Chapter 16
Julien
Romeo presses a kiss to my cheek and says, “Thank you.” He kisses me on my other cheek and repeats those words. Then it’s my nose, my throat, and my lips, all followed by his appreciation.
To be seen is all I’ve ever wanted. It’s not about all his thank-yous, but I know he truly appreciates all I’ve done for him. I don’t need to be worshiped or get a pat on the back. I just want to be visible and not used or taken for granted.
Romeo would never be like that.
If I weren’t going away, I’d marry him. Not only to love on him and have someone in my life who cares about me in return, but to give him a name.
I need to stand firm and not deviate too much, except to protect him. I’m not afraid, but I don’t want to go without something positive to look back on. To know that my life was worth living, even for a little bit.
“Scoot back,” he says. “Don’t want us falling to our death.”
I raise my ass and pull my body back from the edge.
“More.”
I do it again, curious as to what Romeo’s up to.
He straddles my legs, and I’m clued in when he starts to undo my belt. His long fingers work the zipper open and pull out my cock from my underwear. It doesn’t take me long to get hard.
I rest on my elbows to watch him. The top of the water tower isn’t exactly smooth, so it hurts a little, but it doesn’t take much to push it to the back of my mind and focus on Romeo’s fucking fantastic mouth.
While he’s on his knees between my legs, his tongue toys with my dick. It’s taunting and teasing, giving me a little taste of what’s coming. He treats my cock like a fucking popsicle.
Because I can’t resist and his hair keeps falling in his face, I sit up on one hand and run my fingers through it, pulling it back and holding it there.
As I get lost in his licking and sucking, intrusive thoughts keep trying to poke holes in my pleasure.
Thoughts about Romeo being unable to touch my ass and worrying about not getting the opportunity to reclaim my power and control.
I need to replace some of the bad memories of Holt with good ones.
I can’t forget or erase it, but I need moments that balance out that pain.
It takes a minute, but I’m finally able to focus solely on Romeo.
Romeo.
The man with no name.
One of my favorite quotes from the story we were forced to read in high school comes to mind.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other word would smell as sweet,” I say out loud.
He pops off me, forcing me to let go of his hair, but he doesn’t stop stroking. It’s languid like an afterthought. His head is tilted, and his brows sit questioningly low over his eyes. “What does that mean? Did you make that up? It sounds… fancy.”
“It’s from Romeo and Juliet, a story by William Shakespeare from hundreds of years ago…
roughly 430 years ago. It basically means that a person’s essence is more important than their name.
Romeo and Juliet came from feuding families.
She loved him no matter what his name was.
No matter that he’s the enemy. You’re far from an enemy, of course, but I think the quote still fits.
You don’t have a birth name that we’re aware of.
That asshole named you, thinking Romeo would draw in more work and money.
But it doesn’t matter what he calls you.
No matter what your name is, you’re precious. You deserve the world and to be loved.”
And I wish I could give it to you, my Romeo, I say to myself, but I don’t dare tell him that out loud. I can’t give him that sort of hope.
He looks away, but not before I see his eyes glisten with moisture in the dim light of the night. He wipes away his face with his inner wrist and whispers, “That’s… so beautiful. Thank you.”
With that, he sucks me down, and I throw back my head and stare up at the starry night as I get lost in the pressure and wet heat.
There’s something about doing it out in the open. It’s kind of hot. That risk adds an extra element that sets my body on fire and builds the pressure faster than usual.
My hand lands in his soft hair again when his head bobs faster, and his mouth tries to suck the cum right out of me. I don’t shove his head down, as much as I want to. He can run this show without my help or guidance. The gurgling and slurping, along with my groans, fill the still air.
I lift my hips to thrust into his mouth. Romeo doesn’t even need to put his hand on me to stop me because he can take it. I hate and love that. I hate why he’s so good at it.
Awkward sounds come out of my mouth as I get lost in his. It’s easy to forget everything when Romeo goes down on you.
