“Well?” he murmurs. “Are you okay being alone with the big, bad wolf, Gabriela?”
“I’m alright,” I call out, loud enough for Abella to hear me. “Please don’t worry about me.”
“Okay.” Relief slips through her voice. “We’ll leave you alone then.”
When everything falls quiet outside the door, Romeo’s thumb grazes my cheek.
“Tell me you want me inside you.”
I search his eyes—warm and so full of hunger, I can’t deny that this is real.
As a montage of the last five years crashes through my thoughts, I see everything through a new lens.
The quiet things he did for me. The way he watched me, memorizing every detail of my life, even when I was convinced he despised me. We bickered, played games, and exchanged stupid barbs. But through it all, one thing never changed.
The thought rises inside me, sudden and overwhelming.
I’m in love with him.
I’ve never stopped loving him.
A sob bursts free before I can stop it.
He stills, pain flickering in his eyes as he tries to pull away.
“Don’t,” I plead.
He doesn’t move in either direction as he meets my gaze, his face more guarded than it was just a moment ago.
“I want you inside me.”
“You’re crying.” His voice comes out rough.
“I’m just emotional,” I confess. “I wanted it to be you. I didn’t even realize how much I wanted that until right now.”
The tension dissolves from his body as he eases himself closer, a low sound of approval rumbling through him.
“You know you trespassed again.” His lips brush against mine. “That means I’m going to have to incarcerate you. At least a full day.”
“Technically, you kidnapped me.”
“You can’t kidnap something that’s already yours.”
Those words spark between us, igniting a desperate rush as we come together. He angles my head back, capturing my mouth with his.
We must have kissed a thousand times by now, but this one lays me bare in a way the others never did. There’s nothing to hide behind—no mask, no armor. Stripped of that protection, I’m making a conscious choice to give myself to him. I’m raw and exposed, but those emotions are swallowed by the intoxicating flood of pleasure soaking into my veins.
Beneath the surface, there’s a storm of feelings I’m not ready to explore. Uncertainty. Fear. Vulnerability. But right now, my only focus is the singular thought looping through my brain.
It’s always been him.
His palms glide over my hips, skimming the fabric of my sweater as he pushes it up to my ribcage.
“Wait.” I breathe the words against his lips. “I want to see you too.”
A shudder moves through him as he nods, reluctantly pulling away to undress. At the same time, I tug off my sweater, then he helps me with my skirt and shoes.
Once we’re both naked, he stands at the foot of the bed, letting me drink in the sight of him.
