Chapter 33 Honeymoon Intentions
Leo felt like he was about to have a mental breakdown when he saw his boss emerge from the kitchen, still glaring at him with murderous intent. ‘Why does he always hold grudges like this?’ Leo cried silently.
“B-boss,” he stammered. “Do you still need anything from me?”
Roman looked at him with a deadpan expression that could freeze hell over. "I need you to explain why you felt the need to barge into my kitchen. Do you work there?"
“N-no,boss! I just came because the house was so quiet, and I smelled food, so I thought—”
“The house was quiet,” Roman cut in, his voice dangerously smooth. “And that wasn’t your cue to leave and come back at an appropriate time?”
Leo’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. He let out a weak awkward laugh, in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood. But his nervous laughter only seemed to darken Roman's expression, like storm clouds gathering before a hurricane.
Leo swallowed hard, then braced himself, as he decided to give a reasonable explanation to clear his name. “Boss, the silence was unusual! I was concerned! The aroma from the kitchen was the only sign of life, so I investigated!”
“Since you’re so deeply invested in the culinary atmosphere of my home,” Roman said, slipping his hands into his pockets, “you can take over meal preparation for the foreseeable future.”
Leo stared at his boss in complete confusion. "Pardon?"
“You heard me. Literal words. I expect no complaints about the menu.” Roman said, leaving no room for argument.
He took a step closer. “Now, go assist my wife with the dishes she started.”
Leo wanted to cry. ‘I was just trying to do my job!’ He desperately wanted to defend himself, but the words died in his throat under Roman's withering stare.
"Be quick about it," Roman commanded.
Leo immediately quickened his pace, practically dragging his feet toward the kitchen with the weight of his newfound culinary career.
"And Leo..." Roman's voice stopped him mid-step.
Leo turned back, already breaking out in a cold sweat.
"If I find out you complained to my wife about this arrangement..." Roman let the threat hang in the air, more terrifying for what he didn't say.
"Yes, boss!" Leo squeaked, scrambling toward the kitchen. He'd rather face a mountain of dirty dishes than spend another second under his boss's murderous glare.
\---
Some minutes later, Evelyn emerged from the kitchen looking thoroughly confused. She spotted Roman sitting in the living room and quickly approached him.
"Roman, isn't that guy Leo your assistant? Why is he washing dishes in our kitchen? And why does he look like he's about to cry?"
Roman replied without missing a beat. "Didn't he barge into the kitchen uninvited before? Why are you suddenly surprised he's working in there?"
Evelyn stared at him blankly, not understanding his logic at all.
Roman sighed, as if explaining something obvious to a child. "Don't worry about him. Leo just discovered a passion for kitchen chores."
In the kitchen, Leo sneezed violently while scrubbing a particularly stubborn pan, muttering under his breath about tyrannical bosses.
"Oh, that explains it," Evelyn said, discretely declining yet another incoming call on her phone, and slipped it into her pocket.
Roman beckoned to her with a crooked finger. "Come here."
Evelyn obeyed, walking closer to him.
"Sit."
She moved to sit beside him on the spacious sofa, but just as she was settling down, Roman's strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her directly onto his lap.
Evelyn gasped at the sudden intimate contact, her hands flying to his shoulders for balance. “Roman!”
"Relax," Roman whispered huskily in her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine.
He handed her the tablet in his hands. "I want you to choose destinations for our vacation."
"Vacation?" Evelyn asked, still processing his proximity and the way his arms encircled her possessively.
"Mmm," Roman hummed in confirmation.
"Us? Together?"
"Obviously. Do you have a problem going on vacation with your husband?"
"No, no," Evelyn shook her head quickly. "It's just... surprising."
Roman chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest against her back. "What's surprising about me wanting to vacation with my wife?"
"Work," Evelyn blurted out. "Don't you have important-" Her words cut off abruptly as she felt Roman's large hand begin caressing her thigh through her dress.
She shifted uncomfortably, trying to stand up, but Roman's arm around her waist tightened, pinning her firmly against him.
