Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

AURORA

E leanor grabbed my bag. "I got your books, go see what old Scatcherd wants."

Ever since we started reading Jane Eyre in class, Eleanor had christened the headmistress of our school, Mrs. Salisbury, after the bitterly strict teacher in the book. She wasn't wrong.

I left the library and was forced to fight my way through the throng of students going in the opposite direction to class to get to the office. As I approached, I peeked through the many paper fliers, posters, and notices taped to the glass to glimpse inside the main office reception area. Mrs. Salisbury was standing there talking to a tall man who had his back turned to me.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves. I was a good student who never got in trouble. There was no reason to be anxious and yet I couldn't help it. I couldn't think of one good reason why I would be called to the office. Unless this had something to do with my stepfather's embezzlement? Had word already gotten out? Were they going to kick me out of school for my stepfather's crime? Holy shit. They couldn't do that, right? I mean, I was two weeks from graduating. I was expecting acceptance letters from the universities I applied to in Paris any day now. I took another deep breath. I had to calm down. I was borrowing trouble. The only way to know what was going on was to enter the office.

I wiped my sweaty palm on my plaid uniform skirt and gripped the office door handle. As I pulled it open, I could hear Mrs. Salisbury talking to the stranger.

"We are very proud of our students here at St. Stephen's Secondary School for Young Women and Men. As I'm sure you know, we have a long legacy of exceptional academics."

The man didn't respond.

I entered the office and folded my hands before me, keeping silent as I waited to be acknowledged.

Finally, Mrs. Salisbury gestured for me to step forward. "Here she is; may I introduce one of our exemplary students, Miss Barlowe."

My polite greeting froze in my throat.

Roman turned to face me. His dark gaze pinned me to the spot.

"Miss Barlowe, this is Mr. Winterbourne. He is one of our newest board members and school sponsors."

Was it possible for your heart to both stop beating and beat so rapidly you thought it would burst out of your chest all at the same time?

Mrs. Salisbury gave the back of my arm a hard pinch. "Miss Barlowe, you are forgetting your manners," she admonished through clenched teeth while keeping a strained smile on her too-pale face.

I swallowed past the dryness in my mouth. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," I choked out in a strangled whisper.

Roman's mouth twitched. He held out his hand. "I assure you, Miss Barlowe, the pleasure is all mine ."

My eyes widened at the double entendre as my small hand was engulfed in his much larger one. His skin was warm, and I felt just the slightest brush of a callus. He obviously didn't spend all his days shuffling papers behind a desk in an office. Memories of that same hand wedged between my thighs had my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Mrs. Salisbury continued, "Mr. Winterbourne was particularly impressed with the music program our school offered at our March concert a few months ago."

He was at my school back in March?

No, he wasn't just at my school.

He was watching me play piano.

I had to calm down. It was probably just a coincidence.

Roman never took his hard gaze off of me as he continued to hold my hand. "Yes, Miss Barlowe, your interpretation of Liszt's 'Totentanz' was particularly inspiring."

I tried to pull my hand back, but he held firm. "Thank you, sir. It is a favorite piece of mine."

I could actually feel Mrs. Salisbury bristle. She had objected to me performing Liszt's 'Dance of Death' for the annual Christmas pageant, but I had refused to participate otherwise, and as I was the school's best pianist, she had finally caved in. I had always had a taste for the darker sonatas, preferring them to all other music pieces. I'd had no interest in performing in the pageant unless I was allowed to do an inspired piece that challenged me.

After Mrs. Salisbury's pointed glare, Roman finally released my hand. He stepped closer to me. "Your toccatas were particularly diabolic ."

I was strangely pleased at his praise. "I like to envision bones cracking against one another at that part."

His gaze traveled from my head to my toes and back again to settle on my mouth. I felt every inch the silly schoolgirl on display. At least last night, in my fitted cobalt blue sundress, I could imagine myself on somewhat equal footing with him, but not today. My plaid skirt and penny loafers made me feel like a little girl being spoken down to by a grown adult.

Mrs. Salisbury cleared her throat. "Yes, well, we should proceed. Since Miss Barlowe doesn't usually do our school tours, I will personally accompany you as well."

Roman's eyes narrowed as he briefly glanced at Mrs. Salisbury before turning his intense gaze back on me. "No. I would like Miss Barlowe, alone ."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I bit my lip as I hazarded a glance at Mrs. Salisbury, wondering how she would take his harsh declaration. Would she read anything into it? My cheeks burned brighter as I felt her curious scrutiny.

Before she could have a chance to object, Roman said, "I'm certain my million-pound donation to the new wing buys me such a simple concession , as a piano lover, does it not, Mrs. Salisbury?"

Her thin lips barely moved. "Of course, Mr. Winterbourne. Anything you say."

I could tell from her rigid expression that she wasn't buying it for one moment. She knew as well as I that Roman Winterbourne hadn't requested me as his tour guide because he was an ardent admirer of my piano skills. Since news of my stepfather's embezzlement probably hadn't reached her ears yet, she would be left to wonder over his sudden interest in one of her pupils.

Mrs. Salisbury gave me another pinch.

