Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
TESSA
Tequila drips in between my legs and onto the floor, splattering against my brand-new heels. My mouth hangs open in shock. I quickly scoot backward in my chair and pray no one is watching the scene unfold throughout the very prestigious unveiling occurring in the front of the room.
“Ah, sorry, Tess.” Jasper’s words are slightly drawn out from the amount of tequila he’s consumed in the last hour. “Here.”
He gathers the cloth napkin in his hand and starts shoving it in between my legs to help, only he doesn’t get very far. Rome wraps his fingers around Jasper’s wrist, and from the sight of his white knuckles, I’d say he’s squeezing pretty hard.
“Don’t even touch her,” he snaps.
Jasper lets go of the napkin as soon as Rome releases his grip. I take over, perfectly capable of cleaning myself. I quickly wipe away the excess from my thighs so it doesn’t bleed onto my dress. I move the silk aside to reach my ankle but stop breathing when Rome shifts beside me.
His callused palm gently touches my calf, and he lets it linger there for a few seconds.
His fingers slowly wrap around my leg to scoot it closer to him beneath the table.
I force myself to swallow and stay perfectly still.
The soft touch of the napkin slowly brushes across my ankle with Rome’s hand traveling down my leg to hold it still.
His fingers are warm and careful, yet I have goosebumps challenging my thoughts.
I relax into his touch because it feels good. My heart beats harder the longer he dabs away the mess, and it’s the only thing I hear inside my ears. His finger traces a line around the clasp of my shoe, and a shiver runs down my spine.
It’s the faintest of touches, and yet I’m putty in the palm of his hand.
The room erupts in another applause, and it shocks me, like I’m caught red-handed.
I hastily pull my leg out of reach and stand on wobbly legs. “I’m going to finish cleaning myself up in the bathroom,” I announce.
Jasper tries to follow. “I’ll help you–”
“You absolutely will not!” Quinn hisses. “I’m walking you up to your room so you don’t cause another scene!”
“Nice try, Quinny. I’m the older cousin. You can’t tell me what to do.”
“What are you? Five?” she snaps. “Let’s go. Now.”
I leave Quinn to deal with Jasper and search for the bathroom or, at the very least, a moment alone to gather myself.
Between Jasper’s behavior, getting a drink spilled all over me, and Rome’s touch lingering a little too long, I need a second. Or a shot. I should’ve grabbed the bottle of tequila on my way out the door.
It’s pretty desolate outside of the venue room, and without any directions at all, I have no clue which way to go.
I choose to go left, because it’s farthest away from the entrance.
The click of my heels echoes around the empty hall as I rush toward a door that I hope leads to a bathroom. I vaguely hear Quinn’s voice as she scolds Jasper, but like a beacon of light, a bathroom appears.
Thank God.
I slip inside and press my back against the door. I exhale, and stare at myself in the mirror. The pink flush on my cheeks spreads all the way to my neck and down to my chest. I think of Jasper, and then Rome, and quickly reach up to loosen the silk wrapped around my neck.
I’m suddenly feeling very suffocated and sticky.
I gather a few paper towels and wet them with water. In the midst of cleaning my legs, the door opens.
I turn around in a rush. “Sorry! This is occupied.”
Rome steps inside and locks the door behind him. “I know.”
My breath catches, and fight-or-flight kicks in. I search for a way around him or another exit, knowing very well that there isn’t one.
I don’t really want to leave, though. I just know I should.
“Wh–what are you doing here?” I stammer. “Did anyone see you follow me?”
His blue eyes flick to mine. “No one saw me.”
“Well…” I glance at the wet paper towels dripping onto the floor. “What about your date? I’m not so sure she’d be happy to know you followed me out of the venue after glaring at my date the entire night.”
Rome scoffs. “Nice choice, by the way. He can’t even handle his liquor. And Rebecca doesn’t care where I go. She uses me as a cover just as much as I use her.”
I eye him closely. “What do you mean?”
Rome’s throat bobs up and down, like he’s forcing himself to swallow. “She’s in a committed relationship with someone she shouldn’t be.”
“Oh.”
I act quick and cross my arms defensively so he doesn’t notice the way my shoulders loosen from relief. “Well, you shouldn’t have followed me. If someone saw you, then what’s the point of either of us bringing a plus-one?”
Rome leans against the door and shoves his hands into the pockets of his trousers.
It’s frustrating how attractive he is, especially in an elite suit. The dark navy brings out the color of his eyes even more, as if they weren’t already the most vibrant blue I’ve ever seen.
I raise an eyebrow and wait for his answer.
He drops his lazy gaze down my body, and my face warms again.
I mindlessly take a step backward to fight whatever is happening between us.
“We each brought a date to fool everyone into thinking there’s nothing happening between us,” Rome mutters.
My stomach flips. “There is nothing happening between us.”
Rome tilts his head and stares at me from across the small space.
I take another step backward and bump into the sink.
Why is it so warm and cozy in this bathroom? Does everything have to be so romantic in Madrid?
“You look flushed,” he says.
My spine straightens. “Drinking tequila makes me warm.”
His lips flatten. “But you didn’t drink any.”
“How do you know?”
Rome’s tongue slips out of his mouth to run it over his bottom lip. “Because I watch you, Tessa.”
It’s so quiet I know he hears the way my breath catches.
He blinks. “And I know you’ve felt me watching you.”
There’s something extremely dangerous lingering in the air that I’ve only ever felt with Rome. At first, I thought the tension between us was because our rivalry between our teams ran bone-deep, but right now, the ache in my lower stomach is full of lust and hidden urges.
In every quiet moment, I think about the kiss we shared until I realize what I’m doing. And when I look at him from across the room, I pretend I don’t feel the yearning. Every time he brushes his leg against mine, my skin prickles, and I tell myself it’s from irritation.
But it’s not from irritation at all.
It’s something much worse.
Rome shifts against the door, and I quickly try to cover up my thoughts.
“Of course I’ve felt you watching me, and I know it’s because you’re waiting for me to mess up so you can tease me about it later on.”
I’m giving him an out.
I’m giving him a way around this so he doesn’t feed into it the same way that I am.
All he has to do is make some stupid remark to offend me, turn around, and leave me be.
For the first time, I’m willingly giving him the control.
His sexy chuckle echoes. “Is that why you think I’m watching you?”
I stare at him, my heart pounding a hundred beats a second.
With the damp paper towel still in my grip, I push off from the sink and walk toward the door, careful not to touch him with my hand resting on the handle.
His jaw is tight as he peers down at me.
Even with my heels, he’s still taller than me.
“It better be the reason.” My whisper slices through the tension.
He nods slowly, his temples flickering with every bob of his head.
I pull on the door handle, thinking he’ll move out of the way, but he doesn’t.
I stop breathing when his arm winds around the front of my body.
“And what if it isn’t, Tess?”