"You don't need to worry about work," he whispered seductively, his deep voice making her shiver. "I've decided to take extended leave. I want us to go on a proper honeymoon trip."
With her heart beating frantically against her ribs, Evelyn managed to stammer, "O-okay, but can you please stop caressing my thighs so I can concentrate?"
Roman smiled against her neck, giving her waist a playful pinch. "Fine. For now."
Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief. She was getting embarrassingly turned on by his simple touches, and if she didn't stop him soon, it might lead to something much more intimate—especially inappropriate with Leo still working in the kitchen.
Roman began showing her stunning vacation destinations: pristine beaches, luxury resorts, romantic European cities, exotic islands, mountain retreats. But Evelyn found herself overwhelmed by the choices.
Sighing in frustration, she said, "There are so many gorgeous places to choose from. If only I didn't have to pick just one and could visit them all."
Roman raised his head to study her profile. "You want to visit all these places?"
Evelyn, not fully grasping the weight of his question, replied dreamily, "Hmm, maybe we could do a Mediterranean cruise? Or the Maldives for those overwater bungalows? Italy would be incredible—all that history and food. Or maybe the British Virgin Islands? Oh, but France would be so romantic..."
Roman rested his chin on his hand, watching her animated rambling with growing amusement. He couldn't help but smile, seeing her completely drop her guard around him for the first time.
\---
When Leo finally emerged from the kitchen, hands raw from dishwashing and looking thoroughly defeated, he was greeted by an unexpected scene.
His intimidating, workaholic boss sat completely relaxed with his wife curled on his lap. But what truly shocked Leo was Roman's expression—he was gazing at Evelyn like she was the most fascinating creature in existence, listening to her chatter about vacation spots with the softest smile Leo had ever witnessed.
This was a side of his boss he'd never imagined existed.
Leo almost tripped in amazement but caught himself, not wanting to create another disturbance. He tried to sneak back toward the kitchen, but found himself mesmerized by the tender domestic scene.
His boss—the man who could make grown executives weep with a single glare—was letting a woman sit on his lap while she gestured excitedly at pictures on a tablet. And Roman was watching her like she was his entire world.
Without thinking, Leo quietly pulled out his phone to capture this impossibly sweet moment. The camera clicked.
Roman's head snapped toward him instantly, those sharp eyes locking onto Leo's panicked face.
In his terror, Leo fumbled his phone. Desperate to save his device, he dove dramatically toward the floor, managing to catch it just before it hit the marble.
When he looked up triumphantly, both Roman and Evelyn were staring at him like he'd lost his mind.
Leo laughed awkwardly, internally weeping. ‘I've ruined yet another perfect moment. And why is the boss's wife looking at me like I'm some kind of circus performer?’
Evelyn quickly stood up from Roman's lap and walked over to Leo with genuine concern. "Are you... alright? That was quite a dive."
Leo scrambled to his feet. "I'm fine, miss, just... saving my phone."
Roman's expression turned arctic. "What did you just call her?"
Leo looked at his boss in confusion. "B-boss?"
Roman's tone carried deadly quiet menace. "Under no circumstances are you to call her 'miss.' What am I to you?"
Leo swallowed hard. "My boss."
"Correct. So what should you call her?"
Realizing his massive blunder, Leo quickly bowed deeply to Evelyn. "I'm terribly sorry, boss lady!"
Evelyn bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. ‘Wasn't it supposed to be 'Madam' or something more formal?’
"It's perfectly fine," she said kindly. "You can just call me by my name—Evelyn."
Roman walked over, his presence immediately enveloping her again. "Honey, I'll be right back. Keep looking through those pictures," he said tenderly, bending to press a soft kiss to her cheek.
The casual intimacy of the gesture made Leo's jaw drop.
Then Roman turned to him, all warmth vanishing from his expression. "Leo. Upstairs. Now."
Evelyn touched her cheek, still warm from his kiss. At that moment her phone rang again, and she heard a faint horn outside the house.