Star-Crossed (19 page)

“Isn’t that the guy who fought Clay?” Alaine asked Chuito curiously. “The Gladiator or something.”

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“His real name’s Romeo,” Chuito offered.

Alaine laughed. “That’s a strange coincidence.”

“Yeah, it is, isn’t it?” Chuito agreed as if he saw right through Jules.

Jules knew she should be panicking over being so obvious. If Chuito saw the writing on the wall, it was a sure bet her twin and best friend would, but right then she didn’t care what Wyatt or Clay would think. All she could do was stare at Romeo next to that beautiful Ferrari, looking tan and handsome wearing a black leather jacket and jeans. His brother got out of the car and jumped where he stood as if trying to shake feeling into his legs while Romeo stretched his arms, showing off that big, beautiful chest in a tight black T-shirt underneath his jacket. She felt breathless, and it wasn’t until that moment she realized how desperately she’d missed him. Which should be insane; she’d only spent one night with him, but now it was more—so much more, and him being in Garnet made Jules feel like her entire life had just clicked into place.

“How much does a car like that cost?”

“About three hundred thousand base model,” Chuito told Alaine while giving Jules another pointed look. “And that car is
not
base model.”

“Wow, he must have more sponsors than we realized,” Jules said in surprise.

“Okay,” Chuito said in disbelief. “Now’s the point where you stop giving Alaine shit about being naive.”

Alaine gave Jules a hurt look. “What does that mean?”

“Yes, what does it mean?” Jules asked Chuito, though it was unlikely she was asking the same question as Alaine.

“He hasn’t even won a UFC title yet,” Chuito said as if it was obvious. “I have a title, and I live over your office.”

“You live over the office by choice.”

“But I don’t drive a three-hundred-thousand-dollar vehicle.”

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“Are you insinuating something?” Jules asked, unable to help getting defensive.

“And just ’cause he ain’t got a UFC title don’t mean anything. He fought with other promoters before the UFC, and he’s got titles from all of ’em.”

“Fine, maybe you’re right.”

“I am.”

Chuito shrugged, seeming largely unconvinced. “He
does
have a lot of sponsors, more than even Clay’s had. I guess I got to work on being flashier. That’s what sells tickets.”

“Well, he’s Clay’s friend, so I guess we have to be nice to him.” Jules turned toward the front door of the diner just as Romeo and his brother walked in. “At least no one’s looking at you two anymore.”

“That ain’t a lie,” Alaine agreed with a laugh.

Jules couldn’t respond. Romeo spotted her, and she was sure everyone in Hal’s knew. It was all over Romeo’s face, and Jules knew she had to be equally transparent.

Her breath was trapped in her chest, her heartbeat echoed in her ears, and the entire diner seemed to disappear as she finally stood in the same room with the man who’d given her something to look forward to every day since Christmas. Hearing his voice.

Texting him. Exchanging pictures and stories through the day. Then at night when she would touch herself and savor all the sensual, seductive things Romeo had to say about listening to her do it. They video chatted at least three nights a week, and it never stopped turning her on.

“Look at you!” Melody said as she came up behind Romeo.

Romeo blinked, looking from Jules to Melody, and then frowned. “Melody, you
work
here?”

“Yup. Four days a week when I’m not working at the new women’s shelter we’re building between here and Mercy.” Melody jumped up and gave Romeo a hug. “I didn’t think y’all were getting in until later.”

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“Yeah, we left early,” Romeo said, returning Melody’s hug.

“Hey, Tino.” Melody turned to Romeo’s brother and hugged him. “Nice seeing you again.”

“Yeah,” Tino agreed, studying her in confusion. “Don’t you live with Clay? I thought you guys were practically married. Why are you working here?” Melody laughed. “’Cause I like it.”

“Right. Okay.” Tino looked dazed as he looked around the diner. “If you say so.”

“Oh, hey, Jules, look,” Melody called out, waving to Jules as if everyone in the restaurant hadn’t already noticed Romeo’s arrival. “He’s here early. Who knew?” Jules slid out of the booth and took a steadying breath as she walked up to him, being very aware that all eyes were on them. She held out her hand to Romeo in a very businesslike manner and tried not to shudder when he shook it, his large palm engulfing hers, reminding her of the first time they met.

“Miss Conner,” Romeo said with a teasing smile.

“Wellings,” Jules said cordially, unable to help grinning. “Nice to see you finally found your way to our neck of the woods.”

“Well, Clay’s offer was a little too good pass up,” Romeo said, his smile growing broader. “And I was
intrigued
by what you have to offer.”

“And you remember Romeo’s brother Tino, dontcha?” Melody asked, obviously unaware of the sexual tension pulsing between Jules and Romeo. “He went along with Romeo when we did that publicity tour last month. He’s funny; you’ll like him.” Jules grinned at Tino. “I’m sure I will.”

“Jules is our local lawyer,” Melody went on to explain. “And I think Terry gave her the keys to the place y’all are renting from him.” Jules nodded. “He did. They’re at my office. If y’all would like to stop by after you eat, I can take you out there and show it to you.”

“Sounds great,” Romeo said brightly. “Mind if we join you for lunch?”

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“Not at all. We’re in the corner booth right over there. Head on over; you must know Chuito.”

The second Romeo’s and Tino’s backs were turned, Melody breathed a sigh of relief and mouthed
thank you
to Jules. Making it evident that though she put on a front of being oblivious to the curiosity of the other patrons, she was very aware of the stir Romeo’s arrival caused. More than being a famous UFC fighter, one who’d had an ongoing rivalry with Clay until he’d saved Melody, he was also very city, and it made him stand out in a town that always got a buzz off the gossip of something new and different happening.

