Chapter 82 Fear and Desire
The bedroom door opened quietly.
Evelyn startled, her spine straightening instinctively as she faced the mirror.
For a second, she considered diving back into the wardrobe.
Too late.
Roman stepped into the room.
His footsteps stopped.
Silence filled the space between them.
The soft lamp beside the bed cast a warm glow across the room, and in the mirror Roman caught sight of
Evelyn standing there, her delicate nightwear clinging softly to her curves, the thin fabric leaving little to the imagination.
His gaze darkened instantly.
Evelyn felt the weight of his stare even before she turned.
Her fingers twisted nervously together.
“R-Roman…” she began, her voice softer than usual.
Roman slowly closed the door behind him.
Click.
The quiet sound seemed far louder than it should have been.
He leaned lightly against the door, folding his arms across his chest as he watched her.
For a moment, he said nothing.
His eyes simply traced her figure from head to toe, unhurried and intensely focused.
Evelyn’s cheeks burned.
Finally, she turned around to face him.
Roman lifted one brow slightly.
“Well,” he said slowly, his voice low and amused. “This is… unexpected.”
Evelyn swallowed.
“I just—” she started, then stopped, suddenly unsure how to explain herself.
Roman pushed away from the door and began walking toward her.
Each step made her heart beat faster.
When he finally stopped in front of her, the height difference forced her to tilt her head slightly to meet his gaze.
“What exactly are you planning tonight, Mrs. Sinclair?” he asked softly.
Evelyn tried to keep her composure.
“I thought…” she hesitated, gathering a little courage. “You’ve been helping me all week. Teaching me everything about the company.”
Roman watched her quietly.
“So,” she continued, her voice smaller now, “I thought maybe I could… return the favor.”
For a moment, Roman didn’t react.
Then a slow smile curved his lips.
“Return the favor?” he repeated.
His hand lifted, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“You mean like this?” he murmured.
His fingers lightly grazed the thin strap of her nightwear.
Evelyn’s breath caught.
“I—yes,” she admitted, her face heating again.
Roman chuckled softly under his breath.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me right now, Lyn.”
His hand slipped gently around her waist, pulling her a little closer.
Evelyn placed her palms against his chest, feeling the steady warmth beneath her fingers.
“I do,” she said quietly, though the nervous flutter in her stomach betrayed her.
Roman stared at her for a moment longer, his expression shifting—desire flickering in his eyes, mixed with something deeper… something restrained.
He leaned down slightly, his forehead resting against hers.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” he murmured.
Evelyn’s heart pounded.
“Then… don’t hold back tonight,” she whispered before she could stop herself.
Roman froze. For a brief second.
Then he laughed softly, a low sound filled with disbelief and temptation.
“My brave little wife,” he murmured.
His hand tightened slightly at her waist.
“You really want to test my self-control tonight.”
Evelyn swallowed.
“Maybe.”
Roman studied her face for another moment.
Then slowly… his expression softened.
He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead instead.
Evelyn blinked in surprise.
“Not tonight,” he said quietly.
Her brows knit together in confusion.
Roman brushed his thumb lightly across her cheek.
“You’ve been through enough this week,” he murmured. “You need rest.”
“But—”
He placed a finger gently over her lips.
“Shhhh,” He whispered gently, but firm. “No arguments.”
Evelyn slapped his hands away, her eyes glistening and reddened.
She felt a swell of embarrassment and frustration. She'd gathered every ounce of courage, dressed like this, put herself out here, and he'd turned her down like it was nothing.
Her lips pressed into a tight line as tears threatened to fall.
Roman’s gaze locked on hers, seeing the mixture of resentment and vulnerability in her expression, his heart ached.
“Don’t be like this,” he murmured urgently. “You’re making it harder than it already is.”
Evelyn turned to walk away. But he quickly caught her shoulders.
"Look, Evelyn—”
“Don’t touch me!” she snapped, trying to wriggle free. But he held her firmly.
“Evelyn, listen to me,” he said carefully. “You never have to—”
“Roman… did I do something wrong?” she asked, voice trembling.
He blinked, confused. “What? No.”
“Then why have you been avoiding me?”
Roman’s brows furrowed deeply, and he let out a soft, rueful laugh, trying to ease the tension.
“What are you saying?” he asked. “I’m right here. If anything, we’ve been closer than ever this past week—”
“You know what I’m talking about!” She cut him off sharply.
“Lyn—”
“Why won’t you let me touch you? Why won’t you let yourself touch me?” Her words tumbled out before she could stop them, urgent and raw.
Roman froze completely.
“Every night… you pleasure me, and then you stop. You take a cold shower. You come back to bed like nothing happened,” she continued, her voice trembling. “And then I ask again: did I do something wrong? Tell me—”
“No,” he said, pained. His jaw clenched as he cupped her face in his hands. “No, Lyn. You did nothing wrong. You could never—”
“Then why?” she whispered, the question hanging between them.
Roman’s thumbs brushed across her cheekbones, searching her eyes.
“I’m scared,” he admitted softly.
Evelyn’s chest tightened. She didn’t understand.
“Scared… of what?” she asked softly.
He was silent for a long moment, then his voice came, strained and rough.
“Of hurting you.”
“You didn’t hurt me. Roman… what are you saying?”
‘I already did,’ he thought bitterly. ‘You just don’t remember.’
His forehead dropped against hers, and her heart skipped.
“Roman… is this some kind of excuse?” she demanded, pulling back slightly. “Because I don’t understand where all this—”
“I should have taken care of you properly,” he admitted, voice cracking. “The flight, the stress… everything. I should have noticed something before you fainted—”
“Roman, you’re not making sense!” she protested. “I fainted, yes, but it wasn’t your fault! Why are you…?”
Her brows knit in frustration and confusion.
Roman looked at her, torn. He didn’t know how to tell her the truth.
‘No. I can’t tell her.’
"Please," she whispered. "Whatever this is, just let me know what's happening." Her voice shook. "Did something happen? Something you're not telling me?"
Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs.
"You can tell me if something's wrong. Isn't that what marriage is? Telling each other everything? Trusting each other?"
His eyes glistened.
For a moment, she thought he would finally say something, and let her in.
But instead, he released his jaw, leaned in, and pressed his lips to hers tightly.
The kiss was urgent, demanding, and deep. His tongue pressed into her mouth, parting her lips open, exploring hungrily.
Evelyn melted into him instinctively, her arms winding around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands gripped her waist like she might disappear if he let go.
After a while, he pulled back slightly, both of them breathing hard, his forehead rested against hers.
“I love you,” he whispered, his voice rough. “So much it terrifies me.”
Before she could respond, his lips found hers again. This time slower, but no less intense.
All the restraint he had forced himself to maintain for days seemed to crumble at once.
His hands slid along her waist, drawing her closer until there was no space left between them.
Evelyn’s heart pounded wildly in her chest.