Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Nell
I tug at the hem of my cardigan, my nerves getting the better of me.
I am waiting for Romeo to pick me up to go to the airport for our flight to Hawaii, for this family wedding I agreed to attend with him. After thinking of what he proposed to me, I read a book that had a similar plotline and it got me thinking that I needed something exciting in my life.
Keith’s cheating had left this mark on my heart, and I needed to erase it.
A black expensive looking SUV pulls into the parking lot of my apartment building, and I know instantly that it is Romeo.
Romeo De Massy drives in style.
He climbs out, looking like a model, dressed in jeans, a knit sweater, and sneakers. His hair hangs in unruly waves that I would love to run my fingers through, so I can tug on it while he devours me.
God, this man has me on the horny scale twenty-four seven.
I reach for my suitcase, but he rushes toward me, taking the handle from me with a smile that would melt the panties off any woman.
Me included.
“Morning. You ready for this?” He cups my jaw like it is the most natural thing in the world.
My eyes close from his touch and I know that I should not let my heart get involved with this man, but he is making it freaking hard not to.
“As ready as I will ever be,” I whisper.
It has been a week since our first date, and after the deranged Barbie was removed from the restaurant, we had a great time. We talked about things in our lives, but not nearly as much as I would have liked.
Romeo got called away to his club, something about a money situation, so he dropped me off at my place and left with the promise to meet up again. He kept that promise too, which gave him points in my book.
He took me to the movies to watch the new F1 film, then we had hot dogs from a street vendor. We talked for what felt like hours; it was nice to just chat and get to know him.
It will be good for when we have to pretend around his family. The idea of lying to his family doesn’t sit well with me anymore, and I have not met them yet, but Romeo portrays them as amazing people.
There is a noticeable sense of sexual chemistry between us, though he has not initiated a kiss. I am simultaneously comfortable with this and somewhat disappointed, and I blame my romantic side for the mixed emotions.
Romeo takes my suitcase from me, and I pull the door closed to lock it, and as I step away, I am jerked back, my back slamming against the door. I let out a little squeal that has Romeo looking back at me.
“Shit, that will leave a bruise.”
“What happened?” he asks, rushing toward me.
Looking down, I see that the pocket of my cardigan has gotten caught in my door handle.
Fucking typical that I make a fool out of myself in front of him. I giggle as Romeo tugs on the material freeing it up, his handsome face carrying a grin.
“Come on, ya goof.”
Romeo leads me to his car and helps me in before stashing my suitcase in the trunk.
Once he is done, he climbs into the car, and we are off. I am not sure how much time passes, but in a blink we are at the airport. Romeo does not drive in the normal way, oh no, he takes a different road that leads to a private airstrip.
My mouth drops open, making him chuckle beside me when I see the private plane that sits idle on the tarmac.
“Are we flying in that?” I ask in awe.
“We are. Come on.” He climbs out before he opens my door for me, offering his hand so I can slide out of the car.
We walk hand in hand to the plane; I thought he would drop my hand after helping me out of the car, but he holds firm, making my inner romantic giddy.
Shit.
He lets me walk onto the plane first, and I see a pretty blonde at the top of the steps. Her smile falters when she sees me, but it brightens when her gaze lands on Romeo behind me.
“Mr. De Massy, sir, everything is ready for you. Let me know if there is anything you might need or want.” I cannot roll my eyes hard enough at her blatant flirting with Romeo while he has a woman with him.
“Just do your job correctly and politely and I will have what I need. Can you bring us some water, please?” He shifts his attention to me, guiding me to a double seat.
The interior has cream leather seating, with some dark oak panels. The dark oak wood sets off the cream and brass colors, giving it an expensive vibe. I see a bar at the back and then a door, which I suspect leads to a bedroom.
Does Romeo use that when he brings women on here?
My stomach gets tight at the thought of Romeo seducing other women on here. Using the place to get what he wants, or flying someone special for a sexy weekend away.
“Hey, are you okay?” His voice breaks through my thoughts.
I nod, finding him looking at me with a dipped brow, sitting on one of the big leather seats. “I am, just nervous.”
