“Fuck,” I muttered. “When did everything get so damn complicated?”
“When your life became about more than just football.”
“You sound like Yoda.” I grinned.
“It’s the beer.”
We both laughed and headed out to the parking lot.
I joked and was laughing, but really, he was right. For so long, my life had been nothing but football…
But now there was something more.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Rimmel
I felt stupid standing out here.
I hadn’t wanted to leave Romeo.
But it seemed my presence only made things worse.
So I took the keys and walked out. I hoped it would put an end to the fight. Clearly, there was a lot of tension there, and I really wanted to know the whole story.
And what was with that Zach guy? What a douche.
Up until that point, the party had been pretty fun. It was kind of cool to see how the other side lived. It was a lot more interesting over here.
I glanced at the house and wondered about Romeo. Where was he? What if he got hurt? Should I go back in and find him?
I pulled out my cell. I’d text Ivy.
Just then I heard gravel crunching under foot and a couple male voices floated my way. One of them was very familiar.
“Romeo?” I called out.
The footsteps increased and he came around one of the SUVs parked nearby. His eyes were wide and he let out a string of cuss words. Braeden was close behind and gave me a smile.
“Rimmel?” Romeo said. “I told you to leave.”
I looked him over, trying to see if he was hurt. He didn’t look to be, and some of the tension left my shoulders.
I shrugged and held up the keys to the Hellcat. “I can’t drive a stick.”
Braeden laughed. “Damn, girl. You gotta learn.” He glanced at Romeo. “You better teach your girl.”
Romeo scrubbed a hand down his face. “We’re out of here.”
Braeden nodded. “I’ll take Missy and Ivy home.”
“You promise?” I said.
He made a big X over his heart and nodded. I texted Ivy quickly to let her know Braeden was their new ride. “Thanks.”
Romeo plucked the keys out of my hand, guiding me around to the passenger side and opening the door. He leaned in and fastened the seat belt around me, and I couldn’t help but study his strong profile in the dark. I felt bad he’d gotten in a fight tonight because of me.
“You didn’t correct him,” I said when he pulled out onto the road.
He glanced at me quickly before turning back to the road. “Correct him for what?”
“He called me your girl.”
He paused. “Maybe I want you to be.”
Something inside me ached. “Surely after tonight you know we won’t ever work.”
He nodded slowly and the ache intensified. “Yeah. I know.” He turned the Hellcat onto the main road that led away from campus.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“My place.”
“But you just said…” My voice faded away as confusion took over. Confusion and ache did not mix well.
“I know what I said,” Romeo replied, keeping his eyes trained on the road. “I don’t care.”
A little bit of that ache went away, but I didn’t allow myself to hope. “Tonight was just the beginning. The past few days were just a glimpse at what’s to come if you don’t take me home.”
The car swerved abruptly as Romeo pulled to the side of the road. It was barely in park when he surged across the seat and took my face in his hands.
“I can’t take you home right now.” His voice was thick and husky. “Please don’t ask me to do that.”
“Romeo,” I whispered.
I can’t even explain the kind of emotion that erupted in the air and encircled us at that moment. He kissed me like I was the breath in his body, like I was the blood in his veins. I kissed him back just as fiercely, as if his lips were the cure to the ache in my chest.
I grabbed onto his wrists and squeezed, holding him close as our lips melded together. My heart thudded in my chest and everything between my thighs throbbed with need. Romeo’s fingers bit into the back of my neck, but it didn’t hurt, and I urged him closer.
When we broke apart, he rested his forehead against mine as we both pulled in heavy gasps of air. “Baby,” he murmured, his voice breaking on the word. “You’re making me crazy.”
“What happened back there?” I asked.
“Don’t bring him into this moment,” he whispered. “This moment belongs to me and you.”
I reached up to cup his face and he tilted his cheek into my palm.
“Stay with me tonight.”
I didn’t really have to think about it. I already knew. My body wanted him so badly I almost hurt. The need, the want, the feelings swimming around inside me all eclipsed that little bit of fear I felt at giving myself to him.
I brushed the backs of my fingers across his cheek. “Yes,” I whispered.
His eyes lifted to mine, staring at me through the dark, looking for confirmation of what I just said.
He saw it.
He kissed me again.
And then he put the car in drive.
By the time he parked near his house, my knees were shaking. It wasn’t because I was having second thoughts, but I was nervous. I was about to have sex with Romeo. I was going to do something that would make him a part of me forever.
Most college girls probably didn’t think about it like that, but I did. I knew I was the kind of person that couldn’t do something like this without it altering me at least in some way forever.
When the car was off, he turned and looked at me through the dark. “If you changed your mind, I’ll take you home right now.”
“I didn’t.”
He came around to my side of the car when I was climbing out. His body was a good shield against the cold air as he wrapped his arm around my waist and walked us inside. The only light he turned on was in the hall leading back to his bedroom.
It filtered into the large space, giving the room a soft glow. In the center was a gigantic bed. It made my bed at the dorm seem like it belonged in a dollhouse. The comforter was white and flung up like it was a last-minute effort to make the bed. Up near the dark wooden headboard, there were pillows lining the mattress, making the top of the blankets look lumpy.
There was a set of windows off to my right, but they were covered with curtains. There were a few more traditional pieces of furniture, like dressers and nightstands. Hanging on the wall directly across from the bed was a large flat-screen TV and below it was a fireplace. I smiled when I saw it because I could imagine Romeo watching football games in bed.