Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Romeo
There's something off about Nell. She's all smiles and her voice is cheery whenever she answers questions, but I can't shake the feeling that she's hiding something from me.
I rattle my brain to think where or if I messed up but nothing is coming to mind. I need to talk to her about it, but right now we are sitting around the pool with the immediate family for a meal.
“You will tell me later what is wrong.” She looks at me, and I see defiance swirl in her eyes.
“Later.” Her nose almost touches mine as she leans in.
“Aww, they are so sweet together.” I hear my mother’s voice.
To add to her gushing over us, I press my lips to Nell’s, smiling against them before I pull back.
“Yeah, who would have thought that a guy like Romeo would stick to one chick.” This comes from Gio, another cousin of mine.
We are close in age, and we are close; I am closer to him than most in the family.
I flip the fucker off, making him laugh and Nell giggle.
“Gio, really. His girlfriend is right there. You should not be speaking about his past relationships,” one of my aunts defends me. I blow her a kiss, making her smile.
“It is okay, Auntie, the only serious relationship Gio has is with his hand.”
A mini sweetcorn is thrown at me; I catch it before it hits Nell, and she laughs, leaning into me.
“Sorry, Nell. I was aiming for that fucker’s big head.”
“Not the only thing that is big about him,” Nell replies to him with a wink.
“Fuck, she will fit right in.” Asher laughs.
Before I can reply, Daneille speaks up.
“Do you think that that is appropriate conversation at the dinner party of the bride and groom and in front of your boyfriend’s family?” she snidely remarks, making Nell stiffen in her seat.
You could cut the air with a knife the tension is so fucking thick, thanks to my ex and her big mouth. If my mother or any of the women had a problem with what Nell said, they would have spoken up, but no, Daniella had to try and bring Nell down to make her feel awkward.
Nell’s back straightens before she looks to the bride and groom, then my parents.
“I am sorry if I spoke out of turn. It was not my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable.”
"You should know who Romeo's family is since you are in a relationship with him. Are you really that stupid and blind? It goes to show that you clearly have no awareness of what is around you." Daniella smirks, and I see mischief in her eyes, as she sips from her flute.
What does she know that I do not?
Gasps echo around table as my anger boils.
“That is enough. You do not get to—” A hand on my thigh stops my next words.
I look at Nell, who is smiling weakly at me, and I know that the bitch’s words have hit their mark.
“I know what I need to know about Romeo’s family.
You may be privy to more than me as you have been around the family longer, and in time, maybe I will be honored with more information.
However, as of now, I am new to the family so I do not expect instant trust and loyalty, just because I am with Romeo.
That being said, Danika, you do not know me well enough to judge me, as I do not know you, and thankfully I never will. ”
I snigger, leaning down to bury my face in the crook of her neck, the scent of her hair seeping into my senses.
Nell purposely used the wrong name when addressing Daniella, and I fucking love that, and I know this will piss the woman off.
“It is Daniella, not Danika. You will do good to remember that Romeo does not keep women for long, believe me. You are a passing ship.”
“Well, it is a good thing that I like riding on boats.”
Again, the room goes deadly quiet before my mother’s laughter breaks the ice, and soon everyone joins in.
I see my mother winking at me; she approves of Nell, and I sigh, leaning back in my seat and pulling Nell closer.
“Damn, girl, you know how to pack the punches, huh?” Asher muses.
My thumb strokes across her bare skin, sending a wave of goosebumps across her flesh.
“Sorry,” she whispers to me.
“You did good, babe.”
She nods, then takes a sip of her wine. Her body is pressed against mine, her bare arm touching mine, and it makes my balls ache to feel more of her.
She is making me feel more than I expected, stirring things inside me I never thought I wanted again after the shitstorm that was my last relationship. I always thought this kind of instant connection—what people call “insta-love”—was just a myth, but now I’m not so sure.
There’s something about her.
“So, how did you two meet?” I hear my uncle ask me.
My parents chuckle.
Nell giggles.
I groan.
“Well, it seems that our son likes a bit of alien romance, isn’t that right, Romeo?” my dad chimes in, making everyone laugh.
“Yeah, sure, Dad.” I shake my head, laughing.
“Do tell,” my uncle calls.
He is the father of the bride and a man I highly respect, and he is also the man who gave me the start-up money for Lux all those years go.
“Okay, truth time. I bumped into Nell outside her coffee slash bookstore, where she was being accosted by her ex-husband and his new lady friend, we will call her.” Nell’s body tenses besides me.
“They were not being very nice and I stepped in to help. Pretending to be her new man. After a few hard truths from Nell, she sent them packing. We sat and talked after she offered coffee as a thank you, and we just clicked. Right, baby?”
Nodding, her smile is wide, her eyes holding adoration as she looks at me. That one look tells me she is in this as much as I am. Fingers crossed I get to keep her past this one week.
“Yes,” is all she says.
We get lost in each other’s eyes. Like in the fucking cheesy movies, everything fades around us. I brush a hair from her face, then cup her jaw, leaning in for a kiss just as someone speaks.
“Aww, that is sweet.”
Nell pulls back, her cheeks painted pink from her blush, and it makes me want her more.
“Man, I am glad that Nell seems like a cool chick. You remember the one who turned up at our family Halloween party dressed like a slutty nurse?” a young cousin of mine calls out.
“Oh, I remember. Which one was that?” Gio asks between laughs.
“He has had so many,” Asher adds, looking at Nell and winking.
She giggles, and I relax, hoping that the mention of my past with women will not put her off being with me.
Everyone laughs, and I bite back my own laugh as I see Daniella pushing to her feet, her face red with anger.
“That was me, you dick. I was told that it was an adult party, not a family one.” She stomps her feet, making people laugh harder.
“Did she just stomp her feet like a toddler?” Nell whispers to me.
“She did.” Then I turn my attention to my ex, who is making herself look like a fool. “No, you were told it was a family party. We talked about it, and I told you not to wear that costume, but you were convinced that I was lying to you.”
“You should have tried harder with me, Romeo.”
“Okay, I think we all need to calm down and enjoy the rest of our night,” Uncle Mario calls out.
Daniella sits back down, and everyone ignores her while she orders drink after drink.
“You okay?” I whisper to Nell.
“Yeah. I am okay.” Her smile does not reach her eyes, so I ask again.
“Want to try that again? Or do you want me to take you back to our room and spank it out of you?” Her eyes widen at my question.
“Yes. I mean, no. But I— Wait, what?” she sputters, her cheeks turning pink again.
“You sure on that answer?”
“Oh, I am not sure what you were asking. I m-mean maybe, but right now? Here for all of your family to see, so maybe not. I am not sure I will like the pain that I read comes with it.” She sighs, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. “I am going to shut up now.”
“Since we are surrounded by my family, I will let it slide for now, but I think by your nervous rambling and reading knowledge of it, we will come back to this subject when we are alone.”
I leave it at that and make sure that she enjoys the rest of the night, not bringing up the fact that I want to spank her ass and then fuck her so hard that she feels me for the rest of the day.