Love Me (The Elites of Cheshire shore #2)

33. Florence

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

florence

“ E arth to Flo.” Sof waves her hand in my face, pulling me out of my daydream. The same daydream that has been plaguing me for the last few days, since Rome came out of the shower all hot and naked in all his tattooed glory, rivulets of water slicing down his body. Fuck. I thought my shower routine was hot, but Rome took it up a notch. Since Rome won’t touch me, it’s been the starring visual in my dreams on an orgasm-inducing loop. If I can’t have the real thing, my vibrator has been a really good substitute. All right that’s a lie. It’s been a substitute, and for right now, it’s all I can do.

“Huh?” I blink, Sof’s face coming into view.

“Is everything all right?” she asks and takes a seat opposite me. We agreed to meet for brunch at this cute little café. Since I got here early, I pulled my book out, but I guess reading isn’t going to happen for me today.

“Oh yeah.” I slide the bookmark, holding the page I’d spent I don’t know how long rereading.

Her perfectly laminated blonde brows pull down.

“Yeah, why do you ask?” The corner of my eyes tighten. I’m doing a crap job of this. Compartmentalize, Flo.

“You were holding the book upside down.”

“Was I?” I click my tongue to the roof of my mouth. I look down at the book in my hand. Yep. Upside down and back to front .

“Yeah, you were.” She laughs.

“Sorry, I didn’t get much sleep last night. I’ve been slammed with cases at the hospital, and I guess it’s starting to catch up with me.”

Lie.

Sleeping in the room next to Rome. Imagining him naked in his sheets and not being able to touch him. Wanting to lace our fingers together and tuck myself into his side like a protective blanket.

That is what’s keeping me awake at night.

“Are you sure that’s the reason?”

Damn. She’s not buying my excuse. “Absolutely.” I shake all thoughts of Rome from my head. Sof nods, the smile not slipping from her face as she lets the subject slide.

“You know what’s really nice,” she mutters after her coffee and my matcha latte have been brought.

“What?”

“Seeing you this happy. Seeing you…in love.”

Her comment throws me off guard. It’s the same thing my nanai said. I guess I’m a better actor than I thought, because I’m really only pretending to be Rome’s girlfriend until he can get this deal across with Deeter Group. I’m absolutely not in love. And quite frankly, I’m starting to get pissed at everyone for saying so.

“I’m not in love. I’m pretending to be in a relationship.”

Thankfully I’m wearing a turtleneck so she can’t see the rash blooming across my chest. “I don’t believe in love remember.”

“I have a bone to pick with you,” Devin announces, thankfully removing the heat of Sof’s scrutiny off me, as she walks in with Livvy following.

“Who me?” I ask, so happy to have the conversation change.

“Yes, you. Is this like some sort of favoritism in the group?”

“Ahh.” My eyes dart around. I peek at Sof, wondering if she had some sort of clue as to what Devin is talking about. “I’m not quite following.”

“Why does everyone else get lollipops and I don’t? I mean, Livvy is now eating the things every day at work, and Sof has a small container in her pantry.”

At first, I thought she was serious, and genuinely hurt. “Oh, I thought Livvy?—”

“Devin, shut up.” Livvy playfully slaps her shoulder, and the scowl on Devin’s face transforms into a smile. I’m starting to understand Devin might be like Luca. Both women take their seats in the remaining empty chairs.

“I guess my lollipops have really become famous,” I mutter.

“Flo, she was just joking, mostly.”

We settle into silence as we eat the pastries a waiter left.

“There’s something different about you?” Livvy says.

“I’m on a new rotation at the hospital,” I supply, wondering why the fuck everyone thinks there is something different about me.

“She looks like you did right about the time you were falling for Ryder,” Sof singsongs, and I make a mental note to put some chili in the next batch of lollipops I give her.

“And we’re back to this one again.” I slump back against the chair.

“Finally, another couple in the group. When are you free to do a double date?” Livvy already has her planner out as she taps her pen against the open pages, waiting for me to give her a day and time.

“I, wait what?” This is happening way too fast. At this rate, I think I’d prefer an interrogation with Nanai. “We’re only a couple for show.” I finally manage to muster up the strangled excuse.

“And now we’re talking about group dates. The level of favoritism is wild here ladies.” Devin crosses her arms over her chest.

Livvy pretends to write in her planner. “Note to self, Devin is jealous she’s not in a relationship.”

“I am not.” Devin gasps. “I am simply stuck in the ‘let’s take things slow and see where things go’ zone.”

“A.k.a. friendzone,” Sof inputs, making me giggle. “Been there, done that, sister. I have the T-shirt, headband, and backstage pass.”

“Shut up, all right, I am living my delusional life and the friendzone does not exist, we’re simply on our way to the next level of the talking stage.” Devin’s cheeks tinge red, her lips pinching as she grabs her newly filled glass of coffee and downs the contents in one gulp.

“I take it there’s trouble in paradise?” I ask, one eyebrow raised. I grab my phone from my bag. “Perhaps we need to conference call a certain Lottie Croft for her advice on the situation?”

“I don’t know if Lottie is going to want to hear about her brother’s wooing abilities.” Livvy laughs and Devin chokes on her mouthful of coffee.

“What’s that now?” she garbles, thumping her chest.

“Umm, Dev, I think Lottie would have to be blind to not know,” I deadpan.

