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Prachi came out of the kitchen with a stack of plates, Ashley trailing her with four filled juice glasses. They set them around the table.
Ashley’s hair was wet from the shower. She wore tight orange yoga-type pants that ended just below her knees. A black top that tied behind her neck. She had freckles all over her shoulders, and she looked a little tired when she met his eyes, but she didn’t look the slightest bit pliable.
“No, I wouldn’t say that.”
“You know what today is?”
“Saturday?”
“September first. And you know what you are?”
Screwed.
“No.”
“Behind schedule. Do what it takes to make this happen. Sleep with her if you think it’ll get her to drop the Key deer thing by Monday. I’m not bothered.”
She wasn’t bothered.
Carmen truly, honestly didn’t care. The woman he’d planned to marry.
If Ashley and Prachi hadn’t been in the room, he would have told her that he wasn’t going to sleep with Ashley regardless. Since they were, all he could say was, “About Monday. There’s no chance.”
“You’ll think of something. Always darkest before the dawn and all that. Look, I’m not good at pep talks. Just pretend I gave you one, okay? Call me back when you know something.”
She disconnected the call.
Roman returned the receiver to the cradle and looked at his hand wrapped around it, thinking about the woman on the other end.
It wasn’t a question of Carmen’s concealing her feelings. It was more a question of whether she had them at all.
He liked that about her. He didn’t need help from Noah or his PA to guess how to treat Carmen because he could treat her as an extension of himself. They wanted the same things: money, recognition, Heberto’s esteem.
He’d always assumed that made them perfect for each other.
It had. It still did.
But …
But it bothered him that she didn’t care that he’d come very close to having sex with Ashley last night. Wouldn’t he care, if their positions were reversed?
He tried to imagine Carmen beneath another man. Another man’s mouth on her breasts. Another man’s dick inside her. Roman waited for his pulse to quicken, his fists to clench.
Nothing happened.
“Did you sleep well?” Prachi asked.
“Very well.”
“Wonderful. Ashley and I are whipping up breakfast. Should be ready in twenty minutes or so, if you’d like to shower.”
“Thank you. I think I will.”
He didn’t move.
Ashley came over and perched on the arm of the couch. When Prachi left the room, she asked, “How’d it go?”
Her eyes were somber.
