the keyboard then put his hands under and through both of her arms; his hands next to hers on the keys. She could hear him breathing as he began playing. Kristen’s eyes wavered as she watched him. She felt drunk off of his intoxicating smell; engrossed in the sexual heat of his body behind hers.
Again, she tried not to inhale him out loud. If she turned her head slightly and lifted her mouth, she’d be right at his lips. She fought hard not to turn her head and lift her lips.
Roman started singing and his voice was strong, clear, and beautiful.
“Nothing in my life has been the same
Since I first laid eyes on you
The world feels different, I’m ready and open
Never felt this way before, it’s scary but I like it
When I look into your eyes I realize
All that I need, all that I want, lies within you…”
His voice trailed off. Kristen opened her eyes and looked in the mirror at him. “Is that it?” He simply nodded with his eyes focused on hers. “It’s beautiful.”
“I wish I knew how to finish it.”
“It’ll come to you.” She turned to him and leaned back against the keyboard, still looking at him. His hands were still at the keys, on other side of her. He was exceptionally close. “What inspired you to write it?”
“A relationship.”
Kristen held her breath. This was what she’d been waiting to hear about all day. She didn’t want to press him but she yearned to hear more.
She tilted her head and cautiously looked at him. “You want to talk about it?”
Roman shrugged indifferently and pulled back, breaking his connection with her. His voice was emotionless as he spoke. “I met a girl. I liked her. I thought she liked me. We were together a minute. It didn’t work out. It made me sad. I’m taking a while to get over it.”
“Sounds like your classic love song,” she said with a light-hearted smile.
He mildly smiled at her. Surprise stole her breath. It was the first time he’d smiled at her all day. It warmed her all the way to her toes. But then he looked away from her like he suddenly remembered he wasn’t supposed to smile. His mouth grew hard and his jaw clenched.
He grabbed his glass. “You hungry?” he casually asked as he walked towards the large kitchen. “I could make you something. I know you didn’t get a chance to finish at the restaurant. I’m not much of a chef but I can do the basics.”
Kristen followed behind him, stopping in the doorway. She leaned against the frame and crossed her arms. “No thank you. I’m fine.”
Roman turned to her and stared at her for so long it made her uncomfortable. He looked so ill at ease and conflicted. “Kristen.”
She loved the sound of her name on his lips. It sounded like a heavenly chorus.
He closed his eyes and shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. “I want to apologize,” he softly began. “I know I was an ass at the restaurant and I’ve been an ass pretty much all day. I’m sorry. I’m just going through some stuff. I know that’s not an excuse but sometimes I have a hard time compartmentalizing things. It makes it hard on the people I care about and love but like I said, they get it and they don’t bother me too much about it. I just want you to know it’s not about you. And it has nothing to do with you. Or this contest. I honestly was looking forward to it very much.”
He shook his head and heavily sighed. “Everything is just bad timing right now.”
Kristen was quiet for a moment. “I appreciate that,” she sincerely offered. “I’m sorry you’re going through so much. I wish I could help.”
His lips almost twisted into another smile but it disappeared again. “I wish you could too. But you can’t. No one can. Only time I guess.”
There was another long moment of uncomfortable silence.
“I liked the song,” Kristen told him. “The one you were singing in the studio.”
Roman scowled and looked away, tossing his glass in the sink. “I don’t like it.
Again, she tried not to inhale him out loud. If she turned her head slightly and lifted her mouth, she’d be right at his lips. She fought hard not to turn her head and lift her lips.
Roman started singing and his voice was strong, clear, and beautiful.
“Nothing in my life has been the same
Since I first laid eyes on you
The world feels different, I’m ready and open
Never felt this way before, it’s scary but I like it
When I look into your eyes I realize
All that I need, all that I want, lies within you…”
His voice trailed off. Kristen opened her eyes and looked in the mirror at him. “Is that it?” He simply nodded with his eyes focused on hers. “It’s beautiful.”
“I wish I knew how to finish it.”
“It’ll come to you.” She turned to him and leaned back against the keyboard, still looking at him. His hands were still at the keys, on other side of her. He was exceptionally close. “What inspired you to write it?”
“A relationship.”
Kristen held her breath. This was what she’d been waiting to hear about all day. She didn’t want to press him but she yearned to hear more.
She tilted her head and cautiously looked at him. “You want to talk about it?”
Roman shrugged indifferently and pulled back, breaking his connection with her. His voice was emotionless as he spoke. “I met a girl. I liked her. I thought she liked me. We were together a minute. It didn’t work out. It made me sad. I’m taking a while to get over it.”
“Sounds like your classic love song,” she said with a light-hearted smile.
He mildly smiled at her. Surprise stole her breath. It was the first time he’d smiled at her all day. It warmed her all the way to her toes. But then he looked away from her like he suddenly remembered he wasn’t supposed to smile. His mouth grew hard and his jaw clenched.
He grabbed his glass. “You hungry?” he casually asked as he walked towards the large kitchen. “I could make you something. I know you didn’t get a chance to finish at the restaurant. I’m not much of a chef but I can do the basics.”
Kristen followed behind him, stopping in the doorway. She leaned against the frame and crossed her arms. “No thank you. I’m fine.”
Roman turned to her and stared at her for so long it made her uncomfortable. He looked so ill at ease and conflicted. “Kristen.”
She loved the sound of her name on his lips. It sounded like a heavenly chorus.
He closed his eyes and shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. “I want to apologize,” he softly began. “I know I was an ass at the restaurant and I’ve been an ass pretty much all day. I’m sorry. I’m just going through some stuff. I know that’s not an excuse but sometimes I have a hard time compartmentalizing things. It makes it hard on the people I care about and love but like I said, they get it and they don’t bother me too much about it. I just want you to know it’s not about you. And it has nothing to do with you. Or this contest. I honestly was looking forward to it very much.”
He shook his head and heavily sighed. “Everything is just bad timing right now.”
Kristen was quiet for a moment. “I appreciate that,” she sincerely offered. “I’m sorry you’re going through so much. I wish I could help.”
His lips almost twisted into another smile but it disappeared again. “I wish you could too. But you can’t. No one can. Only time I guess.”
There was another long moment of uncomfortable silence.
“I liked the song,” Kristen told him. “The one you were singing in the studio.”
Roman scowled and looked away, tossing his glass in the sink. “I don’t like it.
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