
"Sounds delicious."
"And the entire restaurant is bathed in candlelight. That's what I like the most."
"That sounds great Diego. I'd love to go there." Did she sound as robotic as she sounded?
"Good. Maybe afterwards we can go down to the Charles River and walk around a little..."
Was it all in her mind or were his head and lips inching dangerously close to hers?
"Hang out there for a while, then maybe go somewhere else and chill alone..."
"Like where?"
"We could go to your hotel. Or my place. It isn't far from there..."
Was there anyone who wasn't trying to get in her panties tonight? Anyone but a certain someone that she wanted to get in her panties but he kept acting like he didn't?
Kristen struggled to quiet the noise of Roman in her mind. "Okay."
"Great..."
Kristen's heart stilled and her breath hitched as Diego leaned in to her mouth... Was he going to kiss her? Should she kiss him back? Did she want to kiss him back?
The front door slammed hard, breaking their reverie. Kristen and Diego jumped and turned around, startled. Kristen worriedly gazed at Roman as he stood on the porch watching them. He stood there for a moment; then slowly walked down the stairs and over to them, keeping his eyes on Kristen.
"Hey Braxton. You mind if I talk to Kristen for a second?"
Diego looked back and forth between the two of them, looking puzzled. "Sure," he said in a confused tone.
Roman soberly looked at him and gave him a hug. Diego hugged him back, completely taken off guard. He looked over at Kristen. She cluelessly looked back at him and held up her hands in question.
Roman pulled away from Diego to give him their special brotherhood handshake and Diego compliantly returned it. "Thank you man," Roman earnestly told him. "For everything."
"Always." Diego gave him a genuine smile.
Roman returned his smile and looked over at Kristen, not smiling. He placed his hand to her wrist and pulled her away from Diego. He walked all the way to the end of the sidewalk to the driveway before he turned and addressed her.
"I'm getting ready to get out of here," he softly said.
Kristen's stomach sunk with sadness. "Oh? Okay." She hugged her arms, looking down at the ground.
He touched her arm and she vulnerably looked back up at him. "I apologized to my family. I apologized for earlier today and for leaving tonight. I was trying to relax, be in the moment, and have a good time, but... I'm just not feeling it. Thankfully they understood. We kind of had an emotional moment in there for a minute. It was a little uncomfortable but it was worth it." His eyes were sincere as they probed hers. "Thank you."
"Me? I didn't have anything to do with that."
"Believe me, you did."
Their eyes held one another with feeling.
"I guess I'll see you later," he said with a half-smile. "Thanks for sharing my birthday with me. You and Diego have fun."
He turned and made his way to his Hummer. Kristen felt like her heart was twisting in her chest as she watched him walking away. Feeling anxious, she jogged over to him. "Roman wait!"
He turned to her, his eyes somber.
"You want me to go with you?"
His eyes briefly brightened then dulled as he glanced over at Diego. He shook his head. "No. I'll see you later."
"I don't want you to be alone. I mean, you look like you don't want to be alone."
He slightly shrugged. "I don't. But I'll be fine."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Are you sure?"
Roman looked taken aback by the tears in her eyes. Then, his gaze softened and filled with a look Kristen had had the pleasure of witnessing more than once that day. He walked back over to her, stood almost nose to nose with her, put his hand against her face and tenderly touched her. His fingers stroked her soft flesh; his thumb breaking rank to inch closer to her mouth. Kristen's eyes widened slightly as his thumb began sensuously caressing her bottom lip.
She struggled to breath. Her body was on fire. He was touching her and it felt so good. So damn good. Better than she could've ever imagined. She had wanted this all day. And the way he was looking at her...
Slowly, Kristen turned her face into his hand. She opened her mouth to his finger and his eyes narrowed hungrily. His heavy-lidded eyes watched hers. Her hurried breaths matched his. She saw him visibly inhale and exhale again, his mouth gripping into a thin line. He was fighting something. Whatever it was, he was struggling to keep it at bay. But she didn't want him to. She didn't want him to fight.
Roman glanced back up at Diego and abruptly pulled away from her, yanking his hand away from her face like he'd been burned. "I'm sorry," he huskily replied, his eyes regretful as he looked at her.
She moved towards him with a dull ache in her belly. "Wait-"
"No," he strongly said, absently jerking his head in the direction of Diego.
Kristen turned to Diego and saw his eyes trained on the sidewalk, his mouth turned down in what looked like sorrow. She felt like shit in that instant but felt even worse because it wasn't enough to make her want to stay and honor her word to be with him. She and Roman had just connected on a level that was both primal and gut-wrenchingly emotional. She didn't want to disrupt the moment.
She turned back to Roman and felt her insides crumble as he slowly backed away from her. "It's okay," he resolutely said. "Diego's waiting. You guys have fun." He turned and walked away again.
Kristen took an uneven step towards him and stopped. "Roman!" his name came out in a desperate plea.
He turned to her again. His voice was low, husky, and fatigued as he answered her. "Yes."
Kristen bit her lip and blinked back tears. "Will I see you before I leave?"
He waited a beat before answering her. "Hopefully."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Kristen despairingly staring after him.