“Was that supposed to be a compliment?” I raise an eyebrow at her.
Her lips slant into a smile. “I’m falling for you, too, Roman. Exactly as you are.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Okay,wellnowthatI’ve aired all my dirty laundry, why don’t you tell me about your family? I already know your dad is a prick. What about everybody else?”
A small laugh escapes my lips. “He’s not that bad. You caught me on a bad day.”
Roman narrows his eyes at me. “He passed you over for a spot you desperately wanted and gave it to your brothers, even though you were more qualified just because you’re a woman.”
“My brothers are qualified too…”
It’s not even worth defending, because Roman is exactly right. Not only do I want it more than either of my brothers, Iammuch more qualified. I had better grades, scored higher on every test, and went out of my way to take internships and classes solely for how the experience would help me as a trauma surgeon. I even spent a couple of summers riding around in ambulances and observing EMTs. Everything I ever did was to position myself better, but that never mattered.
“I’m sure they are, but I’ve never met anyone as passionate about what they do as you. And I’ve seen you work. Not only are you an incredible doctor, but you’re calm under pressure and you make your patients feel comfortable. A lot of doctors can’t do that.”
“Thank you.” His compliment makes me blush.
Roman takes my hand and presses a kiss to the back of it. “Don’t sell yourself short just because your family does. And don’t expect me to bite my tongue about it when I meet them, either.”
“Whenyou meet them?” I raise an eyebrow at him. As hard as he tries, Roman really only knows one speed, and he’s all in on this. It should worry me, but for some reason I don’t mind. After not knowing where we stood for so long, there isn’t any doubt in my mind now.
“Yes,whenI meet your family, they better be nothing but respectful to you. No one gets a pass. Especially not blood.” There’s just enough of a menacing look in his eye that I can’t tell if he’s kidding with me.
After getting heavy so quickly, the mood lightens for the rest of dinner. Talk of childhood memories and hobbies fill our conversation until dessert arrives, but we’re both so full that we can hardly take a bite. It’s hard to resist a slice of chocolate cheesecake that’s bigger than my head, though, and we get a box so we can have it at home.
“Thank you for tonight,” I say, as Roman signs the check. “Everything has been so incredible.”
“I’m glad you’ve had a good time.” His knee brushes against mine underneath the table, but he’s not in any rush to move it. “I’m a little out of practice with this whole dating thing, so I was nervous.”
“Somehow, I find that hard to believe. You have every woman in this building fawning over you, and you expect me to believe planning a date made you nervous?”
Roman could have his pick of the women here—any of the women in the entire city—and he is irresistibly charming when he lets himself be. And he knocks this date out of the park. There is no way he’s as out of practice as he claims to be.
He chuckles, finishing the rest of his wine before pouring each of us a little more. I should have put a limit on myself tonight because the more we drink, the more I feel myself falling for him hook, line, and sinker. “I’m serious. I haven’t been on a proper date in…God, I don’t even know how long. Maybe ever.”
“Okay, now I know you’re lying.” I click my tongue.
“I’m not,” he says. “I honestly can’t remember a single time that I went on a real date with a woman.”
“Well, you must have taken Talia out.”
He shakes his head. “Talia and I…Our relationship wasn’t…traditional.”
“What do you mean?”
He shifts uncomfortably in his chair, scratching his chin as if he’s searching for the right words. “We…were arranged.”
“You had an arranged marriage?” My eyes nearly bulge out of my head.
“Yeah, it’s kind of common in the Mafia.” Roman talks about it so nonchalantly that I almost think he’s kidding, but then he continues. “I was seventeen when my parents told me I had to marry Talia. Her dad was a powerful businessman before he passed, and our parents thought a union would strengthen everybody. She and I went out on some dates, but at that point, we already knew we were getting married, so it kind of lost its effect.”
“And you went along with it?” Nobody makes him do anything he doesn’t want to do, so this part surprises me most of all.
He shrugs. “If it wasn’t Talia, it would’ve been someone else, and in the scheme of things, it could’ve been a lot worse. Talia and I grew up together; she was one of my best friends. I really cared about her.”
“Did you love her?” My stomach twists. In my mind, I painted a picture of Roman as a grieving widow who lost his soulmate, but this changes things a bit.
