AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Eliza directed a weak smile toward her husband. Her darling, naive husband. She’d been bewitched with the stunning Roman Tate the first time she laid eyes on him. Football star, theater major, well-dressed man in her English class—Roman had been an anomaly. One flash of his charming smile and Eliza had fallen head over heels for her husband before she’d even known his name.
The man still had a presence. Tall and broad-shouldered, Roman had the windswept, dark hair of a movie star. His skin was a glorious shade of tan. Roman liked to let people think he was Italian, but Eliza knew the only genuine Italian flare Roman had in him was the hint of fresh basil she had added to the previous night’s pasta dish.
“No, Andrea didn’t forget to come,” Eliza said. “I thought I told you—I had to fire the cleaning lady.”
“Are we talking about the same girl?” Roman frowned. “Curly hair? I liked her. What happened?”
“My grandmother’s china disappeared.”
“Ah, well.” Roman flashed a quick smile. “We never used that china anyway. Would you like me to hire someone else?”
“No, no,” Eliza said. “Don’t waste your time. I’ve already taken care of it.”
“Very good.” Roman gave a happy nod. “Where did you get that shirt? Is it…new?”
“Oh God. How embarrassing.” With a flushed face, Eliza looked down and noted her shirt had a stain above one breast, and worse, her pants had a hole in them. She’d have to be more careful. “I didn’t expect you home so soon, or I’d have changed into something nicer.”
Roman moved into the kitchen and set his briefcase on the counter. His hands reached for Eliza and pulled her to her feet, then spun her around. They began to work their magic on Eliza’s shoulders. She rolled her neck back and forth, closed her eyes. She could almost pretend that life was perfect in moments like this.
“It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing,” Roman whispered in her ear. “You’re still gorgeous. I’ve been thinking of you all day.”
Eliza squirmed out of his grasp, giving a reluctant giggle against the tickle of his breath on her skin. “I’m in the middle of tidying up. We have the neighbors coming by for dinner tomorrow, remember?”
Eliza inched her way to the sink and busied herself washing dishes left over from breakfast. She paused when she came to a knife covered in peanut butter. It was a beautiful knife that had come as a special gift from a special friend. Anne Wilkes, Eliza’s college roommate and current best friend, had given her the knife, along with a matching cake server and two spoons, on her wedding day. Each had Eliza’s and Roman’s names carved into the handle along with their anniversary.
“I thought we agreed to save these utensils for special occasions,” Eliza said, not quite meeting Roman’s eyes. “They’re so beautiful; it’s a shame to get them caked with peanut butter.”
“Why have beautiful things if you don’t use them?”
Roman stepped behind Eliza and inched closer still, sliding his arms over her belly. His legs were clad in dark jeans, and he wore a white V-neck shirt underneath a zip-up black sweater. He smelled familiar, sweet, expensive. She closed her eyes and took a breath.
As if sensing the change in Eliza’s demeanor, her husband reached for her rubber gloves and peeled them from her arms. Tossed them into the sink. Spun her around, pressed his lips to hers.
Eliza felt her breath sigh out as he molded his body to hers and deepened the kiss, settling into a lovely, familiar rhythm. When his fingers hooked over the edge of her yoga pants, her entire body sizzled.
He teased her with his fingers through the soft fabric, dipped his head as his tongue flicked against her skin and sent shivers racing across her body. Then he pressed into her, took her against the kitchen counter, and sent Eliza’s mind into a black spiral as they moved together until finally, she called his name as they collapsed into one another.
Roman winked, then backed away. He broke into a low whistle as he turned on a heel and sauntered out of the kitchen. With flushed cheeks, Eliza looked and saw the window open. The neighbors, she thought briefly before she adjusted her bra strap and set the coffee maker to brew.
When it was done and she had two cups in hand, she followed Roman’s path from the kitchen and found him in his office. He closed his laptop when he heard her enter, slamming it shut a bit too swiftly before swiveling to face her.
“What is it?” Roman accepted a mug of coffee from Eliza. “When you look at me like that, I know you’ve got something on your mind.”
“I quit my job today.” Eliza leaned against the wall, feigning nonchalance.
“Why?”
“I’ve decided to start my own company.”
“I thought you liked your job?”
Eliza ran a finger around the rim of her mug. “If I’d stayed where I was, I would always be second to Harold. It’s time I started something of my own.”
“Well, you know I support you.” Roman paused to consider, then shook his head in time with a deep chuckle. “If anyone can succeed at starting their own company, it’s you.”
“Thank you,” she said briskly. “I hoped you’d see things that way.”
Roman turned back to his computer, signaling the conversation was complete. Trembling from the anxiety of it all, Eliza dragged herself upstairs into their bedroom, straight into their beautifully remodeled shower. She studied the eye-wateringly expensive bottles of soaps and shampoos from high-end boutiques, knowing that she’d filled them with knockoff replacements from Target. It was all a façade. Everything was a façade.
