[ROMAN]

Hannah seemed to be enjoying dinner with me, but I was worried that she wouldn’t catch on to the idea of our wedding agreement. She was too cautious, too worried about what other people would think about us. I would have to work extra hard to cover for her insecurities.

"I will never stoop as low as my parents have," Hannah said. "I would much rather be known as a kind and fair woman."

"It sounds like we’ll make a good pair," I said to her with a smile.

Hannah smirked at me and turned her attention to her food.

"Any more questions?" I asked her. I would answer anything to make her feel more comfortable with me.

Hannah’s green eyes met mine. "What do you do for fun?" she asked. "Besides pick up women at clubs."

"That’s not a fair line of questioning," I said to her.

"Why not?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"If you want to know if Ill continue to pick up women on the side, just ask that," I said. "And the answer is no."

"Really?" Hannah asked with her brow raised. "I dont expect you to quit your hobbies just because I showed up on your doorstep."

I put my utensils down and leveled my gaze with hers. "I do enjoy going to clubs with my friends and spending time with them when I can for golf or boating or whatever," I said.

"But I rarely have time to do those things since my father left me in control of the business while he plans his retirement. I especially havent had time for women."

"I didnt mean to offend you, Roman," Hannah said. "I m just... I feel so guilty."

"Dont feel guilty," I said to her immediately. "This isnt your fault, and I chose to help you."

"Youre right," she said, taking a sip from her wine glass. I tried not to stare, but I couldnt help watching her lips as she spoke, ate, and drank. It felt so good to kiss her lips.

"How did your parents meet?" she asked me.

"My father said he fell in love with her the first time he saw her at university," I said, having memorized their story as a child. "She was with a group of her friends going to the tennis courts and he happened to pass their group. My mother said ’good morning’ to him off handedly and he was smitten. He skipped class to watch her play tennis that day and he met her when she left the court."

"That’s so sweet," Hannah said with an adorable expression.

"It was sweet on his part, but my mother rejected him a couple of times before she finally agreed to see a movie with him," I said. Hannah laughed.

"I’ve seen pictures of your father," Hannah said, "and you certainly take after him as far as looks are concerned."

"Great, you think my father is handsome," I said to her teasingly. She didn’t look up from her food, but I could see that her neck had turned a bright shade of red. Hannah was blushing. I couldn’t help myself.

"That means you think I’m handsome," I said.

She glanced up at me and rolled her eyes, but she was smirking.

"At least I know that you’ll see my face every day and enjoy what you see."

"Don’t be so cocky, Roman, it’s not flattering," she said, her green eyes sparkling with mischief, daring me to retort. So I obliged.

"I wouldn’t say cocky," I told her, holding her gaze.

"I’d say incredibly sexy."

Hannah laughed. "You’re such a tease, Roman."

"I love when you say my name like that, Hannah," I said to her.

Hannah’s brow rose as she contemplated me.

"You never noticed me at those parties your father hosted, but I noticed you."

She was eyeing me now, deciding whether or not to believe me.

"I was just like any other man in that room, just wanting your attention."

"Who said I didn’t notice you, Roman?" Hannah asked me, slowly pronouncing each letter of my name.

"You didn’t remember me when we met officially," I said to her.

"That doesn’t mean I didn’t notice you," she said with a smirk. I smiled at her, noticing that we had both finished our meals.

"Dessert?" I asked her.

"Not now," she said.

"I’ll have it in my room later."

I told the maid to bring each of us dessert to our separate rooms before turning my attention back to Hannah.

"Mind if I walk you up?" I asked her.

"I would like that, Roman," she said, her green eyes on mine. We stood and walked together from the dining room.

"Your home is beautiful," Hannah said, admiring the paintings and handcrafted pieces lining the corridors.

"This is your home now too, Hannah," I said. "Make yourself comfortable, anything you need just ask me or any of the staff."

Hannah smiled. "I’d like to take a walk in the garden that I saw outside the kitchen window," she said.

"My parents have a garden, but it’s nowhere near as beautiful as yours."

"It’s my mother’s garden," I told her as we reached the elevator. "She loves trees and plants." We climbed into the elevator together and I pushed the button for the second floor.

"All of the paintings and art you see here were hand-selected by my mother. She loves anything beautiful, so I know she’ll love you," I said, glancing at Hannah with a smile.

"Don’t be so sure, Roman," Hannah said. "Mothers are hard to please sometimes."

The doors opened onto the second floor and we exited the elevator, walking toward her room.

"May I ask where your parents are? Not that I expected them to be living here with you."

"They usually are here," I told her, "but they’ve decided to make the lake house their main address since father is removing himself from city life." We stopped in front of Hannah’s room, but she made no move to go inside.

"How many properties do you own?" she asked me.

I exhaled, thinking for a moment. "I have several properties that are currently being rented for businesses or residential housing, but I own four properties that we live in," I said.

"This used to be my parent’s main address and I lived in my penthouse downtown, but there’s also the lake house and a beautiful cabin in the mountains. My father is also looking to purchase real estate abroad since he’ll be travelling often after retirement."

Hannah was gazing at me intently with her green eyes. "Do you prefer this house over your penthouse apartment?"

I shrugged, "The apartment is closer to work, but it’s more of a bachelor pad," I said. "Great view, but it’s a studio. Not a good place to stay when I have a guest." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Hannah nodded as she moved to open her bedroom door. "Thank you for dinner, Roman," she said, leveling her green gaze with mine. "I enjoyed talking to you." She offered me a small smile, and I realized I couldn’t let her get away so easily. I gently took her hand from the door handle and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

Hannah’s smile broadened.

"It felt like a date," I said to her. "I like to end dates that go well with a goodnight kiss."

Hannah smirked at me, but she didn’t pull her hand away or make any attempt to move. I placed her hand behind my neck, keeping my gaze on hers as I took her other hand and placed it behind my neck as well.

Gently gripping her hips, I pulled her body close to mine, feeling the warmth of her hips on mine and her soft breasts against my chest.

I lowered my lips to hers and she responded immediately as our lips touched, pulling me closer to her and parting her lips. I could taste the sweetness of the wine she drank as I teased her tongue with mine.

The rhythm of our kiss built slowly as I backed her against the wall behind her.

Our breath was coming in soft gasps as the rhythm of our kiss increased. I took her hands from my neck and pinned them to the wall on either side of her head, feeling her body beneath mine.

My dick was responding as well, and I didn’t need that to happen.

I broke the kiss, but I held Hannah in place as we breathed heavily and stared into each other’s passion-hungry eyes. The rise and fall of her breasts against my chest was going to drive me mad with desire. I released her slowly and stepped away from her, hating the distance between us now.

Hannah lowered her arms but didn’t move, holding my gaze. "That was some goodnight kiss," she said in a low voice. When she bit her lip seductively, I knew I had to leave or I’d end up kissing her again.

"Sleep well," I said before turning away from her to walk to my own room at the opposite end of the corridor. I heard her bedroom door open and shut behind me. Damn, I thought, this wedding agreement might be a lot of work, but being with Hannah Macalester might just be worth it.