It hits me that I have not told Romeo that I am scared of flying and I do not do it much; I drive everywhere.
“Nervous? Of flying?” I nod, making sure that my seat belt is tight and locked in place.
“You will be fine.”
“Says the man who owns a private jet, who clearly flies a lot in this death trap. Oh my God, we will be trapped in this if we crash.” My heart starts racing, and my body tingles with both cold fear and heat from my panic.
My mini panic attack instantly goes silent when his lips press to mine. It is like he flipped the switch and everything went quiet.
His lips are soft, warm, and his day-old stubble itches my skin. His large hand cups my jaw, keeping me to him, as his thumb brushes over my cheek.
I get lost in the kiss, his tongue touching the seam of my lips, and I open for him, wanting more of him like a greedy woman in heat. His tongue dances with mine, and a low throaty sound comes from him, the sound hitting me between the legs.
My body is warm all over; I have never been kissed like this before.
The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupts us, and I keep my eyes closed as Romeo pulls back, then I hear the flight attendant’s voice.
“We are ready to take off,” she snipes. To keep from her seeing my smirk, I bury my face in Romeo’s shoulder, and I feel his body vibrate a little as he chuckles.
“Okay, we are ready.”
She huffs under her breath, making my smile widen against his body.
“We are doing that again, babe.” His voice sends a shiver of promise through me.
“Well, you are in luck because I want to do that again, too.” He cocks a brow at me, and I stammer. “W-well I mean we have to, for your parents to believe that we are a c-couple, right?”
His smile widens and my heart stutters in my chest. He is so damn yummy and handsome. I want to lick him like a popsicle.
“After that kiss, I think we can pull it off. You respond to me like a good girl, so it was believable.” He winks.
“I did not.” I scowl, looking out the window but a smile is on my lips.
The plane starts to move, and my heart lurches in my chest, but I push it down not to make a fool out of myself in front of this insanely hot man next to me. Romeo keeps talking, and I focus on his voice to distract me from my impending doom in the sky.
“You did. I think you like being my good girl.” My breasts tingle, my thighs clench, and I hear him chuckle.
Turning my head back to him, I see he is grinning. “I know how to read a woman’s body, Nell, and I can tell that you want me.”
“Yeah, like every other woman you come into contact with.” A thought snaps into my mind and I huff, looking out the window again.
“What was that thought that had you huffing like a bear in the woods?”
My head snaps in his direction. “A bear. What the hell?”
“Something you didn’t like popped into your head. What was it?”
“It is stupid, okay. I know that you are not a virgin, far from it, from what I have seen online, and I know that we are not really dating, but I do not want to hear about how you know a woman’s body, Romeo.”
Before I can look away, he pinches my chin to keep me looking at him. It doesn’t hurt but the touch has me obeying him.
Shit.
“I am sorry that I said that. It was wrong of me.” My eyes widen at his admission. “If we are going to make this believable, then I need to show you respect and care.”
“Did Romeo De Massy just apologize?”
“To you. Always. I think there is enough chemistry to pull this off, Nell. But one thing you will always get from me from here on out is respect.”
I give him a small nod, my smile easing some of the tension in his shoulders.
We take off, and my gut is in knots, but I hide the fact that I am screaming like Shia LaBeouf in Transformers when he is being chased.
Romeo talks to me for most of the flight, asking about my family, friends, and work. He briefly shares some of his family history but avoids specifics, likely because of his connection to an Italian Mafia family, which I understand needs discretion.
I yawn, and he suggests that I rest, offering his shoulder as a pillow, which provides comfort. I inhale his masculine woodsy scent, which reminds me of a forest in spring. I wake up in the bed at the back of the plane, with Romeo next to me typing on his laptop.
He offers me a smile, brushing some hair from my cheek before leaning in to kiss my lips.
“Practice.”
I give him a sleepy smile back, unable to fully function yet. Then we are deplaning, and the heat from the Hawaiian island of Waikiki hits me like a sun-filled tsunami.
"Come on. Let's get to the hotel and freshen up," he says, and I agree, following him to the waiting car.
Everything feels surreal and I barely have time to process it. This week will be full of emotions and unforgettable memories.