All I’ve Never Wanted(22)

It’s official. I've gone certifiably insane, he thought. The past week had started off promisingly enough, but then it devolved into a disaster. How fucking hard was it for so many students to break one girl?



His violet eyes narrowed slightly as he examined her out of the corner of his eye. With her delicate features, silky straight dark hair, and uniform that still bore the faintest remains of food stains despite countless washes, she looked more fragile than the overpriced Lalique figurines his mother scattered all around the house.



But if that was true, why the hell was she still here?



"Are you going to answer me?"



Was she really still talking?



"Shut up," he finally replied crankily, though his words were mostly drowned out by the music. Whatever. He didn't care if she heard him or not.



When the car finally reached its destination, Roman, who had been driving without really thinking about where he was going, was surprised to be faced with a pair of exceedingly familiar wrought-iron gates.



Even though he couldn't see it, Roman knew an invisible scanner, part of the Fiori mansion's astronomically expensive, state-of-the-art security system, was taking in all the details of the car and its inhabitants at that very moment. A mere ten seconds later, the gates opened, sliding smoothly into the high, thick brick walls on either side.



Roman was oddly pleased to see a fleeting look of awe on Maya’s face until she quickly covered up.



Thankfully, she remained silent until he had pulled up right in front of his family’s imposing, palace-like mansion. The minute Roman fully stopped the car, Maya threw open the door, burst out onto the cobblestones, and ran down the driveway.



At least, that was what probably would have happened had she been able to get the door open. Unfortunately, Roman's customized Ferrari was so high-tech and complicated Maya couldn't quite figure it out, which was how Roman ended up standing by the passenger side with a smirk on his face as he watched her struggle to get out. He had locked the doors and made no move to help her.



Maya glared at him through the glass. "Let me out, you bastard!" Her voice was muffled by the shatter-proof glass.



Roman's smirk grew wider. He leaned against the side of the car so he was looking at her profile. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest and thoroughly enjoying her discomfort.



"Let me OUT!"



He yawned, staring up at the sky. "Still don't know what you're saying," he declared loudly.



Maya's full lips thinned. She sat up straighter, narrowing her eyes, and drew in a deep breath. "I SAID LET ME OUT YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING SCUM OF THE EARTH!" she screamed so loud it would've shattered any regular glass ten times over. She punctuated her furious statement with an equally furious pounding on the window.



An angry hiss escaped Roman's lips, her insult finally setting off his temper's already short fuse. He violently yanked open the door, surprising the girl inside and causing her to nearly tumble on the ground.



To her credit, Maya stumbled only a bit before straightening up and brushing off her skirt. Sparks of fire were practically flying out of her eyes as she glared at him.



Roman glared back. What the fuck did she have to be angry about? He hadn't been the one insulting her in front of her own house!



"Drive me home right now!"



Roman's jaw nearly dropped at her astonishing demand. No one talked to him like that! Where was the groveling, the simpering, the fear? This was unacceptable!



"Do I look like your goddamned chauffeur?" he ground out, his voice low and dangerous.



She tilted her chin up stubbornly. "Since you apparently like driving me around so much, I would say yes, you rather do."



Her haughty tone of voice made Roman's blood boil until he was afraid he would explode. "God, you're a bitch!"



"Bitch. How original. Is that the best you can come up with?"



Roman's hands clenched into fists before he raised one arm, causing Maya to flinch.



He noted this with smug satisfaction. Though he would never hit a girl, it gave him immense pleasure to see her squirm. Gripping one of her arms, he dragged her toward the front entrance without a word.



"Let me go! What are you doing?" Maya struggled to escape his grasp, but it was like an iron shackle on her forearm.



Roman stormed into the foyer, dragging the unwilling girl behind him and tuning out her inane babble, even as he tried to ignore how soft and smooth her skin felt.



Suddenly, he froze, causing Maya to slam into his back. He barely noticed. Soft and smooth…? Where the hell had that thought come from?



Shaking his head slightly, Roman set his jaw and resumed his trek through the house. He need to get rid of this girl somehow, and fast. She was driving him crazier than he'd ever thought he could be.