Page 11 of Roman and Jules
He ran his fingers through it, looking vaguely interested, though she had a feeling he was taking any excuse to touch it. “Got any scissors?”
“What? Are you going to send it to my parents and ask for a ransom?” She rolled again to see if maybe she could win that back. It was like she was allergic to fives when it teetered on the number then rolled into a four.
He pushed her hair back to whisper into her ear. “How about a kiss?”
Her temperature rose and she giggled, finally pointing to her cheek. He brushed his lips lightly across it. For a tough guy, his touch was gentle, and the softness of his lips sent a tingle through her skin that rushed through the rest of her.
Trying to cover her sudden breathlessness, she rolled the dice again. It was a five. She stood and cheered. The club was so loud that no one noticed, but Roman enjoyed it thoroughly. She jabbed her finger at him. “That’s why! That’s why I don’t gamble. I’m addicted to it and I lose everything, but winning… winning feels so good. It’s why I keep going when I shouldn’t.”
He raised his hands up, and with the flair of a game show host, he pointed to all her belongings that he’d won from her. “What do you want?”
Jules’s eyes ran over everything he’d taken from her and she realized she knew a better way to get him back. “Oh no, I’m going to make you sing.”
He pressed his knuckles together and cracked them. “Just tell me what, when, and where.”
Man, he was a daredevil. He wasn’t even fazed. She’d change that. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, top of your lungs, standing on the table,” she demanded.
Immediately, he lunged to his feet and shouted out the song for her pleasure. Her mouth flew open. It was ridiculous, but of course, everyone else was too busy with their own mischief to judge him for it, though he got a few claps when, grinning ruefully, he sat back down. He gathered the dice from her. Her stomach fluttered when she realized that there was a spark of challenge in his eyes. “Maybe we should end the game,” she said.
He shook his head, and almost as if she couldn’t help it, she shouted out, “Five!” seconds before he rolled.
It came out a five.
She was on her feet again, shouting. “How did you do that? Are you even human?”
He stood, the excitement of success brightening his cheeks. He threw a wad of cash on the table to pay for dinner before his hands went to hers. “I want a dance,” he said.
She felt giddy with the hilarity of what had just happened, and she hid her head against his chest and pretended to pound her fists against him before pulling back. “Are you two-timing me with Lady Luck?” He only laughed in response and she kicked her purse under the table and squared her shoulders before stepping out onto the dance floor.
He tugged her back so that she was back in his arms. “No,” he said. His eyes were a picture of mischief. “Not on the dance floor. Outside.”
That was intriguing. She gathered up her purse, and when Roman caught sight of it, he took her to the front desk to check it in. Even more intriguing. What was this man planning? He took off the earring swinging from the top of his ear and gave it back to her. He didn’t have to, but she appreciated the gesture all the same. And after putting it back on, she went willingly out the door with him. It was raining—barely a sprinkle in this muggy night, but still she swiveled to stare at him with widened eyes.
He shrugged. “Even better, right?”
“Roman! I’m only doing this because you won fair and square… either that or you’re a horrible cheat.” She faced him and slid her arms over his broad shoulders, feeling the warmth of his neck under her hands. “Which one is it by the way?”
He smiled down at her and licked his lips. “Maybe a little of both.” He hummed under his breath and she swayed to his melody, feeling the unspoken music take over her movements.
Lightning shot through the black sky, followed by a blast of thunder. His brows rose. “You feel that, Jules? I think this night is about to get interesting.”
That sounded ominous. Her breath caught in her throat. Before she could retort, the clouds shattered and a torrent of rain drenched them, so hard and so fast that it flooded through the street and swirled around their feet in a matter of seconds. His hands tightened over her so that she wouldn’t go back inside. “We can’t stop now.” A rush of attraction raced through her, even as she tried to fight it. It was almost hopeless as he ran his hands up her arms and broke her hold on him so that he could twirl her gently through the rain and bring her back to rest snugly against his chest. “The song hasn’t ended.”
There was no music, but she laughed anyway. She couldn’t believe that she was smiling so much after such a horrible night. His face held an answering grin as she skipped through the rain and everywhere he led her. The floods splashed under her boots and doused her legs as he swung her playfully around. He knew what he was doing, from the dance moves to the way he held her and made her heart leap into her throat.
The rain slipped down his face, weighing down his thick hair into dark tendrils, and she wondered if she looked like she was drowning in this storm when he reached up, his strong hands covering her ears from the sound of traffic before smoothing her hair back from her face.
“Ty’s an idiot,” he breathed.
That sobered her, but it was a good reminder too. This wasn’t Tyson; this was his cousin, and though things felt over between her and Ty, getting together with his worst enemy was not the best idea. “Maybe he just didn’t see who I was,” she whispered. “I wanted everything with him—marriage and kids. I mean, I’m not just a singer from a dirty bar. One day I’ll be a mother and sing my kids to sleep…”
His hands rested on her upper back and he brought her closer. “Sing to me now.”
That made her giggle. “No. You’re going to have to win that fair and square.”
“How?” he asked, swinging her around with him.
“I’ll trade it for the ring,” she said, feeling dizzy.
