Being cruel wasn’t his style, but damned if he was going to humor her or give her any indication he wanted something like this to happen again. If the house had been locked, it couldn’t have happened in the first place. His mother was in for one hell of a lecture on safety. She couldn’t be so darn trusting any longer. Thanks to her false sense of security, she’d left the house open, her panties in danger of being stolen, and his body in danger of being violated, if Alice had her way.
He couldn’t imagine how she’d known his mother wasn’t home so she could come in and make herself comfortable. Not that he cared, as long as she got the hell out now. He glanced over his shoulder, but she hadn’t made a move.
“I love a man who plays hard to get.”
The distinct sound of laughter traveled up from the front hall. His mother’s laughter and a man’s rumbling chuckle. At the sound of other people in the house, Alice’s eyes had opened wide.
Just what he needed, Roman thought, an audience. He motioned for Alice to move, but she sat up in shock.
“. . . see a light on upstairs. Roman, is that you?” Raina’s voice grew louder and accomplished what Roman couldn’t.
Alice flew out of bed. “Oh, my God.” She dove for her clothes. Scrambling to pull on her pants, she danced around on one foot, attempting to get one leg inside jeans that had been turned inside out.
“Roman? If it’s you, answer me.”
“Don’t you dare,” Alice hissed.
“I thought they taught you the basics back in kindergarten,” Roman commented. “If you sat down and put only one leg at a time in there, it might make things easier.”
Raina’s footsteps sounded louder than his pounding heart and, now that he stopped to think about it, sweeter than anything he’d heard in a long while. There was nothing like being caught to kill off interest, and if Alice’s beet-red face was any indication, she wouldn’t be returning here or facing him anywhere, anytime soon.
He waited until Alice had calmed down enough to get her leg into half of her jeans before calling down to his mother. “I hear you, Mom. I got back a little while ago.”
A male voice spoke with Raina—Eric, probably—which explained why she hadn’t made her way up the stairs. She only walked the steps once in the morning and again at night. Roman had been considering speaking to Chase about turning one of the rooms downstairs into a bedroom to accommodate Raina’s health.
“I want to hear all about your weekend,” Raina called and he heard her footsteps on the stairs at a quick pace that surprised him.
“Ooh, no!” This time Alice shrieked in panic.
Roman, still standing in his doorway, turned back to his bedroom in time to see her kick the pants away. She’d instead yanked up the comforter, wrapping the beige quilting around herself like a shroud.
Strange and stranger, Roman thought and shook his head. “By the way,” he said to Alice. “Dr. Fallon’s here too. But don’t worry. Thanks to years of doctor-patient confidentiality, I’m sure he knows how to be discreet.”
Besides, Roman thought, things could be worse. It could be Chase, Mr. I-Only-Report-the-Facts, pounding up the stairs behind his mother.
Raina reached the top step and walked up to him. Roman blocked her view of his room as best he could. “Hi, Mom. Feeling okay?” He glanced over her shoulder to where Eric stood behind her.
“The stairs winded me. Let’s sit on your bed and talk.” She started to push past him and he gently held on to her arm. “You can’t go in there.”
“Who’s there? Is it Charlotte?” she asked, sounding excited at the prospect.
“No, it’s not Charlotte, now please—this is a big enough mess without you getting involved or upset.” Raina shook her head and tried to see over his shoulder.
Behind her, Dr. Fallon rolled his eyes, as if to say, Once she’s on a roll, I can’t stop her, something Roman understood too well.
“Okay, see for yourself,” Roman whispered, putting a hand to his lips, silently asking his mother to keep quiet. It wasn’t his job to protect Alice from her stupidity, but he’d rather Raina take a quick peek and disappear than humiliate the woman by bulldozing in.
He stepped into the room, his mother behind him, in time to see Alice trying to open the window with shaking hands. But as Roman immediately realized, the latch was secure and Alice was in no jeopardy of height or success.
“I think we should let Eric take care of her, Roman. She’s obviously disturbed and upset,” Raina whispered, then grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room.
Realizing he faced his mother in his underwear, Roman snagged his jeans, which he’d left on the floor. He’d survive the embarrassment better than Alice. “You’re right. Let’s go downstairs, okay?” Roman led Raina out.
He quickly detoured into the bathroom to pull on his pants, then he returned to the kitchen in time to see his mother take a spoonful of antacid liquid.
“Would you make me some tea?” Raina asked. “All this excitement’s gotten to me.”
He glanced at her, concerned. “Are you sure it’s just heartburn? Nothing heart-related? I can get Eric—”
“No. I’m fine. Just some normal indigestion.” She patted her chest. “That girl needs Eric more than I do right now.”
“Just don’t neglect your health if something’s really wrong, okay?” He checked the teakettle for water, then turned on the burner beneath it.
“I think Alice could use a sedative and a good talking-to. What was she thinking?” Raina shook her head and settled herself into a chair.
“That reminds me. What were you thinking, leaving the house wide open?”
“May I remind you, in the lifetime I’ve been living in Yorkshire Falls there’s never been a reason to use a lock?”
“Five thefts over the last week isn’t enough of a reason for you?”
“I agree, and we’ll discuss that later.” Eric walked into the room. “Alice is waiting in the hall—fully dressed,” he said in a lower voice. “I’m going to drive her home. I promised her that word of this wouldn’t get out.” His gaze settled not on Roman, who had every reason to keep this incident quiet, but on Raina, who Roman figured would love to burn the phone wires and share her eventful night with friends.
“I’m sensitive enough to know when to keep quiet,” she said, hurt flashing in her eyes.