“Safe flight, Son?” Romeo nods and shakes his father’s hand.
“It was uneventful. Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Nell. These are my parents, Anthony and Renata.”
“It’s so nice to meet you both.” I nod to them, offering up a smile that I hope convinces them that I am not losing my shit on the inside.
“Oh, we do not shake hands,” Renata says, pulling me in for a hug.
I go with a force, but smile at the warmth coming off her.
“Woman, let the poor girl go so she can breathe,” Anthony tells his wife.
“Oh, pish posh. Everyone loves a hug from time to time.”
“I love hugs,” I blurt out.
Renata winks and says, “Nice to meet you. I want to know where my son met someone so beautiful—and convinced her to date him since he works too much.”
I blush at her compliment, and Romeo’s hand tugs me closer to him, his fingers flexing at my hip.
I take a breath, remembering how awkward things always were with Keith's parents and how they never really warmed up to me. Meeting Romeo's family feels like stepping into unfamiliar territory, and I'm anxious about making a good impression.
Smiling, I begin to share, "Romeo and I actually met at a coffee shop slash bookstore that I own with my parents. He came in for a coffee and a book about alien romance.”
No one says anything for a second before Renata’s laughter sounds loudly and full of genuine amusement. Anthony winks at me, telling me that I am all good.
“Oh, honey. I knew you were an oddball.”
“I will get you for that,” Romeo whispers in my ear, making me shiver with anticipation for what he will do to me.
“Who knew that he would be into such a thing since he oozes money and confidence, but it seems that we truly cannot judge a book by its cover,” I tack on.
His fingers flex, making me tingle in all the best places a woman should tingle.
“We need to go to our room and settle in. We will catch you guys later.” He kisses his mother’s cheek once more and we leave.
I am little shocked by the sudden action from him, but I go along with it. The ride in the elevator to our room is filled with silence. It is deafening and awkward.
“Did I do something wrong?” I push past the lump forming in my throat.
He looks down at me but says nothing.
Shit.
I cannot read him and it is messing with my insides.
I made him look like a fool in front of his parents and maybe he is going to send me back home.
Straightening my shoulders, I think to myself that if he cannot take a joke, like he seems to have in the past few days, then maybe he is not the man I thought he was.
We exit the elevator, and we walk down a long hall that leads us to our room. Romeo scans the key card, and the door beeps open. I step inside first, then he follows, his heat at my back.
A gasp slips from me taking in the opulent room. It is stunning.
Pink tones complement brown accents seamlessly in this sophisticated space. A large bed is set against a wall adorned with pink-and-silver patterned wallpaper. Expansive windows fill much of the room and open onto a balcony.
Opposite the bed, a small divider wall separates the room into two, a brown sofa sits alongside a coffee table, while a large television is mounted on the wall. A bar sits at the end near the window.
I look out the window at the stunning, indescribable beach—my first time in Hawaii. The colors, the vibe, and the general atmosphere of the location are beyond words.
