He made me promise not to run.
But what about him?
I don’t think he understood what he was getting himself into. He’d been caught up in the moment, in that incredible kiss. He was likely driving home right now and shaking his head. He was probably already regretting what happened.
I opened the door to my room and crept inside, closing the door silently behind me. When I turned, I let out a breath. Ivy wasn’t home. Thank goodness. She’d take one look at me and know something happened. Then she would demand to know what it was until I caved.
I wasn’t ready to tell anyone. I wanted to keep this night to myself even for just a little while.
Morning would come. Should I keep that promise? Should I believe there was something between Romeo and me? What if I did and he hurt me? What if he laughed? I didn’t want to go through that. It hurt too much.
After I set my bag aside, I pulled down the covers on the bed and turned out the light. I changed into a pair of cotton boxers and a white tank for sleep, hesitating a moment before pulling off Romeo’s hoodie. I draped it over the end of my bed before climbing in and lying down.
I wished I knew what he was thinking right now. I didn’t know what to do. If only my mom were still here, I could call and ask her for advice.
I missed her.
I missed her every day.
I worried about Romeo for a while before I started reliving that kiss, the way he held me in his arms and carried me to the car. I thought I was too keyed up to sleep, but I drifted off with tingling lips.
I don’t know how much later I was roused by a sound. It was probably Ivy sneaking in past curfew and trying not to be loud about it. I burrowed down into my blankets a little bit farther and slipped back into sleep.
Tink, tink, tink.
My eyes popped open. That wasn’t any sound Ivy ever made sneaking in before.
Tink, tink, tink.
I rolled over in bed and listened some more. It sounded like something hitting against glass. When it didn’t stop, I pushed up and flicked on a small lamp beside my bed. I looked across the room to Ivy’s bed and noted she still wasn’t home.
I glanced at the clock. It was after two a.m. She must not be coming home.
The noise continued, this time louder. It was coming from over by the window.
I got up and crept over and peered down into the grass.
I wasn’t wearing my glasses, they were next to the bed, so my vision was slightly blurry, but I would know Romeo anywhere.
What the hell was he doing?
I unlatched the locks on the window and pushed the glass up. “Rimmel,” he whisper-yelled from beneath.
“What are you doing?” I whisper-yelled back.
“I’m coming up!” he said and started backing up like he was going to jump.
I know I wasn’t wearing my glasses, but my eyesight wasn’t that bad. How did he think he was going to make it up here? A rustling sound below drew my attention away from Romeo. Braeden was down there too. He was standing beneath the window like he was ready to give Romeo and boost.
They were insane. They must be drunk.
Before I could tell them to stop, Romeo launched himself forward and used Braeden as some kind of launching pad. His hand just cleared the window ledge and he swung back and forth like he was going to fall.
“Romeo!” I gasped and rushed forward to grab his hand.
His other hand swung up and gripped the ledge, giving him a much more solid hold. He glanced up at me with blond hair falling over his forehead and mischief in his gaze. “Hi.”
I giggled. “Hi.”
“Where’s your glasses?”
“I don’t wear them to bed.”
He smiled. “Move back so I can come in.”
I released his hand and backed up. Seconds later, he swung himself into the room with ease and straightened.
“Day-um.” He whistled, keeping his voice low as he looked up and down my body.
The tiny shorts and tank left very little to the imagination.
“You look hot,” he growled and came at me.
I backed up a step and he caught me around the waist. Both of us fell back and landed on my bed. I laughed and looked up. But he wasn’t laughing or smiling.
His gaze was intense and it made my heart skip a beat.
“What?” I whispered. Maybe he’d come to tell me how much he regretted earlier.
“Has anyone ever told you just how beautiful you really are?” He breathed.
The bottom fell out of my stomach and I shook my head.
“That’s a damn shame,” he muttered and lowered his head to capture my lips.
I surrendered to him immediately. The feeling of him on top of me was so delicious that I shivered. His hand slid down to my hip and pulled me more firmly under him as he explored my mouth lazily.
It wasn’t the same kind of desperate kiss as before, but it rocked my world just the same. He kissed me so thoroughly that my legs began to shake and the center of my panties were moist. I could feel the rigid length of him pressing against the front of his jeans, and it made me shake more.
When he pulled back, he stared down with soft eyes and a small smile on his lips.
“Are you drunk?” I blurted out. Then I winced. Way to play it cool, Rimmel.
He chuckled low. “Nope.”
“So you’re really just kissing me because you want to?” I asked. Once again with the mouth vomit. When would I ever learn?
“Ah,” he said, sitting up and putting his back against the wall. His legs were so long that his feet still hung off the side of the mattress. “Already having morning-after doubts and it’s not even morning yet.”
“Technically it is.” I countered.
He laughed and reached for me. I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t. I was powerless to the need he created in me. Romeo settled me in his lap and tucked an arm around me. “I like kissing you.”
He reached down and fingered his hoodie on the bed. “You sleeping with this?” His voice grew raspy.
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
He growled, wrapped his arms around me, and buried his face in my shoulder. “You really test my limits,” he said. Then I heard him mumble, “Already.”
“Your limits?” I asked, pulling back to look at him.
“If you were any other girl, I would already have you naked and beneath me.”
His words should have shocked me. Maybe made me angry.
They didn’t.
They turned me on. I shivered with newfound desire.
He groaned and sat me aside and stood from the bed. “You’re killing me, Smalls.”
“Smalls?” I giggled.