Jules winked at Melody in return, and she only felt mildly guilty for the ruse because luring Romeo to the corner of the diner wasn’t exactly a hardship for her. Then she turned and headed back to the table, all the while thinking of how she was going to get him alone long enough to do more than shake hands.

* * * *

“You’re giving me your Ferrari?”

“Wreck it and die,” Romeo warned as he put the car keys in his brother’s hand.

Giving Tino his car when he was high on sugar and energy drinks was just asking for trouble, but Romeo wanted Jules
that
badly. “I’ll text you the address to the house.”

“No problem.” Tino gave Romeo a knowing smile, then turned to Chuito behind him. “You ready?”

“Sure, man,” Chuito said casually. “Where’d you wanna go?”

“I just wanna check the place out. See what there is to do around here.” Chuito tilted his head and pulled a face. “There’s not much.”

“You sure you can’t let your little secretary off?” Tino asked Jules, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. “Maybe she knows where the party’s at.”

“She’s sure,” Chuito said before Jules could answer, giving Tino a dark look, making him appear threatening in a way that had nothing to do with being a successful 152

MMA fighter. His voice was suddenly electric with danger as he warned, “Partying with Alaine’s off the menu.”

“Hey, it’s cool.” Tino held up his hands passively. “I didn’t know you were doing her.”

“I’m not—” Chuito swallowed hard before he gestured to Romeo’s Ferrari parked next to Jules’s car in the parking lot of her office. “Let’s just take off.” Romeo watched his brother and Chuito pull onto the road in his car, and tried not to wince. He wasn’t real sure what there was to do around here, but he was fairly certain if there was trouble of some sort, Tino could find it, especially with Chuito as a tour guide.

“You know that guy’s got a colorful past.” Romeo leaned against Jules’s car next to her and gave her a look. “I knew he trained with Clay, but I didn’t realize he
lived
over your office.”

“You don’t know anything ’bout Chuito or his past,” Jules said defensively.

“You’re just buying into the hype ’round him. He’s lived over my office for three years, and I ain’t never had a problem with him.”

Romeo
did
know he had a past. It was more than the obvious gang tattoos and the hum in MMA circles that said Chuito was a very dangerous man both in and out of the cage. It was an instinctive knowledge that Chuito would do what he had to in order to protect his interests, even if it wasn’t moral or legal. There was a reason Tino had gravitated to the light heavyweight champion within two minutes of sitting down to lunch. They were cut from the same cloth and used to a lifestyle where black-and-white for ordinary, law-abiding citizens was blended gray under the guise of loyalty and survival.

Then again, how could he give Jules shit for letting a former gangbanger live above her office considering she’d been having phone sex with Romeo every night for nearly two months and he wasn’t a former anything. He was still very much involved with the mafia whether he wanted to be or not.

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“I think you have an inclination toward the dangerous, Miss Conner.” Romeo folded his arms over his chest and moved a little closer to Jules because he couldn’t resist. “And you seem to jump into everything with both feet.” Jules gave him a sideways glance as they both stood there leaning against her car.

“Are you admitting to being dangerous?”

Romeo thought about Nova’s constant warnings. If he cared about Jules, he wouldn’t get involved with her. Yet here he was, right in the heart of Garnet, and lie to himself all he wanted, it wasn’t to perfect his jujitsu.

“I
am
dangerous,” he admitted, turning to give her a serious look. “You should probably kick me to the curb right now.”

Jules studied him, her light gaze running over his body in a hungry sweep. The look affected Romeo, and he found himself shifting where he stood, fighting down a deep-seated instinct that had him wanting to grab Jules and kiss her right out in the open.

Lunch had been horrible, sitting next to her as the memories of Vegas had assailed him, mixing with new recollections of hearing her voice against his ear every night as she came calling his name and all those times when the two of them had gotten naked for each other in front of their laptops.

With that thought, Romeo leaned into her without realizing it, inhaling her perfume, which smelled like pure, unadulterated sex, simply because of what it reminded him of. He admired her eyes in the sunlight and the way her hair glinted white and gold under the winter sun.

Jules leaned closer too, her eyes closing for one moment as she took a deep breath, making him think she was doing the exact same thing he was. Smelling him, remembering, reveling over being so close after so many months of wanting and teasing. The time it took for them to get to this place, alone and near each other once more, had felt like a lifetime.

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Then Romeo caught a glimpse of strawberry blonde at the window and turned to look just as Jules’s assistant disappeared behind the curtain. “We’re being watched,” he said, his voice low with desire even to his own ears.

“No doubt.” Jules sighed, sounding unsurprised. She leaned past him, looking to the road just as two cars, one in front of the other, passed going so slow they were likely five miles under the already low speed limit. She leaned back against her car once more.

“That’s what this town does, nose into everyone’s business, and you’re the most interesting thing that’s showed up here in a while.” That was a dire warning when he considered everything Jules had to lose by being with him. If he were noble, he’d push her away now. Coming here was a huge mistake.

He’d known it, but he’d done it anyway.

“You ready to see the house?” Jules asked as she held up the small set of keys she’d fetched from her desk drawer before giving her assistant instructions to hold down the fort for the next few hours. “It’s very hidden. Intimate. I think you’ll like it.” Romeo nodded, his cock hard, his breathing shallow with longing after such a long time of wanting and teasing each other. “I was born ready for you, Juliet.” Jules sucked in a sharp breath, making it obvious the endearment was enough to remind her of sexual, seductive things whispered into the phone under the cover of darkness.

“Then let’s go.” Jules turned away from him as if she needed the space to think more clearly. She searched in her purse and pulled out her personal set of keys, pushing a button on them. “It’s not far.”

Romeo got into the passenger seat of her black Mercedes Benz without argument, proving to both of them that where Jules was considered, true nobility was impossible for him.

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