Despite the cool breeze, I break out in a sweat from the heat and pressure coursing through me. I’m panting, but I can barely feel anything else. Only pure pleasure, pressure, and his wet tongue.
Romeo reaches inside my underwear and eases my nuts out. He fondles them, gently squeezing and tugging. I can’t help but thrust into him.
Everything builds and pulses, like my pending orgasm is alive. It’s a living, breathing thing. It’s growing too much. I’m close. So close.
He hums around me as he deep-throats my cock.
And that’s it. I couldn’t stop if I tried. I cry out, my voice echoing as the cum explodes out of me. “Fuck…” I can’t stop. The cum spills and spills into his mouth. It’s so strong that even my eyes water.
“Jesusmotherfuckingchrist,” I hiss.
Romeo pops off me, and I let go of his hair. Before I can fall back to enjoy the numbness washing over me, he grips my jaw. His hold is strong. Before I can react, he pries my mouth open with his thumb.
I open it, and he presses his lips to mine. His tongue is full of my cum. He saved it just for me. I take the offering and swallow it. It’s not the first time I’ve tasted myself, but it’s the first time I’ve taken a whole load. Then he kisses me, still tasting of my bitter earthiness.
Romeo pulls away and suddenly smiles shyly. “Sorry, got carried away. I hope that’s okay. I’ve… never done that before.”
Now it’s my turn to grip underneath his jaw. “Any firsts you have all belong to me. All of them. Do them.”
He nibbles his bottom lip, nods, and smiles. “Okay.”
“They’re mine,” I reiterate. “You’re mine.”
I shouldn’t have said that. It just slipped out of me, but I won’t take it back.
When we return to the hotel, I make Romeo wait in the lobby while I talk to the concierge. It’s late, so I hope my plan will work. It’s a spontaneous idea, and I may not be able to pull it off, but it doesn’t hurt to ask, and maybe slipping a thou into the concierge’s pocket will help.
It doesn’t take much to convince him as soon as he sees the cash. He quickly and nonchalantly puts it into his wallet.
“I’ll make sure the cameras are off up there. And I’ll send someone to put up a ‘Closed for Maintenance’ sign.”
I wink at him. “You’re the best.”
It’s another reminder of what you can get away with when you’re rich.
With my hands shoved into the pockets of my slacks, I head back to Romeo, who’s sitting on a chair in the lobby, scrolling on his phone.
“Any word from that pedo?” I ask him.
He looks up and smiles. “Nah.”
“Good. Hopefully, it’ll stay that way as long as he gets his money daily and on time.”
“Don’t you worry about your bank paying him every day? You won’t get in trouble?”
I shrug. “Nah, I’ve moved my money into a special account, and I use a phone under a different name, but it doesn’t matter anyway.”
“Why?”
I hold out my hand, and he takes it. I help him stand and lead him toward the elevators.
“Let’s do something fun,” I say, grateful Romeo doesn’t push me to explain.
“We’re not going to our room?”
“Nope, I have something else in mind. It’s a surprise.”
When we get inside the elevator and the doors close behind us, I push him against the mirror and kiss the hell out of him. His hands slide underneath my shirt, which is still untucked from earlier. His hands are cold, but they feel good against my skin.
As soon as we reach the rooftop and the door closes behind us, I spin him around and dip him. “Let’s swim, baby.”
“But I don’t have my swim trunks,” he giggles.
I stand us upright and gently pinch his chin before letting go. “Don’t need them. We’re skinny dipping.”
His eyes grow wide, while I start to undress. “Uhm, isn’t that illegal?”
“Technically, but a hefty bribe to the concierge will make them look the other way. It’s late, and the pool is closed anyway, so they aren’t missing out on anything.”
I tuck my fingers into the elastic band of my underwear and look at him. “Come on. Let’s have some fun.”
Romeo glances at the water dubiously. “But I can’t swim.”
“I’m going to teach you.”
“Now?”
I stand in front of him and start unbuttoning his shirt. “Yep. What better time than now, when no one’s around, and surrounded by the beautiful night sky and the cityscape?”
