Page 48 of Hate On

As he rose to pour himself another cup of coffee, there was a knock at the door.

He frowned.

It was awful early for it to be much of anybody. Only a few people had the code for his private elevator and most of them weren’t exactly the type to make early morning calls.

Opening the door, wondering if Julianna had forgotten her keys, he fixed a smile on his face, ready to tease her.

It almost died at the sight of his father.

Oh, fuck.

“Hello, Roman.” Michael Montrose nodded at him. “I was in the area. I thought we could grab a cup of coffee and drive into the office together.”

At his father’s expectant look, he dutifully stepped aside.

Had he seen Julianna on his way out?

Michael came inside and went to hang up his coat, pausing there by the closet a brief moment before turning to look at his son.

“What brings you to the area?” Roman asked, struggling to keep his voice neutral. He studied his father’s face. Everything looked…normal. That meant Michael probably hadn’t seen Julianna. Even though his apathy seemed far less when it came to her, he still didn’t like her—she was a Castle. If he’d seen her, especially this early in the day, he’d show some sign.

They had probably just missed each other.

As Michael explained he’d been meeting a friend for coffee, Roman struggled not to breathe out a sigh of relief.

“Care to get me a cup of coffee?” Michael asked.

“Your doctor will get after you for having more than cup a day,” Roman reminded him.

“I had decaf earlier. It doesn’t count.” Michael waved the comment off and started for the kitchen. In the doorway, he paused, head cocked.

Roman didn’t have to ask what it was that caught his attention. The table was clearly set for two. But he said nothing, moving over to the cabinet and taking a cup down. As he poured his father a cup, Michael moved deeper into the room.

“I’m hearing a rumor that Edgar Templeton will be back in New York within the week,” Michael said.

Roman turned over the cup of coffee and added a little more to his own cup to warm it up before he faced his father. “Is that so?”

“From what I’m hearing.” Michael shrugged, non-committal. “I want to be ready with a new offer, one that will knock his socks off. We’re going to get those minesandthat prototype, son. Have you put any more thought into the bid?”

“Some,” Roman hedged.Not much. He’d honestly been more focused on Julianna the past few months, rather than some prototype, the tech of which he didn’t fully understand. Julianna likely did, but the two of them had agreed that business was off-limits.

“We should get together for dinner, put our heads together and see what we come up with,” Michael said.

Roman nodded, although he wasn’t keen on the idea. What would happen if his family won the bid? If it was indeed a game changer, would it upset the Castle family business enough to cause problems for Julianna? He didn’t want that. On the flipside, he wanted his family business secure.

He bit back a scowl, trying not to let his father see any of his internal conflict. As long as that prototype was in play between their two families, there was going to be a winner and a loser, he realized. He didn’t wanteitherof them to winorlose.

There had to be another alternative, but what in the hell could it be?

“So…when are you going to introduce us to this new lady?”

Roman jerked his head up, looking at his father. “Pardon?”

“Oh, come on.” Michael gestured at the table with the incriminating evidence of two coffee cups and the basket of croissants he had yet to put away. “I also caught the scent of perfume on the elevator as I came up. And unless you’ve started wearing ladies’ shoes, you’ve got a lady friend who’s been staying over from time to time.” Michael grinned at him. “I saw the shoes by the door.”

Roman was quiet.

“Come on. You can’t fool me. Whoever this woman is, she’s made you rather happy lately. Your mother and I both noticed the difference. When do we get to meet her?”