Silent Sins ✓ ( book 1) Editing in Progress

Chapter 38

An entire hour passes of banging my head against the desk. Romero gave me a dozen textbooks on just 'the basics of accounting and finance'. I will be damned if this is just the basics.

It's not like I'm concentrating on the words, anyway. I'm still trying to wrap my head around Crowned Enterprise. It was my future.

Safe to say, my career path has just turned on its head.

Grabbing my crutches, I make my way downstairs to take my pain medications.

I come to a stop at the entrance of the kitchen and take in the view before me. Romero is cooking something over the stove and a billow of smoke rises, along with the faint smell of roasted garlic potatoes.

From the smooth plains of his shirt, his muscles flex as he reaches over a sizzling pan. The image is disorientating. Thinking back to the man who followed me home and tied me to my bed, I never pictured he would spend his free time cooking. Surely he would have people do that for him.

He turns around and halts. I rise from the ledge of the door, my cheeks growing hot.

"That was quick." He looks amused.

I know for a fact that he's mocking my small study session. Sorry, I can't crank out six hours in one sitting. I've barely learned what the demand curve is.

That's a lie. I fled my economics textbooks when the graph started looking a little like a rainbow. It was pleasant to look at, but their terminology gave me a headache.

"I guess it was."

He gives me a lopsided smile. "Take a seat, dinner is almost ready."

Dinner? What time is it? My eyes fly to the digital clock through his library. It's almost six in the evening.

Crap. Another day has gone, I guess.

I sit down on the barstool by the countertop and he sets a tray of roasted potatoes, plates, and glass cups down. "for water," he tells me.

I crack a smile. "Didn't you say I couldn't get drunk the other night?"

I don't know why I'm even going into this topic. I freaking held his hand on that unfortunate day. Let's hope he thought I was too drunk to remember. He has mentioned nothing since, and he's not acting differently, so my hopes are high.

"Never again." He shakes his head. "Do you like steak?"

My mouth salivates at the mention of it. "Love." I offer a peace sign and he cocks an eyebrow, smiling.

I put my hand down quickly. Why am I so awkward?

To save me further embarrassment, he turns back to the stove and switches everything off. I wonder if he's used to weird energy. He has Matteo in his life, and Matteo is very much like my brothers. Playful and arrogant. But Is Romero capable of that too? I can't imagine it.

He sets the plates down and walks around the counter, opening the door to the back garden. Fresh air breezes in, keeping my ankles cool in the evening heat.

Does he want us to sit here in silence and eat?

Nausea surfaces at the thought. I'm way too awkward for that.

"Did u manage to get anything done?"

I pick up my fork, grimacing.

"What?" He sits down beside me.

"We're not going to talk about the exam over dinner, are we? I had to suffer an hour of studying already."

"A whole hour." He exclaims sarcastically, and I laugh.