Chapter Four

“Yo are not just an asshole but a shithead tooo. I always thought soo.” Blair knew the things she was saying could get her in trouble, but she couldn’t stop herself.

Roman laughed, saying. “I think I should get you some coffee.”

“Don’t want it. I want a man that isn’t a cheatin rat.” Blair looked at Roman. He really was very attractive. “Did yo ever cheat on your ex wife?” Blair had met Roman’s ex wife Jessica once. The experience hadn’t been pleasant.

“Not all men cheat, Blair.” Roman said softly.

“W… why did she leave yo then?” Blair was interested.

“There are many reasons why a marriage breaks down Blair, not all of them have to do with cheating on the man’s part.” Blair watched as Roman whipped a hand across his face.

It took her a moment to register what he had just said. Her mouth fell open. “She cheated on yo… was shee an idiot.” Her boss was gorgeous, with thick dark hair, the most intense gray eyes she had ever seen. A chiseled face with high cheekbones. He worked out three or four times a week. So his body, from what she could see of it, was fine. Not that she had ever been interested. She had always been with Dan… Had been with Dan. Plus, Blair found Roman masculinity a little overwhelming.

Roman leaned over and pushed her chin up with two fingers before he shrugged. “I worked a lot. Some would say I drove her to it.”

Blair tilted her head as if considering this. “Is th.. that really an excuse though…. I..I don’t think soo. I would say get a divorce before tha.” Blair dropped her head back on the Chesterfield. She turned to look at her boss. He settled back next to her, elbow on the back of the chair, head in his hand, watching her.

“You know this is the most I have seen you relax around me,” Roman said with a small smile on his face.

“Th..That’s because nor… normally you are so difficult to deal wit.” Blair couldn’t help just saying whatever came into her mind, it was like she had no filter. Whatever came into her mind just flowed out of her mouth.

“I will not apologize for that, Blair. I’m fair to my employees. They are treated fairly and I know I’m demanding and impatient, but that’s what drives me to get this company where it is today.”

Blair looked at the ceiling. “I suppose it iss.” Blair said. This was why she didn’t drink too much. Control. She was losing it.

“Tell me what happened?” Roman said when she was quiet for a minute.

Blair rolled her head on the lounge to look at him. “I was an idiot.”

“Why? Because you put your trust in the wrong place.”

Blair let out her breath. “Dan and I grew up in the same town. Did you know that?”

“No.” Roman asked.

“I…l was going home all da time when I moved too th city for this job. I was happpy when he applied to work at King…Kingston’s. now I wish he wasn’t h..here.” Blair would not cry. She had done that in the taxi and she refused to let herself shed another tear for Dan. She was more angry than anything. She had wasted time on someone like Dan.

“So I’m guessing the wedding’s off.” Roman pointed to her bare finger.

Blair lifted the hand that once held Dan’s ring. Before dropping it back in her lap. “Yep. I… we lived in a house while growing up… my uncle.. he cheated all the time. It was soo… terrible. Thee fights and ar.. arguing. It was horr… bad.”

“Would you say you are glad you found out now? Before the wedding.” Asked Roman.

Blair nodded. “We didn't even h… have a… a date set.”

“Who was holding it up?” Roman inquired.

Blair blinked at him. Why was he being so nice and why all the questions? Roman knew she was engaged. She had always worn the ring since her first interview, and the whole time she had worked at Kingston. But she didn’t feel naked without it, which made her frown. “I wass. He wanted to get marr.. married last year. I was.. not ready.”

“Why? If you loved him, why did you want to wait?” Blair felt like his eyes were boring into her.

Blair gave a drunken shrug. “I… if what I saw to..today was any indication…” she paused for a moment, thinking. Maybe she had realized something was wrong with her relationship. There was no passion. She had loved Dan, but maybe not the way she should love the person she was to marry. Right now, she was more angry than upset. Was that normal? She didn’t know. Dan had been her first real relationship.

“What? What happened?” Roman wanted to know.

Blair frowned at him. “I saw him. H.. having sex with… anyway, it wasn’t thee same.”

Softly, he asked. “In what way?”

Blair couldn’t talk about it. Not with her boss. “I don’t…” frowning. Why had it been different? Was it her, or was the problem with Dan? She had no one to compare him with. Dan had been her teacher.

She needed a baseline to find out if it was her. Blair eyed her boss. From what she had seen over the two years, she had worked for him. He had had a long stream of girlfriends. She reached out a hand, picking up his tie. Studying the pattern on his tie for a moment. Would he fire her? Right at this moment, she didn’t care. Her emotions were all over the place.

Without another word, Blair closed the gap between them, pulling at his tie so he wouldn’t pull away. Capturing his lips in a kiss that was unsure at first. He was still for a moment as she moved in closer..

Blair gasped into his mouth. The heat was a shock to her.

Her hands flew to his shoulders, gripping the fabric of his shirt as she lost herself in the sensation. This was different… so different from anything she’d ever experienced with Dan. There was a raw intensity in his kiss, a hunger that sent sparks racing through her veins.

Roman pulled back slightly, his breathing ragged as he looked down at her. “Blair,” he murmured, his voice hoarse. “We shouldn’t…”

But she cut him off with another kiss as she moved closer, pressing her body against his. “Please,” she begged, her voice trembling.