Crooked

Chapter 34

Wes

“I don’t have to take the gig if you don’t want me to,” I assured her. “Just say the word, and I’ll leave.” My heart pounded as I waited for her response.

Please don’t tell me to leave.

Please don’t tell me to leave.

It felt like years that I stood there anticipating her answer while people rolled their luggage by us.

“Okay. Yeah.” Her expression softened. “Better than a stranger.”

Juliette’s smile seemed genuine. It included her eyes, which was always my gauge. God, I love her.

As we checked in and went through security, Juliette and I stole glances at each other. When she smiled at me again, relief settled in my gut. The smile thing was becoming a trend. For the first time in a long time, I felt hope that this situation was turning around. Maybe she could forgive me.

On the flight to New York, I looked out at the clouds from my window seat, which was fitting, since at the moment I felt on top of the world.

Juliette said she preferred the aisle, which I didn’t really understand.

Tommy sat behind us, so I got the seat next to Juliette.

Pretty sure by now Tommy knew what was up between her and me.

I kept noticing the way he watched us, and I wondered if Juliette had spoken to him.

At the very least, he’d watched me plant that freaking garden exhibition outside her house in LA.

That had to have given my feelings away.

It was later in the day, yet I’d opted for a coffee when the beverage cart came around, and the caffeine had made me totally buzzed. Juliette had opted for a glass of wine, and I wondered about its effect on her.

At one point, she and I placed our hands on the armrest at the same moment, brushing against one another.

To my shock, she took my hand and intertwined our fingers.

I turned to her, and her expression held a calm I hadn’t witnessed before.

Was it that little bit of wine, or had she finally come to terms with her doubts about me?

My gut was even more certain that everything was going to be okay.

I felt more peace now than I had in all the time we’d known each other. I hated to say it, but this had to be at least partly because Vince was locked away. Maybe that was the entirety of the reason. All I knew was it felt like a brand-new day, and I was here for it.

“I never acknowledged the letter you sent me right after I kicked you out,” Juliette finally said.

I nodded. “It wasn’t meant to garner a response.

I just needed to make sure you knew where I stood.

I was feeling really hopeless when I wrote it, even if I was still determined not to lose you forever.

Driving out of California after dropping it off was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

” I smiled. “Even if I didn’t end up being gone for very long. ”

“I’m glad you came back, Wes.”

“I had to tell my mother everything. She helped convince me I needed to lay it all on the line with you.”

“I’m so happy she didn’t hold the fact that we lied to her about our relationship against me.”

I shook my head. “She loves you.” I smiled. “She’s not the only one.”

“You promised to never give up on me.” Her eyes glistened. “You’ve really proven that.”

“I’ll never give up on you, Juliette.”

She squeezed my hand. “What now?”

I thought about how I wanted to answer that.

“Back when I was hiding my real job from you, I used to discourage your suggestion that we could run away together. I couldn’t make promises when I didn’t know how you were going to react to finding out the truth.

” I sighed. “But nothing is off the table now. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy and safe.

I’ll follow you to the ends of the Earth. ”

Juliette stared at me for several seconds. I’d expected her to say something in return, but not, “I’ll be right back.” Yet that’s what she told me before she got up and went down the aisle to the bathroom.

Had I upset her? I practically counted the seconds until she’d return. Then a text came in.

Juliette: My zipper is stuck. Can you come help me?

I stood from my seat and rushed down the aisle.

The moment I slipped inside the lavatory, Juliette wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close. I realized quickly that this had nothing to do with a zipper. My dick hardened, a reminder of just how long it had been since I’d buried myself inside her.

“I never properly thanked you for saving my life,” she muttered over my lips. “This seems like a fun way to do it.”

“Well, if this is the way you thank me, I have to warn you that one time isn’t going to be nearly enough to pay off the debt.”

I backed Juliette against the sink. With barely any room to move, I kissed her like my life depended on it. Every ounce of me surrendered to the immense pleasure of being back in my happy place. Her smell. Her taste. I was drowning in endorphins and loving every bit of it.

She fumbled with my belt, and within seconds, I was inside of her.

I paused for a moment to relish the warmth of her pussy before thrusting in and out with so much force that when the plane hit turbulence, it felt like it could’ve been caused by us.

I’d normally be a little freaked out when a plane shook like this.

But at the moment? I didn’t have a care in the world, other than escaping inside this woman.

With each movement, I let out more and more of the frustration I’d harbored during the time we’d been apart.

“I’ve missed fucking you so much,” I murmured.

Juliette responded by moving her hips faster.

When I came, it was sudden and hard. My body shook, and I felt her hands tighten around me just before the muscles between her legs pulsed around my shaft. I pumped in and out slowly until I had nothing left to give.

As we recovered from our mile-high-club debut, I set her down and softly kissed her neck.

“I’m never letting you go again,” I whispered.

I opted to leave first and return to my seat, and I tried to pretend I didn’t notice Tommy smirking at me. I couldn’t have cared less what he thought at the moment.

About five minutes later, Juliette emerged from the bathroom. Her hair was mussed, and I knew mine must have been tousled, too. She looked like she’d been properly fucked, and I was proud to say, she had.

For the rest of the flight, Juliette leaned her head on my shoulder. We were sated and at peace. It was bliss.

We decided to turn on a movie for the last couple of hours, and the universe must have been playing with us, because the first one that popped up on the screen? Goodfellas.

***

The three-story house in Mill Basin, Brooklyn, had a stucco facade and was surrounded by a large, black, wrought-iron fence.

