Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

“Where are we going?” Roman asked, his tone casual, but his grip on the wheel was anything but.

Blair barely looked at him. “The diner in town.”

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Silence settled between them, thick with unspoken tension. Roman followed Keira’s car as the town blurred past with old storefronts, familiar streets to her, but she didn’t pay them any attention.

Her fingers tapped restlessly against her thigh. Roman drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting on his leg. exuding that infuriating calmness that only made her feel more unsettled.

Because he was the reason, she was still buzzing. She was angry with him, but she wasn’t at the same time.

She hated it.

She hated that even now, after everything, he could still make her feel safe and wanted and completely out of control.

Roman finally glanced at her. “You’re quiet.”

Blair huffed. “Maybe because I don’t know where to start.”

“Then just start.” His voice was steady. Unapologetic.

Her head whipped toward him. “Fine. What the hell was that Roman?”

His grip on the wheel tightened. “What part?”

She shot him a look. “Oh, I don’t know. The part where you nearly strangled Dan? Or the part where you dropped a nuclear bomb on my family when I told you I would handle it?”

His jaw ticked. “I was done listening to them speak to you like that. Done with Dan, thinking he could manipulate you. He needed to be put in his place.”

Blair’s chest clenched. “That wasn’t your decision to make.”

“The hell it wasn’t.” His voice was rough, clipped. “He deserved worse, and you know it.”

She did. God, she did. But that wasn’t the point.

“I didn’t need you to fight my battles, Roman.”

His eyes flicked toward hers, sharp and unreadable. “Maybe not. But I’m never going to stand there and watch people try to tear you down.”

Blair swallowed hard.

Damn him.

Damn him for saying things like that. For making it impossible to stay mad when she wanted to be.

looking away. “You blindsided me. I hadn’t told my sisters about us. I would have handled

scoffed. “Laura wasn’t going to

Yeah. She did.

wasn’t the only thing bothering

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Chapter 32

“You made a decision without me, Roman. And that’s not-” She hesitated. “That’s not okay. Was this the real reason you came down here? Because

did go look

tone made her glance

the wheel

some of the tension in her

the

Just… overwhelmed.

out of the corner of her eye. “You know,

twitched. “That

her eyes. “Don’t make me

eyes darkening

Her breath caught. “What?”

you think I’m

Just like that. The frustration, the irritation twisted

have felt it too because, without warning, he pulled the

second to react before his hand was in her hair, pulling her toward him, his mouth crashing against

soft.

It was desperate.

kind of kiss that erased the

as he angled her back, fingers tangling in her

she didn’t want

apart, breathless,

“Feel better?” he murmured.

“I’m not sure sitting with

quirked.

stop the smile from pulling at her

“Drive, Roman.”

smirked, shifting the car

exhaled, feeling something close to peace

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Chapter 32

Damn him.

for being

hadn’t changed

Same

take it all in before her sisters waved them over from a booth