“Okay, I trust you.”
“Good, because I’d never hurt you.”
Once we’re naked, we step into the pool water, which is a perfect 78°F.
“Oh, it’s warm,” he says.
As we step deeper into the water, Romeo clings to me as if he’s going to drown at any second.
“I’ve got you, baby.”
“Never stop calling me that.”
“I’ll call you that for as long as I can.” It’s not really a lie, and it makes him happy. I try not to think about how all this will make him feel when this is over. I’m hoping all the money he’s going to get will make up for it.
Romeo clings to me like he does at night. He’s an adorable koala. His arms are wrapped around my neck, and his legs are wrapped around my waist while he rests his chin on my shoulder. I hold him against me and let him get used to the water.
“It’s shallow here. You can touch the bottom.”
He shakes his head and clings tighter. “I’d rather kiss you instead.”
“I want to kiss you, too, but I think learning to swim is an important life lesson. I’ve been swimming since I was an infant, so it’s easy for me, but you can swim like a pro in no time. I won’t let you drown. That’s a promise.”
If he’s going to be on his own, he should have at least a few survival skills under his belt. I desperately try not to imagine what it will be like out there for him, all alone. I can’t afford to worry about his future more than I already do.
“At least learn to hold your breath and blow bubbles from your nose,” I coax. If I can get Romeo under the water, I’m confident I can teach him the basics of swimming. “You can hold your breath, right?”
Romeo lifts his head and looks at me. The light in the pool water casts a cyan hue over our bodies.
His silvery hair glows with it. It’s beautiful.
I’m not sure why this moment feels different from other times I’ve been this close to him.
It feels like a growing bond between us.
For the first time in over a year, since I’ve been planning this journey, I almost want to stay. To stay with him, in particular.
At the end of the day, we’re not a real couple. He doesn’t love me.
“You okay?” he asks.
I give him a quick and reassuring smile. “I’m great, baby.”
He scans my face, unsure whether he believes me. But I am great. I’m free. Soon, like him, I’ll be free of my chains.
“You need to get used to water on your face,” I tell him.
“But I do get water on my face. I take showers all the time.”
“I mean, being submerged in water.”
“Oh.”
“On the count of three, I want you to hold your breath as I dunk you. We’ll do a quick dip. That’s it. We’ll see how you do, and if you’re fine, I’ll teach you how to blow air from your nose to make bubbles.”
He looks around the water before glancing back at me. “Okay.”
“If this is too much for you, let me know, and we’ll get out. I want you to learn to swim, but I’m not going to force you.”
“No, let’s do this.”
Romeo loosens his hold on me, and I grip him by the waist. “One, two—”
“Don’t let go!”
“Never, baby… One, two, and three!”
I dunk underwater and take him with me. My eyes are open, and his are closed; his cheeks ballooned from holding his breath. Two seconds is all we need before we’re coming up for air.
I flip my hair back from my face as he wipes the water from his.
“Well?”
“That was easy.”
“Let’s blow bubbles. Stick your nose underwater, but keep the rest of your head above it. I want you to get used to blowing air from your nose. You’ll still have to hold your breath.”
Together, we sink into the water until it reaches over our noses. I haven’t let him go yet, either.
As soon as I blow bubbles, so does he.
We only do it for about five seconds before I pull him up.
“That was kind of silly,” he says with a huge smile on his face.
I chuckle. “It’s what they teach children who are learning to swim. You’re not a child, clearly, but you’ve never been in the water like this before.”
“What’s next?”
That’s trust right there. In a few short minutes, Romeo goes from being afraid to feeling safe that I won’t let him drown.
It’s a powerful thing. Where I come from, no one trusts each other.
There’s something pure about Romeo’s reaction.
I haven’t really earned it, and in a world full of pain, he chose me over the fear. It’s fucking humbling.
After an hour of teaching him to swim, with lots of little smooches as a reward system, I ended up getting Romeo to dunk underwater and float on his own. It’s a start.
He was so fucking proud of himself, and I’m proud right along with him.