I flinched at the pain.

Roman's eyes narrowed as they scanned from me to the headmistress and back.

Mrs. Salisbury covered up the awkward moment. "I'm sure Miss Barlowe will remember her place and provide our newest board member with an excellent tour of our facilities." She held out one cold, bony hand to Roman. "I look forward to discussing our future projects in more detail when you return from your tour."

Roman ignored her proffered hand and opened the office door. He placed a proprietary hand on my lower back. "Miss Barlowe, shall we proceed?"

It was just his hand on my lower back. It wasn't like he was touching my boob or anything but he might as well have been for the hot sparks of awareness his touch sent up and down my spine.

I didn't trust myself to speak so I only nodded my head.

We walked down the narrow hallway for a few minutes in silence. I wanted to ask him what the hell he was doing here but was afraid of the answer. I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand. "This wing has mostly classrooms and our library as well as the music room. Was there any particular part of the school you'd like to tour first?"

He ran his hand up my back and caressed the side of my neck with the backs of his knuckles. "Where is the most private room?"

A shiver ran through my body at his suggestive question. Ignoring it, I gestured toward one closed door. "This is our computer classroom. The school recently purchased all new Macs."

We continued to walk.

Roman captured a curl of my hair and ran his fingers down the smooth length. "Aurora, take me someplace private."

I made a sharp turn down another hallway, placing a short amount of distance between us. "A few doors down is our theater classroom. They are studying Hamlet right now. If we're lucky they may be reciting some of it out loud today." My voice was thin and strained, as if it were a delicate piece of glass that would shatter at any moment.

Whatever Roman was going to say in response was cut off by the appearance of another student halfway down the hall. I watched in horror as they got closer and closer.

Fuck. This wasn't going to be good.

I sent up a silent prayer that he would behave himself after seeing me with an adult and held my breath as Trevor passed us.

Just as I was about to relax in relief, a sharp sting on my ass had me gasping out loud.

I turned in shock.

Trevor winked at me as he walked backward. "See you this weekend, Rory."

Trevor had smacked me on the ass… in front of Roman.

Maybe he didn't see.

Maybe he wouldn't care.

Maybe he…

With a snarl, Roman caught up with Trevor in two strides and slammed him against the wall. He held Trevor by the throat as he growled, "Did you just fucking touch her?"

"What the fuck, man?"

"Did. You. Fucking. Touch. Her?"

Trevor squirmed and tried to dislodge Roman's grip. "What's it to you?"

I tried to intervene. Holding up my palms in a placating gesture, I pleaded, "Shut up, Trevor, before he kills you. Roman, he didn't mean it."

Trevor looked at me. "What the fuck, Rory? Is this your dad or something? Chill out, man. I didn't mean anything by it." Trevor winked at me again. "Your daughter's a nice piece of ass."

Oh, God. Roman is going to rip Trevor's head off.

This was what happened when your parents were insanely rich and bought you out of whatever trouble your dumb mouth got you into. You got Trevor, a moron too stupid to realize when he was in mortal danger.

Trevor dug his grave deeper. "You better get your hands off me, dude. You obviously don't know who I am."

Roman's voice was low and dangerous. "Enlighten me."

Trevor sneered. "My dad's Malcom Wright of Wright Manufacturing." He smirked, obviously expecting Roman to do a complete reversal and perhaps genuflect at hearing his father's name.

While keeping his hand on Trevor's throat, Roman reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his phone. He dialed a quick number while we both just stared, not sure what was happening. "It's me. I want a controlling interest in Wright Manufacturing and the owner forced out by the end of the day. See that it's done."

Roman hung up the phone without waiting for a response.

Trevor finally caught on to the danger he was in. His voice trembled. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm the man who's going to reach down your throat and yank your scrawny balls through your body before crushing them under my heel if you ever so much as look at her again. Do you understand me?"

Trevor tried to nod, but Roman's hand around his throat prevented his head from moving. "Yeah! Yeah, man. Whatever you want!"

"Don't you dare speak of this to anyone or your father won't just lose his company today."

Trevor made a pathetic gurgling noise at the not-so-veiled threat against his father's life.

Roman released Trevor. He crumpled to the tiled floor before scrambling backward on his ass. When he was a few feet away, he stumbled to his feet and took off running without daring to look back.

I stormed a few steps down the hall and opened the first empty classroom door I could find. I walked over the threshold and stopped at the teacher's desk before turning. I folded my arms across my chest as I fumed. The moment Roman followed me into the room, I attacked. "What the hell was that? You can't just go around threatening my friends like that!"

Roman closed the door behind him. "Don't you mean boyfriend ?"

I started. I had forgotten I had mentioned Trevor as a way of trying to put him off last night. "I… ah… um…"

Roman locked the door.

I turned my head to see if there was another door leading out of the classroom.

There wasn't.

He pulled the cream-colored shade down over the frosted glass door window.

I backed a few steps away until my thighs hit the edge of the desk. "What are you doing?"

Roman picked up a thin pointer from where it rested on a nearby chalkboard's ledge. "Bend over the desk, Aurora."