Chapter 17 #2
“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.” She pulls back far enough to look in my eyes, still stroking me with her hand. “I love you, Rome.”
A hot breath rushes through my nose as I shake my head slowly, trying to decide what to do. “You deserve more than our first time being pressed against my car.”
She uses her free hand to lift my chin, forcing me to look up and into her eyes. “Our first time won’t be against your car. It’ll be under the stars.”
The corner of my mouth lifts, and I fall in love with Julianna all over again. My heart is pounding in my chest. She’s stunning, all dark lashes and pink full lips while tendrils of chestnut hair frame her soft cheeks.
This woman owns me. All of me.
I don’t deserve her.
Heart pounding, I peek over her shoulder.
Under the dark of night, Julianna’s house is in the distance towering over the tree line.
There’s one lit window, but otherwise the house is quiet.
Looking back at her, I grin, then spin us around and carry her to the other side of the drive.
There’s another line of trees there, and I step between two large oak trees and spin us until her back lands against one of them.
She giggles and inhales in a shaky breath. It sends heat back to my cock.
She tips her head back against the bark; her face covered in beautiful shadows.
Keeping one hand gripped around her waist, I hold her against me while using my other hand to free myself from the constraints of my boxers.
I pull them down, and my cock springs to life.
I press it against her, realizing she isn’t wearing anything. She’s completely bare.
She grins against my mouth as if she knows exactly what I’m thinking.
“Make love to me under the stars, Rome,” she whispers. “But don’t be gentle about it.”
I lose all self -control. I rub myself against her slick cunt, groaning with relief at the feel of it. She’s soaking wet for me already.
I grip my cock and guide myself in front of her, dragging the head up and down her entrance. She mewls and tips her head back. I watch her in fascination. Seeing her react to me when I’m not even inside her yet, lights a fire inside me.
My stomach hums in anticipation. The liquid heat wrapped around my spine slinks around to my cock.
I slip the tip inside her, moving slow. She lowers her head, meeting my stare.
There’s desire and lust—an emotion I’ve never seen on anyone I’ve ever been with.
No one else has ever mattered the way Julianna does.
With the head of my cock barely inside her, she takes my hand and moves it to the base of her throat.
“Feel my pulse,” she pants. “Feel what you do to me.”
I growl my approval and sink deeper into her. My hand is still wrapped around her neck, pinning her to the tree. I push myself inside her until I can’t possibly go any deeper.
I’m in fucking heaven. It feels like my heart is going to burst.
She tips her head back, a sound coming out of her I’ve never heard before. Her jaw drops, and she gazes at the sky, wide-eyed.
“Keep your eyes on me, Lark,” I order, pulling out, then driving into her again. She cries out with pleasure. “I want you to watch me claim you, watch as I make you mine.”
She nods, closing her mouth and swallowing as she catches her breath. When she returns her gaze to mine, I lose what remaining bit of control I have left.
“I’ve always been yours, Rome. Through hate and love, I’ve always been yours.”
I love the way her breath falters when I touch her. Every moment is charged with electricity, catching us both by surprise. I hope this never ends.
“I’ve always been yours.” I want to wrap us up in this memory, tattoo it into my brain so that, if I were to ever doubt Julianna’s love in the future, I’ll fall back on this moment. I’ll never forget the words she just whispered to me, with me inside her, claiming her forever.
“Come for me, Lark.” I grunt, and her walls tighten around me. “Let me hear you sing.” I rock my hips, grinding into her deeper with every thrust.
Her arms wrap tightly around my shoulders, holding me against her. I drop my hand from her neck and replace it with my mouth to place rough, messy kisses along the base of her throat.
“Rome.” She sings my name, and all the blood rushes to my cock as it slides in and out of her. “I’m going to—”
I steal her cries, kissing her to muffle the sound. I don’t want us to get caught out here. The adrenaline of us being here in secret pushes us both to the brink.
I press my forehead to hers. Her jaw drops, breaking our kiss.
“Oh, fuck, Rome,” she moans on a whisper. “Don’t stop.”
“Never,” I pant in her ear, pushing her over the edge.
Her body shudders against me, and her walls tighten around my cock as she reaches her orgasm.
I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.
Seeing her fall apart propels me to reach my own climax.
I thrust again, my muscles tightening and the exhaustion setting in.
Her walls are pulsating against my cock, then I’m coming.
I spill inside her, continuing to drive in and out of her.
I bury my groan into her shoulder. Her hands wrap around the back of my head, sending a shiver down my spine.
Pausing only briefly to catch my breath, I finally look up. Julianna’s gorgeous face is flushed, but there’s an elated satisfaction in her gaze. I kiss her. Then I kiss her again.
“I love you,” I tell her, pulling out of her.
She lowers her legs, touching the ground with her toes. She fixes her dress, then leans back against the tree while watching me fix my pants in the moonlight. I tuck myself back in and rezip my jeans.
“I have no words, Rome.” She’s still catching her breath.
When I finish buckling my belt, I close the gap between us again. I can’t wipe the smile from my face as I straighten her tiara and tuck her tussled hair behind her ear. “For someone who is pretty vocal and opinionated, I’m shocked.”
