A harmless kiss
The elevator dinged, the door opening as Roman stepped out into the parking lot with Alana still draped over his shoulder.
Roman attempted to adjust Alana's dress when he spotted his driver, but his fingers accidentally grazed her inner thighs, causing her to flinch at the unexpected contact of his warm fingers against her skin.
"What do you think you're doing?" She began thrashing against his shoulder.
Roman's expression hardend. "If you don't stop moving this instant, I'll throw you on the ground," Roman warned, his tone serious.
Alana immediately stilled at his threat. She had no intention of finding out if he would actually throw her to the ground if she misbehaved.
The driver promptly opened the door to the back seat, slightly bowing as Roman approached him.
"Good morning, Mr. Ashford," the man greeted with respect.
"Front seat," Roman said plainly, and the driver closed the back door before opening the front door.
Roman gently set Alana down from his shoulder and guided her into the car despite her resistance.
Alana stared at Roman and the driver as he spoke to the driver, who nodded and left before circling around to enter the car.
His cinnamon scent filled the car the moment he stepped in. Alana turned her face in the opposite direction and rolled down the window to let in some fresh air, even though there was little breeze in the parking lot.
The sight of him was vexing, and even his scent was irritating, despite its refreshing quality. No, it was annoying because she actually liked it.
She turned to look at Roman, only to realize that he was already gazing at her with his intense green eyes, appearing somewhat contemplative.
His penetrating stare momentarily rendered her speechless before she regained her composure.
"Don't you ever handle me like that again," she warned, pointing at him.
Roman kept staring at her without uttering a word or displaying any reaction.
"Did you hear a word I just said?" Alana asked, since he was staring at her like he was frozen.
"...."
"Can you stop staring at me like that." Alana glared at him.
Turning his gaze away from her, Roman leaned back in his seat, rested his head, and closed his eyes.
"Fasten your seat belt, Alana," Roman said, his eyes still closed.
Noticing that he had already fastened his seatbelt, Alana decided to do the same.
She tried to pull on the belt, but it wouldn't budge.
Frowning, she wondered if it was stuck as she continued to try to pull on it.
Roman's eyes slowly opened as Alana persisted in pulling on the belt, creating noise.
"Let me," Roman said, leaning over.
Despite the glares Alana was sending at him, she still removed her hand from the belt, making way for him to help her.
Her body tensed up a bit when Roman moved even closer and reached for the belt, something which even Roman noticed but he did not comment on it.
Alana threw her gaze outside the window, as he worked on the seat belt.
He clicked the belt into place effortlessly and settled back in his seat, shutting his eyes. The car filled with awkward silence as they neither of them said a word to each other.
Alana, feeling a bit too worked up, suddenly understood her anger wasn't because of Roman, but the person who had called her.
Despite her best efforts to forget and erase that person from her memory completely, it was still not enough.
Her palm subconsciously touched her wrist under her jacket sleeves. The wound there had healed completely, leaving an evident scar that would serve as a daily reminder of her family's cruelty.
She felt her eyes watering, but she held back her tears, not wanting to ruin her mascara or appear pitiful in front of Roman, as the last thing she wanted was for him to see her in that state.
The sight of Eren with a tall blonde beauty, dressed in a short black dress and elegantly walking towards one of the parked cars from the elevator, snapped Alana out of her thoughts.
She recognized the woman almost immediately; it was the same woman from earlier this morning. Her eyes narrowed as she recalled seeing her somewhere else, but she couldn't quite place where.
Alana watched as Eren opened the car door for the woman to step in before heading towards their car with her bag in hand.
Eren approached Roman's side of the car, and Roman wound the window down. Eren handed over the bag to him.
"What took you so long?" Roman asked curtly.
"I was waiting for her to get dressed," Eren replied.
Without saying a word, Roman wound the window back up and started the engine, driving off.
Alana could sense the intense gaze of the woman on her, even though she wasn't looking at her as the car drove away.
"Do you even know where you're driving to?" Alana asked when the car finally emerged from the dimly lit parking lot.
"Maybe," Roman simply replied.
"Maybe?" Alana repeated, and straightened up in her seat. "Do you even know which university I attend?"
"Ryan has mentioned your school a few times, so yes," Roman replied.
Alana leaned back and stared out the window as the car drove.
"The both of you seem to enjoy talking about me a lot," she mumbled under her breath, but Roman heard her.
"Ryan just loves bragging about you. He's fond of you," Roman said.
Alana was a bit taken aback. She didn't realize her cousin actually cared about her with the way he has been distant.
She stared at the side, taking note of the black car that had been following their car for some time now, before leaning her head back.
After some time, she glanced at the side mirror only to notice that the car was still following.
"I think we're being followed by that black car," she told Roman, her eyes still fixed on the car."
That's my driver," Roman replied as he glanced at the car through the side mirror.
Alana said nothing more, remaining silent through the rest of the ride.
When they arrived at the college campus, Roman smoothly parked the car in a designated spot near the main entrance.
Alana immediately opened the door and stepped out, hanging her bag over her shoulder.
Roman also stepped out from the car, shoving his hands in his pocket.
"You're forgetting something." Alana heard Roman say and she stopped on her tracks.
She turned to look at him, her expression curious as she tried to recall what she might have forgotten.
In the sunlight, Roman looked even more handsome, his features accentuated by the gentle rays.
Alana was silent as she simply toke in the sight of the man.
Roman retrieved her phone from his pocket, shaking it to catch her attention.
She quickly approached him and tried to grab the phone from his hand, but he raised his hand, holding the phone out of her reach. She attempted to jump, hoping to reach his hand, but their significant height difference rendered her efforts futile.
She ceased her attempts upon realizing that people were staring at her.
"Instead of trying to snatch your phone, why don't you ask me what you've forgotten," Roman said.
Alana gave him a puzzled look.
"What else could I have forgotten?"
"You forgot to express your gratitude," Roman said.
Alana closed her eyes in frustration.
"Fine, thank you for the ride, Mr. Ashford. I truly appreciate it," she said.
"Do you truly believe that a simple 'thank you' suffices?" Roman inquired, his tone growing more serious.
"What more do you want from me?" Alana questioned impatiently, feeling rushed to get to class.
Roman leaned in closer, a mischievous grin dancing on his lips.
"Kiss me," he whispered into her ear, causing the hairs on her neck to stand on end before pulling back.
Her eyes widened instantly. She gazed at him, hoping it was all in jest, but the gravity in his emerald eyes said otherwise.
She could sense more eyes on her as many people began to recognize Roman.
"Not here. People are watching," Alana pleaded, her voice hushed.
"All the more reason to do it. You're my girlfriend, so there's nothing to be shy about," Roman insisted.
Alana felt like facepalming.
She locked eyes with him, steeling herself. Her gaze focused on his lips. She grasped his suit, pulling him closer, her intense gaze fixed on his lips as if she was preparing for battle.
In one swift motion, she pressed a kiss onto his shirt collar, leaving a very visible mark of her lip gloss. Pulling back, she stared at the mark with a satisfied expression in her eyes.
Roman froze, surprised by her action. He had been expecting her to kiss him on the lips, but she had chosen the most unexpected spot.
"Can I have my phone now?" Alana asked, extending her hand.
Her question brought him back to reality, and he handed her the phone.
Alana left the moment she received her phone. She didn't dare glance at anyone. She could sense their inquisitive stares fixed on her.