CHAPTER 92: SHORE

Meanwhile, at the shore.

Looking away, Patricia’s throat tightened. Her voice cracked slightly as she whispered, "It still doesn’t answer why you were kissing her." That one question throbbed inside her chest like a bruise, aching for an answer she dreaded to hear.

Roman only smiled, his eyes fixed on her. He studied every detail of her tense face, her knitted brows, the faint quiver of her lip. God knew how badly he wanted to press her against the seat and ravage her with his mouth, but he held himself back, savoring her agitation instead.

Then, without warning, he reached across her, unbuckled her seatbelt, and caught her wrist. Before she could even register what was happening, he pulled her forward, her body stumbling against his. Her breath hitched as she landed squarely on his lap, her heart hammering like it might burst from her ribcage.

Her head snapped up, her wide eyes locking with his. Her cheeks were flushed, a tremor in her lips betraying the anger she tried to hold onto. "Wha...what is it?" She stuttered, her voice breaking. She dropped her gaze quickly, embarrassed by how shaky she sounded. Does he want to kiss her? For God’s sake, she was still furious with him, why on earth was she still thinking about kissing him?

"Anyone standing in front of this car would think we are kissing now," he murmured.

It took her a few beats to process his words. Then it clicked. Ahh! This was the same position she had met them in. Only then, Roman had been lowered in his seat while Silver leaned over him. From a distance, it would have looked like they were kissing. Patricia’s stomach knotted. She hadn’t even tried to confirm what she saw before her anger took over. And if they really had been kissing, Roman’s head wouldn’t have turned so freely toward her back then.

Her chest tightened with guilt. Had she jumped to conclusions too quickly?

Clearing her throat, Patricia shifted, trying to push herself up. But Roman’s hand pressed gently but firmly against her back, pinning her against him. The unexpected warmth of his touch made her frown, though her body betrayed her with a tremor.

"You were saying something?" He asked, tilting his head to study her expression closer.

Heat burned her face. She wanted to admit she was wrong, but the words weighed heavily on her tongue. Finally, she muttered, almost inaudible, "I... I understand now."

Roman, of course, wasn’t satisfied. Leaning in, his lips brushing close to her ear, he teased, "Sorry, I didn’t hear you well. What was that?"

Her pulse quickened, the nearness of him making her chest tighten further. "I said I understand now! Satisfied?!" She snapped, her voice louder this time. She glared at him, trying to mask the way her nerves rattled, but her shaky hands gave her away.

His lips curved into a slow, maddening smirk. Patricia’s insides twisted. That infuriating man... She wanted to wipe that smug look clean off his face.

"And her?" Patricia blurted, her voice sharper than she intended. She forced herself to meet his eyes, though her heart pounded mercilessly.

Understanding who she meant, Roman answered smoothly, "She’s one of Paul’s exes, the only one who stayed with him the longest. Naturally, she knows more than anyone."

Patricia’s eyes widened. Her whole body jerked upright in surprise, her earlier jealousy swept away by sudden shock.

"Really? So we are close to something solid?" Hope brightened her voice, her hands fidgeting against the folds of his shirt, betraying her restless anticipation.

Roman leaned back slightly, studying her face. "Even though she won’t say it outright, she wants something from me in exchange for the videos and her testimony. I thought about making her believe I would play along, but..." his lips curved into a sly grin, "my jealous wife kept clawing at my mind. So we will probably only walk away with the recordings."

Patricia bit her lip hard, heat prickling behind her eyes. Guilt slammed into her chest like a wave. If only she had taken one more moment to think, if only she had trusted him instead of letting her jealousy explode. But then again... wouldn’t any woman in her shoes have reacted the same?

Her voice came out softer, almost hesitant, "What if I begged her?"

"I would rather have you begging me when I am inside you instead," he whispered against her ear, his voice rough and sinful.

Patricia’s breath hitched, her pulse tripping over itself. She smacked his chest playfully, though her heart skipped a dangerous beat. Heat rushed through her veins, forcing her to avert her gaze as she swallowed hard. How could he flirt like that when they were in the middle of such a serious conversation?

"We will find another witness, or set a trap for Paul," Roman said, his tone turning firm, almost reassuring. But Patricia’s chest still tightened with guilt, the nagging feeling that this entire mess was her fault refusing to fade.

"But that would take too much time. We could have just used a direct source." She sighed, wishing for the impossible...that she could rewind time and undo her rashness.

"It doesn’t matter," he replied. "Getting Eve on board is the real goal. Without her, we can’t sue Paul." For the first time, there was something new in his tone, something she wasn’t used to hearing from him. Helplessness. And it made her heart twist. Roman, who could have anyone and anything in the world, couldn’t even reach his own sister.

"Would you let me talk to her?" Patricia asked quickly, needing to feel useful.

Roman’s lips curved as he raised a brow at her.

"I am serious," she insisted. "I may not have been close with my step-sister, but thanks to Zara, I know a thing or two about coaxing one."

"I will follow you, just in case things go south. Evelyn isn’t the sweet kind of sister. Don’t let her looks deceive you," Roman said, his tone dipping into that possessive edge that always made her chest tighten.

"No. I have to speak with her alone." Patricia shook her head firmly. She knew the moment Roman was in the room, Eve would shut down.

He frowned, silent for a moment before sighing. "Fine. I will wait outside. But I am not letting you go in there completely alone."

Patricia gave a small smile, relief washing through her. That was the best compromise she would get from him. As long as she had the chance to talk to Eve, it was enough.

Then, without warning, Roman’s voice dipped low, heated. "I really want to kiss the life out of you right now."

Patricia’s eyes widened. She immediately leaned back into her chair, trying to put space between them. But in truth, the retreat only made it easier for him to corner her. His gaze was locked on her lips, heavy with hunger, making her chest flutter wildly.

"We have missed the sunset," she blurted, desperate to change the subject. Her eyes darted everywhere but him.

Roman smirked. "There’s always another sunset. But this..." he suddenly adjusted her seat with swift, decisive hands, the backrest falling flat. In a blink, he was hovering over her, his presence swallowing the air between them. "...this can’t wait."

"No, we can’t... not here," she whispered, her eyes flicking nervously to the windshield. "People are passing." But the night outside was too dark; she couldn’t see anyone.

"You are beautiful," he said softly, almost reverently, as his hand slid into her hair. His eyes devoured her, every flicker of his gaze thick with need, possession, and something frighteningly tender. Patricia’s heartbeat roared in her ears. Her body screamed for his touch, her skin alive under his stare. If not for the faint glow of light in the car, she might have missed the depth of emotion written all over his face.

He reached for her hand, lifted it, and pressed his lips to the back of it with deliberate slowness. His voice dropped into a command laced with promise.

"Next time, ask me everything you want to know, don’t assume."