I worried Missy’s eyes might fall out of her head. And when Romeo’s gaze seemed to settle on her, it only got worse. “Braeden picking you up?”
“No,” she answered. “I’m riding with Ivy.”
“All right,” he said, motioning to all of us. “Let’s go.”
“I don’t mind driving,” Ivy hurried to say. “You two can be alone.”
He seemed to debate and glanced at me. His eyes roamed my body again, and he frowned. “No,” he finally said. “Ride with me. Then Rimmel won’t have to try and find you in the crowd.”
Ivy looked at me as if to ask if it was okay. I nodded.
“We’ll meet you downstairs,” she said, and she and Missy left the room.
Romeo looked at me and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I knew you were beautiful, but damn, Rimmel,” he muttered. “I’m kind of having second thoughts about taking you around all those drunk frat guys.”
“Do I really look that different?” I asked.
He cocked his head to the side. “Actually, you look more like you than I’ve ever seen.”
I wrinkled my nose. That didn’t make sense.
“I mean, your outside matches your inside.”
“Thank you,” I said, touched by the statement.
“So everything with you and Ivy?” he asked.
“It’s really good.”
He nodded. I moved to walk past him, and he caught me around the waist. His lips crushed against mine instantly, kissing me fiercely.
I melted against him and kissed him back with everything I had. His hands came up to bury themselves in my hair and he groaned low in his throat. I reached between his jacket and shirt to wrap my arms around his waist.
After a few minutes of intense kissing, he released me and set me away.
“If we don’t leave right now, we never will.”
At the door, he stopped and turned. “I need the thing I gave you to hold.”
I dug it from beneath my mattress and held it out. He grinned and reached for it, but I hesitated, then glanced inside the front of my blazer. There was a pocket, so I slid the nameplate inside. “I’ll hold it ‘til we get there.”
“You sure?” he asked.
I nodded.
He held out his hand and I placed mine in his.
“You ready for your first frat party?” he asked.
Ready or not, here I come.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Romeo
The Omega house was one of the largest frat properties on campus. It was set sort of back off the road and a very green yard stretched out beside and behind it. Large, mature trees filled the space around the house, giving it a more private feel, even though it was located on the edge of campus.
Omega House was a large stone building. Just looking at it, you knew it was filled with history. There was a plaque on the wall by the wide double front door indicating it was one of the oldest buildings on campus.
It looked like a giant box with rectangular windows running along the entire front on both the first and second floors. The stone wasn’t the perfectly cut man-made kind; instead, it was in various shades of tan and brown and was rounded, making it look like it was literally dug out of the ground and used to build a formidable home.
The front door was a weathered shade of royal blue, and on each wide door was a sign with the Omega symbol in the center. Long, wide concrete steps led up, giving way to a large concrete patio. The landscaping was exceptionally nice considering a bunch of guys lived here. It was obvious the campus paid for the upkeep of the exterior.
Large evergreen bushes flanked the ends of the building and assorted plants in varying shades of green grew along the front. Out in the back was the building I remembered from before, the one with the secret club down below.
I couldn’t see it now as we pulled into the parking lot and I found a spot, but I knew it was there. Music was pumping through the night when I opened the door and climbed out of my Hellcat. The driver’s seat was pushed forward, and Ivy and Missy unfolded themselves from the back. I watched Ivy closely, taking in her reaction to getting a ride with us.
After she straightened her top, she glanced at me and smiled. “Thanks for the ride, Romeo.”
There was no gleaming agenda in her eyes, and it made me feel better. “Anytime.”
The two girls moved off to stand at the end of the car and were already yapping away, but it wasn’t lost on me that Rimmel was still hiding in the passenger seat.
I walked around and opened her door. With wide, dark eyes, she looked up at me through her glasses.
My heart nearly stopped when I first saw her tonight. In fact, my eyes had skipped right over her, dismissing the fact it was her. I’d never seen her look more beautiful. Maybe her friendship with Ivy wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. She was glowing, and I knew it wasn’t just because someone curled her hair.
I wanted to see more of this side of her. Not only because she looked damn hot, but because she looked so happy.
I could feel the nerves rolling off her, and I leaned down inside the open door and smiled. I was sort of nervous too. I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight when I walked in with her. I was damn proud to have her on my arm, but I also didn’t want anyone else looking at her.
“Want to hold my hand?” I asked and grinned.
She snorted and whacked my outstretched fingers. “Let me out.”
When she was beside me, I reached for her hand, lacing our fingers together, and slammed the door to the car. She glanced down at where I held her. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know.” My fingers tightened around hers.
The four of us walked through the lot and up onto the sidewalk that led down to the house. I could hear people laughing and cheering. A crowd materialized off to the side, but I didn’t give them much attention because there were people all over this place. They spilled out the front door and onto the porch of the house.
Rimmel stumbled a little as she walked, and I released her hand to wrap an arm around her waist. She patted my stomach. “Romeo,” she whispered.
I glanced over and everything in me stilled.
The dean was walking toward us with two campus security officers. “Mr. Anderson,” the dean said with a tight look on his face.
“Is there a problem?” I said, releasing Rimmel and stepping slightly in front of her.
Ivy and Missy stopped walking and stood off to the side, watching with wide eyes. I wanted to tell them to leave, but I held my tongue. If things went bad, I would need someone here with Rimmel.