She laughs, draping her arms over my shoulders. “Best birthday ever.” Her eyes search mine. “I wish we could be together like this every day.”
“Maybe in a bed.” I smirk, licking my lips.
She giggles, touching my nose with hers. “A bed would be nice. But I don’t know, I kind of like the danger in doing it in unconventional places.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
She inhales a deep breath. “I should probably get back inside before Sola starts looking for me.”
“Okay,” I sigh, not wanting this night to end. Every time I leave Julianna, it only gets more difficult.
“I love you. I’ll text you when I get inside.” She kisses me, allowing her lips to linger longer than usual, wrapping her hands around my neck.
When she pulls back, she gifts me with a small smile, then starts to turn and walk around the tree. Our hands glide down each other’s arm, but when my fingers reach her hand, I stop her.
“Lark, wait.” I blow out a heavy breath and use my free hand to rake my fingers through my hair.
Concern is etched in her expression, but as I look at her, I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. Well, other than not wanting to follow in my father’s footsteps.
“I hate being with you like this,” I start. I’m suddenly nervous as fuck. I lick my lips and plant my hands on my hips, sorting through my thoughts.
“What?” Julianna gasps, her voice cracking.
I snap my head up and, shit, I realize how that sounded.
“Oh, no.” I cradle her cheek. “I didn’t mean that I don’t want to be with you anymore.”
Her brows pinch. “Then, what did you mean?”
“I’m… I’m trying to say,” I stammer, struggling to get my words out.
I can tell Julianna isn’t used to seeing me like this.
I’m usually well controlled, projecting to anyone who ever questions crossing my path that I’m not one to cross.
It’s in the Montgomery DNA. But I’m different with Julianna.
She’s the only good thing in my fucked-up world, and I want to make her a permanent part of it.
“Rome?”
“I’m trying to say… that I hate being with you like this, seeing you in secret, risking our reputations, only getting fleeting moments to carry with me.”
I take her hands in mine and see a life I never dreamed I’d be envisioning six months ago. A life of happiness, love, and peace, where the Montgomerys and Capuletis no longer need to live with hate.
“I know this might sound impossible. It’s hard to envision a life where we aren’t enemies.
But I’m tired of pretending to hate you in public while loving you in secret.
Because I love you, every second of every day.
And now that you’re eighteen, we’re both in charge of our own dreams, and my dream is you.
Only you. I know this won’t solve the bigger issue of how this will all work, and I know you have this dream of going to some fancy design school eventually, which I would never keep you from pursuing, but…
fuck.” I drag a hand down my face, then allow the dam to break.
The words spill out of me so fast. “I want to marry you.”
A sharp gasp escapes her, and her eyes spread wide like a deer caught in the headlights.
Then her panic sets in.
I’ve fucked everything up. Maybe Julianna’s love for me doesn’t outweigh all the years of torture I’ve given her. Maybe she loves me but can’t envision a life where she bears the Montgomery name. How could she?
I’m certain our ancestors are rolling in their graves right now, gathering the strength to break free and murder us in retaliation.
She still hasn’t moved, and I’m worried I’ve ruined my chances of being with her.
“Fuck, I know you probably think I’m crazy.” I shake my head, unable to look at her face any longer. “Everything we’ve been doing these past few months has happened so fast, but I understand this is ridiculous and impractical, right? I just—”
“Rome…”
I look up, and my heart stops, not restarting until I hear her voice again.
She cups my face in her hands, tears lining her wide, bright blue eyes. They look just like the star-dotted night sky.
“I’ll marry you, Rome Montgomery,” she whispers. “I’ll marry you.”
I chuckle in disbelief, my heart exploding. I grab Julianna’s hands and hold them against my chest so she can feel how hard it’s beating.
“You scared me, Lark.”
She laughs and a tear slips through her long lashes. “You scared me.”
“Oh, fuck.” I sigh, feeling as if I could float away any moment. “We’re insane, aren’t we?”
We’re only eighteen and the odds are stacked against us, but I’m determined to make it work. I’ll find a way for us to get married without anyone knowing and then we can conquer our plan of bringing our families together once and for all, so we can stand united as husband and wife.
Our families won’t be able to keep us apart.
“Yes,” Julianna snickers. “We are insane, but that’s how I know it’s what I want. Because nothing has ever made sense with us, has it?”
I shake my head and reach for her left hand. I drag the tip of my finger over her fourth one. “I’ll buy you a ring this weekend—one worthy of this hand.” I bring it to my mouth and plant a gentle kiss there, eyeing her over our joined hands.
“You’d better be ready,” she warns, tangling my fingers with hers. “Marrying a Capuleti is never easy. Add in the fact that you’re a Montgomery…”
“I know it will be hard,” I tell her. “But we’ll figure everything out together.”
“Always.”
I grin. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I deepen my voice, pulling her to me, drawing her to stand on her toes. The branches beneath us snap and break, echoing through the dark of night.
Then I kiss my future wife before she heads back inside as if nothing has happened.