No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 64

64 /200

ROMAN'S POV

“I thought you said you were not interested in bringing me to your bed?” she asked, her index finger trailing lazily down my chest.

The touch was feather-light, yet it carried a weight that pressed against every nerve in my body. My throat felt dry as I tried to gather my words.

“I brought you here to help you,” I said, keeping my voice even though I could feel the heat creeping up the back of my neck.

She tilted her head, her lips curling into a teasing smirk. “So now that you’ve helped me, now what?”

I inhaled slowly, steadying myself. “Well, you obviously can’t go back down there for now. At least not until the alcohol fully leaves your system. You can rest here.”

She sighed dramatically, tossing herself back against the pillows before leaning toward me again. “That’s too boring. When I’m finally in the mood for some fun, you turn into a buzzkill.”

I exhaled a short laugh, though inside, I was anything but relaxed. She doesn’t mean that. This isn’t her. The alcohol’s talking for her right now.

“I know that’s not you talking,” I said gently. “It’s the alcohol. A few minutes ago you didn’t even want us to continue our conversation, and now you’re talking about fun?”

“Well, I changed my mind.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing some precious secret. “Here’s a little secret, I’ve always thought you were hot from the moment I saw you at the bar. But I was just playing hard to get.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. My brows lifted in surprise. “Really? I thought you saw me as some infection or… something worse.” I chuckled lightly, half trying to shake off the tension tightening around us.

But she didn’t laugh. Her eyes glittered, steady on mine.

“And this fun you’re talking about…” I added, leaning back just slightly, “It’s just the two of us here. There are no drinks, no music. Maybe another time. It breaks my heart to say it too.”

Her lips curved into a mischievous smile. “Come on, there are different ways to have fun.”

She moved closer, so close that I could feel the warmth of her breath ghosting across my face. My pulse quickened.

I swallowed hard. This is new. Usually, I’m the one doing the chasing, the one teasing, the one in control. But here I am, with a woman I barely know, and she’s the one closing the distance.

And damn, she was bold. Bold enough to unsettle me.

My face began to burn, my cheeks betraying me. Am I seriously blushing? I almost laughed at myself. But her nearness made it impossible to think straight.

From this close, her eyes looked different, clearer, deeper, more magnetic than I’d realized before. My chest tightened. No. Don’t go there, Roman. This isn’t real. It’s the alcohol. She doesn’t mean any of this.

But even as my mind tried to reason, my body betrayed me. My heartbeat was erratic, my hands restless at my sides.

If I give in, does that make me the bad guy? Taking advantage of her while she’s drunk? That’s not who I am. That’s not the kind of man I want to be.

I forced myself to speak, though my voice was lower, rougher. “Are you sure about this?”

Our foreheads brushed, just the barest contact, but enough to send a current racing through me.

She smiled faintly, her tone still drowsy but firm. “If I wasn’t sure, I would have left this room by now.”

Her answer lingered in the air between us, heavier than the silence that followed.

I looked at her, really looked. The curve of her mouth, the slight sway in her gaze from the alcohol, the reckless honesty in her words.

We don’t know each other. We might never meet again. This could be just another night, another passing moment that disappears when the sun rises. But wasn’t that why I came here in the first place? To forget, to loosen up, to have fun?

I wasn’t looking for just anyone tonight. I wanted something real, even if it was temporary. A spark. A connection. Something to make me feel alive again.

And right now, she was right in front of me, more real and tempting than anything I’d felt in a long time.

And I didn’t want to waste the opportunity in front of me, it would be stupid of me to regardless of how holy I want to be.

My hands rose slowly, almost hesitantly, until they rested at the nape of her neck. Our gazes lingered, burning with an intensity that words could never carry. Then, with a pull stronger than gravity itself, our eyes closed, and our lips brushed together.