Chapter 8 Julianna
EIGHT
JULIANNA
I open my eyes to find Rome sitting across from me in the dark.
With my head pounding, I peel my face from whatever it was I fell asleep on and prop myself up high enough to realize I’m lying across a long leather bench.
A loud whooshing sound fills my ears, making the pounding in my head a million times worse. Then it dawns on me.
We’re on a fucking plane.
The entire cabin is dark, aside from the dim overhead lights.
Groaning, I sit up, pressing a hand to my head. It feels like I banged it against a brick wall. Repeatedly.
“Where are we?” I grumble, thinking I may just vomit from speaking. My mouth is dry, and I’m desperate for a glass of water, but the thought of that also makes me feel sick. Oh, God, I’m so hungover. I peer up at Rome through a heavy-lidded gaze.
“Good.” Rome keeps his focus on his phone cradled in his hand. “You’re awake.”
“Unfortunately.” I sigh, swinging my legs off the bench. My feet are bare and freezing. I tilt my head, confused. “Where are my shoes?”
“I took them off,” Rome states blandly, still refusing to look up. “You don’t like sleeping with anything on your feet.”
I snort and roll my eyes. “That was oddly considerate of you.”
Silence.
And that’s how it remains as I take in what’s happening. I’m hungover and flying on Rome’s private jet.
Memories of last night come back in waves, starting with my decision to go out on my own because everyone in my life actually has lives.
I was on my fourth martini when Rome made his appearance, demanding to cash in on his debt.
Then I remember sliding into the back seat of his Aston Martin.
I told him I was going to vomit all over his seats, but I don’t think I did because all I remember telling him is how I researched tattoo removal and suggested a place he could go to get the bird on his neck taken off.
All he did was roll his eyes so hard, I thought they might roll to the back of my head. I must have passed out seconds later.
Now I’m flying thousands of feet in the air with the world’s worst hangover and the world’s worst person.
“Where are we going?”
“You should drink,” he orders, ignoring my question. “Vodka martinis leave the worst hangovers.” He points to the table beside my seat.
Silently screaming for relief, I grab the water bottle and crack the top open. I chug half of it before twisting the cap back on and setting it back down.
“You still haven’t answered my question.” If we’re on his plane, our destination must be far from New York City. “Where are we going?”
“I don’t need to answer you. We’re about to land.” He’s still scrolling through his phone. I fight the urge to jump out of my seat and snatch it from his hand, then throw it at him.
“I’m supposed to be at work right now.” Realizing I don’t have my phone, I frantically look around the cabin.
“Where’s my purse?” My gaze falls on Rome as he picks my sparkling clutch from beside him in the seat and holds it up.
“Great.” I tighten my lips and hold out my hand.
“Can I have it? I need to call my office.”
He drops my purse, setting it back between the arm of his chair and his thigh. “Not yet.”
“Seriously? Give it back, Rome.” My patience is wearing thin. I grind my jaw, anger simmering under my skin.
“I will, but not until after we land.”
“If I don’t let work know I’m going to be late, I’ll be in trouble.”
“With whom?” he asks, clearly finding my comment funny. “You’re the boss. You don’t report to anyone.”
“My staff care about me. They’ll be worried if I don’t come in when I normally do. They’ll probably call the cops.”
He flicks his wrist to read the time on his Cartier watch as if he’s bored. As if he hasn’t already read the time on his phone screen. “It’s only six in the morning. You have time before your coworkers file a missing person’s report.”
I curl my hands into tight fists at my sides. “Dammit, Rome. Stop playing games with me.”
“I’m not.”
“You kidnapped me in the middle of the night.”
He holds up a single finger. “One, you’re an adult, so it’s technically abduction, not kidnapping.” Then he sticks up another. “Second, I didn’t abduct you. You agreed to get in the car.”
This can’t be happening. Panic starts to overwhelm my dreaded hangover. “Look, I know what I did with writing the article in Holt’s magazine was wrong, and I owe you for that. I’ve apologized a million times since I confessed it was me, but what you’re doing is so much worse.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.” I say, dryly. “You’ve tortured me for months, never letting on when you’re going to collect.
And here I was, foolish to think you would have gone about this in the way a sane person would have.
A call? A text? During the day? Instead, you randomly show up at the club and force me to go with you.
Now, we’re flying thousands of feet in the air to God knows where.
This could have easily been a one-and-done kind of deal. ”
“We’ve never been the one-and-done kind of people, have we?” His own question causes him to blanche, as if the words fell out of his mouth faster than his mind had time to stop them.
It also hits me in a deep, dark place—one I’ve refused to touch for years. I’m not even entirely sure what he meant by that.
“Whatever, Rome.” I sigh, too hungover and tired for this conversation. “Can you just give me my phone please?”
“No.”
Hatred for him weaves itself into a knot in my chest. A knot I can’t ignore.
