I laugh and kiss him again, reluctantly tearing myself away from him. “D’you wanna come to Sanctum with me? We can get bagels.” I say it like it’s not something we do almost every weekday.
He glances back at his screen and does a fairly decent job of acting like he’s giving the matter serious consideration. Then he pushes his chair back and leads the way to the shower.
His ass is perfection in pajamas. A gentle curve. A perfect peach.
I can’t resist it.
I reach out and grab it. A cheek in each hand, humming happily as I dig my fingers into supple flesh.
“I have some terrible news for you, Jude…”
“Really? What’s that?”
He looks back and gives me a devilish grin. “You’re going to be late for work.”
Romeo ties Tiger’s leash to a post at the entrance of Sanctum while I place our orders. Onion bagel with peanut butter for me and bacon, egg, cream cheese, and chives for him. He watches, shaking his head and grimacing as I bite into my bagel. He remains wholly unconvinced about my topping choice.
“You’re your mother’s son, Jude,” he says.
I wait until our eyes meet. Glass-bottle blue softens and goes misty, almost as though he knows what I’m going to say before I say it. “So are you.”
We sit at a table by the window so we can keep an eye on Tiger and eat in companionable silence. Silencethat’s interrupted by a jarring, bird-like squawk. I turn to see who the owner of such an abhorrent sound is, and I’m taken aback to find it’s a very large, suit-and-tie man in his forties. From the look of him, I’m inclined to think he’s choking, but his face isn’t going red, and his finger is pointed straight out at one of the patrons.
He's starstruck, that’s what he is, and when I follow his line of sight, I see why. Broad shoulders and narrow hips wind their way through the store. Dark-blond hair curls and falls forward, and an easy smile cracks a handsome face open.
“Holy shit,” hisses Romeo, swatting my arm. “Are you checking him out?”
“Wha— No! God, no, Romeo. I’m not, he’s…” I do things with my eyes that suggest that I’ve just spotted a real-life famous person, or that I require emergency medical attention. It goes straight over Romeo’s head. He’s on his feet in a second and his hands are cupped on the sides of my face, a pair of makeshift blinkers made specially for me by my jealous boy.
I try not to swoon, but only because the last thing he needs is encouragement.
All I can see, blinkered like this, is Romeo’s beautiful face, pinched, brows as high as they can possibly go. “Iknow he’s very good-looking, Jude, but you’remine,” he growls.
“Good-looking, huh?” I tease. “He’s not my type, but it kinda sounds likeyoumight be checking him out.”
His hands drop to his sides and his eyes and mouth form a series of perfect circles. “Oh no, Jude.” He’s so earnest he almost looks childlike. “No. I would never. You’re so gorgeous, and I love you so much, I’d never, ever—”
I cut him off with a hard kiss that seems to reset him.
“It’s Robbie McGuire,” I say, giving a surreptitious side-eye in the direction of big smile and broad shoulders.
Romeo’s face is totally blank.
“Hockey player?” I prompt. Still blank. “Blinding rookie season?” More blank if such a thing’s possible. “Just got traded by the Wranglers?”
“Wranglers? Do you mean jeans orcowboys?” There’s a tiny flicker of interest in his eyes.
“No.” I sigh. “Not jeans or cowboys.Ice hockey. Skates. Pucks. Sticks. The New York Wranglers. You know,myteam.”
“Oh,” he says, crinkling his nose. “Ice hockey. Ew.”
As we gather our things and toss our napkins and paper plates, Romeo mutters, “He’s lucky he’s not your type, or I’d be forced to kick his ass.”
“Romeo!” I exclaim. “Don’t you dare attempt to kick the ass of an NHL player!”
“What? You don’t think I could take him? ’Cause I could. I’d kick his ass all right. Believe me, I’d kick his ass all the way across town.”
“But, Romeo”—my shoulders shake with laughter—“you’re a lover, not a fighter.” He considers what I’ve said and eventually concedes, giving me a shrug and the slightest of up-nods. I lean down and nuzzle his neck. “The world’s best, most passionate lover.”
