Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 113330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“I’m just tired,” I reply with a tight smile. “I was too excited about coming here today to fall asleep last night.” It’s the truth, but not the full truth. I am tired, yes—but Vanessa is the main reason I’ve been so quiet during this drive. She was so freaking beautiful, I could have stared at her for days in a trance. Also, so warm and vivacious, I’d want to be her good friend, if we’d met under different circumstances. Why didn’t it work out with Vanessa and Roman? I can’t understand it, especially when I think about Maverick being a big reason to give a romantic relationship a shot.
I look out the window at the passing cars on the freeway and try to wrangle my spiraling thoughts. I knew Maverick’s mother would be a supernatural beauty, given how gorgeous Maverick is, but I didn’t expect her to be that beautiful. And certainly not that sweet. My brief encounter with Vanessa made me realize in a visceral way that Roman truly can have literally any woman he wants. So, naturally, I’m now wondering how long I can reasonably expect Roman to remain interested in me, especially when he’s about to be stretched to the max in every direction.
Oh, God, I don’t even want to think about the horrible, mean, clickbait headlines if my romance with Roman doesn’t pan out after my two-week stay in California. By now, the world has seen multiple photos of Roman and me together, both in Hawaii and Orchard Blossom. If those sightings suddenly dry up, and if Roman is suddenly seen with a new, far more beautiful woman on his arm, the internet will be brutal toward me. In fact, I’m sure the day the Runaway Bride gets dumped by Roman “Ribbed for Her Pleasure” Maguire will practically become a national holiday for my haters. A reason to pop champagne.
The navigation voice on Roman’s phone draws me from my wandering thoughts.
“Turn right,” the robot lady commands.
When Roman follows her instructions, he turns into a long driveway with a stunning two-story oceanfront house at the end of it.
“This is your house?” I breathe out.
“You like it?”
“Of course. It’s spectacular. I can see why you picked it.” In Orchard Blossom, Roman called his new digs in Malibu his “dream house,” but that’s all he said about it. But now I can see that Roman’s dream house is a cliffside, oceanfront mansion with sleek, modern lines that could easily pass for a small, boutique hotel.
“Why so big?” I ask with a laugh.
Roman audibly shrugs as he parks his car at the end of the driveway. “This is gonna be my home for a long time. Maybe even forever. So, I figured I should get a place that’s big enough to host my entire extended family on holidays.”
Roman opens his car door, so I do the same on my side.
“Welcome home, Rome,” a guy in a suit says, greeting us as we pile out of Roman’s low-slung car.
“Hey, Mac. This is my girlfriend, Iris. Iris, this is Mac, my head of security.”
Roman’s got a head of security? “Nice to meet you, Mac.”
“Likewise,” Mac says. “Roman’s told me some wonderful things about you, Iris.”
He has? I look at Roman in surprise. When? What?
“Go on in,” Mac says to Roman. “I’ll get the bags and park the car in the garage for you, boss.”
“Thanks. Is Cameron still here?”
“He just left. He said he’ll come back tomorrow to say hi and meet Iris.”
“Perfect. And Leslie?”
“She left, too. But not before stocking the fridge and pantry. She said she made a couple of your favorite meals—high protein, of course—in case you arrived hungry enough to eat a team of horses.”
Roman chuckles. “She knows me well.” He takes my hand. “Leslie is my private chef. Wait till you taste her food. It’s even better than my mother’s cooking, but don’t you dare tell her I said that, or I’ll deny it.”
I didn’t realize Roman has a team of people taking care of him in his real life. In Hawaii, he was humble and capable—always making cocktails and sandwiches for us and then running off to the market when we ran low on supplies. In Orchard Blossom, too, Roman seemed like a totally normal person. I guess it makes sense for Roman to delegate basic stuff in his daily life, though, given the intense demands on his time during the football season. He’s a superstar in his real life, after all. I keep forgetting that.
“It’s too bad you’re seeing the house for the first time at dusk,” Roman says as we approach his front door. “In full sunlight, the ocean views are spectacular.”
Is Roman nervous? “I’ll see the views in all their glory tomorrow.”
Roman takes a deep breath before opening his front door and inviting me inside. “Welcome, Iris,” he says, his voice brimming with excitement and nerves. “I hope you love it.”