Anger fuels me, propelling me to stand. I’m unsteady on my feet and think I may really throw up this time, but my frustration with Rome forces it aside. A culmination of aggravation with Rome boils over, and his blasé attitude isn’t helping.
I march across the cabin and reach out to snatch my purse from beside him.
Rome’s faster than me, and he grabs my purse and holds it back and above his head before he finally looks me in the eye.
Darkness consumes his usual bright blue eyes.
Blue eyes I’ve allowed to manipulate me one too many times.
He looks tired, and despite him playing this keep away game with me, he’s deadly serious.
“I’m warning you, Lark.” His voice is deep and velvety.
“What are you going to do? Bend me over your knee and spank me?” The question rushes out of me before I’ve realized I’ve said it.
Focused on the task at hand, I don’t wait for an answer before I’m lunging for my purse again.
My knee lands between his leg and the arm rest. I’m halfway sitting on his lap.
He jerks back, holding the purse farther back out of my reach.
He groans when my other leg flies up, pressing against his other thigh. I’m now completely straddling his lap.
“Give me”—I grunt, stretching as far as my body allows—“my purse.”
I press one hand to his shoulder, pushing up to get leverage, and he lets out another groan as I manage to catch the other end of my purse. We play a game of tug of war before he finally gives up.
Satisfied I won, I sit back on my heels and I offer him a mocking grin. “Thank you.”
His eyes are hardened, and his entire face is flaming red. Frozen beneath me, he doesn’t move. The only movement is coming from his heaving chest. Then it hits me.
Too busy caught up in the mission of stealing my own purse back, I didn’t realize the position I’ve now put us in, or the fact I’ve spent the last few seconds dry humping him.
My thighs are pressed tightly against Rome’s.
The hem of my tight dress has ridden up my legs and is now wrapped around my hips, revealing the front of the lacy thong underneath.
There’s a noticeable swell beneath his black slacks from me rubbing all over him and, fuck, amid our struggle, I smashed my breasts into Rome’s face.
Red marks blush the curves of my breasts from where his stubble grated across my skin.
My eyes drop to my hand still wrapped around his shoulder before I swing them up to catch his piercing blues. Heat blooms in my lower stomach.
We stare at one another in silence, and for the first time, I allow the memories of our past to assault me. I’m suddenly back to being seventeen years old, sneaking into a party bathroom, kissing my mortal enemy for the first time. My chest sparks at the memory of the thrill of it all.
Then it’s stolen in a flash.
“Excuse me, sir.” Someone behind us clears their throat, catching both our attention.
I follow Rome’s gaze over my shoulder to where one of the jet’s crew members stands at the front of the cabin.
“We’re clear for descent,” he says, his gaze bouncing between us. “You’ll need to take your seats and fasten your seat belts.”
“Thank you, Antonio,” Rome states, his tone agitated.
Without looking at him again, I slide backward off his lap. He flinches, stiffening once more, but I keep my gaze down as I readjust my dress and tuck my hair behind my ears before retaking my seat. But not without snatching my purse from Rome’s lap.
Antonio disappears back to the cockpit. After buckling myself in, I breathe in deeply, forcing my embarrassment to subside. I hate how Rome gets under my skin easily. How we both slip into old habits, toying with one another just to get the others feathers ruffled.
Even when we aren’t trying, we play games with one another.
I eye Rome from across the aisle, remembering all the heartbreak that came with allowing myself to fall for my enemy. The deceit. The betrayal. The agony.
Sensing my relentless stare, Rome’s eyes dart to find mine, and they steal my breath away.
I quickly slip back to anger, giving him a sneer before shaking my head.
I open my bag, wanting to shoot a text to my secretary, letting them know I’ll be late to work today.
I shove aside my bottle of lip gloss, keys, wallet, and pepper spray but deflate when I don’t find my phone.
I keep rifling through the same four items, foolishly believing my phone will magically appear out of thin air. Panicked, I snap my head up.
Rome is sitting in his seat, his mouth tilted into an evil grin as he holds up my phone between pinched fingers.
“Come on, Lark.” He chuckles. “You know I’m smarter than that.”
I narrow my gaze. “I didn’t realize the debt I owed you would be this torturous. You’re a sadist.” I sit back in my seat with a huff, refusing to give him anymore of my attention. He gets off on annoying me. He always has.
“I know you’re pissed at me for claiming my debt when I did and for refusing to give you your phone, but I told you I would give it to you when we land, and I intend on keeping my word.”
“Forgive me for not holding you to your word.” I scoff, rolling my head against the headrest to stare out my window. “You never have in the past.”
The plane descends, breaking through the clouds to reveal the land below and trees as far as the eye can see. The sun shines directly in my eyes, filling the plane cabin with light.
We definitely aren’t in the city anymore.