Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Romeo Costa was three minutes and thirty-four seconds late.
Yet, somehow, I knew he’d come.
I bit my lip to stem my giggles. Adrenaline coursed through my veins.
When crunched leaves penetrated cricket chirps and hums from faraway cars, I straightened my spine. Romeo’s flawless features came into view, illuminated by the moon’s sleek blue shadow.
He was even more beautiful in pure darkness. Like he was in his natural habitat, playing on his home field.
True to his word, he held an open champagne bottle by its neck in one hand and a handful of shortbread squares tucked inside a napkin in the other.
“My precious!” I growled in a Gollum voice, extending my fingers.
He gave me the bored glare of a man used to fending off fangirls, before realizing I’d reached for the shortbread, not him.
I shoved an entire square into my mouth, tipped my head back, and groaned. “So good. I can practically taste London.”
“Surrey,” he corrected, staring at me as if I were a wild boar he needed to wrestle. “Do you enjoy the taste of ancient ruins and manure?”
“Buzzkill.”
For a reason beyond my grasp, he seemed really unhappy about spending time with me, even though he’d initiated this meeting.
“Let’s go somewhere discreet.”
It was more of a demand than a suggestion.
“No one will find us here.” I waved a hand. “I’ve been attending this ball since I was sixteen. I know every nook and cranny in this place.”
He shook his head. “Some waiters come here for a smoke.”
Romeo must’ve not wanted to be seen with me just as much as I didn’t want to be seen with him. I was a provincial, silly girl to his billionaire-tycoon reputation.
I sighed, dusting shortbread crumbs onto the cobblestone. “Fine. But if you think I’m going to go all the way with you, you’re gravely mistaken.”
“I wouldn’t dare assume.” He punctuated the dark mutter with his back, starting for the other side of the courtyard.
It seemed like he was running away from me, not leading the way. I followed him nonetheless, munching on my third shortbread.
“What made you come to the rose garden? The snacks or the proposition?”
“A bit of both.” I licked my fingers. “And the fact that I bet Madison doesn’t stay fai—” I stopped myself.
I shouldn’t talk badly about my fiancé, even if he did do me dirty. We weren’t officially together. We hadn’t even kissed.
It wasn’t like I was jealous. I couldn’t give the first dang about whom he hung out with before we truly became a couple.
“Curiosity killed the cat,” I amended.
“Your cat will survive. Though I’m tempted to leave it in less-than-pristine condition.”
My cat? Did he mean my pu…
Oh. My. Lord.
My body, which didn’t get the memo that we were both supposed to dislike conceited jerks, got tingly in places I normally forgot existed.
“You’re terrible,” I informed him cheerfully. “You’re going to be my favorite mistake.”
He stopped on a rolling green hill at the back of the opera house. It seemed secluded enough, with a dark wall to our right.
Romeo passed me the champagne bottle. “Drink.”
Pressing it to my lips, I drained a fifth. “You’re not a master of seduction, are you?”
He leaned against the wall, hands tucked inside his front pockets. “Seduction is an art I rarely have to perform.”
The fizzy liquid ran down my throat, cold and fresh.
I coughed a little, forking over the bottle. “So humble.”
He took a generous swig, the gum still in his mouth. “Are you a virgin?”
“Yes.” I glanced around, suddenly wondering if it was worth it. He was hot. But also, kind of a pig. “Are you?”
“Close enough.”
The question had been a joke, so it took me a while to register his answer.
Tipping my head back, I laughed. “What do you know? There is a sense of humor under all this ice.”
“Have you considered how far you want to take this?” He passed the bottle back to me, two-thirds empty.
“Can I just tell you when to stop?”
“From my brief history with you, my guess is you won’t stop until you’ve not only lost your virginity, but have lost the virginity of every other well-bred girl in this zip code, too. Let’s agree to keep your hymen intact.”
Someone needed to work on their dirty talk.
“Sounds good. Are you from New York?”
“No.”
“Then wher—”
“Let’s not talk.”
Oh. Kay.
The man wasn’t going down in my history book for the nicest hookup, but he was the hottest one by a thousand miles, so I let it slide.
We shuttled the champagne back and forth until it emptied. My body felt like a live wire, humming with anticipation.
Finally—finally—he set the bottle on the ground, pushed off the wall, and pinched my chin between his thumb and index finger, tilting my head up.
My heart somersaulted, diving to the pit of my stomach, where it liquidized into sludge.
For the first time, his eyes glittered with warm approval. “I’ve met IRS agents more likable than you. I’ll give you one thing, though. You’re quite delicious, Miss Townsend.”