Black Forever (Obsidian 4)

She didn’t think twice before she walked into the elevator, her bag tight over her shoulder.

I pulled my arm back and returned my hands to my pockets, waiting for the doors to shut. I knew I shouldn’t look at her, but the temptation became too much. I lifted my gaze and met hers, looking into the green eyes that I used to stare at when we made love. A sense of longing overcame me, and I desperately wanted to hold her.

When she’d left me, I didn’t get to hug her. I didn’t get to kiss her goodbye. I had to keep my hands to myself and watch her walk out of my life. Now I had to do it again as I waited for the doors to shut.

She held my gaze, the heartbreak obvious in her eyes. Instead of being angry with me like she should, she was only devastated. When the doors finally began to close, she looked away, unable to see the intensity in my eyes.

I never thought I would be so grateful to have a solid barrier between us.

But I was utterly relieved.

“The Humanitarian Gala is next Saturday. Should I tell the senator you’ll be attending?” My assistant placed my messages on my desk then stared at me with expectation.

My mind drifted away, thinking about that beautiful creature with the green eyes. “Sorry, Cynthia. What did you say?”

“The Humanitarian Gala is next week. You’ve been nominated as Humanitarian of the year. This is the fourth time you’ve won it. That’s so exciting.” Her curly black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and gold hoops hung from her lobes. She set a few packets on my desk and organized them by priority. “Shall I tell the office it’s mandatory they intend?”

Rome won that award last year for her small company. I remember sitting at the table when she joined me. We spoke for nearly an hour before I took her home and kissed her on the doorstep.

It seemed like a lifetime ago now.

“Yes, tell the staff they’re expected to attend.”

“Of course, Mr. Owens.” Cynthia walked out and left me alone with my thoughts.

It had officially been a year since I made Rome mine. Instead of celebrating our time together, we were living separate lives. The last time I saw her, she got into the elevator and didn’t say a word to me. She looked just as devastated as the day she walked out on me.

I’d give anything to go back in time and relive that happiness.

When I thought about the gala next Saturday, I realized I had a huge problem on my hands.

Hank.

He would definitely be there. And when he realized I was no longer in the picture, he would strike.

No doubt about it.

Shit.

I had men tailing Hank wherever he went so he couldn’t touch Rome again. But I really didn’t want to give him the impression that she was unguarded. If he made a move, it would only scare her. She put on a brave face for me when she was scared, but I’d seen her become vulnerable and honest.

She was terrified of him.

And she knew I was the only thing saving her.

That would mean I’d have to talk to Rome about it, to get her to agree to be my date for the evening. We’d have to pretend we were still together, put on a show for anyone who was watching—especially Hank.

But would she go for it?

The act would be difficult for both of us. It would be difficult for me to touch her without taking it further. It would be hard for me to walk away from her when she was so close to me.

It would break us all over again.

But I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t let Hank know she was an easy target. But I didn’t want us to get close to one another if we were both trying to move on. Either way, I lost. I could live with letting Rome go, but I couldn’t live with knowing something terrible might happen to her.

So I made my decision.

I stared at my phone for another minute before I finally grabbed it and called her. I’d been drinking all night so I wasn’t at my finest, but I would make do. I held the phone to my ear and listened to it ring over and over, waiting for her beautiful voice to answer.

But it continued to ring.

Maybe she wouldn’t answer at all.

Finally, the click sounded as she picked up. Instead of answering with a spoken word, she announced her presence with her silence. Her light breathing could barely be heard, distant and far away.

My words died in my throat because I just wanted to listen to her. If I closed my eyes, it seemed like she was right beside me. I could picture us lying together in my bed, our bodies tangled together after a good session of lovemaking.