Star-Crossed(31)

fighter just screamed look at me. They were larger than life, impossible to miss, and never hidden by caps and sunglasses.

“Those guys pack more than a flock of trophy wives,” Wyatt observed when their driver started to unload. “That’s a lot of luggage.”

“There’s more of them,” Jules said defensively, though she had to admit they did have a lot of luggage. “They got twice as many people on their team.”

“He’s got an entourage.” Wyatt grabbed the last bag and handed it to the skycap waiting for them to finish unloading. “How city is that? He thinks he’s a fucking rock star.”

“Leave it alone.” Jules turned to Wyatt rather than stand there gawking at Romeo, who still hadn’t noticed them. “Romeo did save Melody. Please don’t forget that.”

“You’re calling him Romeo now? Like we’re buddies with him or something?

What the hell kinda name is Romeo anyway?”

Jules gaped, feeling vaguely insulted. Romeo wasn’t any more odd a name than Juliet was. “Just try and remember our daddy raised ya with manners.” 80



Her purse buzzed, and she wrestled once more to search through it. She tilted the phone to read the text, using the dimness of her purse to make the screen easier to see.

 Hey, sexy.

Jules glanced up to the other team still unloading and found Romeo next to the skycap station looking in her direction. For one brief moment time seemed to stand still as she admired him wearing designer jeans that had been professionally faded and a tight black T-shirt with a Chinese dragon on the front. It showed off his powerful chest and massive biceps that were impossible not to appreciate. He was completely New York, trendy and hip in a way Jules found herself drawn to. Romeo was so different from the men she knew, and she liked that about him.

She smiled because she couldn’t help it. Romeo tilted his head and smiled back.

Despite his dark sunglasses, Jules got the distinct impression he was studying her too, and the thought affected her. A white-hot rush of desire swept through her as she remembered what it felt like to be skin to skin with Romeo, his big body crushing her into the mattress as they moved together. The soreness between her legs became more pronounced at the memory, and she shifted uncomfortably.

“You gonna let this driver earn a living, or you gonna stand there all day?” Jules blinked, realizing she was still on the street behind the car and the driver couldn’t leave until she stepped away.

“Oh hell.” She jumped onto the curb next to Wyatt and asked, “Didja tip the skycap?”

Wyatt shook his head. “I thought you did.”

“Shit.” Jules forgot about Romeo and ran up to the skycap already processing their luggage. She shoved the bags on her shoulder out of the way and pulled her wallet out of her purse. She grabbed the first large bill she could find, tipping him a hundred dollars. “Here you go.”

“Wow, thanks!” the young skycap said, giving her a beaming smile. “I’ll take good care of your stuff.”





81

“It’s for both cars.” Jules grinned. “We appreciate y’all handling it.” Then she tried very hard not to turn around and look for Romeo once more. She’d been obvious enough the first time. Wyatt walked up next to her to get his ticket processed, and she automatically grabbed Clay’s bags off his right shoulder to give him better freedom to dig out his wallet from his pocket.

Wyatt turned to her as they worked on processing his ticket. “Are the seats in the bulkhead?”

“I dunno. We lost our original flight. I took whatever they had. It’s first-class.

You’ll have enough leg room to survive.”

“Didja at least put Clay in the bulkhead?” Wyatt asked, giving her an incredulous look. “If he has to squish up in one of those tiny seats, he’s gonna be an asshole the entire flight home.”

“I don’t know,” Jules repeated slower. “I had them put Clay and Melody together, but that’s all I got. I was doing fourteen things at once while I was changing the flights.”

“Put me in the bulkhead,” Wyatt told the skycap, using his sheriff’s voice that brooked no argument. “Gimme your ticket, Jules. We’ll have him put our seats together and then just trade with Clay and Melody when we get on the plane.”

“Oh my God.” Jules fought once more to open her purse. She pulled out the ticket and handed it to the skycap. “I’m sorry.”

“No problem, ma’am.” The guy gave her another beaming smile. “Make me earn that hundred-dollar tip.”

Wyatt turned and gave her a wide-eyed look as he whispered under his breath,