“I know what you’re up to,” he said and his grin widened.
“You do?”
“You had no intention of helping me with this cake, did you? You slipped out so that I’d get started and I’d be done by the time you got back. I know your trick.”
“Oh, that. You…you got me. Guilty as charged.”
The rest of the baking project went without incident and soon the cake was in the oven, scheduled to sit there for thirty minutes. Now what were they going to do? “Would you like to watch some television?” Serena asked. “There’s a basketball game on.”
Roman nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
And so it was that Roman ended up sprawling comfortably on her sofa watching the big screen TV while she perched on a bar stool watching him. He was so absorbed in the game, the Knicks versus the Lakers, that she wondered if he even remembered she was there. But she could never forget his presence. His aura filled the room. She needed to get out and away from him. He was having too much of an effect on her.
“I’m going to check on the cake.” She slid off the stool and was heading for the kitchen when his voice stopped her.
“Don’t you dare. If you keep opening that oven my cake is going to go flat.”
“Your cake? I thought it was mine.”
Roman cocked an eyebrow. “And who did all the work? Certainly not you.”
Serena turned on her heel and gave him a threatening look. “You’d better not tell my grandmother that.”
Roman laughed and lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, you’re the boss. It’s your cake and I had nothing to do with it.”
“I’ll give you some of the credit,” she conceded with a smile. “Just a little.”
The light banter eased the tension for Serena and the rest of the waiting time flew by quickly. Before she realized it, it was time to get the cake out and get ready to go to her grandmother’s. “You’re coming, right?” When he seemed to hesitate she continued. “You can’t back out now. You promised.”
“If you want me to,” Roman said, staring at her intently, no longer seeming interested in the basketball game. One hundred percent of his attention was focused on her.
Serena squirmed a little under his gaze but she knew she wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon with him. A very pleasant hour had already passed and she did not want it to end that quickly even if she would have to share him with her grandmother.
In the office they’d had to be very professional, almost formal, but here on a Saturday afternoon she began to see a more relaxed side to Roman. He was absorbed in the basketball game, cheering on the Knicks while she rooted for the Lakers and soon they had a good rivalry going. She loved it. She’d never been a fan of sports but with Roman there to share the game with her it was fun.
“I do want you to come.” Serena gave Roman a smile. “Grandma Sylvie would love to meet you and I think you’d like her, too.”
He nodded. “I need no further convincing.”
“Okay, let me get changed and we’ll get going.” As she hurried to her bedroom she hoped he did not see the silly grin on her face.
CHAPTER TEN
Roman held the door open as Serena slid from the passenger seat of his black Mercedes Benz. From the city it had taken them a little over thirty minutes to get to her grandmother’s house. Throughout the journey Serena sat in the passenger seat with the cake cradled on her lap. You would think it was the most precious thing in the world. But he wasn’t knocking her. He could see that this gift, small as it was, meant a lot to her and that her grandmother was a very important person in her life.
With Serena on her feet Roman opened the back door and carefully took out the large gift-wrapped object that Serena had placed in his hands. He could guess that it was a picture of some sort because he could feel the pattern of the engraved frame.
As they walked up the winding gravel driveway Roman looked around, admiring the surroundings. They were out in the country and it was beautiful, with wide open fields and woods that formed a backdrop to the sprawling ranch house.
Serena must have seen him staring because she said, “My house is not far from here. I often ride over to visit Grandma Sylvie. It’s so exhilarating, galloping across the fields.”
“I can imagine,” Roman said. In his mind’s eye he could see her on the back of a horse, her hair a dark curtain flying behind her as she rode. He had no doubt that she was an expert horsewoman. He wondered if one day he would have the privilege of riding with her.
They climbed the steps and crossed the wide porch that circled the house. Serena rang the bell and within seconds the door swung open and a petite white-haired woman was smiling up at them.
“Serena, darling.” The woman tilted her head and gave her a kiss on the cheek then her eyes left her granddaughter’s face and rose to meet Roman’s. Her smile widened. “And who do we have here?”
For some reason, maybe because of the twinkle in her grandmother’s eyes, Serena blushed. “This is Roman Steele, my boss.”
Sylvie gave a polite nod. “Welcome, Roman. I’m pleased to meet you. Won’t you come in?”
When they got inside Serena handed over her prized possession, the birthday cake.
“Oh, my,” Sylvie exclaimed. “What a wonderful surprise. I’ll take it to the kitchen and we can have some in a little while.” As she headed down the hallway she called out, “Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
Serena directed Roman to an elegantly furnished living room filled with family portraits.
“Please have a seat,” she said, indicating the couch. Instead of sitting, she went to stand by the mantelpiece.
This drew Roman’s attention to the painted portrait above the fireplace. It was the picture of a beautiful blonde-haired woman on horseback. “Was that your mother?”
Serena nodded. “She loved riding.”
“As you do,” Roman said, seeing the wistful look in her eyes.
At that moment Sylvie walked into the room. She smiled at them. “That’s my Patricia,” she said then tilted her chin towards Serena. “Serena looks just like she did when she was this age.” Sylvie gave Roman a sad smile. “We lost her when Serena was six years old, still just a baby. Richard has been both mother and father to her since then.”