“How could I? My dad did order me to seduce you, to make you fall in love with me. I never used the kids as a way of making that happen, Alex. I wanted to adopt these kids. To give them a chance, to have a family of my own. One that I could … enjoy with you. I never got this growing up. I never had a dad who wanted to play in the backyard. His idea of playing was sending me to one of his guards who would teach me to take pain. That was what I got to do.”
“What about kids of your own?”
“One day, we’ll have them, Alex. They’re not going to be any different than those boys and girls out there. Our sons and our daughters, and I hope one day they will … call me Dad, but I know that is a long shot. I know they hate me because I hurt you.”
“They don’t know anything, Roman. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything bad about you.”
“Kyle seems to know something went down.”
“He’s the oldest and just because I haven’t said anything doesn’t mean my dad hasn’t. They all call him Grandpa. I think he likes it.”
Alex disappeared into the closet and came out a few minutes later, dressed. She held the towel within her grip and was patting at her hair, drying it. “You can stay,” she said.
“I’m staying here.”
Alex sighed. “I’m not going to have sex with you.”
“I’m not asking for sex. I’m asking for a second chance, and when we do have sex, you’d have forgiven me, and we can both move forward.”
“Doesn’t your dad have another bride lined up who is more suitable for you?” she asked.
“I don’t care because the only woman I want is you.”
“Roman, do you really think this is going to work?”
She hadn’t kicked him out, and he found her crying, and he was going to assume it was about him. “Yes, I do.”
It wasn’t a brag either. He was going to make this work because he wanted to.
He loved Alex. Truly loved her.
Now it was time for him to show her. Roman didn’t have a plan. He had no idea how he was going to prove it to her, but he wasn’t going to stop until he got what he wanted.
****
The kids adored having Roman back, and if she was honest with herself, she did as well. Not that she’d admit it to him. No way would she be that honest with him.
Roman already had a big ego, although she wasn’t really seeing it of late.
They had been living with each other for a week. She’d expected him to be gone within three days. Roman took over from the guard and Millie, driving the kids to the three different schools.
He was always awake at five thirty, and they had been ready for breakfast on time. Each morning, he rounded up the kids, helping with buttons, hair, and collecting all their homework. After a braid disaster, he did stop helping the girls with their hair. Alex had to unknot their hair. Alex couldn’t even understand how he’d been able to make it so bad, but this was Roman, and well, he clearly knew what he was not good at. The dishes were always done before they left for the school trip. Each morning, he fist-bumped the boys, telling them to have an amazing day. The girls kissed his cheek, and he told them the same, but added to kick all guys in the balls.
Alex tried to talk to him about that, but he wouldn’t have any of it.
When they got home, he insisted she did her studies and he cleaned the house. This was another new adventure.
Roman had never cleaned a day in his life. The first day of his attempts to help, he smashed multiple pictures and had somehow burned out the motor on the vacuum cleaner. Again, she had no idea how he did it. She had a feeling he tried to vacuum up some spillage of water, but he denied it.
In the end, Alex ended up showing him how to clean. They did a little bit each day, and when he felt she was doing too much, he forced her to study. When she was in the study, Roman was there, complete with a laptop and doing his own work. From what she figured out, he was working from home. His dad called him all the time.
Liam stopped by, but he also made sure to give his son-in-law a warning.
Alex knew her father was pleased he had turned up though.
One week, turned into two.
Then three.