CHAPTER 4

🍒 CHERRY By the time I made it back to the hotel, it was already very late, and I was drenched from head to toe from the still-pouring rain. The shirt the hotel staff had picked up for me was a chiffon top, which had turned into a see-through shirt in the rain, clinging to my skin and showing off my black bra underneath. Normally, I would have been mortified walking around like this, but I was too numb emotionally to care about how I looked or what anyone thought of me. My hair was soaked, water dripping from the ends and running down my neck. My shoes squelched with every step I took, and my fingers were so cold that I could barely feel them anymore. Getting into the elevator, I clicked on the P button and prayed that the elevator wouldn’t make any stops to pick anyone up. Thankfully, it didn’t. When the elevator finally reached the floor, I walked out, dragging my feet along the hallway before stopping outside the door. I rang the bell, shivering violently from the excessive cold. The door pulled open almost instantly, and Roman widened the moment he saw me. His hair was disheveled, as though he had run his fingers through it a thousand times, and there was an unmistakable look of panic on his face. I silently walked past him and stepped into the penthouse. “What the hell, Cherry?” he bellowed behind me. “How could you set off in the rain like that without your phone or purse?” “I needed to think,” I muttered, taking a seat on the bar stool. Roman followed me, still visibly agitated. He opened his mouth, but the moment his eyes roamed over my body, he quickly looked away. He was clearly trying not to make it obvious that he noticed the cleavage peeking out from beneath my soaked chiffon top and the black bra underneath. “You should change.” “This is the only outfit in the closet.” “Right.” He ran his fingers through his hair again. “I thought we would be staying here just for the night, which was why I requested only one outfit change. You can borrow my shirt, though.” He offered. “You’re going to catch a cold if you keep wearing that.” Unbuttoning his shirt, he pulled it off and passed it over to me. “Bring the wet clothes with you so I can quickly have the hotel staff dry them off for you.” Nodding, I accepted his shirt, gathered my wet clothes, and went into one of the guest rooms downstairs. I quickly changed into Roman’s shirt, but I left my panties on despite how uncomfortable they felt. It would be inappropriate to walk around in nothing but his shirt, especially with Roman around. The shirt hung loosely on my body, reaching down to my thighs. It smelled faintly like him, a mixture of his cologne and something warm and masculine that I couldn’t quite identify. I ignored it. By the time I walked out of the room, there was a young woman in a hotel uniform standing in the living room. Roman’s gaze lingered for just a little too long on my bare thighs before he quickly looked away. He took the wet clothes from my hands and passed them to the young woman, who immediately nodded and walked away, closing the door behind her. “I’ll make you some tea,” Roman offered before heading toward the open-plan kitchen. I followed him with my eyes as he moved around the kitchen, opening cabinets and reaching for the things he needed. While he made the tea, I found myself staring at his broad back. Seriously, how long does this man spend at the gym? What exactly was Sarai looking for in Adam? I mean, Adam was clearly not as muscled up as this dude. “Are you done ogling?” My cheeks turned red as I quickly averted my gaze. “I wasn’t ogling.” He passed me the tea. “What are you going to do?” I shrugged, wrapping both hands around the warm cup. “I don’t know. Adam is never going to agree to a divorce. Not with him trying to win the board over. Your father will have his head.” I took a sip of the tea. “What about you?” I asked, looking at him. “Are you divorcing Sarai?” He has never been one to care much about what their father has to say, so if anyone was going to walk away from their marriage without hesitation, I figured it would be him. Roman walked over to my side and leaned against the counter. I tried very hard not to let my eyes wander to his chest. Very hard. Unfortunately, my eyes had a mind of their own. “No, I am not divorcing Sarai.” I frowned. “Why?” He chuckled, picking up his own cup. “Maybe I am enjoying this little game she is playing a little too much.” I stared at him. There was something almost unsettling about the amusement in his eyes. “You’re enjoying being cheated on?” “I didn’t say that.” He took a sip of his drink. “I said I’m enjoying the game.” I took another sip of my tea, a crazy thought crossing my mind. It was reckless and completely insane. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more tempting it became. “What if we make this game even more interesting for them?” He lifted a brow. “How?” I turned to face him fully, tightening my fingers around the cup. “Let’s give them a dose of their own pills.” Roman’s eyes narrowed. “Cherry…” I held his gaze. “Let’s have an affair.”