Page 170 of Romeo

While he was getting settled, she slammed the passenger side door shut and rushed around the front of the Toyota to jump in. They needed to get out of there before they were seen and stopped.

Once her Highlander was in Reverse, she asked, “Where to?”

“You know this area a fuck-ton better than me. Somewhere it’s only me and you.”

Only me and you.

Where could they go besides the awful motel in Parsington? There had to be somewhere closer. When a lightbulb went off in her head, she quickly put the SUV into Drive and drove off the farm.

Not even five minutes later, she parked in a secludedtobacco field owned by the Fury but farmed by the local Amish.

Once she shut down the engine, they sat in uncomfortable silence. Her pounding heartbeat the only sound in her ears.

Someone had to get this conversation rolling.

“Rome—” she started at the same time he said, “Maddie?—”

If he wanted to speak, she’d let him since she was dying to hear what he had to say.

“Never saw my life takin’ this direction.”

“I didn’t, either,” she responded.

“Never wanted an ol’ lady,” he continued.

“I never wanted to be one.”

“Didn’t think it was in my blood to settle down.”

When she countered with, “I never wanted to settle,” his brow scrunched low.

“Bein’ with me would be settlin’?”

She must have struck a nerve. “Well, first off, I’m notwithyou. Second, I don’t want to be forced into anything. I also don’t want to be with someone forced to be with me.”

“Ain’t…” He shook his head. “No one’s forcin’ shit.”

“Then, what happened up there?”

“Truth is, want no one else to have you. Wanna make you mine. Claimed you at the table upstairs. Now wanna claim you in front of the rest of the world. Want everyone to know you’re ‘property of Romeo.’ Now and forever.”

“Property of Romeo?” Her question came out in a squeak.

He muttered a “fuck.”

She cleared her throat to bring her voice back to normal. “Do you think a college-educated, independent woman wants to be property of anyone?” Especially aman.

“What’s the difference between wearin’ a man’s cut and a weddin’ ring? Don’t both tell others that you’ve been claimed?”

“Are you proposing?” she half-joked, but her stomach churned at the thought of the man sitting next to her proposing to anyone.

Romeo, a husband?

She leaned forward and looked up at the sky through the windshield.

“Whatcha lookin’ for?”

“Pigs flying.”

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