The Billionaire's Daughter

9 - Renée

"Laila, you and your friends can–"

"Baby!" She squealed, jumping up into Roman's arms.

Baby?

"I didn't know you were gonna be here, babe. This is the engagement dinner my friends were planning for me." She turned to me, her white smile nearly blinding me, "And I'm sure Regina here did a great job."

"Renée. And I never knew that you were both familiar with each other." I interrupted, trying not to make my discomfort so...visible.

"He's my fiance! Engagement dinner!" Damn near blinded me again with the ring on her finger.

My eyes widen in surprise as I put on a fake smile, "Wow, okay. Congratulations, you two. I'm gonna send some people to take your drink orders and when you're ready we'll send out the food."

I quickly turned around going into the kitchen to tell them to take orders and prepare drinks. Roman and Laila stood in the corner of my eye. She had the biggest smile on her face, fiddling with the corner of the apron he wore.

She was flirting with him, as she had every right to.

They were going to get married.

They were going to get married? Seems like a little detail he could've mentioned.

"Get the crab cakes ready. We serve in 5." I yelled out, walking to my private kitchen.

It was nerve-wracking already to have her and her friends here. Now seeing her with Roman, knowing my lips were on his forehead–

Fuck. I said silently to myself.

"Renée," Roman's low voice boomed from the doorway.

"Having a girlfriend is one thing, Roman, but your ass is about to get married. And you didn't think to include that?" I blurted out.

"I knew it would set you off like this," Roman sighed, trying his best to get close but I pushed him away,

"Of course, it would set me off. Engagement means commitment. You're committed to her, not me. So what the hell?"

He huffed, "Renée, it's not what it looks like."

"Then what does it look like, Roman?" I turned my back away from him,

"You don't have to drive me home tonight. You don't even have to be on the clock right now. You should be celebrating with her."

"Renée Walker." I felt the heat from his body brush up against my back, "Look at me."

His voice grew lower. I know now he was serious.

It wasn't like him to be stern with me.

"Sweetheart, look at me."

"You're fiance is just outside this kitchen, Roman. Do you really want to do this now?" I folded my arms, ignoring the pumps of his cologne behind me. It was always overpowering when we were like this.

Intoxicating, too.

"It's not about her, right now. It's about you."

I felt his hands slowly rest on my waist as he pulled me closer, "And right now, I need you to listen."

I sighed, feeling his hardness on the base of my butt. Laila was just a couple of steps away, my kitchen team was even closer. One small move could lead this into something I didn't want.

"Roman, what do you need?"

"I need you."

I nudged him in his stomach.

Roman let out a low laugh, "I'll drop you home, we talk over wine. Is that okay?"

"No, because you still have a fiance to drop home."

"Don't worry about that," He squeezed me even tighter, "You just worry about calming your pretty head and I'll do what I have to do."

I responded with a quick 'whatever' but I felt him pull me deeper into his touch.

"If you call everybody else here, chef, you should do the same for me."

"Yes, chef."

"Fuck," I heard him mumble, "You'll drive me crazy when you say it like that."

I held the top of his hands as they rested on my hips, "Sanitation, remember?"

"Fuck off," Roman mumbled, burying his face into my neck, "Can we just stay like this? Just for a moment?"

"You have 5 minutes. Then I gotta bring out the appetizers."

He said a quick response into my neck, but he was too buried in there to reply. He held me and we stood for what felt like hours during those 5 minutes.

We were silent, too.

I couldn't tell what was going through his head. My thoughts were loud enough that I was sure he could tell mine.

Reminiscent of our short days together. How he made me feel happy. How he felt concerned for me.

It was sickening. How he never read the letter, though I understand why. How he was able to move on, but I wasn't.

It was stupid of me.

This could only weaken me for so long.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you sure she'll be okay?" I bit my lip, staring at the couch cushions to quiet my crowded thoughts.

"She's drunk and staying over with her friends. She'll be fine." Roman said, pouring two glasses of red wine.

He had such control over me since our little 'interaction' earlier.

He wouldn't let me drive. He opened the door for me. He buckled my seatbelt. And now he was taking over my kitchen, pouring us wine.

"Don't fuck up my kitchen, please."

Roman rushed over and put the glasses on the coffee table, "I'm not going to fuck up your kitchen. I would never fuck up your kitchen."

"Debateable."

We clinked glasses, taking a sip together.

"You wanted to talk, so let's talk."

"You want every detail?"

"Yep."

"I was working for your dad for a while after you left but I quit. You weren't there, I didn't need to be there," Roman said as he took another sip, "I looked for jobs and I was referred to Laila."

"Mhm."

"I worked for her for a couple of years and we were really happy together, I'm not gonna lie about that, but the engagement wasn't my idea. It was her father's. I could get better pay if we were officially together and I would get more respect from her family."

"White boy has himself in an arranged marriage?" I chuckled, "That's funny."

"It's not all that it's hyped up to be. She knows we're engaged by contract and that it affects my money so she knows I wouldn't leave," He cleared his throat, taking a bigger sip of his wine than before, "We got toxic. She's controlling. She's cheated on me. What we have isn't healthy even though she makes it look like that."

I looked at him with slight concern, my heart sinking along with the regret.

"She got angrier when I quit being her security. Snuck around and did shit to make me jealous," He sighed, "That's why I'm so happy to see you. To touch you. Being with you just makes me forget all that, you know?"

"I'm sorry. I really am, Roman." I set down my glass, scooting closer to him. He rested his head on my lap, his hair covering his eyes. It was cute. "If there's anything I can do, please tell me."

"I'd like to stay the night if that's okay with you." Roman said, "For the first time in a while, things are finally quiet."

"The perks of living in a quiet neighborhood," I nodded, "Of course, you can stay with me. You can stay as long as you'd like."