It looked like something out of Beverly Hills stuck in the middle of New York.

According to Juliette, her neighborhood was known for its Christmas-light displays during the winter months.

Even though I’d lived in Brooklyn, I’d never spent too much time in this neck of the woods.

To the average person, this would’ve seemed like a nice, wholesome home, but of course, I knew better.

Two luxury SUVs sat parked in the driveway out front.

I assumed one of them was Vince’s, and it occurred to me that he might not be driving it again for a very long time.

That thought was bittersweet. As relieved as I was to have him safely locked away, I’d always feel bad for Juliette. He was still her dad.

It was late, past midnight, but Frannie was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when she opened the solid mahogany door to greet us.

“There’s my baby!” she cried as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. Her nails were perfectly manicured and painted red. She winked at me as we entered. “Welcome, Wes. Hey, Tommy.”

I looked up at the winding staircase and crystal chandeliers as Frannie ushered us inside.

“It’s so good to see you, Mom,” Juliette said.

I took in a waft of Frannie’s strong perfume.

“How was the flight?” Frannie asked.

“Really rocky, but so worth it.” Juliette grinned over at me.

So freaking worth it, indeed.

“It’s always worth it to see family, isn’t it?” Frannie sighed. “I don’t love to fly, but I don’t have to think twice about getting on that plane to see my beautiful girl across the country.”

I took in a whiff of something else in the air. Tomato sauce and a hint of coffee, maybe.

“Hope you’re hungry,” Frannie said as she led us through the house.

“It’s past midnight!” Juliette laughed.

“I know. But I figured you’d be hungry after that flight. And I drank a ton of coffee waiting up for you guys. Anyway, it’s never too late to eat. You can sleep in as long as you need to in the morning. You have nothing planned for tomorrow, right?”

Juliette shook her head, and Tommy rubbed his stomach. “I could eat.”

The only thing I craved tonight was a hot shower, followed by another round of amazing sex with Frannie’s daughter.

As Tommy retreated to the kitchen with Frannie, Juliette tugged my arm and showed me around.

The more I saw of it, the more I realized this house looked exactly like I’d imagined, with leather furniture and shiny gold accents.

The outside featured an in-ground pool and a large patio, and farther back on the property was a small pool house, where Juliette said her mother lived.

The walls were lined with photos of Juliette at every stage of her life, and my heart nearly burst at the sight of mini-Juliette.

It made me want a little girl with her someday.

We ended up in Juliette’s old bedroom. As we’d passed through the kitchen on our tour, Frannie had made it clear that she’d set up Juliette’s room for us—meaning Juliette and me.

That proved her hiring me was a sham if she knew I’d most likely end up sleeping in the same bed as her daughter.

But I was relieved to know I wouldn’t have to sleep apart from her tonight, especially after the taste of her I’d gotten in that airplane bathroom.

Juliette’s room was exactly as I might have imagined it: pink and frilly and fit for a mafia princess. It didn’t match her style now, of course, but it screamed teenage queen. And everything remained untouched from a decade ago.

“Welcome to my time capsule,” she said.

I lay back on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. “Glow-in-the-dark stars…nice.”

“I used to love to look up at those before going to sleep, mostly while wishing for a different life. I know that sounds terrible because I was so privileged, but…”

“You have every right to have wanted something different,” I told her. “We can’t help what we wish for at night when no one else is around.”

She reached into the drawer next to the bed and took out several small journals.

“What’s all that?” I asked.

“This drawer is filled with my diaries. They’re from different stages of my life.”

Juliette opened a random one and read me some of the passages, many of which lamented the fact that her life had to revolve around Vince.

Not much had changed in that respect. The one she’d chosen was one of the oldest, and she came upon a section where she’d written about the type of guy she hoped to meet someday.

“Don’t laugh, but listen to this,” she said.

“I’ve started to figure out the kind of guy I want to end up with.

He has to think I’m funny. He has to look at me like I’m the most delicious cannoli he’s ever seen.

He has to text me all day. He has to stand up to my bully father.

He has to like dogs. He has to have hair like a Disney prince.

He has to be smart. I don’t care if he has money, because money only causes problems. So, to summarize, I want a poor Disney prince who looks at me like I am a cannoli. Thank you.”

I shook my head. “God, you were cute…and a little weird.”

“Cute? That is the most pathetic thing I’ve ever read. In my defense, I probably wasn’t even twelve when I wrote that.”

I reached for a pen and found a blank spot on the page next to that passage. “Let me,” I said before writing a response into the journal.

After, I read it aloud to her.

“Dear Twelve-Year-Old Juliette, This is your boyfriend writing from the future. I’m happy to report that you turned out a lot smarter than one might’ve guessed based on this entry.

That said, I can attest to the fact that while I do think you’re funny, I much prefer being the one to make YOU laugh.

Also, you look far more delicious than a cannoli (you’re at least the level of the finest tiramisu).

You taste better than that, too. Trust me, you don’t want me to be texting you all day—that would be annoying—but I will always be here for you, if you need me.

I love dogs and hope to get one when we get our first house together.

I don’t have hair exactly like a Disney prince, but I’m built better and could take down any one of them in a fight.

As luck would have it, I am not rich, so no worries about money ruining us.

But you asked for a smart guy. If you’re talking about street smart, I’m your man.

I’m not the most book-smart guy you’ve ever met, but I hope I make up for that in the way I protect you, in the way I love you.

So, to summarize, I’m hotter than a Disney prince, and holy cannoli, I love you. ”

xo,

Wes