“So, can you tell me, how does this whole fake dating thing works? And how can I get it to work for me?” Devin stares at me with wide-eyed curiosity.

“Well, for starters, both parties need to be consenting, Dev,” Sof says. “Not just you.”

Livvy levels me with a stare. “Are you sure that it’s all fake?”

That word. Fake . I didn’t really have a problem with it before, but now, for some reason, when it’s used by other people to describe me and Rome, it’s not sitting as well with me as it used to.

“It’s exaggerated, for show.” I choose each word wisely.

Sof waits a few beats of silence, then says, “Wow. Exaggerated. Is that how you describe Rome wandering out of the shower naked, with a flower covering his junk.”

“Wait, how did you?—”

“Luca told me when you led us on a fake puppy exhibition.”

Fuckkkkk. “Luca is such a liar. It wasn’t a flower, he was naked, his junk fully out on display,” I quickly correct her and regret it instantly. I’d fallen into her carefully laid trap with my intention of putting the conversation to bed. The silence across the table is way too loud, and it only made me more uncomfortable. And I realize I haven’t put this conversation to bed, I’ve lit it on fire and doused it in ethanol.

“And she says it’s all fake.” Sof is the first one to speak.

I’ve well and truly fucked this one up.

“It is for show,” I repeat.

“And what if it’s on its way to becoming more? Rome clearly thinks highly of you.” Livvy finally closes her book, thankfully giving up on her double date idea.

“It’s not, besides, we’re at an impasse in our ‘relationship.’” I air quote the last past. Three pairs of eyes stare at me, waiting for me to continue. “We’ve slept together a few times, but Rome won’t sleep with me unless I go to his bed and date him for real and I don’t want that. I’m happy to just kinda be friends with benefits.”

Devin sprays her mouthful of coffee all over Livvy. “I’m sorry, when did you guys sleep together?” She coughs, wiping her chin with her napkin.

“I’m totally not sitting next to you again,” I hear Livvy mutter as she wipes up the warm juice from her arm.

“The first time was during the spa weekend.” I take a bite of my almond croissant and explain everything, up until the point where Rome challenged me to sleep in his bed and he has decided to up the ante by making himself completely irresistible.

“And you don’t want him to prove he wants to date you for real because?” Livvy blinks.

“Because love is not something in the cards for me,” I finish for her.

“So make him work for it, sis, make him prove to you that he’s worth it.” Sof places her hand over mine. “I know you don’t do love, or relationships really, but maybe it’s time you give it a try with someone who won’t break your heart. But in saying that, why should he be the only one running around the place naked and driving you crazy. Why not give it back to him? Show him exactly what he is missing.”

I give her a watery smile. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” I whisper, suddenly really nervous.

“Just relax and show the world who Dr. Florence Liu-Savino is,” Sof says and leaves to go in search of something I couldn’t quite make out over the blood rushing to my ears.

That has got to be the worst advice ever.

“Flo?” I hear Rome call before the tink of his car keys in the glass bowl on the credenza. A horde of butterflies take flight across my stomach as I light the candle in the bathroom. I’ve not been able to stop thinking about him—all day, all week, he’s just been on my mind. I need him again; I need to get him out of my system. It doesn’t help he keeps sending me text messages that have me smiling every time I look at my phone. The only problem, he doesn’t want casual. I thought he was going to break when he had me against the wall at the puppy charity luncheon—the man’s will is too strong. But so is mine.

“Flo?” he calls again, padding farther into the apartment. I quickly turn the shower on. I need to busy myself. I listen as he walks past the en suite bathroom and open a door so I can peek out. I watch as he shucks his pants and shirt and pulls on a pair of sweatpants and no top. FUCK. The crinkled bedsheets catch his eye. Rome always makes sure his bed is made; it’s like a giant red flag that something isn’t right. The muscles on his shoulders bunch as he pulls the cover back to find a pair of pale purple lace panties, the exact ones he told me he liked from the box I’d received.

“What the fuck?” I hear him grunt, staring at a pair of my lace panties “casually” thrown in his bed. He reaches out and grabs the panties, paying particular attention to the back string, which has Florence bedazzled on it. A devious smile pulls at my lips. I turn the shower off and wrap a towel around my body. Now is the perfect time. I exit the bathroom.

“Oh good, you found them.” I pluck my panties from his loose grasp.

“Ahh, yeah, you must have left them…” He rubs the back of his neck, trying to come up with a reason. I’m almost taking a bit of pleasure watching him squirm.

“In your bed by mistake,” I finish for him, sending him a wink, letting his mind come up with many different reasons why that might be. My hand tightens around the knot of my towel, enjoying as his eyes go straight there. I’m going to have him in my bed by the end of the night.

“Sorry about that.”

“No…” He swallows, his eyes glued to the exposed cleavage of the top of my breasts. “No problem,” he finally says, his eyes slowly scanning down my body.

Deciding he needs a bit of a push, I drop the towel right there and slide one tanned leg into the loop of the thong, followed by the other. He stays glued to the motion like his life depends on it. The air in the room thickens as I cross one leg over the other, spinning on the balls of my feet, giving him my back as I lift my panties in place. Over my shoulder I catch him biting his knuckle.

“I need some help studying tonight if you’re feeling up to it.”

“Of course, lollipop. Always.”