Page 8 of Summer Lovin'

“Then why don’t you leave?” I’m annoyed by the very idea of her being groomed to be anyone other than the smart, beautiful, amazing girl I remember.

“I have two trust funds set up by my grandfather. One, I was supposed to get when I turned twenty-one, and the other when I turn twenty-five. My father’s lawyers did some kind of voodoo, and he has made them inaccessible until I’m foundfit. What that means and by whom, I have no idea. Simply, he’s holding me hostage. I have less than nothing, Romero. I have a bachelor’s degree in education and can’t get a job. Every time I think I have an amazing interview, I get a phone call that says they went with someone else. My father will not allow me to make my own money or have access to my trust fund until I marry Pareto.”

I sigh, disappointment settling in my gut. “So, this is about money.”

Silent tears fall down her cheeks as I park my truck in a desolate spot. I turn toward her, tentatively reaching out to cup her jaw and wipe away her tears. She’s just as beautiful as I remember, except that spark she once had is muted or gone. Long blonde wavy hair, peaches and cream complexion, curvy in the way that makes every man’s dick hard—she’s gorgeous and yet, I see the hollow shell she’s become, and it breaks my heart.

“It’s not about the money. Not in the way you think.” She brings her eyes up to mine, but instead of sadness, they burn with anger. “Why didn’t you take me with you?”

Her question catches me off guard. “What are you talking about?”

“In one breath you told me you loved me, and in the next you said you were leaving for the military. How much could you have loved me if you planned to leave me?”

I’m instantly transported back five years with an image of us talking about the future in this very truck. “Jules, the only possible way I could’ve taken care of you and my family was by getting out of this fucking town and joining the military. A guaranteed roof over my head, three meals a day, and enough money left over to send home to my mom so she could take care of my sister and brother. I had to leave if I was ever going to be able to offer you even a slice of the life you were used to living.”

“But you could’ve come back for me. I would’ve left here in a hot second to be with you. Not just because my family is a nightmare, but because I was in love with you. It broke my heart when you left.”

I sigh and shake my head, scooting over and removing the space between us. Pulling her onto my lap, I wrap my arms around her like I did all those years ago. “If you loved me, then why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you say it back to me that night?”

“I was afraid you didn’t mean it. It was in the height of passion, and people say crazy things when they come.”

“Fuck, Jules. I was going to propose to you, and after everything we’d experienced together, I was positive you loved me as much as I loved you. It was one thing to not claim me publicly. I could understand that because of the feud between our families, but for you not to say it to me privately… I walked away thinking our entire relationship had been one-sided, or that you were ashamed of me. Me, your one rebellious act in an otherwise perfect existence. Meanwhile, I felt like a fool falling for the most beautiful, unattainable girl in school.”

“You were going to propose?” She glances over everything I’ve said and fixates on that one sentence.

I reach into the ashtray and pull out a skinny silver band with a tiny white sapphire—the most I could afford as a high school student five years ago.

She stares at the ring and then brings her eyes up to mine. “I didn’t say I love you because I was scared to death of what my father would do if he found out about us. Of course, I love you. You, Romero, were my first everything. At one time, I dreamed our love would put this family feud to rest, but now I don’t know.”

“I don’t need our families to get along. I only need you.” I tilt her chin up and press my lips softly against hers. There’s something about her that feels like home. Despite my love for my family, the few times I’ve come home over the years haven’t felt right. That’s the real reason I haven’t sought out Frankie and Jesus or stopped by Mercado’s garage.

Nothing feels more like home than having Julianna on my lap right now.

“I’ve always loved you, Romero. You and only you.” She frames my face with her hands and looks deep into my eyes.

I pull her tight against my body and kiss her deeply, her lips separating and inviting me in. The slick softness of her tongue against mine sends a thrill through my body—my cock instantly hard and eager—and I feel like I’m reliving our last night together all over again. Her kisses are intoxicating, and it takes no time until I’m sliding my hands up her waist to cup her breasts.

She gasps, thrusting her fingers into my hair to egg me on. “Don’t stop.”

I hiss, calming the blood rushing through my veins, in desperate need to slow this down. I want her, but not like this. This is nothing more than a repeat of what we’ve already had. We need the grown-up version of our love, so she can imagine our future. “We lost our virginity in this truck when we were kids and had nowhere else to go, but we aren’t kids anymore. The next time I touch you, I want room to lay you out and explore every inch of your body like a man who loves his woman would do.”

“I still love you, Romero. Deep down, I think I’ve been waiting for you to come for me.”

Having Jules look me in the eye and confess her love while also declaring her desire for us to be together removes five years of doubt and heartbreak. Whether or not it’s rash, I don’t care. I’m not going to let another opportunity pass me by. “I still love you, too. Run away with me, Jules. Marry me.”

4

JULIANNA

Run away with me. Marry me.

I’ve waited my whole life to hear these words from him. “Yes.”

“You’d move to Colorado and become Mrs. Julianna Romero?”

“Tonight?” I look up at him hopefully. Let’s face it, if I go back to my father, I’ll never make it out of here. If I think he had me under his thumb before, he might actually barricade the door to my room after this night.

“If that’s what you want. I have to run back to the cabin to grab my stuff, but then we can go wherever you want.”

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