Page 31 of Forbidden Romeo

We swim over to the sheet that separates the room from the balcony, and Jack opens it wide for me to wade through.

The brisk morning air bites at my cheeks as I swim out to the edge of the infinity pool. We’re not as high as the restaurant—a fact I’m insanely grateful for, considering there’s no glass in the way to stop me from falling off the edge. But the view is magnificent all the same.

I can see the little dots of people making their morning commutes to work or heading to the grocery store, or even heading home after a long night. I wonder absently if Roisin is okay. She went out with all the other cast and crew members after the show last night and, knowing her, she might be one of those stragglers carrying their heels at seven AM.

“You like it?” Jack says from behind me.

I look back at him over my shoulder. “I’m a little cold.”

He takes the hint immediately and wraps his strong arms around me, and pulls me into his chest. His body heat instantly relaxes me, and we stand there for a moment, watching the lives of busy people down below.

“I always wanted to live in an apartment above the city,” I say, finally finding something to be honest about.

Jack kisses me on the back of the head as if to say:Keep going.

“We used to live in this big old house; it was practically falling apart by the time we left. But when I look at cities like this, I always knew I wanted more.”

“Where do you live now?”

I turn around to face him. “In an apartment, about halfway up.”

“I’d say you’re making progress then,” Jack says with a cocky smile. “Come on, let’s go back in; I don’t want you catching a cold.”

I shake my head. “I’m more likely to catch a cold on the subway on my way home.”

“All the same,” Jack insists. “I’d rather not fuck you again with the whole world watching.”

I can feel my face filling with color, but I allow him to lift me up and carry me back inside. He doesn’t waste much time, his mouth crashes into mine, and his arms tighten around my waist, myass.

I grunt in frustration when I realize he’s still wearing pants. Pants that will no doubt be more difficult to remove than his shirt.

Jack chuckles at me. “Are you really that desperate for me again?”

“If I say ‘yes,’ will you undress quicker?” I quip back.

The next kiss is so hard and passionate that it makes my head spin. It promises me everything, adoration, satisfaction… It makes me long for his touch even though we are already so tightly wrapped together.

An intense chirp from the hotel phone goes off, cutting harshly through our moment.

Jack withdraws, resting his head against mine. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly.

“Do you really need to take that?”

He grimaces. “I think my father may have seen the bill we left him last night.”

He kisses me softly before pulling away completely. I watch as he effortlessly swims to the side of the pool and pulls himself out. Water drips tantalizingly down his back as he rises.

He keeps his back to me as he picks up the phone, and he mutters quietly into the receiver. Without glancing my way, he heads back into the bathroom.

“Is everything okay?” I call out to him.

When he returns a moment later, a towel replaces his sodden pants, and there’s another in his hand as he dries himself off. “It will be.”

“You’re leaving?”

Jack doesn’t reply as he strides over to the walk-in closet and pulls out some fresh clothes. I swim closer to the side of the pool, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

“Stay as long as you like,” he says finally, now fully dressed. “Make yourself at home.”

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