Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Nell
With his hand on the small of my back, we arrive at the reception desk, and I’m still tense from interacting with Romeo’s cousin and his ex.
It’s hard to believe he dated someone like her—she seems insincere and harsh, whereas Romeo is straightforward and authentic.
“Romeo De Massy checking in,” he tells the pretty young woman behind the desk.
“Aloha. Certainly, sir.” She taps away on the keyboard as I take a moment to observe the impressive Hawaiian artwork and traditional items displayed throughout the space.
“Romeo,” is called, and we both look behind us to see an older couple walking toward us.
I take in the couple and my body coils like a rattlesnake. The gentleman is an older version of Romeo; his father. The woman at his side is on the shorter side with thick dark hair with some gray flowing through the waves; his mother.
“You will be fine, Nell. Breathe,” he reassures me.
Okay, operation ‘Deal Mode’ is activated.
I square my shoulders and take a deep breath, keeping a smile on my face, hoping that I look friendly and not like a psycho killer.
“I am so happy that you arrived,” his mother greets him.
She clutches both of his cheeks, bringing him down for a kiss to the cheek, while his father watches me intently.
“Safe flight, Son?” Romeo nods and shakes his father’s hand.
“It was uneventful. Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Nell. These are my parents, Anthony and Renata.”
“It’s so nice to meet you both.” I nod to them, offering up a smile that I hope convinces them that I am not losing my shit on the inside.
“Oh, we do not shake hands,” Renata says, pulling me in for a hug.
I go with a force, but smile at the warmth coming off her.
“Woman, let the poor girl go so she can breathe,” Anthony tells his wife.
“Oh, pish posh. Everyone loves a hug from time to time.”
“I love hugs,” I blurt out.
Renata winks and says, “Nice to meet you. I want to know where my son met someone so beautiful—and convinced her to date him since he works too much.”
I blush at her compliment, and Romeo’s hand tugs me closer to him, his fingers flexing at my hip.
I take a breath, remembering how awkward things always were with Keith's parents and how they never really warmed up to me. Meeting Romeo's family feels like stepping into unfamiliar territory, and I'm anxious about making a good impression.
Smiling, I begin to share, "Romeo and I actually met at a coffee shop slash bookstore that I own with my parents. He came in for a coffee and a book about alien romance.”
No one says anything for a second before Renata’s laughter sounds loudly and full of genuine amusement. Anthony winks at me, telling me that I am all good.
“Oh, honey. I knew you were an oddball.”
“I will get you for that,” Romeo whispers in my ear, making me shiver with anticipation for what he will do to me.
“Who knew that he would be into such a thing since he oozes money and confidence, but it seems that we truly cannot judge a book by its cover,” I tack on.
His fingers flex, making me tingle in all the best places a woman should tingle.
“We need to go to our room and settle in. We will catch you guys later.” He kisses his mother’s cheek once more and we leave.
I am little shocked by the sudden action from him, but I go along with it. The ride in the elevator to our room is filled with silence. It is deafening and awkward.
“Did I do something wrong?” I push past the lump forming in my throat.
He looks down at me but says nothing.
Shit.
I cannot read him and it is messing with my insides.
I made him look like a fool in front of his parents and maybe he is going to send me back home.
Straightening my shoulders, I think to myself that if he cannot take a joke, like he seems to have in the past few days, then maybe he is not the man I thought he was.
We exit the elevator, and we walk down a long hall that leads us to our room. Romeo scans the key card, and the door beeps open. I step inside first, then he follows, his heat at my back.
A gasp slips from me taking in the opulent room. It is stunning.
Pink tones complement brown accents seamlessly in this sophisticated space. A large bed is set against a wall adorned with pink-and-silver patterned wallpaper. Expansive windows fill much of the room and open onto a balcony.
Opposite the bed, a small divider wall separates the room into two, a brown sofa sits alongside a coffee table, while a large television is mounted on the wall. A bar sits at the end near the window.
I look out the window at the stunning, indescribable beach—my first time in Hawaii. The colors, the vibe, and the general atmosphere of the location are beyond words.
Suddenly, Romeo spins me around and kisses me. His large hands snake around my back, holding me tightly.
His tongue dips into my mouth and tangles with my own. He commands the kiss, taking what he wants and giving me what I need. It is like he knows just how to kiss me to make me melt for him.
Breaking the kiss, he rests his forehead against mine, breathing deeply while catching his breath.
“Fuck, you handled my parents amazingly.”
“I thought I had messed things up with how you reacted.”
He shakes his head, curls slipping onto his forehead. I resist the urge to push them back, unwilling to be so intimate yet, even after he kissed me hungrily. Still, I doubt Romeo De Massy lacks female attention.
“No, I needed to taste you.” He closes his eyes once more and breathes. “Fuck, what are you doing to me?”
“I-I know how—” I am cut off by his phone ringing.
“Shit.” He fishes the phone out of his pocket and groans. “Fuck, I have to take this. It may take a while. Do what you want. Rest or go look around the hotel.” His voice is suddenly void of the emotion he was just showing me.
I blink as I watch his retreating back go out onto the balcony.
What the hell just happened? It is like he turned into a different person.
I know that he owns a lot of businesses but fuck me, he did not have to dismiss me like that. This is not the Romeo I have come to see and be around since we met.
Shaking my head at his behavior, I quickly change into something more appropriate for the weather, then collect my purse from the floor, where I dropped it when he kissed me, and leave the room, not bothering to tell him that I am leaving.
What is the point?
Once in the elevator, I hit the button that will take me to the ground floor, and I will find myself a bar to have a drink or ten to forget what the hell just happened.
Sighing, I step out, seeing guests running around, staff helping people. I smile and nod to people walking past me, unsure if they are wedding guests or not; I still have a part to play.
Fuck, that is all I am while here. A pretend girlfriend. A deal that he made with me.
This connection I thought we had could very well be one-sided, so I need to guard my heart.
My stomach hurts from being so tight. I know that I will start to feel things for Romeo; it is in my DNA to fall hard and fast, but despite believing I was strong enough to hold off, it seems as though he is already under my skin.
With a drink in mind, I see a bar right outside the door and head that way.
Keeping my head held high, I tell myself I am Romeo De Massy’s pretend girlfriend, so I need to look confident— like I can handle myself.
Yet I knew beyond a doubt that my journey of misfortunes would follow me even to Hawaii.
Slipping through the door, a child runs into me. I flinch and step back to stop the child from colliding with me but in return, I back into a waiter who is carrying a tray full of glasses.
He grunts at the contact before the tray falls to the ground with an almighty crash. Glasses shatter everywhere and colorful liquid spills across the floor.
My cheeks heat, my body zipping with embarrassment. I mutter my apology and flee the scene, hearing both curses and laughter.
My stomach churns with regret and humiliation, as I make my way back to the room to find Romeo still on the phone.
Ducking into the bathroom, I shower quickly, dressing in something comfortable before settling onto the bed with my Kindle. Might as well get some reading in while I am being ignored.