Page 99 of Rebel Romeo

Holden yanks his pants up, zipping them as I tug my dress down, ignoring the sweet sensation of liquid gliding between my thighs.

Dim light filters in from the crack in the door and I flush. We didn't even shut the door completely. Didn't think to lock it behind us. But even in the dark room, I can see Holden's cheeks have turned pink. "Fuck, Kate, I'm sorr?—"

I press my fingers to his lips, halting the apology before he can finish. "Don't apologize," I say. "Just promise me there's no more Missy."

The sensuous curve of his mouth tilted into a frown and with a sigh, he drops his forehead to mine. "No more Missy. Though I can’t guarantee she won’t try to wedge herself back in. The last few weeks have been nothing more than publicity stunts and blackmail."

"Blackmail?"

“She knows about undergrad. She knows everything and then some.” My heart stops, my breath turning frosty in my lungs. “It’s going to be okay, Katherine,” Holden tries to reassure me.

“How?”

“My dad and I are on it. But for now, we have other pressing matters.”

“Like what?”

“Like going to Maggie first thing in the morning. Because I’m not spending another minute of my life pretending that you’re not mine.”

I close my eyes against the tears flooding my eyes. “There’s still?—”

“I’m not done yet,” he interrupts me. “I love you, Kate. I’m so sorry for everything I put you through in college. If you’ll let me, I want to spend the rest of our lives making up for it. If you’ll let me.”

“Remember what I told you back in college? It’s not about earning forgiveness as much as it’s about earning back my trust.”

And we both know how that ended.

“I’ll do anything,” he whispers. “I will never not choose you again.”

I’m silent for a long moment. I’ve waited for so long to hear those words and he’s speaking with such genuine tenderness that it threatens to crack my already fractured heart right into two.

“Kate?” he asks after several moments of silence. “Talk to me.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, forcing myself not to cry. “Call me Katherine,” I whisper and promptly lose the battle with my tears.

A smile splits his face as he hauls me against him, cupping my jaw and kissing me hard, firm lips taking mine, hungry and invasive.

Behind us, we hear the door creak open. We freeze mid motion, the raspy stubble on his jaw abrasive against me as he turns and looks at the silhouetted figure standing in the doorway.

"I should have guessed I'd find you two in here," the figure says.

Clearing his throat, Holden reaches out and takes my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before pulling me to stand up.

I'm met face to face with Laurie McCay.

"Some things never change, do they?" she says.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Holden

Five years ago…

Nothing was as perfect as waking up in Katherine’s arms.

As we were leaving in the morning to head to rehearsal, we ran into Jill, coming home, in one of the most obvious walks of shame I’d seen in a while.

Barefoot and carrying her heels in her hands, she smelled like a liquor store that got smashed to shit.

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