Page 27 of His Juliet

He fixed me with a stern look, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. He returned my smile and leaned in, kissing me on the cheek. “Have a good day, angel.”

“You, too.”

And then he was gone. My hand went to my cheek where his lips had just been, feeling warm inside.

13

ROMEO

I wasout of breath by the time I got to Juliet’s bookstore. I’d been meeting with our Brooklyn capo about a new weapons shipment and I’d had to fight traffic to get here. Matteo needed me back at the apartment, but I’d told Juliet I would walk her home and I wouldn’t go back on my word.

Plus, I wanted to see her again. This morning had been cut too short.

I slipped into the bookstore and found Juliet at the counter, typing something on her computer. She broke out into a shy smile when she saw me.

“Hi, beautiful. You ready to go?”

She cocked her head. “I was going to wrap up one more inventory thing, but I can save it for tomorrow if you’re in a rush?”

I was surprised by how easily she read me. “I have somewhere I need to be soon. A business meeting,” I quickly clarified when I realized she might think I meant a date.

She grabbed her jacket from a hook behind the counter and I cursed myself for not helping her put it on.

You’re just friends,the annoying voice in my head reminded me.

Well. Friends helped friends get their clothes on all the time.

She came around the counter and stopped in front of me. “Thanks for coming back. You really didn’t need to.” She averted her gaze. “I’m usually not as”—she waved her hands—“dysfunctional as this morning.” She let out a soft chuckle. “Well, maybe that’s not quite true. But I usually hide it better.”

The self-deprecation in her voice was familiar to me. It was the same way I often spoke of myself, but I didn’t like it on Juliet’s lips.

I cupped her chin. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re not dysfunctional, and you never have to hide your struggles with me.”

Her skin flushed pink and it took everything in me to release her and step back. I wanted to feel her curvy body in my arms, to taste her lips, but I held myself back. Once we were outside, I kept a close eye on Juliet. She let out a shuddering breath when she saw the construction that had forced the detour this morning had been cleared up. Even so, I grabbed her hand as we crossed the busy street. She entwined her fingers with mine, and it made my heart beat faster, like I was a fucking teenager.

Not that I’d ever felt this strongly about anyone as a teen.

Too soon, we were at her building again. She squeezed my hand. “You better get to your meeting.”

I squeezed back. “Yeah.” My words were like gravel.

She unlocked the door to the lobby, but before I gave her hand back, I pulled her towards me and kissed the crown of her head. “Have a good night, angel.”

“You too, Romeo,” she whispered.

I jogged back to where I’d parked my car and drove uptown, fighting traffic and the unsettled feeling that I shouldn’t have left her.

* * *

Sofiya sighed heavilyfrom her spot next to me on the couch. I cocked an eyebrow.

“You okay?”

“No,” she groaned. “I need this baby to come now. I’m too pregnant.” She shifted so she was lying down, a large pillow between her legs.

Matteo was meeting a new weapon supplier tonight. Usually, I would have gone with him, but he’d ordered me to stay with Sofiya. She already had her bodyguard, Angelo, but the mounting tension with this new Albanian faction, along with his wife being pregnant, had made Matteo even more overbearing than usual.

“Only a few more weeks now.”

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